Experience Madagascar Journey at the South Carolina Aquarium. Opening in May, visitors will experience a passport-stamping station and an interactive Jeep as they begin their Madagascar Journey. There will be a Mini-gascar area for the youngest visitors featuring kid-friendly play elements and sitting areas for parents, as well as educational information on the island, its residents, animals and culture. Many indigenous animals are slated for the exhibit including the ring-tailed lemur, vasa parrot, Madagascar tree boa, a Nile crocodile and many species of fish.

The South Carolina Aquarium features thousands of amazing aquatic animals from river otters and sharks to loggerhead turtles in more than 60 exhibits representing the rich biodiversity of South Carolina from the mountains to the sea. Dedicated to promoting education and conservation, the Aquarium also presents fabulous views of Charleston harbor and interactive exhibits and programs for visitors of all ages. Open daily from 9 am to 5 pm, adult admission is $19.95 or $24.95 for the Aquarium plus the 4-D Theater experience, with reduced prices for children and seniors. For more information call 843-720-1990 or visit www.scaquarium.org.

Set amid the historic ambience of the city’s Old & Historic District, this series of award-winning tours showcases Charleston’s distinctive architecture, history, gardens and culture. These tours provide a rare opportunity for guests to go inside the private houses and gardens of some of America’s most beautiful historic residences, dating to the 18th century.

Charleston has been renowned for three centuries as “a city set in a garden.” The Festival is set during the peak of the city’s blooming season, and tours feature seven to ten properties each day in one of eleven neighborhoods, dating from the American colonial period, through the antebellum and Victorian eras, to early 20th century. Beautiful architecture and lush gardens are woven throughout the historic neighborhoods of Charleston, which has consistently been named among the ten most courteous and friendly cities in America.

For more information and tickets, call 843-722-3405 or visit www.historiccharleston.org.

Church Tea Rooms offer a glimpse into how this mannerly city fetes the public through church tea rooms. Many of the receipts, or recipes to those who are from off, have been handed down and improved upon from one generation to the next.

St. Philip’s Episcopal Church Tea Room, one of the oldest, will be held April 23-27, 11:30am-2pm, on Church Street just south of the market. Guests may dine outside in the beautiful courtyard or on the veranda. Plenty of indoor seating is available as well, with live piano music to accompany lunch. A delivery service to downtown locations and take-out lunches are available by calling 843-722-7921 or visit www.stphilipschurchsc.org.

Grace Episcopal Church Tea Room, on Wentworth St., is held May 28-June 8, 11:30am-2pm. For more information, call 843-723-4575 or visit www.gracechurchcharleston.org. Second Presbyterian Church’s “Seconds Please” Tea Room, on Meeting St., is held in the Parish Hall, across the street from the Farmers Market, on May 25-26 & June 1-2, from 11am-2pm. For more information, call 843-723-9237 or visit www.secondpresbyterianchurch.org.

Photos by Travis Dew Photography

May 4

Charleston’s Historic French Quarter is home to roughly 30 galleries within walking distance of one another. Located within the original walled city and founded by the French Huguenots, the French Quarter has become a national arts destination.

Four times a year, on the first Friday of March, May, October and December, the buzz of art and the taste of wine take over the French Quarter as galleries open their doors and offer food, wine and art. Join art lovers on May 4th, from 5-8 pm and enjoy the beauty of the French Quarter on foot. The French Quarter is located between S. Market and Tradd, Meeting and the waterfront. Start at any participating gallery and pick up a French Quarter map. For more information, call 843-722-1944 or visit www.frenchquarterarts.com.

Charleston is well known for its warm hospitality, great food, beautiful gardens and historic sites. Surrounded by water on three sides, the city’s warm spring temperatures call residents and visitors alike to enjoy the sparkling waterways and beaches. Whether scenic, peaceful harbor tours sound like heaven or a fast-paced exciting Jet Ski adventure is more your speed, there is an adventure on the water waiting to happen.

