Need East Coast Trip Planning Ideas

[athenaworth]

We’re going to Charleston for a wedding on April 3rd and I’d like to piggy back the wedding trip with a little trip of our own. We’re in California, so it’s always fun to do something East Coast, but I can’t decide what we should do. Here’s the criteria:

1. DH bores easily, but loves doing nothing on tropical vacations;
2. I’d love to go to Savannah, but see #1
3. We don’t want to spend a shitload ($5k at the most).

So, what would you do if you were us? I’m thinking we’d take the week after to do something fun, but it almost seems like there are too many possibilities.

 

[elrohwen]

I haven't been, but my parents visited Savannah last year and looooved it. I've heard great things about Charleston itself, so make sure to spend some time there. They also really liked staying at Tybee Island, outside of Savannah.

 

[Skippy123]

ditto Savannah; my in laws live there and I have been there a hand full of times and never bore. It is so beautiful! I also liked Ashville and loved seeing the Biltmore; I don't remember how far away it is from Charleston though and it is not beachy

 

[princesss]

Asheville is wonderful! It's about 6 hours from Charleston, and well worth the trip if you like the mountains.

 

[PinkTower]

I am below Savannah. Savannah is like a smaller version of Charleston, and I prefer it. The first week of April, the further south you get, the warmer it will be. (Referring back to #1 on your list.) Charleston even had a little snow today.

 

[zoebartlett]

Charleston is a great city to hang out for a few days. It's so much fun! There's a cool market that's worth checking out in the downtown area. We also took a horse-drawn carriage ride through the city and that's a good way to learn about the city in a relatively short amount of time. We got a print of a gazebo in Charleston and we love that it reminds us of our time down there last year.

As Princesss said, Asheville is a fun place as well. The Biltmore Estate is a must-see if you'd in the area. If you do go there, you might want to check out the Deer Park restaurant on the Biltmore grounds. They have really yummy food!

How far would it be from Charleston to Wilmington (NC)? I'm not sure, but Wilmington is a nice city. Walking along the boardwalk down by the Cape Fear River is a fun thing to do. There are shops and restaurants there, and it's a good way to spend some time.

When we lived in NC, we wanted to go to Savannah but we never made it. If it's doable for you, I'd recommend it because I've heard so many great things about it. I'm not sure if you're a fan of Paula Deen on the Food Network but she owns a restaurant in Savannah called the Lady and Sons. I've heard it's a popular place.

 

[lulu66]

savannah is literally one of my favorite cities in the country. so, i vote for that. is your DH into history at all? there's lots of tours. and personally i just love walking around, looking at the houses, stopping in the shops, and eating. (favs for me are the pirate house & moon river brewing company.) you could drive from there out to tybee island, although i'm not sure how "hopping" it would be that time of year. i think it's perfect for a 3-4 day add-on trip, week tops. if you're wanting to stay somewhere longer, savannah might get a tad boring.

 

[iLander]

if he wants tropical, are you considering Florida?

 

[dragonfly411]

Here are my ideas for you:

Savannah - I think you'd enjoy the bed and breakfasts, but you'll have to make him get up to go see places there. There are some great bars and restaurants. The art school has a museum. You could do a haunted walk of the town at night.

Jekyll Island - This is in Georgia. There are some beautiful hotels here, and you can find sand dollars all along the beaches. It's pretty quiet and laid back.

Go stay in a cabin in the Smoky Mountains. You can do nothing, enjoy a cabin with mountains and forests all around you, and most have a built in jacuzzi. If you want to venture out, you can drive through the Smoky Mountains, go jewel mining , go to some of the beautiful nature preserves (Mt. Mitchell isn't too far from Charleston and it is GORGEOUS. There is a hike up to the top of the mountain with lots of wildlife, Christmas trees, and this time of year you will get lots of snow, we did this two years ago and it's one of my favorite vacations ever). If you want to venture into Tennessee, go to the Pidgeon Forge area and there is a beautiful park called Cade's Cove, which is a drive through the park. There are old pioneer cabins, and it is FULL of deer and bears, some close enough to touch (we had bucks in full velvet about ten feet from us, they were beautiful). Pidgeon Forge has tons of jewel mines and also Dolly Wood which is a park built by Dolly Parton that has pioneer and country themed attractions and a huge aviary with 15-20 bald eagles that you can see up close. Plus you can go jewel mining .

IF you want to come south, Come to Florida!!! St. Augustine is on the northern Atlantic coast, and there are beautiful bed and breakfasts in old town St. Augustine. There are tons of little shops, and great restaurants. You could eat at Scarlett O'hara's and see many old relics from the actual movie. You can do a haunted walk, or haunted trolly ride (I recommend the walk b/c you get to go to the graveyards and onto the grounds of the old fort which was featured on Ghost Hunters). You can tour the old fort. There are ice cream parlours, and tons of old streets to wander. There is also a museum of the old houses. St. Augustine is the oldest city in the U.S. You can also venture out of old town to the Alligator Farm, the old lighthouse, down to the beaches, and to some great restaurants. My picks are: Salt Water Cowboys ( really tucked away, set in a cracker house right on the salt flats, reallllly southern food, like frog legs and gator tail and fish and great burgers), The Oasis (very fun bar and grill with cheap and delicious seafood, they serve breakfast as well), The White Lion in old town for sandwiches, or Hero's (actually Hero's is REALLY GOOD and you get a ton of food for the price), Scarlett O Hara's of course, There is a chocolatier and ice creamery RIGHT BY The old city gates and they have the best ice cream EVAR. Toasted coconut is my favorite and I have to get it every trip over there. You could also drive further down to Crescent to see the Matansas fort.


Those are my picks.

 

[CurlySue]

I love Charleston, Savannah, and St. Augustine - all of which have been mentioned at some point in this thread.

You said your DH bores easily, so my suggestion would actually be to rent a car and make some stops along the way so you aren't "stuck" in one place for a whole week (and so that you break up the drive into 3-ish hour increments). Depending on where you are flying back to, you could do the drive down from Charleston to St. Augustine and then fly out out of Jacksonville, which is about 45 minutes to an hour north of St. Aug, rather than go back up to Charleston.

I did a long weekend with girlfriends in Charleston, and we loved touring the city. Some good restaurants there, too, if you're into food at all.

My dad and step-mom live in Savannah, so I've been there numerous times and love it. Historical tours, ghost tours, museums, great restaurants, and a lot of beautiful scenery. There's also a riverboat casino, and as others have mentioned you could hit Tybee, though as someone else mentioned I don't know how great that would be in April. More of a beach community that thrives in the summer.

About three hours south of Savannah is St. Augustine, where my mom and step-dad live. The downtown area is cute, and again has some fun historical tours, shopping, restaurants, etc. I prefer Savannah, but I think St. Augustine for a few days is a fun stop.

Unfortunately, I'm not good on estimating what your hotel, B&B costs would be, since I always stay with family.

If you REALLY want to go south to ensure warmer temps, fly down to the Florida Keys. I love Key West!!