TravelBOSTON SUNDAY GLOBE FEBRUARY 24, 2013 | BOSTONGLOBE.COM/TRAVEL

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SPAINM2 R BUENOSAIRESM2 R ST. LUCIAM5 R CONNECTICUTM7 R NEWHAMPSHIREM8 R VERMONTM9

A living time capsule? Yes. But this thriving Southern port is much more.By Diane Daniel

GLOBE CORRESPONDENT

CHARLESTON — A visit to the Holy City, sonamed for its historic houses of worship, pulls youback in time. Horse-drawn carriages transport tour-

ists along cobble-stone streets flankedby centuries-old,

beautifully preserved, and impeccably manicuredgardens and homes, many open to the public. Fromland, you can gaze across the harbor to Fort Sumter,where Union soldiers suffered the first hit in the Civ-

il War. But Charleston comes with a fast-forwardbutton, too. Lowcountry cuisine keeps raising thebar, and a new wave of boutiques and bars buoy sev-eral neighborhoods. Mix it all together for heavenlyresults.

DAY ONE1. 1:30 p.m. Meet Martha: Before you hit the

highfalutin eateries, start simply and soulfully atMartha Lou’s Kitchen (1068 Morrison Drive, 843-577-9583), operating since 1983. Inside the pink cin-

CHARLESTON, Page M6

A horse-drawn carriage stops on a street in the historic district of Charleston, S.C.

SOUTH CAROLINA

“OUT OF AFRICA” This evocative 1985 award-winning film, shot on lo-cation near the Ngong Hills outside Nairobi, presented Kenya in suchbeautiful, lush detail that even today travelers seek to revisit its mostmemorable moments. The grandeur of the landscape, the graciousnessand beauty of the people (descendants of the Kikuyu tribe), the magnifi-cence and power of the herds of wildlife crossing the savannah, are lov-ingly revealed by cinematographer David Watkin’s stunning, slow-mov-ing photography. The scenery is so vivid and compelling that Africa it-self becomes a character. Adapted from Karen Blixen’s classic book, theromantic drama told the story of Blixen’s life in colonial Kenya. Meryl

Streep played the leading role, and Robert Redford played Denys Finch-Hatton, her lover. It is a story not only of Blixen’s love for the fiercely-in-dependent Finch-Hatton but also of her love for Africa. The box officehit won seven Academy Awards and lured travelers worldwide to theland that Blixen loved.

DIANE BAIR AND PAMELA WRIGHT

“ASSASSINATION TANGO” Despite a frame that begins and ends themovie on Coney Island in Brooklyn, N.Y., this 2002 bilingual romantic

MOVIES, Page M4

BRUCE SMITH/ASSOCIATED PRESS

WORLD V IEWSFROM AFRICA AND BUENOS AIRES TO NEW YORK AND CHICAGO, MOVIES TAKE US PLACES

FIRST IN A SERIESEverybody hates layovers. So in our newoccasional series we’ll highlight six citiesyou can fly nonstop to from Boston forthree-day getaways. Today it’s Charles-ton, S.C. Future destinations include:

ª San Franciscoª Seattleª Clevelandª Las Vegasª Miami

CITIES IN THE STATES

ISTOCKPHOTO; GLOBE STAFF PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

M6 Travel B o s t o n S u n d a y G l o b e F E B R U A R Y 2 4 , 2 0 1 3

der block building, savor ahearty, homemade Southernmeal. Daily dishes ($8.50)might include fried chicken, li-ma beans, mac and cheese, andcollards.2. & 3. (not on map) 2:30

p.m. Uncivil acts: On April 12,1861, the Confederates at-tacked Fort Sumter in Charles-ton Harbor, turning decades ofconflict into what became theCivil War. You can trace thewar’s path there and at FortMoultrie, both part of FortSumter National Monument.Sumter can be reached only byboat — a scenic 30-minute ferryride from Fort Sumter VisitorEducation Center (340 ConcordSt., 843-883-3123, www.nps.gov/fosu/, ferry $11-$18),while you can drive to Moultrie(1214 Middle St., Sullivan’s Is-land, 843-883-3123, www.nps.gov/fosu/, $1-$3). While there,visit “A Bench by the Road,” amemorial placed by the ToniMorrison Society in memory ofthe estimated 300,000 Africansbrought to the barrier island ontheir way to being sold intoslavery.4. 5 p.m. King’s crown: Re-

cently arrived independentshops, bars, and restaurantsare transforming Upper KingStreet, above Marion Square.At Jlinsnider (539 King St.,843-751-6075, www.jlinsnider.net) Jamie Lin Snider carriesquality vintage clothing andher own fashion line. A blockaway, ethereal bridal wear cre-ator Rachel Gordon hosts arange of designers at her OneBoutique collective (478 KingSt., 843-259-8066, www.onelovedesign.com). When it’s timefor a refreshment, try tricked-out diner Th e Rarebit (474King St., 843-974-5483) orClosed for Business (453 KingSt., 843-853-8466, www.closed4business.com), sporting thecity’s largest selection of craftbeer on tap.5. 7 p.m. Anything but ordi-nary: Late last year, celebritychef Mike Lata of FIG fameopened The Ordinary (544King St., 843-414-7060,www.eattheordinary.com), a lo-cally sourced oyster bar andseafood restaurant housed in aformer historic bank building.The massive vault door dividesthe raw bar from the kitchen.Start with New England StyleFish Chowder ($12), wheremeaty pieces of the daily catchtake center stage in a perfectlyseasoned broth.6. (not on map) 9 p.m.

