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Tours |
This is a list of the Guided & Self Guided Tours that will be available to our attendees for the weekend. Short
descriptions and times will be listed so that you may plan ahead for the activities you would like to try to do while you are with us. Sign up sheets
will be available upon your arrival Thursday in the Lobby. We've kept the Guided Tours to less than 5 hours, so that all attendees can be back before
5:30pm. Self-guided tour times will be left up to the individuals and how much time they decide to spend sight-seeing and shopping.
Guided Tours (led by Members of the Lowcountry Miata Club)
Friday, April 30th, 2010 #1 - The Hunley Tour will leave from Embassy Suites parking lot at 10am Line up at 9:45am. A special behind the scenes group tour has been setup for this run for $15 per person. You'll tour the Hunley and all the artifacts that they have pulled from the wreckage. You'll get to see the hourly burial rites of the soldiers who went down with the Hunley as well. It's a very intresting and informative tour. This run does not include lunch. Driving time for this tour (not including stops) is 1 1/2 hours and 50 miles round trip. Estimated time of return is 1pm. #2 - Johns Island, Irvin-House Winery, Tea Farm & Angel Oak Park Tour will leave from Embassy Suites parking lot at 10am. Line up at 9:45am. This drive will take you to the Irvin House Vineyards & Firefly Vodka (sample Muscadine Grape Wines with a $10 charge for tour, tasting & Glass as well as Vodka Tasting & Glass for $6 ), the Charleston Tea Company farm - formerly Lipton Tea Farm - North American’s only commercially grown Tea operation (factory tour is free and optional Trolley tour is $15 per person and includes goodie bag) and Angel Oak Park (if dirt road is not too muddy). Lunch will be picnic style at the Tea Farm and the cost is $8 per person. Lunch must be paid for at the time of sign up. Driving time for this tour (not including stops) is 2 1/2 hours and 110 miles round trip. This tour is limited to 17 cars. Estimated time of return is 4pm. #3 - Ft. Moultrie, Sullivan's Island & Isle of Palms Tour will leave from Embassy Suites parking lot at 10am. Line up at 9:45am. This drive will take you to along Sullivan’s Island to Ft. Moultrie and over to Isle of Palms for lunch. Views of Intercoastal Waterway and beaches, views of beach homes, lunch at Morgan Creek Grill in the Wild Dunes Marina (beautiful views of the marina, yachts, and the Intercoastal). Return over the Isle of Palms connector and Hwy. 526 with more waterway views. Cost to tour Ft. Moultrie is $3 for Adults and $1 for over 62 years of age. National Park Cards are honored.This tour is limited to 17 cars. Driving time for this tour (not including stops) is 1 hour and 40 miles round trip. Estimated time of return is 3-4pm. Saturday, May 1st, 2010 #4 - Edisto Island Tour will leave from Embassy Suites parking lot at 8:30am. Line up at 8:15am. This drive will take you through the towns of Ravenel and Adams Run, and then to Edisto Island and Edisto Beach. We will go back roads as often as possible, past Prospect Hill Plantation. Part of this trip will include driving down dirt roads and may be extremely dusty. Lunch will be at Plantation Grille on Edisto Island. After lunch we will drive to the Wyndham (Fairfield) Ocean Ridge Cabana on the beach and relax for a while. The final leg of the drive will take us back towards Charleston, down Toogoodoo Road and through the town of Hollywood. Driving time for this tour (not including stops) is 2 3/4 hours and 110 miles round trip. Estimated time of return is 4pm. #5 - Historic Georgetown Tour will leave from Embassy suites parking lot at 9am. Line up at 8:45am. This drive will allow you to travel back in time, up the indigo and rice plantation corridor to the historic seaport village of Georgetown. Georgetown was laid out in 1729, and contains a waterfront harbor walk, numerous museums, an historic walking or carriage tour of pre-Revolutionary and Civil War homes, shopping, art and antique shops, and many restaurants, cafes, etc. for lunch ranging from under $10.00 to fine dining. Take your camera to capture the quaint waterfront, hidden gardens, and wonderful historic ambiance of a town that made the difficult transition from Colonial Period to Industrial Revolution. We will return on some back roads through the Francis Marion National Forest ending at the hotel. Driving time for this tour (not including stops) is 4 hours and 135 miles round trip. Estimated time