Southern Porches

Arrive at Charleston International Airport by 3:30 pm and transfer to the hotel. 

Enjoy a Welcome dinner at local Crab House, offering fresh seafood and stunning water views.

Return to the hotel to rest and relax for the evening.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel this morning.

Embark on a charming Horse Drawn Carriage Ride through historic Charleston, South Carolina. Rich in over 300 years of history, Charleston is one of the most beautifully preserved historic and architectural treasures in the nation. Significant and lovely structures, beautiful gardens, and centuries-old homes grace the narrow streets. Church bells toll the hour as history unfolds around each and every corner. .  

Afterwards, enjoy free time and lunch on your own while strolling the quaint streets at the City Market.  Get to know the passionate entrepreneurs, traditions and certified Made in Charleston items found at the Historic Charleston City Market.   

Arrive for boarding your Cruise to Fort Sumter. The first engagement of the Civil War took place at Fort Sumter on September 12 and 13, 1861. After 34 hours of fighting, the Union surrendered the fort to the Confederates. From 1863 to 1865, the Confederates at Fort Sumter withstood a 22-month siege by Union forces. During this time, most of the fort was reduced to brick rubble. Fort Sumter became a national monument in 1948  

Enjoy a curator tour and wine reception at Edmonston-Alston House. Commanding a magnificent view of Charleston Harbor, the Edmondston-Alston House has witnessed many historic moments in the port city’s history. One of the oldest houses along the High Battery, it withstood the American Civil War, the Earthquake of 1886, and numerous hurricanes; it has survived to share a piece of Charleston history. 

Conclude the day with an included dinner at a local restaurant before returning to your hotel to rest and relax.

Enjoy breakfast included at the hotel this morning prior to checking out.

Tour the McLeod Plantation Historic site. McLeod Plantation was built on the riches of sea island cotton - and on the backs of enslaved people whose work and culture are embedded in the Lowcountry’s very foundation. It is a living tribute to the men and women and their descendants that persevered in their efforts to achieve freedom, equality, and justice. 

Enjoy the Charleston Tea Garden with a Trolley Tour around the property. Over 100 years ago, tea planters brought their finest ancestral tea buses from China and India to Wadmalaw Island near Charleston, SC.  Now the direct descendants of these very plants have been lovingly restored at the Charleston Tea Garden.  A delightful boxed lunch is included while visiting.

Visit Lady's Island Oyster for a unique Oyster Experience. Learn about how important oysters are to the Eco-system, different farming techniques, and enjoy a Tasting during your visit!

Check-in to the wonderful Best Western Sea Island Hotel.  Your evening is free to explore  downtown Historic Beaufort along Bay Street and the Beaufort Riverfront. Shop the unique and independent boutiques, artisan shops and restaurants located here for dinner on your own.  Beaufort has a very comfortable and walkable downtown with no chain retail shops or restaurants as far as the eye can see.    

Retire to your room at your leisure this evening.

Enjoy breakfast at your leisure this morning.

This morning, set sail on your River Dolphin History Cruise.  As you cruise along the waterfront, the captain shares stories about local history, beginning with Native Americans and into Spanish exploration, French settlement, and English colonization.  Along the way, we’re likely to see playful bottlenose dolphins, nesting bald eagles and ospreys on the hunt. 

An amazing experience awaits you at the Gullah Geechee Visitors Center where you’ll feast on an authentic lunch today, a Low Country Shrimp Boil, AKA Frogmore Stew, served at the Gullah Geechee Visitor Center where we will hear the “Tales from the Land of Gullah” from a local storyteller and historical interpreter.  

Meet your National Park Ranger at Darrah Hall, the oldest building on the campus of the Penn Center and the National Park Service’s base of operations for the Penn Center National Historic Landmark District.  It contains temporary exhibits about the origins of Reconstruction and Education in the region. See Penn Center, a South Carolina Historical Legacy and An American Cultural Treasure.  Tucked in the heart of South Carolina Sea Islands surrounded by glimmering marshes and nestled beneath the silvery moss-draped limbs of massive live Oaks, is Penn Center, the site of former Penn School, one of the country’s first schools for formerly enslaved individuals.  Penn Center is one of the most significant African American historical and cultural institutions in existence today. Located on St. Helena Island, one of the most beautiful and historically distinct of the South Carolina Sea Islands, and at the heart of the Gullah culture.   

Experience Ft. Freemont, a former military installation, on a guided tour. The fort and battery are historically significant as an example of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century military architecture and as one of two surviving coastal fortifications in the United States intact from the Spanish-American War era.  

Afterwards, you're off to MacDonald Marketplace for an included Welcome Reception of locally produced foods and one-of-a-kind Low Country shopping experience.

An included dinner at a local favorite, known for it's local fare concludes your day before returning to your hotel for the rest of the evening.  Happy and VERY full!

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel this morning.

Begin your day at the Savannah Visitor Center to meet and board your Trolley Tour of historic district of Savannah!  On this 90-minute excursion, you'll see the extraordinary architecture, lush botanicals, and hear the captivating stories of this historic, coastal city.   

Explore the Davenport House where you'll be treated to intriguing and vivid experiences centered on a legendary Savannah-centric tale of courage and determination as well as the story of those dwelling in the house, both enslaved and free, in the early 19th century. 

Enjoy free time and lunch on own on Savannah’s famous Riverwalk.  Housed in one-time cotton warehouses, there are more than 75 boutiques, galleries, artists' studios, restaurants and pubs located on Savannah’s River Street.  

This afternoon, embark on a Golf Cart Tour at Bonaventure Cemetery! A place of beauty, history and awe! Tour and travel in comfort in the 5-passenger golf carts and visit Bonaventure, a world-famous tourist destination for over 150 years. Sit back and relax while your tour guide shares the history, landscape, and points of interest while being shaded from the sun and elements. 

Explore the American Prohibition Museum, bringing the 20s to life with over 20 intoxicating exhibits and a speakeasy. From gangsters to rumrunners, learn about the most famous characters of the twentieth century. Enjoy an included drink while visiting. 

Your day concludes with a delightfully fun included dinner at The Pirate House! Savannah’s World-Famous Pirates House is located on one of the most historic spots in Georgia. It was first opened in 1753 as an inn for seafarers, and fast became a meeting point for pirates and sailors from the Seven Seas. Today, The Pirates’ House welcomes visitors to its full-service restaurant for a great Southern meal and a fun time visiting with Pirates! Enjoy this uniquely Southern dining experience in an historic atmosphere  

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel this morning prior to checking out.

Explore the fun Kazoo Factory Museum containing historical kazoos and learn all about how the kazoo was invented and how it has come to be America's most beloved musical instrument. 

Embark on a Southern Rose Horse Drawn Carriage Ride and learn about Beaufort’s history. See Hollywood movie sets, gorgeous gardens, ancient churches, and many Civil War era Antebellum homes.  

Enjoy lunch on your own and free time to shop at the unique and independent boutiques, artisan shops, and restaurants in downtown Beaufort. Beaufort has a very comfortable and walkable downtown with no chain retail shops or restaurants.  Explore any of these nearby historical attractions, all within walking distance:  Beaufort History Museum, Reconstruction Visitor Center, John Mark Verdier House.   

Your tour concludes around 2pm at which point travelers should coordinate their travel plans / arrangements from the area no earlier than this time.  All travelers with flights (from Charleston International Airport) should coordinate their arrangements for departures no earlier than 6pm. 

Depart for home after this relaxing and enriching experience with a camera full of amazing photos to cherish forever.