A Charleston Carriage Tour For First-Time Visitors
If you’re planning a visit to Charleston, South Carolina, for the first time then you are in for a real treat. The only thing that beats getting to the nation’s favorite destination for the first time is returning for another visit. You’ll want to get a feel for the history without walking your feet off or tiring yourself out from trying to see everything that downtown Charleston has to offer.
Define a Sense of Place
Grasping an authentic sense of place is best approached in very different ways in different destinations. In New York City, you can take a cruise around Manhattan Island to marvel at the skyline of skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty. In San Francisco, you can climb aboard a cable car to catch a glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge. In Boston, you can walk the famous Freedom Trail to appreciate historic landmarks connected to Paul Revere, Samuel Adams and other Revolutionary War patriots.
The best way to acquaint yourself with the traditions of a new place is to embrace them. Pre-Civil War Charleston wasn’t designed to be toured by cars or buses, so why try to see it from one? When it comes to Charleston, the perfect way to acquaint yourself with the charms of this historic city is by a horse-drawn carriage, led by one of the Lowcountry’s finest tour guides telling the old stories ands secrets of our charming city.
Capture the Charm
Writers and artists have long noticed Charleston’s gated gardens have a way of igniting the imagination and drawing observers in. Charlestonians are proud of their beautifully maintained outdoor patios and gardens, and it shows all over the city.
One of the things heard most often from visitors describing what they love best about Charleston is the very human scale of everything; the way the city streets unfold like pages of an illustrated storybook. Guests also adore Charleston’s gorgeous gardens and their charming pathways of red brick softened with the patina of age, the chunky cobblestone pavements and accents of crushed oyster shells that have been bleached white from the sun. Touring the city from a horse drawn carriage gives visitors the chance to capture the charm of the city and peacefully admire the beauty that surrounds them.
Peek Through the Garden Gates
From the comfort of a horse and carriage, visitors can peek in through elegant gates adorned with roses and vines that swing open to display hidden gardens with beautiful stone fountain centerpieces. They can spy small, potted lemon trees on herringbone-paved patios and see large, gracious old Southern magnolia and oak trees beautifully decorated with the South’s draping Spanish moss.
Tucked away, there are handsome cottages with palladian-style arched windows at the end of stone paver walkways, or perhaps an adorable cupola or gazebo of the sort that children seek out for a game of hide and seek. Flower boxes spilling over in their containers, bursting with floral designs in vibrant or pastel color schemes hang everywhere between the shutters of pretty painted houses.
Set a Peaceful Pace
Take a journey with Charleston Carriage Works horse-drawn carriage tour through the charming, historic city of Charleston, South Carolina. It’s the most wonderful and relaxing way to see the beauty of Charleston first-hand — from the proper eye-level and at the perfect pace.
Bring your hat, your sunglasses and your camera along so you don’t miss a thing. One of the city’s very best guides will escort you through the heart of town and beautifully tell the stories and history of Charleston’s traditions.