The view from Charleston’s harbor is a must-see for visitors to our city, and the tour options are limited only by the amount of time you have to spend! Charleston Harbor Tours offers daily cruises from downtown Charleston and is even adding a new boat this spring that will feature a Sunday brunch. Set sail with Schooner Pride on a tall ship modeled after the old coastal trading schooners or see Charleston from the deck of a 27′ Stiletto Catamaran with Prevailing Winds Cruises. Leaving from Mt. Pleasant, Spiritline Cruises offer elegant dinner cruises as well as daily sightseeing tours to Ft. Sumter.

Serious fishermen and women will want to head out on the open seas for a day of deep sea fishing. Aqua Safaris offers inshore and off shore fishing tours sure to please any angler. Local fishing piers offer beautiful views and a great place to wet a line. Mt. Pleasant and Folly Beach have public fishing piers that offer equipment rentals, concessions and plenty of advice from seasoned locals.

For a closer look at the swamps and rivers around the Holy City, take a guided canoe or kayak tour. Paddlers will explore cool and shaded blackwater swamps, rivers and historic rice plantations. The area’s abundant wildlife includes the shy and elusive alligator, turtles, wetland wading birds, woodpeckers and sometimes river otters. Nature Adventures Outfitters offers both salt marsh and blackwater creek tours.

Families on a budget will not be disappointed with the Charleston County Parks and Recreation’s three fun-filled waterparks. Open on weekends beginning in May, these budget-friendly parks are sure to please children of all ages. For an extreme water adventure, head to one of Charleston’s beaches and rent a Jet Ski or take a ride on a parasail.

Even a stroll through Historic Downtown can turn into a water adventure. Beautiful Waterfront Park has spectacular views and family-sized picnic areas. Fountains provide the perfect place for splashing and cooling off.

Spring is heavenly in Charleston. Everywhere you look, a riot of colorful blooms fills the air with delicious fragrance. Before you start your day, don’t forget to tuck this copy of Charleston Gateway into your bag. It is packed with information to help you plan your stay.

If you are visiting during Spoleto Festival U.S.A., take advantage of the rich and varied schedule of performing arts throughout the city. We have highlighted a few of the events and provided information about where to find the complete schedule.

The Holy City sits on a peninsula and the view from the water is breathtakingly lovely. Please read our “Uniquely Charleston” feature to get a few ideas for fun on the water during your visit.

Thank you for visiting Historic Charleston. Please let us know how you enjoyed your stay, and how we can better serve you during your next visit! Now you can find us on Facebook – http://fb.me/gatewaypub. Scan our new QR code and find even more information for the perfect Charleston vacation.

May 25 – June 10, 2012

The combination of historic Charleston’s old European charm and the world-class Spoleto Festival U.S.A. produces a unique and impacting synergy for all who come to experience this magnificent international multi-arts festival. But what really adds the ingredient of magic to the mix is Piccolo Spoleto, which provides access to the festival for every person, especially children. On opening day, May 25, experience the return of the popular Piccolo Spoleto Sunset Serenade at the U.S. Custom House at 8 pm.

Piccolo Spoleto, a world-class regional arts extravaganza, is designed to appeal to audiences of all ages, ethnic backgrounds and economic circumstances. Piccolo Spoleto offers something for everyone, from classical to contemporary, from traditional to cutting edge in activities such as visual arts exhibits, classical music, jazz, dance, theatre, poetry readings, children’s activities, choral music, ethnic cultural presentations, crafts and film. Admissions prices range from free to $35. For ticket information and a schedule of events, visit www.piccolospoleto.com or call 843- 724-7305.

Photo by Peter Finger

April 29th

Enjoy a boat parade, savory seafood samples, live music, arts & crafts and more at the 25th Annual Blessing of the Fleet and Seafood Festival. The event began in 1987 to honor and support local shrimpers and has evolved into one of the most highly anticipated events of the year for seafood lovers. Held at picturesque Memorial Waterfront Park, the event will be held on Sunday, April 29th, from 11:30 am – 6 pm. Proceeds benefit the local shrimping industry along with a non-profit selected by the planning committee each year. For more information, call 843-884-8517 or visit www.tompsc.com.

