First time visitor,any suggestions for must see on a budget.

My wife and I are planning a trip in mid May and would welcome any suggestions on the best way to spend our time.We plan on being in Charleston 3 nights and 4 days.Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

First time visitor,any suggestions for must see on a budget.

Patriot Point Park and Fort Sumter are both interesting and reasonably priced. You can catch a ferry from Patriot Point over to Fort Sumter and back.

First time visitor,any suggestions for must see on a budget.

I forgot- if you%26#39;re there on a Saturday you might be able to get in and take a look at the preservation project of the Civil War era submarine Hunley which was raised from the port in the last few years. I%26#39;ve never been able to get there on a Saturday so I haven%26#39;t been able to see it. It%26#39;s not at Patrioit Point but it%26#39;s somewhere close by.

you and your wife will love charleston , if you are in that much of a budjet , just walk the area , the homes are fantastic , the people are fantastic . the market is great to walk round , just enjoy the stay . I cant wait to go back in june myself and thats my 3rd trip flying from England .

Fellow Tarheel-As a first-time visitor, I would suggest starting with a carriage tour aboard one of the many companies. These tours are usually led by very knowledgable guides who give informative historical and geographical info which you can build on after you get off the carriage and start walking. Carriages board at straw market so you can browse a while there before strolling to the harbor and taking a break on the public swings there. You can walk the waterfront south from there toward the battery and see beautiful mansions up close (some are open to tours). We like to shop for a couple of hours up King Street at the big names before heading back toward the market and the quaint/unusual shops that abound there. A short drive can find modern resorts or plantations that are also open for visiting. If you love history, architecture, gardens and food, food, food, Charleston is the place. I%26#39;m going this weekend and can%26#39;t wait.

On a budget while in Charleston? HIGHLY recommend taking one of the walking tours offered by Bulldog Tours (www.bulldogtours.com). My husband and I visit Charleston about every other month and just LOVE the place!! Anyhoo, Bulldog Tours offeres several history tours and several ghost tours.

Our favorite is The Dark Side of Charleston and the Charleston Ghost %26amp; Graveyard Tour.

Another great budge idea is to rent bikes. There%26#39;s the ';Bicycle Shop'; on Meeting Street - great people and great prices.

Have fun in Chucktown!!

Elizabeth Austin

The Hunley is in north charleston, and it%26#39;s free.

Also free is the Charles Pinckney National Historic Site (house %26amp; plantation) in mount pleasant.

Magnolia Plantation is a must-see and well worth the $12. But if you%26#39;re a student or someone who must skimp, it%26#39;s possible to sneak in, especially to the wonderful Audborn Swamp trail and the lovely grounds. The other Ashley River plantations run a tight ship and sneaking in is probably impossible. Regardless, Magnolia is the best of the bunch and worth the price especially during the early spring bloom. When you see it you%26#39;ll figure your $12 is a reasonable cover charge for all the maintenance they must do. Plan to spend 3-4 relaxing hours to soak it all in, and bring comfy walking shoes.

Want to know of a great place to eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner? The Boulevard Diner in Mt. Pleasant. When you come across the bridge from downtown, it%26#39;s on your right before you get to Shem Creek. It looks like a hole in the wall (actually it%26#39;s an old Dairy Queen) but the food is out of this world!! And inexpensive, too.

The carriage tours are a MUST. They are a little high.. but some of the hotels have discount cards..and I know the visotors center has some coupons. If you see a ';win a free carriage ride'; ticket.. pick it up. My friend and her mother both ';won'; in the little drawing... well worth the try.

I agree on going to see the Hunley, especially if you can appreciate that it%26#39;s 140 years old and realize just how innovative the builders were. In and of itself, it%26#39;s not the

most amazing thing you%26#39;ll see, but the have a lot of very interesting things to see at the Conservatory. It%26#39;s pretty easy to find (well, at least to me, but I work about 1/4 mile down the street from it) ;-)

**NOTE** It%26#39;s not a big deal, but tours to see the Hunley are

not free. It cousts $10 per person and you can only see it

on Saturday and Sunday.

I also agree with the view of simply going downtown and walking the streets. The downtown area is very safe. There are some great shops (not the fancy schmancy ones that have overtaken King St. (like Saks, et al) and there are a lot of very cool cemetaries to meander through.

UNC Tar Heels - 2005 National Champs!!!!!