Jim Morekis - Moon Charleston: With Hilton Head & the Lowcountry

the Pineapple Fountain.

Everyone who spends time in Charleston comes away with a story about the locals courtesy and hospitality. Mine came while walking through the French Quarter and admiring a handsome old single house on Church Street, one of the few that survived the fire of 1775. Noticing my interest, the homeowner invited me, a total stranger, inside to check out the progress of her renovation.

Dont mistake Charlestons charm for weakness, however. This is where the colonists scored their first victory over the British in the Revolution and where the Civil War began. Its the city that survived the East Coasts worst earthquake in 1886 and one of its worst hurricanes a century later. Its nickname, The Holy City, derives from the skylines abundance of church steeples rather than any excess of piety among its citizens, who gave the city an infamous reputation from its earliest days.

Today, Charleston is a liberal enclave within a very conservative state. While many visitors come to see the Charleston of Rhett Butler and Pat Conroy, they leave impressed by the diversity of Charlestonian life. Its a cosmopolitan mix of students, professionals, and longtime inhabitantswho discuss the finer points of Civil War history as if it were last year, party on Saturday night like theres no tomorrow, and go to church on Sunday morning dressed in their finest.

This city is also quietly booming as one of the nations key centers of tech and digital development. Millennials from all over the country are flocking to Charleston for its blend of start-up friendliness, great nightlife, eco-friendly sensibilities, and vibrant arts and cultural scene.

Under the carefully honed tradition and the ever-present ancestor worship, Charleston possesses a vitality of vision that is irrepressibly practical and forward-looking.

Historic Tours: The historic downtown area of Charleston is best experienced on foot or by carriage (

Southern Cuisine: Some of Americas finest award-winning chefs ply their trade in this southern city, serving up dishes both homestyle and high style ().

Festival Fever: Theres always a festival going on here. Join in the fun by eating oysters at the Lowcountry Oyster Festival or listening to up-and-coming musicians at Spoleto ().

Cemetery Scenery: For both intriguing American history and scenic beauty, visit Magnolia Cemetery ().

African American Heritage: Charlestons history is black history, from the somber remembrances of the Old Slave Mart Museum to the vivid legacies of Porgy and Bess and Cabbage Row ().

Touring Great Houses: Some of the nations finest house museums are here, including the expertly preserved Aiken-Rhett House ().

Garden Delights: Home to the near-royal gardens of Middleton Place (), Charleston is truly a city of flowers.