Photo by Sarah Reynolds

For 17 days and nights each spring, Spoleto Festival U.S.A. fills Charleston’s historic theatres, churches and outdoor spaces with performances by renowned artists and emerging performers in disciplines ranging from opera, theater, music theater, dance, to chamber, symphonic, choral and jazz music, as well as the visual arts.

Spoleto Festival U.S.A. has firmly established itself as one of the world’s major arts festivals, presenting a program of non-stop arts events since its inception in 1977. One of the Festival’s tenets is to provide young performers the opportunity to work with veteran directors, designers and performers.

The 36th season of Spoleto Festival USA will take place May 2- June 10, featuring numerous U.S. and festival debuts and a wide-ranging, artistic lineup showcasing internationally and nationally acclaimed artists in opera, theater, dance, music, music theater, contemporary circus and visual arts. Spoleto weaves myriad storytelling forms, from the intimate to the epic, to create a compelling tapestry that illuminates the transformative power of the arts.

The seven gifted and award-winning members of Quebec-based troupe, Les 7 Doigts de la Main (7 Fingers), will perform Traces, a cabaret circus that deftly weaves together snippets of the performers’ personal narratives while offering up some astonishing acrobatic maneuvers that will hardly seem humanly possible. The hour and a half show will be performed at Sottile Theatre beginning Wednesday, June 6, running through Saturday, June 10.

Always a Festival favorite, Dublin’s inimitable Gate Theatre returns to Charleston with Noël Coward’s Hay Fever, a delicious send-up of bohemian eccentrics Meet the Blisses: Judith, the aging star actress mother; David, the self-absorbed novelist father; and their two adult children, Simon and Sorel. When each family member invites a guest to the country home for the weekend, the clan’s outrageous antics alternately infuriate and astound their hapless visitors. Director Patrick Mason makes this witty and stylish farce the perfect light entertainment for a springtime evening.

The Festival Finale, featuring Cedric Watson and Bijou Creole, will take place on Sunday, June 10, at Middleton Place, a short drive from downtown Charleston. One of the brightest young talents to emerge on the Creole music scene of late, Cedric Watson is a fiddler, vocalist, accordionist, and four-time Grammy nominee who, along with his ace band Bijou Creole, combines old-school zydeco with strong blues-inflected vocals. Watson & Bijou Creole will take the main stage at the Festival Finale for a zydeco dance party for all ages. Come early and enjoy an afternoon picnic and a stroll through Middleton Place’s beautiful landscaped gardens. The evening will end with a spectacular fireworks display bringing the 2012 Spoleto season to its traditional celebratory close.

To purchase tickets or see a complete list of performances and venues, visit www.spoletousa.org, or call 843-579-3100.

The 14th Annual Sculpture in the South Show & Sale will be held in historic downtown Summerville on May 19-20. The Show & Sale draws thousands of art enthusiasts and over 35 world-class sculptors, who present their artworks in an upscale, relaxed atmosphere. Staged under a canopy of tradition, the Show & Sale is one of South Carolina’s premiere outdoor arts events and is held in beautiful Azalea Park nestled in the historic town of Summerville, the gateway to Charleston.

Sculpture in the South Show & Sale daily admission is $5 or $7 for weekend pass. Students of any age free with a paid adult admission. Tickets are available at entry. For more information, visit www.sculptureinthesouth.com or call 843-851-7800.

Few places are left in the bustle of America in which echoes of humanity’s serene past still beckon, but in Charleston, romantic times reminiscent of Jane Austen’s nineteenth-century England still enthrall. A time forever emblazoned in Gone With the Wind, this era of candlelight dinners and perfect manners was revealed in its last gasp of childhood sweetness with To Kill a Mockingbird.

The majestic streets of Charleston are bedecked with fragrant flowers and marbled doorsteps, bringing the visitor face-to-face with the air of these times. Yet society’s gilt edges could not hide her darker shadow. Most marriages of the day were based on political or monetary needs for the families involved. Very few of the aristocratic levels of society were able to marry for love. Slavery did not just run rampant on the plantations where this high class made its wealth—the planters were also enslaved, to the expectations of society. Children of high society families often had to forsake personal happiness in order to “make a good match.”