of return is 4pm. #6 - Historic Beaufort Tour will leave from The Embassy Suites parking lot at 9AM. Line up at 8:45am. This drive will take you, via US Hwy-17, to beautiful Beaufort, SC, located approximately 1 1/2 hours to the southwest of Charleston. This tour features a sampling of the Lowcountry, its countryside, rivers and open marsh vistas. We will also get a close look at the Town, its narrow streets and inviting architecture. Visit its riverwalk. Do some shopping along Bay Street and have lunch at Panini's. Beaufort has a strong Marine Corps presence and was the setting for Pat Conroy’s, The Great Santini. Also, the town was the backdrop for the movie, The Big Chill. This tour is limited to 12 cars. Driving time for this tour (not including stops) is 3 hours and 144 miles round trip. Estimated time of return is 4PM. #7 - Moose Trax's & Canals Line up at 9am. Leave time will be 9:15am and we’ll be heading out on the interstate for a short jaunt to Hwy. 61. We’ll take back roads through Givhans and then over to Jedburg where we will finally drop out onto Hwy. 17-A and head to Moose’s Famous BBQ in Moncks Corner. Oddly enough, this is not your everyday Southern BBQ, it’s actually Texas BBQ, and it’s GOOD. It’s cash only, so be sure to bring some with you ($20 should be plenty for a couple). After lunch, we’ll head out on a short ride over to Old Santee Canal Park to walk around and see the sites. (More info here www.oldsanteecanalpark.org) $3 for entrance into the park. After the park, we’ll all head out into the back woods of Moncks Corner, Francis Marion Forest and surrounding areas ending up at I-526 near the Mt. Pleasant area and head back to Embassy Suites. Tour is limited to 15 cars. Driving time for this tour (not including stops) is 3 hours and 120 miles round trip. Estimated time of return is 3-4pm. #8 - Tour of The Citadel Tour will leave from Embassy Suites at 9:45am. Line up at 9:30am. This run will take you downtown to the Citadel for a formal tour by Ray Larkin, a Citadel Grad. The Citadel is a landmark in Charleston and South Carolina that is noted for its educational reputation as well as its rich history. Founded in 1842, The Citadel has an undergraduate student body of about 2,000 students who make up the South Carolina Corps of Cadets. Another 1,000 students attend The Citadel Graduate College, a civilian evening program that offers graduate and professional as well as undergraduate programs.The Citadel is best known nationally for its Corps of Cadets which draws students from about 40 states and a dozen countries. The men and women in the Corps live and study under a classical military system that makes leadership and character training an essential part of the educational experience. About a third of the graduating classes accept military commissions. The Citadel is divided into five academic schools: Business, Education, Engineering, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Science and Mathematics. Because of its focus on teaching, a high graduation rate and strong alumni support, The Citadel ranks highly in the annual U.S. News & World Report ratings of southern colleges that offer at least a master's degree. After the tour, we’ll head out to the Battery for a short drive downtown and end up at Fleet Landing for lunch. We will have reservations here to ensure we get inb in one group. After lunch there will be a little more driving back to the Embassy Suites where the run will end. Tour is limited to 12 cars. Driving time for this tour (not including stops) is 1 hour and 24 miles round trip. Estimated time of return to the hotel is 3pm. #9 - Tour of Plainsfield at Goshen Plantation Home This tour will leave at 10am. Line up at 9:45am. Take a ride in the country to a beautiful natural area hidden on the flats of the Stono River at Wadmalaw Sound. You will tour a Georgian style home built around 1890. The home, nestled in a pecan grove, has been fully restored and furnished with exquisite antiques, all of which are available for purchase. A short walk from the back door will provide a view of the sound and afford photo opportunities over the salt marshes. A lowcountry artist, Richard McNamee, will be on site with an art exhibit for you to enjoy. Our return trip to the hotel will provide you the opportunity to enjoy lunch at the Harvest Moon Cafe on Highway 17. Driving time for this tour (not including stops) is 1 1/2 hours and 50 miles round trip. Estimate time of return is 3pm. Self-Guided Tours (pick up directions and go at your leisure)
