O - Things to do in the Spring/Summer

New to Charleston A to Z?  Read this first. 

Oyster roasts – I have read that any month with an “R” in it means oyster season is here, so I guess May – August is out, but September – April is fair game.  My church in West Ashley had an oyster roast in September and we consumed 750 pounds of them.  It was my first Lowcountry oyster experience and it was a lot of fun.  I prefer raw oysters with a squirt of tobasco sauce and a twist of lime, but it’s nice to get down and dirty with your food every now and then.  Standing shoulder to shoulder with a glove on one hand (for a novice like myself), knife in the other and copious amounts of cocktail sauce for dipping makes for a very interactive experience.  An occasional boast can be heard about the size of one’s oyster, and if luck is on your side you’ll find a pearl to show off to your family, friends or whatever strangers may be surrounding you.  The best part about the oyster roast is that by the end of the festivities the people around you will not be strangers.  I am all for things that bring people together and Charleston seems to be pretty good at this.  The oyster roast is a great way to have a good time and build relationships. 

There is no shortage of oyster roasts and festivals to attend throughout the year.  Which are your favorites?  Do you have anything more to add about oyster roasts?  Or maybe you’re allergic to shellfish and have a better “O’ activity to offer.

N - Things to do in the Spring/Summer

New to Charleston A to Z?  Read this first. 

3 crabs caught off of the Pitt Street Bridge.

Noodling – Noodling is when you fish for catfish using your bare hands.  I’m not sure if people noodle in Charleston, but just go with the flow for now, because our next activity deserves to be on the list and I think I can get there from here.  So here we go, I am using noodling as a springboard to send us cannonballing into the Charleston waters, a veritable storehouse of delicacies fit for fryer, steamer, broil, boil, grill, and on occasion au natural.  Okay, I guess this is a pretty roundabout way to introduce fishing, crabbing, and shrimping off the coastal piers, docks and bridges, but I had to fit it in somewhere and I only have Q, U, V, X, and Y left to work with. 

You can catch bigger and better stuff from the comforts of a boat, but for our purposes I’ll stick with the piers, docks and bridges, because they are easily accessible.  I haven’t been fishing or shrimping yet, but I summoned up all of my fond memories of crabbing at sunrise under the trestle with my buddies in Mastic Beach to propel me off to the Pitt Street Bridge for an evening of crabbing.  The Pitt Street Bridge in Old Mount Pleasant once connected Mount Pleasant to Sullivan’s Island and it is a great place to get your crab, jog or dog-walk on.  

So I pulled some chicken from the freezer, packed my flashlight, got a bucket, crab net, forty feet of rope, and some zip ties (to attach the chicken) from Kmart and headed for the bridge.  I know what you’re thinking, “why did he go to Kmart when he could have gone to one of the many local bait & tackle shops?”  Forgive me, I was new to Charleston, my wife had the GPS and I didn’t know how to get anywhere else.  Pleases post your recommendations for the best local places to get the appropriate gear so I don't make anymore mistakes.

When I was a kid we used fishing line and pulled the crab in while another person was ready with the net to scoop it up.  Crabbing alone off the Pitt Street Bridge with a simple circular two ring crab trap was much easier.  The first four times I dropped the line I pulled up keepers, but the mosquitoes were biting hard so I emptied my bucket and headed home early.  I went again when my sister-in-law Bethany and her daughter Avery came for a visit.  Avery and I went out to the bridge early on a Sunday morning.  Every time we pulled up the trap there were four to eight small fish devouring the chicken.  Not so much luck with the crabs though.  Eventually we had three keepers, two blue crabs and one stone crab.  We took them home expecting a nice appetizer portion, but either my preservation method or my cooking method was flawed, because we could not eat them.  A whole lot of build up for nothing.

That’s okay though, it was a good excuse for me to get out early and enjoy a fun morning with my niece.  Who knows, maybe I’ll drop some lines today just for the heck of it.  Be sure to look into the regulations on the South Carolina Department of National Resources website before you go, because you don't want to get a ticket.  What I really want to do is get good at shrimping so I can justify the purchase of a “Shrimpin' Ain't Easy” shirt.