Yet despite these constraints, incredible romances that signify mankind’s ability to conquer can be uncovered. There is the famous story of David and Martha Ramsey, a couple who met in 1786. Martha was the daughter of Henry Laurens, an important patriot. Laurens was the first American imprisoned in the Tower of London and released on January 1, 1782 as the war wound down. Martha met her father in Paris to nurse him back to health, and was by his side on November 30, 1782 when the Treaty of Paris was signed. This document officially ended the Revolutionary War, and a twenty-one year old Martha kept official records of the event for the American government.

When Martha and her father returned to Charleston she met the dashing Dr. David Ramsey. The young doctor and historian asked to go through the Laurens family papers. He and Martha fell in love, and she referred to her marriage as “a joint pilgrimage here on earth”. After a natural death in 1811, her widowed husband was called to testify in a trial about the mental capacity of one of his patients. William Linnen was pronounced insane, yet somehow released from custody. In an angry rage, he shot Dr. David Ramsey, who was carried to his home on Broad Street. As he lay dying, he said to his children “I have talked with your mother and she urges me to forgive the man due to his illness…if that is the price I pay to rejoin her, I pay it gladly.” Their c. 1740 house still stands today, used as a private office, between Meeting and King Streets on Broad.

One of the most scandalous romances in Charleston occurred in early 20th century, when stirrings of the Civil Rights movement inundated this battered post-War city. Local gentleman and Federal Judge Waties Waring, and once-divorced Northerner Elizabeth Hoffman, met playing bridge among the highest social circles of the city while she wintered South of Broad. In his elder years, Waring reflected on the society of his youth, “Pretty nice if you belong to it…but it doesn’t think…outside of its pattern.” Elizabeth was very much a modern woman, of strong opinions and intelligence; much different than the women Judge Waring had known most of his life. Columnist Carl Rowan commented on his first encounter with Elizabeth, “She walked down the stairs with elegance that Charleston’s haute monde could envy.”

The relationship between the two overcame social boundaries, and legal ones, too. Judge Waring took to his new wife’s outlook on equality for blacks. On July 12, 1947, Judge Waties Waring ruled in favor of Elmore, an African-American plaintiff in the case Elmore vs. Rice. Elmore had not been permitted to vote, so he sued for the right. The decision rocked the Jim Crow Era South. The judge later disclosed, “[family members] waited until 2:30 a.m. one morning to call and say hello and tell me…they didn’t think it wise to see me anymore.” As more civil rights rulings came favoring African-Americans, the Warings were shunned publicly by elitists. Their renovated carriage house at 51 Meeting was attacked with bricks thrown through their windows, and a cross burned on the sidewalk. Judge Waring was criticized openly, labeled as “emasculated” and in wont of mental health, forced upon him by a “Yankee wife.” At the time, it was a reversal of gender and marital roles that were unacceptable in the South. The Warings ended up moving to New York City, but when the judge died in 1968, he was laid to rest at Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston.

Perhaps the sweetest romance of all, however, was between Charleston lady Jane Riley Elliott and Virginian Colonel William Washington during the Revolutionary War. Colonel Washington, cousin of George Washington, was on campaign in 1779 not far from the Elliott plantation, Sandy Hill. A guest at the Elliott’s dining table one night, it was clear that seventeen-year old Jane was quite taken with the dashing cavalry officer, and told him “that she would look out for news of his flag and fortune.” When Washington said that he did not have a standard, Jane cut an 18 inch square of crimson damask from the drapery. She spent all night sewing a sleeve for the flag to fit a lance pennon, binding the edges. Upon his departure, she presented it to the flattered colonel, saying “Here is your flag…take this!” Washington attached the flag to a hickory pole and carried it until the end of the war. The flag was dubbed “Terror of Tarleton,” in reference to Washington’s British nemesis Banastre Tarleton. Despite imprisonment by the British, Washington married Jane Elliott on April 21, 1782.

After the war, the couple spent thirty years of peaceful planter life near the city. In 1827 Jane Elliott Washington presented the scarlet battle flag to the Washington Light Infantry at a ceremony held in front of their Charleston townhouse, 8 South Battery. The flag remains in the infantry’s archives to this day.