#1 - Angel Oak Park This tour will take you on some nice roads to the Historic Angel Oak Park. Angel Oak historical information is included with your run packet. Several choices for Lunch have also been included. You will pass two of the choices before and after you visit Angel Oak and the last choice will be after Angel Oak. Driving time for this tour (not including stops) is 1 1/2 hours and 70 miles round trip. There are no fees for visiting Angel Oak park, but donations are accepted. Hours for the park are 9am-5pm. Driving time for this tour (not including stops) is 1 1/2 hours and 70 miles round trip. #2 - Charlestowne Landing This run will take you to the site of the Battle of Seccessionville, Ft. Lamar as well as Charlestowne Landing. Charlestowne Landing costs $5 to enter the park, and is well worth the trip. On site you will find the Animal Forest, The Adventure (worth the $5 by itself), Experimental Crop Gardens, Trails and the Legare-Ware House. Lunch can be found along the route at any number of fast food and sit down restaurants, within sight of the roads you’ll travel on. Driving time for this tour (not including stops) is 1 hour and 45 miles round trip. #3 - Downtown Charleston, Ft. Moultrie & Beach This drive will go by the Visitor’s Center and by some of Charleston’s most visited areas, museums, restaurants, historic & shopping districts. There will be stops at the Visitor Center, Ft. Moultrie/Ft. Sumter museum, the beach at the Isle of Palms and lunch at Shem Creek. There are some fees associated with some of the stops on this tour such as entrance into Ft. Moultrie - $3 per person. You can see Ft. Sumter from Ft. Moultrie, but you can not get to it from the Ft. Moultrie Site. If you are interested in going to Ft. Sumter at a later time, you can catch the Ferry from Patriots Point for $14 per person to tour Ft. Sumter. Driving time for this tour (not including stops) is 2 hours and 55 miles round trip. #4 - Edisto Beach, Edisto Museum & Serpentarium A nice do it yourself trip to Edisto (ED-IS-Toe) Island. A very good portion of Lowcountry scenery plus some interesting stops along the way. You will be able to stop at the Edisto Island Serpentarium, Edisto Island Museum, and see Edisto Beach. A list of Edisto Island lunch spots have been included for your choice of food and atmosphere. The Edisto Museum is $4 for Adults, $3 for Seniors and the Edisto Serpentarium is $10.95 per person. Driving time for this tour (not including stops) is 2 1/4 hours and 100 miles round trip. #5 - The Monks at Mepkin Abbey This drive will take you through some of our back roads in Berkeley County out to the Mepkin Abbey Plantation where you can step back in time to see a functioning Trappist Monk Plantation as well as the Mepkin Abbey Church and the Nancy Bryan Luce Gardens. A small gift shop stands in the Reception center and if you would like to tour the Church and the gardens by guide, they offer tours at 11:30am and 3:00pm. Cost is $ per person for the guided tours and includes a visitor’s book to take with you, but you can go and walk the grounds free (no church access) at any time of the day. Lunch can be found along your route either on your way to Mepkin Abbey or on your way back from Mepkin Abbey. Gilligan’s is a nice choice for a dock view and great seafood. Fast food restaurants abound on the main road through Moncks Corner as well as Moose's Famous BBQ on the ride back on HWy. 17A. There are some Historical Signs along the route, and they are referenced by number and the text of those signs can be found on a separate page. Driving time for this tour (not including stops) is 2 hours and 100 miles round trip. #6 - Downtown Charleston & The Market This drive will go to the Visitor’s Center and by some of Charleston’s most visited areas, museums, restaurants, historic, shopping districts. There will be stops at the Visitor Center and the Market downtown Charleston. Several lunch spots can be found at and around the Market area. Driving time for this tour (not including stops) is 1 hour and 30 miles round trip. #7 - Cypress Gardens This drive will take you out into the Goose Creek and Berkeley County areas. Cypress Gardens has a lot of interesting sites to see, including the Butterfly house, the site where some of the film “The Patriot” with Mel Gibson was shot and of course alligators and gardens. It’s a nice afternoon with trails and even a flat bottom boat to ride should you choose to explore the swamp life further. No set site for lunch has been added to this run, you will find lots of fast food places along