I had never connected the song to the town until my flight back from Charleston, South Carolina. "Charleston! Charleston! (hum)…Caroline," rang in my ears.

Charleston is a city of "firsts" and "oldest." Named after their King, Charles II, and founded in 1670, Charles Town was the fist American City to use a "broad and straight lines" concept rather than the narrow and twisting streets of European cities. The beauty of Charleston draws you to its architectural design. The houses were designed as one room wide with porches on the south side so that the breeze could blow between the houses. The tallest buildings in Charleston are churches where you'll see the steeples dotting the skyline rather than tall skyscrapers. Through battles, fires, earthquakes and hurricanes, Charleston has painstakingly preserved its 300 year heritage.

Charleston, "Where History Lives"

The "tag line" for describing Charleston is a hint to plan so that you can see the most, and what you are interested in seeing.

From private gardens in open view or ones that you can sneak a peek at through the narrow walkways and beautiful gates between the houses to the country's oldest public gardens makes Charleston the "Garden City of the South."

We began our visit to Charleston with a tour of Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, and ended our visit at Cypress Gardens near Moncks Corner.

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens just 10 miles from downtown Charleston continues to be home to the 11th generation of the Drayton family. It is the oldest plantation on the Ashley River with over 30 acres of gardens on its nearly 500 acres. The Plantation House was built facing the Ashley River, where the Drayton family and guests would arrive and depart. America's oldest man-made attraction, being open to the public since the 1860s, depicts the life on a rice plantation.

We selected the Nature Train, driven by Patrick, the Naturalist, to see the alligators, turtles, herons, egrets, and more in the marshes, ponds, and forests, making the plantation their home. Sunning ramps have been added for the alligators, "Wally" and "Snozola," and the many turtles. We learned that "if it walks like a duck, acts like a duck, it is a duck" is not true. There are hundreds of coots, which look and act like ducks, but are birds, which eat the plants that look like moss on top of the water.

You can also relax on the water in the Nature Boat guided tour or take a more vigorous tour by canoeing, biking or walking. In all there are five gardens, a petting zoo, a maze, a wildlife tower and more to explore. Charles Kuralt described his visit as "My Greatest Charleston Pleasure."

Cypress Gardens, one of Cooper River's largest plantations, covers 3,000 acres. When the owner, Benjamin R. Kittredge, saw the reflection of a beautiful red maple tree in the mirror-like inky waters in the swamp on his plantation, it inspired him to develop Cypress Gardens. The black water tinted by the Cypress trees hides the alligators and other wildlife below the water's surface while its acidity controls the environment. During the Halloween season tours, though, the red eyes of alligators and other creatures glow in the night.

During the era of rice plantations, these waters would flood the fields as needed. Today, you can walk the paths on the dikes between the fields to see several gardens and take nature trails. Flat bottom boats, paddled by you or by a guide, give a unique perspective of the gardens and wildlife.

To complete your experience, visit the exhibits in The Buttlerfly House, Aquarium and Reptile Center, and the new Crocodile Isle with endangered species.

Cypress Gardens may look a little familiar as parts of the movies "The Patriot" and "Notebook" were filmed there. The chapel from "The Patriot" appeared to be made of concrete, but the winds earlier in the week blew down the Styrofoam chapel.

We didn't follow our own advice by first taking a tour to get a handle on the layout of everything we wanted to explore in the city. Instead, after looking at the map we chose a parking area near the attractions we wanted to visit. One of our party popped into an art gallery for suggestions on places to go for lunch where we were given a valuable color-coded map with restaurants, galleries, attractions, etc. As luck would have it, we were on East Bay where there were dining options galore, "Restaurant Row." Known for its seafood, visited by locals and tourists alike, and looking over The Market we headed for A. W. Shucks, although we called it "aw shucks."

From the menu we decided on two appetizers: Crab Fritters (a special) and Spinach Dip (which we had a coupon). For our entrée, we couldn't help but try one of the "Warehouse Traditions" - Shuck's "Legendary" Lowcountry Seafood Casserole with baby creek shrimp and scallops, sautéed and layered over Carolina deviled crab topped with a lobster cheese sauce and baked au gratin, served with Charleston red rice and vegetable of the day. Our dining experience met our expectations, setting the stage for shopping at The Market and taking a walking tour of the area.

Our server, Katherine, was very attentive to our needs and helped solve a problem with retrieving my voice mail. She helped when the cell phone company could not. She was a life saver.

Lunch ranges from $9-12; $10-18 for dinner; a Children's Menu is available. Casual dress is welcome. Reservations are not required. Atmosphere: Relaxed and upbeat. Located downtown on The Market; south side near East Bay Street.