March 22-April 21, 2012

Experience the intimate charm and elegance found only beyond Charleston’s private garden gates and historic thresholds during Historic Charleston Foundation’s 65th Annual Spring Festival of Houses & Gardens.

Set amid the historic ambience of the city’s Old & Historic District, this series of award-winning tours showcases Charleston’s distinctive architecture, history, gardens and culture. These tours provide a rare opportunity for guests to go inside the private houses and gardens of some of America’s most beautiful historic residences, dating to the 18th century.

Charleston has been renowned for three centuries as “a city set in a garden.” The Festival is set during the peak of the city’s blooming season, and tours feature seven to ten properties each day in one of eleven neighborhoods, dating from the American colonial period, through the antebellum and Victorian eras, to early 20th century. Beautiful architecture and lush gardens are woven throughout the historic neighborhoods of Charleston, which has consistently been named among the ten most courteous and friendly cities in America.

Exciting special events are planned throughout the Festival. On Friday, April 6, and Sunday April 15, from 4:30-7 pm, the Festival Plantation Picnic and Oyster Roast gives guests the opportunity to experience the unique culinary pleasures of the Carolina Lowcounty at Drayton Hall Plantation. Tickets are $45 for adults and $20 for ages 6-12 and include steamed oysters and other Southern Cuisine. Reservations are required.

The Luncheon Lecture Series features entertaining and informative speakers daily along with a light lunch. Luncheons are held at the historic Capt. James Missroon House at 40 East Bay St. Tickets are $45 and reservations are required. All luncheons begin at 11:30 am and end at 1:30 pm.

Cruise the Charleston Harbor on the “Spirit of Carolina” with historian Ian McDonald on April 3, 17 and 20. Cruises are $45 for adults and $20 for ages 6-12. Cruises depart from the Fountain Walk behind the S.C. Aquarium and include hors d’oeuvres, a wine or beer ticket and soft drinks. Reservations are required and passengers must be ready to board at 1:15 pm as the boat leaves promptly at 1:30 pm.

Special musical concerts are among the most popular special events. On Wednesday, March 26, “Beethoven on Church Street” will be held at the First Baptist Church; “Old Time Bluegrass” will be offered on April 4 and 16 at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, and “Doin’ the Charleston: Jazz in the French Quarter,” will conclude the concert series on April 18. Concert tickets are $25.

For more information and tickets, call 843-722-3405 or visit www.historiccharleston.org.

March 23-25

Inspired by the rich historical, architectural and cultural heritage of Charleston, the Charleston International Antiques Show has established itself as a premier destination for antique collectors and admirers alike.

Exhibitors will showcase a spectrum of period furnishings, decorative pieces and fine art from the late 17th to 20th centuries, including vintage jewelry, oriental rugs, ceramics, architectural elements, garden furniture, porcelains, needlework and silver.

This year’s event will be held Memminger Auditorium at 56 Beaufain St. Tickets to

the show or its special events may be purchased by calling 843-722-3405 or visiting www.historiccharleston.org.

The 2012 Cooper River Bridge Run will be held on Saturday, March 31, at 8 am. This is the 35th year for the 10K run/walk. A local tradition that stretches back to 1978, this 10K race draws more than 30,000 participants every year. The race promotes continuous physical activity and a healthy lifestyle through education and opportunity.

This year’s poster artist is Greg Rawls, who has been creating kiln-formed (fused) glass for the past twelve years. Rawls has lived in Charleston for 20 years and is currently pursuing his glass art full time.

Get fit and have fun at this year’s Cooper River Bridge Run. The Finish Festival at Marion Square promises food, entertainment and fun for everyone. For more information, or to register, visit www.bridgerun.com, or call 843-856-1949.

Secluded passageways beckon the traveler through Charleston’s historic district, giving the visitor a sense of timeless wonder. Exploring hidden byways, one can envision the past here like few other places. Even in the 1930s, after postwar ravages of nature and man had left her in pieces before another time would see her rebirth and rebloom, science fiction writer HP Lovecraft called Charleston “The most utterly fascinating city I have ever seen!”