Do you ever get out to the coastal piers, docks or bridges?  Where, when and what do you catch?  Maybe “noodling” is not your thing.  What N activity do you find most exciting during the Charleston spring/summer?

M - Things to do in the Spring/Summer

New to Charleston A to Z?  Read this first. 

Rachel and I at Morris Island Lighthouse.

Morris Island Lighthouse - The Morris Island Lighthouse stands about 300 yards off shore on the northeast end of Folly Island.  First illuminated on October 1, 1876 and decommissioned in 1962, the "new" Morris Island Lighthouse is a true piece of Charleston living history.  Save The Light Inc. is a grassroots effort comprised of citizens dedicated to preserving this lighthouse.  You can learn more about the Morris Island Lighthouse and preservation efforts at their website http://www.savethelight.org/.


As natives of the northeastern coast (Long Island, Connecticut, Maine) my wife and I are lovers of lighthouses; naturally.  We have pictures of Assateague, Hatteras, and Ocracoke lighthouses hanging over our fireplace taken during a camping trip in the outer banks.  Our first encounter with the Morris Island Lighthouse came during our honeymoon.  We were staying on Hilton Head Island, so we were close enough to Savannah and Charleston to take a couple of day trips.  At the time we had no idea what the future would hold except that when our honeymoon was over we would be married and living in Pittsburgh.  We liked the married part, but both of us were ready to get out of Pittsburgh.  


I had just been relieved of a five year associate pastor position and settled for minimum wage at a grocery store after five months of fruitless job searching.  Rachel was doing research on hot flashes in post menopausal women at the University of Pittsburgh, but she was ready to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor.  By this time it was pretty late in the application season, and she hadn't heard from any of the schools where she interviewed, so our hopes for medical school were fading.  Then Rachel's phone rang.  

On the way to the lighthouse.

It couldn't have come anymore out of the blue.  We were walking through downtown Charleston taking pictures and enjoying our newlywed bliss when Rachel's boss called.  She was monitoring Rachel's work email while she was away.  Rachel let the call go to voice mail then listened to the cryptic message, "I think you might want to check your email, it looks like you have an important message."  We were assuming that it had something to do with getting into medical school, but it could just as easily have been a wait list or decline notification.  The suspense was killing us, but we didn't have ready access to email, it was 2007 after all.  So Rachel called her sister Bethany and directed her through the process of logging into her work email.  It was an acceptance letter from New York Medical College!


With just a couple of phone calls we went from an uncertain course for the future to a very certain course that would lead us through the first eight years of our marriage.  This was the perfect time for a lighthouse; a symbol of guidance through an uncertain path.  So we headed to Folly Island, parked at the end of East Ashley Avenue and entered the beach through the narrow access path where the avenue ends.  Through the path and to the right was the more developed beach, but to the left the beach was empty; perfect for romantic walks, shell collecting, photography and just lounging around.  A few minutes into our walk Morris Island Lighthouse popped into the landscape.  There are several great angles to explore for pictures.  On this sunny June day we chose to sit on a pile of stones gently brushed by the surf.  A nice couple offered to take a picture for us, so we didn't have to take another one of those arm length couples' photos that we had gotten so good at.


The magic of our honeymoon excursion to Charleston has always stuck with me, so when it came time for Rachel to make her rank list for residency four years later I was happy to see that the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston had a program in her specialty to apply to.  There are only two spots available in the Med/Peds program each year at MUSC, so her chances of getting in were much lower than at larger institutions, but in the end she ranked it first and got her first choice.  So it seems we've come full circle, finding out about medical school in Charleston and getting into residency in Charleston.  We have visited Morris Island Lighthouse several times since moving to Mount Pleasant this past May.  Every time I am reminded that in the midst of uncertainty God leads those who look to Him for direction.  
Actually, every lighthouse has taken on that meaning since our Charleston experience.


Granted, my connection to Morris Island Lighthouse is pretty deep, so it may not be as special to anyone else.  Let us know your favorite part about visiting Morris Island Lighthouse, or give us your choices for best "M" activities to do during the Charleston Spring/Summer months.

L - Things to do in the spring/summer

New to Charleston A to Z?  Read this first. 

