Charleston in Winter: Our Family’s Astonishing Adventure Through the Heart of a Historic Southern Gem

Visiting Charleston, SC in the Winter

Our family has started incorporating a trip right after Christmas every year.  As weekend warriors, we have to use the time off of school and work that we can.  We look for destinations that are warmer than Kentucky and within 8-12 hours away.  We decided to mark another state off our list, South Carolina.

Visiting South Carolina in the winter is a bit different than visiting in the warmer months. The milder winter weather, warmer than the Midwest, makes exploring Charleston’s outdoor attractions much more comfortable. 

We knew there would not be any beach time. This opens up the door for other opportunities to explore that we typically would not have as much time after visiting the beach all day.  Unlike the summer months, winter offers a pleasant break from the often unbearable humidity, making our walks through the city more enjoyable.

TL;DR: Winter Adventure in Charleston, SC

• Annual Post-Christmas Trip: Our family headed to South Carolina for a winter getaway, seeking warmer climates within an 8-12 hour drive from Kentucky.
• Charleston’s Winter Appeal: We experienced Charleston’s milder winter weather, perfect for exploring outdoor attractions comfortably, minus the beach time.
• Stay at Mount Pleasant/Charleston KOA: Choose this convenient and budget-friendly location for its proximity to Charleston and local amenities.
• Patriots Point Exploration: Visited historic sites like the USS Yorktown and USS Laffey, enjoying thinner crowds and affordable parking.
• Fort Sumter Visit: Took a ferry ride, attended a ranger-led talk, and explored the fort and museum, appreciating the lower winter crowd levels.
• Sullivan’s Island and Fort Moultrie: Briefly stopped at Sullivan’s Island, then delved into history at Fort Moultrie, enjoying its less crowded and more affordable experience.
• Charleston City Tours: Utilized Free Tours by Foot for an economical and informative self-guided tour of Charleston’s main sites.
• Haunted Jail and Ghost Tours: Participated in ghostly activities, with mixed reviews on the Old City Jail tour but highly recommended the interactive “Stories in the Cemetery” ghost hunt.
• Overall Experience: Charleston in winter provided a serene, crowd-free environment ideal for historical exploration and family-friendly activities, proving it’s a great year-round destination.

Our winter trip to Charleston wasn’t just a journey to a new place, but an immersive experience into American history, adding a unique chapter to our family’s travel diary.

Choosing Charleston SC Winter Accommodations: Our Stay at Mount Pleasant/Charleston KOA

We decided to stay at the Mouth Pleasant/ Charleston KOA.  Mount Pleasant is only about 10 miles to Charleston and lots of shopping and restaurants around.  It was a convenient place for us to stay and the KOA was very nice.  The reviews did not disappoint!

Pro Tip: Staying at the Mount Pleasant/Charleston KOA was not only convenient but also more budget-friendly in winter, as many places offer favorable rates during the off-peak season.

Charleston Winter Activities: A Family Visit to Patriots Point

Patriots Point is a touristy area.  Here you can visit the aircraft carrier, USS Yorktown, and a destroyer, USS Laffey.  The ferry to Fort Sumter leaves from here as well.  Visiting these historic sites in winter was a delight, as the usual tourist crowds were noticeably thinner.

Parking costs $5 and the parking lot gets crowded. Be prepared to park to enter the parking lot.  The parking lot was not large but we were able to park in the grassy area.  This could be busier during the summer months!

Aboard the USS Yorktown: Charleston’s Historic Aircraft Carrier

Our first stop was the Captain’s Tour of the USS Yorktown.  This tour was recommended by a family member and I probably would have bypassed it without his input.  This is definitely the way to go!  It required general admission to board the boat and another $15 each for the tour.  

We have found that self-guided tours and generally not as good and this tour did not disappoint.  Our guide, Bill, spent 1.5 hours with our small group and was very knowledgeable about the USS Yorktown.  

We were able to access areas that were not part of the public tour, including a plane and the Captain’s Quarters.  

Our tour definitely beat stopping to read every sign ourselves, this gets old quickly.  Once the tour was over, we could continue to explore the boat as well as the USS Laffey.

After boarding the USS Laffey, some veterans guided us to a gun room that showed a 5-minute movie about what it was like during one of it’s biggest battle.  We explored the destroyer before watching a History Channel show about the battles that the USS Laffey was involved in.  We walked away astonished at this ship’s capabilities and strength!

Fort Sumter: A Winter Journey to Charleston’s Civil War Landmark

The following day we took the ferry from Patriot’s Point to Fort Sumter.  You do not need a National Park pass to gain entrance but you do have to purchase ferry tickets from Patriot’s Point or Liberty Square to gain access to the Fort.  

The tickets said to arrive 30 minutes early.  We were closer to 20 minutes early and were definitely towards the back of the line.  Somehow, we still got a seat on the bottom deck where it was heated.  The upper deck is open air and it would have made for a cold ride!

A knowledgeable guide is also aboard the ferry and gives informative commentary during the 30-minute ride.  He recommended the ranger-led talk at the Fort.  This talk was 10-15 minutes and highly recommended. 

Pro Tip: Ranger-led talks are always informative and help us understand the lay of the land and how important the Fort was.   

Self-Guided Tour of Fort Sumter

The Fort is self-guided but well done.  There is also a small museum inside the Battery that is informative and more hands-on.  Our kids enjoyed seeing the size of the cannonballs used and the flags that were raised.  We had about an hour on the island before departing on the ferry back to Patriot’s Point.  

This was plenty of time to listen to the Ranger talk, and tour the island, museum, and gift shop!

Pro tip: Definitely dress for the weather.  With the Fort being an island, keep in mind the cool ocean breeze.  It was very windy and quite chilly the day we went.  I remember visiting as a child during the summer and it was sweltering hot!