Tucked away just off Market Street, running between Cumberland and Queen Streets in the beautiful French Quarter, lies Philadelphia Alley, ca. 1766. Originally named “Cow Alley” – presumably for the livestock that once lived here – this picturesque path adjoined Kinloch Court. In 1810 William Johnson gave it the name of “Philadelphia Alley”. Opinions vary as to the reasons why this name change came about; some say it was due to the citizens of Philadelphia helping Charleston rebuild after a fire. Others say it was because Johnson had been imprisoned in Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War, and named it in honor of the connections he had made there. Whatever the story, locals have a more colorful name for this elegantly landscaped thoroughfare. Today, most Charlestonians simply call the cobblestone passage “Dueler’s Alley.”

By sword or pistol, dueling was considered a gentleman’s way of settling disputes of honor. It began in the Middle Ages and was imported from Europe with American colonization. By the time of the late Colonial and Revolutionary periods, dueling was all the rage in America, culminating with the most famous duel of all in Weehawken, New Jersey, when Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel on July 11, 1804. Soon outlawed, it remained popular in the South until well past the 1840s, often held on sandbars in rivers where jurisdiction was unclear.

Dueling was considered a way to avoid vendettas and ongoing family rivalries. Until pistols were invented, swords were used, with a set of rules agreed upon in advance. By 1777, an official Code Duello was implemented in Ireland. It was later adapted to the American South in 1838 by former South Carolina governor John Lyde Wilson, though Wilson denied ever having read the Irish version. The Code Duello listed many types of grievances and how they should be handled, in terms of apology and explanation. The document also allotted a certain amount of “blows” could be delivered, such as Rule 4:

When the lie direct is the first offense, the aggressor must either beg pardon in express terms; exchange two shots previous to apology; or three shots followed up by explanation; or fire on till a severe hit be received by one party or the other.

Rule 10 also allows the sport and execution of dueling acceptable in lieu of protecting another’s honor. The direct insult of women was considered particularly heinous:

Any insult to a lady under a gentleman’s care or protection to be considered as, by one degree, a greater offense than if given to the gentleman personally, and to be regulated accordingly.

Fighting to “first blood” was considered unmanly and cowardly, though very few were fought “to the death”. Instead, most duels were fought until one of the parties was too weak to continue, or the physician halted the fight, choosing and naming the obvious victor. All too often, a duelist would succumb to his wounds long after the fight had ended, just as a young doctor did in Charleston in 1786.

A year earlier, youthful and handsome Dr. Joseph Ladd came to Charleston from Rhode Island, stepping off his carriage at twilight. Whistling to stave off the dark he collected his personal belongings from the stagecoach and began to walk towards the glow of the city, hoping to secure lodging at a boarding house before searching for more permanent residence the next day. Obviously a newcomer, Dr. Ladd’s whistling attracted several thieves. The thugs circled around the frightened traveler, roughing him up as they sought to steal his money.

Dr. Ladd was rescued by a ne’er do well named Ralph Isaacs. The two men became friends, but the social differences between them were great. Ralph began to resent Dr. Ladd’s standing in the community, felt the young doctor snubbed him in public instead of acknowledging Ralph openly. “The Whistling Doctor,” as Ladd had become known as by his tell-tale whistling on the sidewalk, seemed to be no friend of Ralph’s. Then came the last straw – the beautiful actress Mary Robinson, known as “Perdita’” had turned away Ralph Isaac’s affections for those of Dr. Ladd. Ralph wrote a scathing editorial to the Charleston Gazette, implying the illicit character of the lady, and naming Dr. Joseph Ladd “as blasted a scoundrel as ever disgraced humanity.”

Fearing he would be labeled cowardly and that his reputation would suffer, Dr. Ladd challenged Ralph Isaacs to a duel. If not for himself, then he must defend the honor of Perdita, the young doctor reasoned. Steeling his resolve, he whistled on his way to meet his rival with pistols at dawn.