Avondale after dark: Grab apint at Oak Barrel Tavern (825Savannah Highway, 843-789-3686), a cozy, laid-back barwith specialty drafts in hoppingAvondale Point, 4 miles west ofdowntown. The reinvigoratedshopping and eating destina-tion includes a wildly designedMellow Mushroom (19 Magno-lia Road, 843-747-4992)housed in an old theater, andthe boisterous Triangle Char &Bar (828 Savannah Highway,843-377-1300, www.trianglecharandbar.com), specializingin grass-fed burgers ($9-$15).

DAY TWO7. 8 a.m. Sugar fix: Energize

your day with a sweet treatfrom Glazed Gourmet Dough-nuts (481 King St., 843-577-5557, www.glazedgourmet.com), where you’ll find suchdelicacies as chai coconut, ma-ple bacon, or plain glazed

uCHARLESTONContinued from Page M1

doughnuts ($1.50-$3).8. 8:30 a.m. To market: The

historic Charleston City Market(188 Meeting St., 843-937-0920, www.thecharlestoncitymarket.com) reopened in 2011after a $5.5 million makeoveradded wider walkways, sky-lights, and fans. Among themore than 100 vendors, you’llfind regional items includingbarbecue sauce, sweetgrassbaskets, Gullah paintings, andframed ceiling tins.9. 9:30 a.m. Painful past:

Not only was Charleston’swealth built on the backs ofslaves, the city served as a ma-jor slave trading center. TheOld Slave Mart Museum (6Chalmers St., 843-958-6467,$5-$7), housed in a former auc-tion gallery, starkly recountspast transactions. Two blocksaway, slaves were traded out-side the Old Exchange and Pro-vost Dungeon (122 E. Bay St.,843-727-2165, www.oldexchange.org, $4-$8). Inside thehistoric building, one of themost significant used duringthe American Revolution,American patriots were heldprisoner in a musty dungeonthat children will love touring.Remnants of the city’s early-18th-century wall can be seenhere, too.10. 11 a.m. Broad to Bat-

tery: Wander the blocks southof Broad Street, lined with gor-geously restored private homes,such as the 1740 William Van-derhorst House (54 Tradd St.)and the nearby Lamboll DoubleTenement (8-10 Tradd St.),from 1726 and rebuilt in 1781.Around the corner sits statelyRainbow Row (83-107 East BaySt.), called the longest cluster of

intact Georgian row houses inthe country and named fortheir muted hues. Continuesouth to the Battery, a land-mark promenade along theCharleston peninsula. If you’recraving a savory snack, stop bygoat.sheep.cow. (106 ChurchSt. 843- 480-2526, www.goatsheepcow.com), a European-style fromagerie.11.Noon. Steeple chase:

More than a dozen historicplaces of worship dot down-town Charleston. St. Michael’s(Episcopal) Church (71 BroadSt., 843-723-0603, www.stmichaelschurch.net), complet-ed in 1761, is the city’s oldestchurch building, and its eightbells have rung for most of the

time since. In the cemetery atSt. Philip’s (Episcopal) Church(142 Church St., 843-722-7734,www.stphilipschurchsc.org),established in 1670 and rebuiltin 1838, you’ll find graves forEdward Rutledge, signer of theDeclaration of Independence,and Charles Pinckney, signer ofthe Constitution. The cemeteryat Unitarian Church in Charles-ton (4 Archdale St., 843-723-4617, www.charlestonuu.org),which underwent a Gothic re-modeling in 1854, purposelykeeps its fauna hauntinglyovergrown. Up the street, Ka-hal Kadosh Beth Elohim syna-gogue (90 Hasell St., 843-723-7324, www.kkbe.org), estab-lished in 1749 and now housed

in an 1840 Greek Revival struc-ture, was the birthplace ofAmerican Reform Judaism in1824.12. 1 p.m. Singular sand-

wiches: Butcher & Bee (654King St., 843-619-0202,www.butcherandbee.com) hasthe city’s quirkiest operatinghours — 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and11 p.m. to 3 a.m. Any time isthe right time to indulge intheir creatively crafted sand-wiches, such as the Blue Plate,with pork belly, lima beans,and poached eggs ($12). Thegeek-chic room houses a fewsmall tables and an extra-longone with mismatched chairs,perfect for their pop-up din-ners. The alcohol-free eatery al-lows BYOB.13. & 14. 2 p.m. Furnished