your route to and from the Gardens to choose from. Cost to enter the Gardens is $10 per adult, 65 and older, $9. Driving time for this tour (not including stops) is 1 hour and 50 miles round trip. #8 - Irvin-House Winery, Tea Farm Cherry Point & Angel Oak Park This drive will take you to Gilligan’s Seafood for lunch, then on to Irvin House Vineyards & Firefly Vodka Distillery (you can sample Muscadine Grape Wines with a $3 charge for wine tasting & souvenir Glass as well as Firefly Vodkas for $6 for vodka tasting & souvenir shot glass). Winery is open from 10am-5pm Wednesday through Saturday. Full tours of the winery with tasting & glass is available only on Saturdays at 2pm and the cost is $3 per person), the Charleston Tea Company farm - formerly Lipton Tea Farm - North American’s only commercially grown Tea operation (factory tour is free, Trolley Tour is $15 per person and includes a goodie bag), Cherry Point and Angel Oak Park (if dirt road is not too muddy - it is quite bumpy so be careful!). Driving time for this tour (not including stops) is 2 1/2 hours and 110 miles round trip. #9 - Historic Georgetown This drive will allow you to travel back in time, up the indigo and rice plantation corridor to the historic seaport village of Georgetown. Georgetown was laid out in 1729, and contains a waterfront harbor walk, numerous museums, an historic walking or carriage tour of pre-Revolutionary and Civil War homes, shopping, art and antique shops, and many restaurants, cafes, etc. for lunch ranging from under $10.00 to fine dining. Take your camera to capture the quaint waterfront, hidden gardens, and wonderful historic ambiance of a town that made the difficult transition from Colonial Period to Industrial Revolution. Driving time for this tour (not including stops) is 3 1/2 hours and 135 miles round trip. #10 - Ft. Moultrie, Sullivan's Island & Isle of Palms This drive will take you to along Sullivan’s Island to Ft. Moultrie and over to Isle of Palms for lunch. Views of Intercoastal Waterway and beaches, views of beach homes, lunch at Morgan Creek Grill in the Wild Dunes Marina (beautiful views of the marina, yachts, and the Intercoastal). Return over the Isle of Palms connector and Hwy. 526 with more waterway views. Cost to tour Ft. Moultrie is $3 for Adults and $1 for over 62 years of age. National Park Cards are honored. Driving time for this tour (not including stops) is 1 hour and 40 miles round trip. #11 - The Hunley This drive will take you to the Hunley where you can take the tour and see all the artifacts that they have pulled from the wreckage. You'll get to see the hourly burial rites of the soldiers who went down with the Hunley as well. It's a very intresting and informative tour. Tours are only offered on Saturday and Sunday from 10-5pm and the cost is $12 per person or $10 for seniors (55+). Lunch will be in the Noisette District, an area that is currently undergoing revitalization since the leaving of the Charleston Naval Base. You'll have a choice of area restaurants including Madre Rue - an Irish Pub, Aunt B's Restaurant, Evo Pizza, Idle Hour and Johnny's Old Village Grill. Driving time for this tour (not including stops) is 1 1/2 hour and 50 miles round trip. #12 - Edisto Island & Interpretive Center This drive will take you through the towns of Ravenel and Adams Run, and then to Edisto Island and Edisto Beach. You will go back roads as often as possible, past Prospect Hill Plantation and then to the Edisto Interpretative center. Part of this trip will include driving down dirt roads and may be extremely dusty. Lunch will be at TBD on Edisto Island. After lunch you will drive to the Wyndham (Fairfield) Ocean Ridge Cabana on the beach and relax for a while. The final leg of the drive will take you back towards Charleston, down Toogoodoo Road and through the town of Hollywood. Driving time for this tour (not including stops) is 2 3/4 hours and 110 miles round trip. #13 - Historic Downtown Summerville & Bee City This drive will take you through some of the back roads into Summerville, SC to the Historic Downtown District. You can park in the parking garage and have a chance to explore and shop in the Historic Downtown Summerville district as well as have lunch. A list of restaurants have been included. Bee City is a cute little sight to see and they have a gift shop on site.There is a $3 fee to tour the Petting Zoo. Lots of country roads and great views. Driving time for this tour (not including stops) is 2 hours and 100 miles round trip. #14 - Old Colonial Dorchester State park