They pair of duelists met in the misty morning light of Philadelphia Alley. Intending on letting the challenge blow over, Dr. Ladd fired his pistol into the air, a way to save face. Ralph Isaacs meant to fire into Dr. Ladd’s leg, intending only on a slight wound to embarrass the doctor, but the pistol ball fired erratically and struck Dr. Ladd in the stomach. The physician was taken by gurney to his boarding house on Church Street. He died of the wound ten days later.

It is said that Philadelphia Alley still carries the sounds of pistol shots, the smell of gunsmoke, and the eloquent trill of Dr. Joseph Ladd’s whistling on his way into the alleyway that fateful morning. Ghostly visions of ladies in gowns appear on photographs, as do shadows and violet fire. Some experience time loops. Considered to be the most haunted lane in Charleston, there are rumors of over thirty recorded deaths. Stroll down Dueler’s Alley…and end up in the past!

Celebrate Gullah Heritage! The National Park Service, in partnership with the Town of Mount Pleasant, is sponsoring a series of free cultural programs at Charles Pinckney National Historic site every Saturday at 2 pm during February and March.

These Gullah programs range from craft demonstrations such as quilting, cast-net making, indigo-dyeing and sweetgrass basket sewing to cooking, African drumming and story-telling, folk-tales, spirituals and other musical performances.

Charles Pinckney National Historic Site, located at 1254 Long Point Road in Mount Pleasant, is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. For more information, call 843-881-5516 or visit www.nps.gov/chpi.

Now in its 46th year, the Charleston Symphony Designer Showhouse has become an annual tradition for locals and visitors alike. Each year, a different space is transformed by some of our area’s most talented designers, creating a stunning visual display.

The Showhouse is held to benefit the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and will be open to the public March 15 through April 15. Tickets are $20 at the door and $15 before March 15, and may be purchased at www.csolinc.org. The house will be open 10 am to 4 pm, Mon.-Sat., and 1-4 pm on Sundays, except Easter. For more info, call 843-723-0020.

Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays in February and March 2012

Camellias, a southern landscape favorite, show off a blaze of color throughout the winter months. Middleton Place, America’s oldest landscaped gardens, offers visitors a chance to learn more about these spectacular flowers during the height of the blooming season with Camellia Walks, held every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday beginning February 3 through March 25. These special guided tours will begin at 11 am and last approximately an hour and a half. Advance reservations are required.

For more information, call Middleton Place at 843-556-6020 or visit the website at www.middletonplace.org.

February 17-19, 2012

Now in its 30th year, the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition (SEWE) is the largest wildlife art and nature event in the nation, attracting 35,000-40,000 attendees annually. In addition to featured artist, Dustin Van Welchel, SEWE will host approximately 100 artists and over 500 exhibitors from across the country and around the world. A 3-day celebration of nature that has earned a reputation for excellence, SEWE now hosts the world’s foremost experts in wildlife and nature art, as well as conservation research and environmental education. 

From the elegant black-tie preview gala to a birds of prey flight demo, this year’s event is packed with exciting events, including the amazing Jack Hanna who will appear at the Galliard Auditorium. Brittlebank Park will again host the popular Dock Dogs competition and Fly Fishing demonstration.

Tickets start at $10 per day, and children 10 and under are free. SEWE provides free shuttle service between venues during show hours with a ticket or badge. For more information, visit www.sewe.com or call 843-723-1748.

Thank you for choosing Historic Charleston as your vacation destination. Long walks, with stops along the way in area shops and restaurants, are the perfect pastime during our mild winter days. Be sure to notice the beautiful blooming plants and shrubs along the way. Winter is not drab in the Lowcountry!

When the sun sets, there are any number of options for live entertainment – check our calendar pages and read “Spotlight on the Arts” for suggestions Whatever you decide to do, tuck this copy of Charleston Gateway in your bag for easy reference along the way!

Whether this is your first visit or an annual tradition, Charleston is the perfect spot for a relaxing vacation. Please enjoy our history, delicious food and unique attractions. And, thank you for visiting our city and we hope to see you again soon! Please visit us on the web, www.charlestongateway.com, and find us on Facebook for insider tips and exclusives!