or unfurnished: The HistoricCharleston Foundation main-tains two significant houseswith diverse approaches to res-toration. The neoclassical 1808Nathaniel Russell House (51Meeting St., 843-724-8481,www.historiccharleston.org,$5-$10, closed for renovationuntil mid-March), fronted byformal gardens, is furnishedwith period antiques and fea-tures an often-photographedfree-flying staircase. A mile anda half away, the 1820 Aiken-Rhett House (48 Elizabeth St.,843-723-1159, www.historiccharleston.org, $5-$10, or $16combined with Nathaniel Rus-sell), one of the country’s mostintact urban antebellum com-plexes, includes a main house,stables, work yard, and exten-sive servants’ quarters. It is pre-served, but not restored, andsome parts verge on dilapidat-ed, making the past more pal-

pable.15. 7 p.m. Southern

sourced: Star chef Sean Brockfollowed up his magic act atMcCrady’s with the acclaimedHusk (76 Queen St., 843-577-2500, www.huskrestaurant.com), where rich, rustic disheswith an eye toward preserva-tion are concocted using onlyingredients produced south ofthe Mason-Dixon line, such ascornmeal-dusted North Caroli-na catfish with creamed sweetcorn, fried baby cabbage andBenton’s bacon, and Appala-chian tomato gravy ($25).

DAY THREE16. (not on map) 9 a.m.

Plantation and a paddle: On a5-mile stretch of Ashley RiverRoad northwest of Charleston,you’ll find a spectacular river-front plantation for every taste.Drayton Hall (3380 Ashley Riv-er Road, 843-769-2600,www.draytonhall.org, $6-$18),the country’s oldest unrestoredplantation house, circa 1738, isremarkable for its Palladian-in-spired architecture and historiclandscape. Magnolia Plantationand Gardens (3550 Ashley Riv-er Road, 843-571-1266,www.magnoliaplantation.com,$10-$47), dating to 1676, mostappeals to families, with boattours, a tram, swamp walk, andwild gardens of camellias andmoss-draped live oaks. Thegrandest of the trio, MiddletonPlace (4300 Ashley River Road,843-556-6020, www.middletonplace.org, $15-$37), settled inthe late 17th century, offerschild-friendly craft demonstra-tions, but the setting is moreformal. To experience the natu-ral side of the tidal river, paddlethe Ashley River scenic corridorwith Charleston Kayak Co.(843-628-2879, www.charlestonkayakcompany.com, guidedtours from $30 a person, rent-als from $20). Glide past long-abandoned rice fields, oncetended by slaves, and up Her-on Creek, where you might seeits namesake plunging for fishat the edge of the reeds.

Diane Daniel can be reached atdiane@bydianedaniel.com.

In Charleston, S.C., past is always present

EXPLORECHARLESTON.COM

Rainbow Row (top) on East Bay Street is said to be the longest cluster of intact Georgian row houses in the country. TheCharleston City Market (left), established in 1807, reopened in 2011 after a $5.5 million makeover. Fort Sumter, site ofthe opening salvos of the Civil War, can be reached by a scenic 30-minute ferry ride.

BROAD ST

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MEETING

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ARTHUR RAVENEL JR BRIDGE

Ashley River

Cooper River

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C H A R L E S T O N

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SOURCE: Google maps GLOBE STAFF

PHOTOS BY SELINA KOK FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE

If you go . . .Getting thereOn Feb. 28, JetBlue launchesservice to Charleston Interna-tional Airport, including anonstop daily flight from LoganInternational Airport.www.jetblue.com

Where to stayHoliday Inn Express CharlestonDowntown-Ashley River146 Lockwood Blvd.843-722-4000www.charlestonhiexpress.comOverhauled former Best Westernopens late February. Doublesfrom $99.Zero George Street0 George St.843-817-7900www.zerogeorge.comCharleston’s newest boutiquehotel, opened this month, ishoused in five historic homestwo blocks from the harbor.Doubles from $249.

Information423 King St.800-774-0006www.explorecharleston.comCombination passes can bepurchased for some attractions.

KIAWAHISLANDRentals & Sales

for the discriminating vacationer...a commitment to excellence

Pam Harrington Exclusives843.768.0273 • 800.845.6966www.pamharringtonexclusives.com

ofFESTIVALHOUSES&GARDENS

H i s tor i c cHar l e s ton , sou tH caro l i na

Charleston

March 22-24Preview Party, March 21March 21-april 20

10th Annual66th Annual Spring

Tickets & Information: 843.722.3405 & www .H istoriccHarleston .org

Benefits to support the preservation initiatives of Historic cHarleston Foundation

everything you’ve heard is true. Now start packing.

exploreCharleston.com | 800.774.0006

800.774.0006CharlestonareaBeaches.com

Day one at the beach.And you’re already talking next year.