Pirate Monument

Living History – Plantations, and pirates, and plaques oh my.  I have never been to a city that prides itself in preserving its history quite like Charleston.  I got my first glimpse of this on a carriage ride downtown.  There are lots of historic houses and estates marked with plaques that detail famous southern owners who I have not learned about yet (give me some time, I am a yankee after all).  I can appreciate history on the fringes, so I enjoy Charleston’s pirate history.  One of my favorite monuments can be found in Battery Park.  It marks the capture of “Gentleman Pirate" Stede Bonnet and twenty-nine of his men and nineteen of Richard Worley's crew who all "met their just deserts."

Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island

There are bits of history scattered all throughout the area.  I can’t go into it all in this post, so I will just mention Fort Moultrie on Sullivan’s Island (the lesser of the Charleston forts).  For $3 you can tour the small museum and walk through the fort.  Moultrie is set on a beautiful beach landscape, but when you stand atop the fort, survey the island and consider that about 40 percent of African-Americans alive today can trace their ancestral roots to West Africa through the Sullivan’s Island/Charleston gateway you are reminded of an ugly past that should not be easily forgotten.  The “African Passages” exhibit in the Fort Moultrie museum helps bring this neglected piece of history to life.

Follow this link to read how a visit to FortMoultrie impacted a friend of mine.

Check out the National Park Service website for a nice summary of Charleston preservation history.

What Charleston living history is on your list of favorites that needs to be visited, or do you prefer to live in the now?  I would love to hear your suggestions for L activities for the spring/summer in Charleston.

K - Things to do in the Spring/Summer

New to Charleston A to Z?  Read this first. 

Kayakers with Morris Island Lighthouse in background.

Kayaking – truth be told, I have not been kayaking in Charleston yet, but I can’t wait to get a tandem kayak so Rachel and I can explore the marshes.  We kayaked once on our honeymoon near Hilton Head Island and it was amazing.  Our rental was a sit-on-top tandem model.  The journey started with a maze of narrow oyster beds that we had to navigate carefully.  Larger pools broke up the narrow sections that eventually led us into the open waters of the harbor.  That’s where we saw a fin.  It was the first time I had ever seen a live dolphin and it was swimming just a few feet away from us.

I can remember immediately identifying the fin as a dolphin with no thought of sharks; still I was filled with fear mixed with wonder.  I suppose the word “awe” might sum my feelings best.  I had felt this feeling before while jogging through a cross-country trail in New York where I spotted a deer standing tall in my peripheral.  It stopped me in my tracks.  I had never been so close to wild nature before.  Standing less than five feet away from a large deer felt awesome and a little bit scary.  That’s how I felt kayaking with dolphins.

Oh wait, this is about kayaking, not dolphins.  As you already know, I love dolphins.  I covered that in our D post a week ago.  Anyway. . .

Watching dolphins trail kayakers in Shem Creek all summer got me dreaming of getting a kayak for my wife and I.  There are quite a few kayak rental places scattered throughout Charleston.  You can go to the county parks and rent right from the docks, and there are various water recreation businesses where you can park, rent, and drop in near all of the beaches.  There are so many places in Charleston that I can’t wait to explore from a kayak, but I don’t want to be limited to rentals.  I want to get out there on my own at any hour my little heart desires, but I have a dilemma.  Rachel and I also want living room furniture that can provide enough seating for more than one guest and can serve as an extra bed when family visits.  So help me out here.  What do you think a better use of our tax refund would be this year?  Kayak or couch?

Do you have any experience with kayaking in Charleston?  Where are the best places to go?  Or maybe getting out on the open water isn’t your things?  Do you have a better K activity to suggest?

J - Things to do in the Spring/Summer

New to Charleston A to Z?  Read this first. 

The Resolvers and many others perform at JICPRN's.

James Island County Park Reggae Nights - I really enjoy Reggae music.  I don’t get into the Rastafarian subculture, but the deep bass licks grooving with percussion, horns, Jamaican harmonies, choppy synths, and gritty electric guitars on duel delay packaged together with freedom ballads and pop covers all come together for a night of musical magic.