We enjoyed our visit to Patriot’s Point and learning about the USS Yorktown, the USS Laffey, and Fort Sumter.  These stops are must-sees during any Charleston trip!

Sullivan’s Island

Sullivan’s Island is known for its beautiful beaches.  It was a quaint town with lots of people out walking and enjoying outdoor cafes.  We made a quick stop to visit Fort Moultrie.

Discovering History at Fort Moultrie During a Winter Getaway

Fort Moultrie has been around for a very long time and has helped protect Charleston Harbor during the Revolutionary War, Civil War, and WWII.  The Visitor Center is across the street from the Fort and is worth a few minutes to read about the Fort and to watch a quick movie.  This movie was made during the 70’s and had some interesting humor but it was very informative.  You need a National Park Pass or pay for a daily visit.

We enjoyed our visit to Fort Moultrie.  It was very interesting to learn about how it has changed over the years.  While Fort Sumter seems to be the most known Fort, Fort Moultrie is definitely worth a visit and the cost is significantly less.

Enjoying Bug-Free Winter Days

Another plus of the winter season in Charleston is the absence of bugs, which allowed us to enjoy outdoor activities without the inconvenience of insect repellents.

Step Into History With Charleston City Tours

The options to tour the city of Charleston are endless!  You can book a horse-drawn carriage tour or a walking tour with a guide and we found a nearly free self-guided tour around the main sites of Charleston.

We ordered and downloaded Free Tours by Foot, to tour around Charleston.  This cost us under $10 for a historical tour, a Civil War tour, and a ghost tour. Three tours for less than the price of 1 walking tour! 

The tours included easy instructions to download the audio and the map.  Each tour consisted of less than a mile of walking.  We thought these tours were well laid out, the audio and storytelling were good and very informative!

Pro tip:  We brought a portable speaker so we could all hear the audio at each stop!

A Night at the Charleston Old City Jail: Haunted Jail Tour

Our son loves ghost hunts and ghost tours so we always incorporate these into our stops, especially in older, more haunted cities.  Charleston offers many options but our tour guide on the Captain’s Tour of the USS Yorktown recommended the Old City Jail haunted tour.

We booked this tour online at Charleston Haunted Jail Tour | Bulldog Tours in Charleston, SC.  The directions for the meeting place were easy and there was plenty of street parking available.

This tour left us feeling a little flat, at nearly $40 a ticket and only 45 minutes, we were left wanting more.  The guide was entertaining and told great and scary stories and even showed us pictures of paranormal activity.  

This tour would have been ranked higher with us if it had been for a longer time.

For a more affordable option, we recommend this self-guided Charleston’s Haunted Ghost Tour.

Pro tip:  This tour is recommended for 12 years and older.  It left our 15-year-old scared!

Ghostly Pursuits: A Night with Stories in the Cemetery

If you are looking for an interactive Ghost Hunt, this is for you!  This had to be one of our favorite things we did in Charleston!  Stories in the Cemetery was worth every penny!  Nick is very passionate about ghost hunting and educating about this.  We paid nearly the same amount as the Old Jail Tour but for over 2.5 hours of content!

There were only 10 people in our group which is the max allowed per night.  It went from 8:45-11:30 PM and each tour is different depending on the activity.  Nick got to know each of us and gave us each a piece of ghost-hunting equipment.  We went to 4 locations and he gave us a little information but it was for us to find out more.  It was very interesting what we came up with at each location not knowing the full details until it was time to move to the next location.

Once the ghost hunt ended, Nick went back to his office to listen to all the audio and video recordings to make sure we didn’t miss anything and then sent us a detailed report back.  This included all the information we came up with and what he found in the recordings later.  He even included a link for our son to learn how to use some of his own equipment.  Nick definitely went above and beyond to make this a memorable experience.

If you only can do one ghost experience, we would all highly recommend Stories in the Cemetery!  You can’t go wrong with this experience.  This was not a scary experience but a very informative experience.

While most people think of hitting the beaches of Charleston in the summertime, visiting in the colder months is still very enjoyable.  Just pack some layers and enjoy the history that Charleston has to offer!

Getting to Charleston, SC: Our Mid-Journey Stop

Traveling to Charleston, SC, for our winter adventure, we prioritize safety and comfort, especially after the bustling Christmas season. Here’s how we manage our journey:

• Safety First: For Sara and me, safety is paramount. With shorter daylight hours in winter, we prefer not to drive straight through.
• Mid-Journey Break: We opt for a halfway stop to rest. This year, we chose Asheville West KOA in Asheville, North Carolina.
• Recharged for Exploration: Stopping midway helps us recharge. We arrive in Charleston energized and ready for new adventures.

This approach ensures we’re well-rested and safe, making our travel experience enjoyable and stress-free.

Our Winter Experience in Charleston

Reflecting on our time in Charleston this winter, it’s evident that the city shines in a different light during the cooler months. Strolling through historic locales, exploring Patriots Point, and learning at Fort Sumter provided a perfect blend of leisure and education. The absence of the usual summer crowds, paired with the pleasant weather, made our explorations around these iconic sites truly exceptional.

Charleston’s winter season uncovers a serene yet vibrant side of the city, offering a quiet retreat intertwined with rich historical insights. This trip wasn’t just about discovering new places, but about immersing ourselves in the depths of American history. Beyond its famed summer allure, Charleston stands out as a year-round destination of enriching experiences, leaving an indelible mark on our family’s travel memories.

About Us

Mike & Sara began RV camping in 2020 and instantly loved the lifestyle. We found the thrill of exploring new places, breaking our vacation routine and crossing off all those “one-day” trips was a blast! At Our Campfire Unplugged, we enjoy sharing our experiences to help fellow travelers live their best lives. 
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