and/or Historic Gardens of Hwy. 61 This run will take you down Hwy. 61 which is a National Scenic Byway and home to 3 of the most beautiful Garden Plantations including Drayton Hall Plantation, Magnolia Gardens & Audubon Swamp Garden and Middleton Garden. You may wish to visit one or all of these gardens along the way to the Dorchester State Park, although you will want to allow lots of time for stops as there is a lot to see at the Gardens. The last stop is at Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site and is an interesting place to take a walk and stretch your legs. Information on all of the sites along the way, including pricing for each, is included in this packet. Lunch can be found after your visit to Dorchester State Historic Site, and ranges from Fast Food to full sit down meals. Driving time for this tour (not including stops) is 1 hour and 40 miles round trip. #15 - Moose Trax's & Canals This run will take you on the interstate for a short jaunt to Hwy. 61. You'll then take back roads through Givhans and then over to Jedburg where you will finally drop out onto Hwy. 17-A and head to Moose’s Famous BBQ in Moncks Corner. Oddly enough, this is not your everyday Southern BBQ, it’s actually Texas BBQ, and it’s GOOD. It’s cash only, so be sure to bring some with you ($20 should be plenty for a couple). After lunch, you'll head out on a short ride over to Old Santee Canal Park to walk around and see the sites. (More info here www.oldsanteecanalpark.org) $3 for entrance into the park. After the park, you'll head out into the back woods of Moncks Corner, Francis Marion Forest and surrounding areas ending up at I-526 near the Mt. Pleasant area and head back to Embassy Suites. Driving time for this tour (not including stops) is 3 hours and 120 miles round trip. Recommended that you leave the hotel no later than 9:30am to put you at lunch just as they open to avoid the crowds. If you leave by 9:30am, depending on how long you stay at the park, your estimated time of return is 3pm. #16 - Historic Beaufort This drive will take you, via US Hwy-17, to beautiful Beaufort, SC, located approximately 1 1/2 hours to the southwest of Charleston. This tour features a sampling of the Lowcountry, its countryside, rivers and open marsh vistas. You will also get a close look at the Town, its narrow streets and inviting architecture. Visit its riverwalk. Do some shopping along Bay Street and have lunch at Panini's or any of the other cafe's and restaurants. Beaufort has a strong Marine Corps presence and was the setting for Pat Conroy’s, The Great Santini. Also, the town was the backdrop for the movie, The Big Chill. Driving time for this tour (not including stops) is 3 hours and 144 miles round trip. If you leave from the hotel at 9am, depending on how long you spend in Downtown Beaufort, your estimated time of return is 4PM. #17 - Tour The Citadel This run will take you downtown to the Citadel to tour the grounds. The Citadel is a landmark in Charleston and South Carolina that is noted for its educational reputation as well as its rich history. Founded in 1842, The Citadel has an undergraduate student body of about 2,000 students who make up the South Carolina Corps of Cadets. Another 1,000 students attend The Citadel Graduate College, a civilian evening program that offers graduate and professional as well as undergraduate programs.The Citadel is best known nationally for its Corps of Cadets which draws students from about 40 states and a dozen countries. The men and women in the Corps live and study under a classical military system that makes leadership and character training an essential part of the educational experience. About a third of the graduating classes accept military commissions. The Citadel is divided into five academic schools: Business, Education, Engineering, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Science and Mathematics. Because of its focus on teaching, a high graduation rate and strong alumni support, The Citadel ranks highly in the annual U.S. News & World Report ratings of southern colleges that offer at least a master's degree. After touring the Citadel, you’ll head out to the Battery for a short drive downtown and end up at Fleet Landing for lunch. If going in a group, reservations would be a good idea, see map packet for more info. After lunch there will be a little more driving back to the Embassy Suites where the run will end. Estimated time of return to the hotel is 4pm. #18 - Tour of the Folly Pier and see the Morris Island Lighthouse Info Coming Soon! |