The bands are very good, the price is right (free if you have a parks pass), and the vendors appeal to all ages.  You’ll want to bring chairs, a blanket and whatever else would make you feel comfortable at a typical outdoor concert with no seating. At times people dance in front, but the stage is raised, so they are not much of a distraction.


When it comes to concerts I’m a listener not a mover and shaker.  I get locked into observing the musicians, so I don’t do much dancing or jumping or carrying on.  At Reggae Nights there's room for both.  My wife and I were able to enjoy the whole show sitting in the comfort of our camping chairs for most of the evening.  


Be warned, the first set is okay for kids, but after intermission, the darkness sets in and joints light up throughout the crowd.  This is inevitable on a Reggae Night, but it's impossible to police.  You’ll want to get there early, because Reggae Nights are well attended, so you’ll be waiting in line.  The 2012 Reggae Nights are already scheduled.  Go here for details.


This video clip is from one of the 2011 Reggae Nights.  Enjoy!

Have you ever been to a James Island County Park Reggae Night?  Did you have a good time or is there a different R activity you prefer to participate in?

I - Things to do in the Spring/Summer

New to Charleston A to Z?  Read this first. 

At the beach with my nephew.

Island Living - Okay, so this is a bit of a catch all for me, because I can’t think of anything in particular that starts with an “I”, but I don’t think I’m taking the easy way out.  Life is different when you live close to the water.  Fishing, crabbing, shrimping, boating, kayaking, swimming, sunbathing, beach combing, oyster bars and so much more.

What activities associated with island living make you happy to be living in Charleston?  Can you think of a specific "I" activity that I may have overlooked?

H - Things to do in the Spring/Summer

New to Charleston A to Z?  Read this first. 

Happy Hour - I love happy hour, especially when the “hour” of happiness is actually 4 hours, and there are plenty of them in Charleston.  I’m not a drinker, but I enjoy good cheap appetizers.  For my money and pallet there’s no better place for a happy hour than Social Wine Bar.  Check out the Social $3 happy hour menu here.

Order the Yukon Chips, Margherita Pizza, and Chicken Sate and you have a $9 meal for two, or have everything on the $3 menu for $15 and you’ll leave happy and full.  If you’re drinking you have your choice of House Wine & Bubbles, Domestic & Draft Beer, and Premium Well Liquors for $3 each.


Of course, there's more than Social.  Here's a link to a happy hour finder from Charleston City Paper.

Do you have a favorite happy hour in Charleston?  What makes it special?  Where do you get the best and cheapest happy hour appetizers?  Or maybe happy hour isn’t your thing.  Do you have a different H activity that you prefer?

G - Things to do in the Spring/Summer

New to Charleston A to Z?  Read this first. 

Wish I could take a stroll back there.

Garden Gazing - Garden gazing in downtown Charleston makes for a nice afternoon.  There are some pretty elaborate gardens growing on large estates, like what you would find at the Calhoun Mansion, but I prefer discovering the more understated backyard gardens that are hidden down unassuming alleyways between houses throughout downtown Charleston.  A leisurely stroll on a sunny spring day can’t be beat.

Do you have a favorite downtown garden?  What streets do you think are the best for garden gazing?  Or maybe you have a better G activity to offer.  Don’t be shy, let us know what brings out the magic of Chucktown for you.

F - Things to do in the Spring/Summer

New to Charleston A to Z?  Read this first. 

One of the market vendors.

Farmers Markets - I only went to the downtown farmers market in Marion Square once in 2011.  I purchased some produce and an icy lemonade, then spent the rest of my Saturday morning soaking in the scenery.  There was a lot going on, and I'm looking forward to making it a regular activity in 2012.  Here’s a description from the City of Charleston website:

“Nestled beneath beautiful trees with plenty of room for families to gather and children to play, the Farmers Market comes to life each Saturday morning and offers an abundance of the freshest local produce, shrimp, plants, herbs and cut flowers. While strolling the Charleston Farmers Market, a delicious breakfast, brunch or lunches are available while listening to a variety of live entertainment. The Farmers Market also offers an amazing assortment of juried arts and crafts, providing the best selection and most talented local artisans.”

The 2012 Charleston Farmers Market schedule runs every Saturday (8am-2pm) from April 7^th – December 23^rd with a few Sundays thrown in for good measure.  All of the dates are posted at the link provided above.

