Gone With The Wind

Charleston, S.C. More Of What You Need To Know

How and Where:

Charleston International Airport (CHS) is about 12 miles west of the city. There are no direct flights from PIT but USAir and Delta have the shortest one-stop flights.

Visitor Information: Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, 375 Meeting St.; 843/853-8000, charlestoncvb.com. Maps, brochures and automated ticketing for events. Be sure to view the 24-minute presentation "Forever Charleston." Buy your Heritage Passport (heritagefederation.org) and save 40 percent on entry to historic sites.

Charleston Magazine: charlestonmag.com

Where to Stay:

• Historic Inns and B&Bs: Lists at charlestoncvb.com
• Charleston Place: 205 Meeting St.; 843/722-4900, charlestonplace.com
• Embassy Suites Historic Charleston: 337 Meeting St.; 843/723-6900, charleston-hotels.net
• Harbour View Inn: 2 Vendue Range; 843/853-8439, harbourviewcharleston.com
• Mills House Hotel: 115 Meeting St.; 843/577-2400, millshouse.com
• Wentworth Mansion: 149 Wentworth St.; 888/466-1886, wentwortmansion.com

Restaurants:

• Charleston Grill: 224 King St.; 843/577-4522, charlestongrill.com. Elegant Southern-style dining.
• Hominy Grill: 207 Rutledge Ave.; 843/937-0930, hominygrill.com. Classic Southern specialties with a twist.
• Magnolias Uptown/Down South: 185 East Bay St.; 843/577-7771, magnolias-blossom-cypress.com. Best shellfish over grits.
• McCrady’s: 2 Unity Alley; 843/577-0025, mccradysrestaurant.com. Even George Washington has dined at this fine restaurant, and with chef Sean Brock at the helm, the meals are nothing short of spectacular.
• Peninsula Grill: 112 N. Market St.; 843/723-0700, peninsulagrill.com. Sophisticated setting and food.
• Slightly North of Broad (S.N.O.B.): 192 East Bay St.; 843/723-3424, slightlynorthofbroad.net. Southern cooking in a SoHo atmosphere.

Plantations:

• Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens: 1235 Long Point Road, Mount Pleasant, S.C.; 843/884-4371, boonehallplantation.com
• Drayton Hall: 3380 Ashley River Road, Charleston; 843/769-2600, draytonhall.org
• Magnolia Plantation & Gardens: Highway 61 (10 miles from center city; 800/367-3517, magnoliaplantation.com
• Middleton Place: 4300 Ashley River Road, Highway 61, Charleston; 843/556-6020, middletonplace.org

Unique Tours:

• Culinary Tours of Charleston: 800/918-0701, culinarytoursofcharleston.com
• Bulldog Tours and Charleston, Ghost & Graveyard Tour: 843/722-8687, bulldogtours.com, charlestongraveyard.com
• Carriage Tours: Old South Carriage Co., oldsouthcarriage.com; Olde Towne Carriage Co., oldetownecarriage.com; Palmetto Carriage Works, carriagetour.com; Gullah Tours, gullahtours.com

June Events:

• Spoleto Festival (843/722-2764, spoletousa.org): Fashioned after the Italian Spoleto Festival, this is an event featuring a wide array of artistic performances. May 22-June 7.
• Piccolo Spoleto (843/724-7305, piccolospoleto.com): A more edgy version of Spoleto. May 22-June 7.
• Sweetgrass Cultural Arts Festival (843/856-9732, sweetgrassfestival.org): Part of the Picolo Festival but with more local culture and art. June 5-6.
• Charleston Harbor Fest (charlestonharborfest.org): The Tall Ships, traditional sailing vessels, will be in port. June 26-29.