Charleston South Carolina
Elegant, tree lined streets and imposing colonial buildings have contributed to the success of Charleston South Carolina as a tourist destination. The mix of cultures is celebrated in the various galleries, museums and events. The city is also an important port and is one of the busiest in the world. There are sites of interest in relation to military conflicts that the city was caught up in and many historic buildings are open to the public. Nightlife is vibrant in the city with numerous nightclubs, restaurants, live music venues, dance clubs and sports bars to choose from. The city had to recover from the damage done by Hurricane Hugo in 1989, which damaged many historic buildings.
Fort Moultrie was a battle sight in the American Revolutionary War in which the British were defeated. Fort Sumter is famous as the location where hostilities began in the American Civil War. The Old Exchange and Customs House, completed construction in 1771, contains a dungeon that imprisoned various people who signed the Declaration of Independence.
The annual Spoleto Festival USA is an arts festival that runs for 17 days across different venues and is modeled on an event in Spoleto, Italy. There is a diverse range of activity, involving opera, dance and classical music. There are several theatre productions too, including premieres from well known playwrights. Many of the world's most respected musicians and composers have attended the festival. Charleston South Carolina is proud of its reputation for superb regional cooking. Cuisine from the area is a mix of French, African American and Caribbean influences and all this is celebrated at the Food and Wine Festival.
The MOJA Festival is two weeks of African American and Caribbean music, art and culture. Maritime tradition is commemorated at the Charleston Maritime Festival; an opportunity to see beautifully designed tall ships in all their glory. There are displays of traditional boat making techniques and wooden boats and maritime art. The highlight of the event is the challenging Charleston to Bermuda boat Race.
Top athletes from around the world and celebrities support the Cooper River Bridge Run, an official elite road race over 10,000m held in Charleston South Carolina and nearby Mount Pleasant. It's quite a sight to see so many people running over one of the most elegant bridges in the world. A new event was launched in 2007 with Charleston Fashion Week. It was an immense success and there are plans for it to continue, bringing more visitors to Charleston South Carolina.
Summary
Historic Charleston South Carolina receives millions of visitors every year. There is no shortage of things to do from the museums to the shipyards to the sight seeing excursions. There is an activiy to interest anyone. One tour even visits supposedly haunted houses all over Charleston. Festivals include Spoleto Festival USA for arts, MOJA Festival for African American and Caribbean culture, and the foot race called the Cooper River Bridge Run attracts thousands of participants every year.