There are several other farmers markets scattered throughout the various parts of Charleston.  If you know of a good one please post the details.  


Which markets/products/vendors are your favorites?  Or do you have a different F activity you prefer to do during the Spring/Summer months in Charleston?

E - Things to do in the Spring/Summer

New to Charleston A to Z?  Read this first. 

Grilled Goat Cheese Prosciutto Pizza attempt 1.
I burnt it, which is a good reason to eat out.

Eating Out - What can I say?  I probably haven’t eaten enough in downtown Charleston, but there are just so many places to try.  Between Mount Pleasant, Sullivan’s Island, Isle of Palms, Downtown, and West Ashley I have eaten at Graze, Poe’s Tavern, Red’s Ice House, Old Village Post House, Vickery’s, Melvin’s BBQ, Wild Wing Café, Fiery Ron’s Home Team BBQ, Jaunita Greenburg’s Nacho Royale, Fuji Sushi Bar and Grill, Locals Bar, Liberty Tap Room, Charlestons Café, Bacco Italian Restaurant, Banana Cabana, Nirlep, Taste of India, South End Brewery & Smokehouse, Fuel, Hominy Grill, Coast, Fleet Landing, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., California Dreaming, Smoky Oak Taproom, and J. Paulz.

Sure looks like a lot now that I list them.  I guess I know why we’re coming up short on our budget every month.  On top of all this, Charleston is home to several food-related festivals.  Most notable are the Charleston Restaurant Association’s Lowcountry Oyster Festival, Southern Living Taste of Charleston, and Charleston Restaurant Week.  Check out the CRA website for details.

Also, I must give some honorable mention to my church, Coastal Community Church in West Ashley, for introducing me to the buttery feast that is the oyster roast.  I still think I prefer them raw with a twist of lemon and a squirt of tobasco, but oyster shucking is a whole lot of fun.

Finally, when it comes to comfort food Rachel and I are Mac & Cheese fiends.  So far J. Paulz and Graze have our favorite (both use truffle oil).  We were in Mac & Cheese heaven this past October at the Charleston Mac-Off, but I guess that will have to fit into the “Things to do in the Fall” category.

Still, after all of this consumption I have not found my “go to” eatery.  Long story short. . .eating out in Charleston is always a great option.

It looks like Charleston A to Z is going to need a separate list for “Favorite Charleston Restaurants”.  Lets start that one after the Spring/Summer A to Z is finished.

Can you think of a better E activity to offer?  It's going to be a challenge.

D - Things to do in the Spring/Summer

New to Charleston A to Z?  Read this first. 

Shem Creek dolphin sighting.

Dolphin Spotting - Oh man, dolphins are my favorite!  My friends from New York are sick of hearing about dolphins.  I can’t explain it, but it never gets old.  We saw them a lot throughout the summer and wondered if we would end up just getting used to them, but by October sightings were sparse.  It’s early February now and we’ve seen them start popping up again. . .excites me every time.  So far the best place that we have discovered to watch dolphins close up is on the pier at Red’s Ice House (Shem Creek).  Shem Creek Park recently opened on the opposite side of the creek and should be a better place for spotting dolphins.  

Sullivan's Island sandbar where dolphins wander.

Our favorite dolphin sightings have happened on Sullivan’s Island around high tide.  There is a huge sandbar that creates a large pool between the surf and the sand that dolphins occasionally wander into.  It starts around station 22 ½ and continues on past station 30 into Breach Inlet.  It’s an amazing experience that we hope to catch on camera this summer.  We spotted dolphins on Folly Beach this Thanksgiving weekend while my parents were visiting from Long Island.  We were not expecting to see them so late in the year, so it was such a treat to spot a few just 50 feet off of the shore.

Do you enjoy spotting dolphins too?  Do you have a favorite spot to see dolphins?  Or maybe you couldn't care less about dolphins.  What’s you’re favorite D activity of the Charleston Spring/Summer?

C - Things to do in the Spring/Summer

New to Charleston A to Z?  Read this first. 

One of the many carriages rolling through
downtown Charleston everyday.

