Stops and visits included in this tour:
- Entrance to the Charleston Museum and viewing pieces in their historic quilt collection
- Visiting Boone Hall Plantation and the Magnolia Plantation
- Multiple Quilt Shop Stops
- Horse carriage ride through Charleston learning about the city’s history
- Entrance to Heyward House Museum
- Full day sightseeing, shopping and enjoying Savannah’s Historic Old town and more
- Private foodie tour including tastings in 6 distinctive and delicious places
- Entrance to the Jepson Center
- Cruise along Tybee Island’s historic coast
- Entrance to the Tybee Island Marine Science Center
- SO MUCH MORE!
DAY 1 CHARLESTON:
Welcome to Charleston, one of the most historic and charming cities of the South! Tonight, we enjoy a dinner cruising through the beautiful Charleston Harbor, past Fort Sumter, along the Battery and beneath the Ravenel Bridge. (D)
DAY 2 CHARLESTON:
This morning, enjoy a locally guided tour of Charleston. Walk the streets of Charleston’s preserved historic district, the best protected in the nation. Natural disasters, the Revolutionary War, and the Civil War all took their toll on this beautiful city, yet it stands out as a historic gem of the South. We visit the Charleston Museum Quilt Collection. One of the largest in the southeast, The Charleston Museum’s Quilt Collection consists of a wonderful variety of chintz appliqué, pieced, mosaic, white work and traditional appliqué quilts, quilt fragments and items intended to be finished as quilts as well as crazy quilts and embroidered coverlets. Later, we drive to Historic Boone Hall Plantation with its famous Avenue of Oaks. One of America’s oldest working plantations, this property has appeared in numerous American movies, among them “North and South”. Once we return to our hotel we will have time for exploring and shopping on our own. (B)
DAY 3 CHARLESTON:
Today our journey takes us to Magnolia Plantation. Founded in 1676 by the Drayton family, Magnolia Plantation has survived the centuries and witnessed the history of our nation unfold before it from the American Revolution through the Civil War and beyond. It is the oldest public tourist site in the Lowcountry, and the oldest public gardens in America, opening its doors to visitors in 1870 to view the thousands of beautiful flowers and plants in its famous gardens. We will then continue to Historic Summerville. Originally called Pineland Village, the town started out in 1785 as a refuge for Charleston plantation owners seeking to escape the Lowcountry’s swamp fevers and insects. Some 700 buildings in Summerville are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Along our way we will make a stop at one of the area’s favorite quilt shops.
We stop at the People, Places, Quilts store which is located in a 100-year-old hardware store this “people friendly” store retains the feel of years gone by with original furnishings from the past that set off new merchandise for today’s sewist. Fabrics range from 1800’s reproductions to the very latest modern designers. Many of the books/patterns are original designs that celebrate The South. In the evening, we enjoy a horse carriage ride during which you will learn about the old walled city, historic churches, the Cooper River Waterfront, as well as the city’s history, and the people that make up the “Holy City.” (B)
DAY 4 CHARLESTON / BEAUFORT / SAVANNAH:
We continue our trip to Savannah with a stop on Port Royal Island to discover Beaufort, South Carolina’s second oldest city. Its impressive antebellum architecture has been the backdrop for many shows and films, including “Forrest Gump.” Later, we will visit the Heyward House museum. Built as a summer home for a local plantation owner, the house was constructed circa 1841 and is one of only eight antebellum homes remaining in the Low country coastal town of Bluffton. A lunch is included today. Following our visit here we will take the short drive to Savannah and check into our hotel. The remainder of the evening is free for you to enjoy the area.(B/L)
DAY 5: SAVANNAH:
Today, we will enjoy the charm of Savannah, once the world’s largest cotton port. When cotton was king, Savannah controlled the prices of the world cotton market at her cotton exchange. Founder James Oglethorpe laid out the famed city squares. The Civil War destroyed a large portion of Georgia, but Savannah was spared. Numerous buildings around the tree-shaded squares are hundreds of years old; providing the setting for the popular novel “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.”
This morning we will enjoy a guided tour and stroll through the squares and streets of the Savannah Historic District. To further explore on own this beautiful city, we will have full day passes for the iconic Savannah trolley. This fully narrated step-on/ step-off tour has 15 stops, located throughout one of the largest Landmark Historic Districts in the United States and convenient to dining, shopping and attractions. Not to be missed is our stop at a local quilt shop. (B)
DAY 6 SAVANNAH:
Today we will enjoy a private food tour, sampling delicious foods from six unique foodie spots surrounding the initial squares built in Savannah and learn about the food, the restaurants, the history, and the culture that help shape the tasty Hostess City’s palate. Tasting locations include a not-so-ordinary pub, an award-winning honey store, and a traditional Scottish restaurant highlighting dishes consumed by some of Savannah’s earliest settlers. This afternoon we head to the Jepson Center to explore world-class featured exhibitions, local artist exhibitions, Glass House installation, and interactive TechSpace.
Once we return to the hotel, the remainder of the day will be free explore on our own.(B)
DAY 7 SAVANNAH:
Today is our final day and we will take a trip to Tybee Island, a small coastal community located only 18 miles away from Historic Savannah. We will take a cruise along Tybee’s Historic Coast, where we will see the famously painted and photographed Cockspur Island Lighthouse as well as the Tybee Island Lighthouse and Fort Pulaski. Known as one of the quintessential sights on the island, the Tybee Island Lighthouse is a must-see for history fanatics. Standing at 154 feet high, it is the tallest and oldest lighthouse in Georgia. Take the 178 steps to the top and learn about its history that dates all the way back to 1736. Tybee is home to several species of marine wildlife, and we will visit the Tybee Island Marine Science Center which is a the perfect place to go for a closer look. The center offers tanks filled with fish, turtles and crabs to view and, in some cases, to touch. Tonight, we bid farewell and savor a last meal together. (B/D)
DAY 8 DEPART SAVANNAH:
After breakfast, your will make your way to the airport with fond memories of our beautiful Southern journey. (B)
**Tour begins in Charleston, SC and ends in Savannah, GA. Please make your plane reservations accordingly.ieday and vi