Carriage Rides - My first introduction to Charleston was on a historical carriage ride downtown during my honeymoon.  The lingering images from that trip are part of what made me direct my hopes toward MUSC (Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston) as my wife was applying for residency.  I’m not sure if born and bred Charlestonians enjoy the carriage rides (let us know if you do), but for a newbie like me it was a good way to get up to speed on the rich historical landscape of Charleston.  It’s also a unique way to show off the city to visitors.

There are many companies that offer these tours and they cost around $15/person, give or take a few dollars.  Here's a  link to some of the carriage companies.


Do you enjoy the carriage rides downtown, or do you have a C activity that you think is better?

B - Things to do in the Spring/Summer

New to Charleston A to Z?  Read this first.  

Sullivan's Island, perfect for a bike ride.

Beach Biking - I haven’t biked much in Charleston, or anywhere else as an adult for that matter.  However, living in Charleston has me longing to become a bike person (and a dog person, and a boat person, etc.).  When we moved from New York to Charleston this past May we noticed that the beaches were much different than the ones we visited on the Long Island coast (Smith Point, Robert Moses, Jones) where there are wide stretches of soft sandy beach progressing into the ocean with a narrow strip of packed surf.  The Charleston beaches are reversed, which requires some getting used to when lying on a blanket, but the surface is perfect for keeping umbrellas in the ground, even on the windiest days.  Besides, we’re beach chair people now, so that evens things out.  

Another benefit to the wide stretches of packed surf is that they make the Charleston beaches the perfect place to ride a bike, something I had never considered while living in New York.  No need for street, boardwalk or dedicated bike path, just walk your bike a few yards through the sand until you hit the smooth surface.  Low tide works best for a 200+ pound biker like myself, but as the tide comes in the grooves in the sand start getting deeper and it becomes more difficult to peddle.  Most people can enjoy beach biking up to mid-tide though.

Biking on the beach is a great experience, calming, peaceful, and full of wonderful sites and sounds.  If you don’t have a bike you can easily find a rental place close to any beach in and around Charleston.


Do you enjoy riding on the beach, or do you have a better B to do?

A - Things to do in the Spring/Summer

New to Charleston A to Z?  Read this first. 

Angel Oak on Johns Island

Angel Oak - A visit to Angel Oak will only kill a couple of hours (including the drive).  There really isn't anything to do at the park except browse a small gift shop, buy a sweetgrass basket, gawk at the massive tree, have a picnic, and take pictures.  The tree is quite impressive though, and at the right time of day, with the right lighting it's worth dolling up the whole family for a picture.


Unfortunately, we forgot our memory card the day we visited with my parents, so our perfect pictures never came to be.  We also spotted a white squirrel, a site that I had never seen before.  We're learning that you better have your camera and accessories in order when you're wandering through Charleston, because you're bound to see something spectacular.  Can't wait to see Angel Oak when the leaves change.

Learn some more about Angel Oak here.


Ever visit Angel Oak?  What do you think about it?  Do you have any other Spring/Summer activities to add that start with an A?

Charleston A to Z - Lets Get Started

Rainbow Row taken by my wife Rachel.

Charleston is a nice place to visit, and a great place to live.  My wife Rachel and I have lived a few minutes north of downtown Charleston in Mount Pleasant since June 2011, but we have only scratched the surface of Chucktown and his surrounding splendor.  Still, we are getting a little set in our ways.  If we have time to go to the beach it's going to be Sullivan's Island (blasphemy to some I'm sure), and if we're needing a happy hour than Social is at the top of my list.

It's easy to get set in our ways; to transition from exploration into staking our claim.  Routine is comforting I suppose, and it makes the question "what do you want to do?" easy to answer, but variety is the spice of life and there's a whole lot of flavor in the Holy City.

Charleston A to Z is a place for lovers of Charleston to disseminate and discover the hidden and not so hidden treasures that make life here so enriching.  It's pretty simple, I'll start a topic with A and invite you to comment on your own A preference.  After A we'll move to B, and so on.  Hopefully by the time we get to Z we'll all find something new to explore.

Lets start with "Stuff I love to do in and around Charleston during Spring/Summer."  Become a follower and help make this the best place to go to find out the best things to do in and around Charleston, SC.