After a delightful lunch, we strolled over to The Market. In the four building market, local artists display sweet grass baskets, jewelry, tapestry, souvenirs, church dolls, afghans, and local specialties such as rice, beans, sauces, candies, cookies and much more. For a souvenir, I selected a "Shrimp and Grits" mix in a colorful bag with a "Look on da sack to see how ta cook ‘em!" recipe that added "wadda." To keep me on time, I found a "bangle" watch. For another souvenir, and a possible collectible, I found a tote and an apron made from oil cloth by Tanner Bananer. The "No Worries" philosophy is reflected in bright and cheery designs and easy to clean products. The merchandise is offered in upscale boutiques and will soon be featured in Cookie, a Condé Nast magazine.

After shopping, we dropped off our packages and headed toward Waterfront Park where we caught a glimpse of a huge fountain. Recently revitalized, this public park is perfect for relaxing. There are numerous benches, picnic tables and a magnificent pier to enjoy the activity on the waterfront.

Our self-guided tour led us just around the corner to Rainbow Row and cobblestone streets. In the 1900s, Mrs. Dorothy Legge purchased and renovated a group of homes on East Bay, saving them from ruin. Her idea of painting them in colors from the Caribbean has become a trademark for Charleston.

You can't leave downtown Charleston without seeing The Battery and White Point Gardens. Civil War cannons face the harbor and the Atlantic along the fringe of the gardens. From children playing to wedding ceremonies, the gardens are a popular place to gather with its massive oaks trees, monuments, and historical statues.

Grand old mansions just behind the gardens show you a different Charleston from the row houses. Antebellum homes with large porches and second floor balconies called piazzas take you back in time, imagining the southern belles sipping a glass of lemonade while watching ships sail along the harbor.

For our next adventure in Charleston, we were attracted to Aquarium Wharf, a one-stop entertainment district.

Fort Sumter – We first selected the Ft. Sumter boat tour to learn more about the significance of the Fort located in the harbor with the Ashley River on one side, the Cooper River on the other, and the Atlantic Ocean in front. As we waited to set sail, a porpoise entertained us in the water around us.

Being a critical seaport, everyone wanted to control Charleston. During the Revolutionary War, Charles Town became occupied by England following a second attack, and was later renamed "Charleston." By 1860, South Carolina, a part of the southern states, seceded from the Union over the issue of states rights versus federal authority. When the Confederate Army fired upon the Federal Troops at Fort Sumter, it caused a chain reaction that exploded into the Civil War.

While sailing to this island Fort, the Captain directed our attention to points of interest and locations of historic significance along the way. After arriving at Fort Sumter, a part of the National Park System, a park ranger is available to explain how the fort was built and why. It was quite an ordeal just to build the fort beginning with transporting materials, some from New England, for building up the island, and a continuing conflict of whether or not the current leader thought there was a need for the fort. Cannons with the capability of shooting a cannon ball to its target 9 miles away is just one example of what enticed us to visit Fort Sumter. To complete the experience, you can walk along one side overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and visit the museum with fascinating exhibits before leaving.

Fort Sumter Tours offers several yachts and packages, including a 30 minute narrated cruise to the fort, an hour to explore the fort, and a view of the Charleston Harbor and its beauty on the return. The yacht taking us on our tour, Spirit of Charleston, has an upper deck that is enclosed with see through curtains for the cooler days, and an enclosed lower deck with panoramic windows and theatre or banquet seating.

Sharks were the main attraction for us to visit the South Carolina Aquarium. The two-story aquarium Ocean Exhibit gives a clear view from the seaweed on top of the ocean to the sandy seafloor and all the creatures and plants in between. Scuba divers swam among the moray eels, sharks, schools of fish, loggerhead sea turtles in the 300,000 gallon tank, placing meals of shrimp, mackerel and squid in their favorite feeding areas. From the mountains to the sea there are over 60 exhibits of river otters, native birds, alligators and more for visitors of all ages to see. There are behind-the scene options, packages for school groups, guided tours and volunteers demonstrating how scuba equipment works.

Charleston IMAX Theatre – Think BIG when you visit an IMAX Theatre. The five-story high screen, state-of-the-art technology and surround sound gave "Roving Mars" a whole new meaning. Sure, we have heard of the rovers sent to Mars, but "Roving Mars" shows the challenges and obstacles of creating NASA's twin robots, "Spirit" and "Opportunity," and the joy of the crew when they actually landed and began the exploration of Mars as planned. Let's see. Design a machine that can fold and later open keeping all of its intricate parts in place, have an arm to perform tasks, a parachute that can withstand the strong forces, air bags that will protect the rovers when landing, be able to maneuver over rocks without turning over, etc. The Walt Disney presentation takes you out of this world.

The IMAX Theatre has four to five movies starting on the hour. There's the standard popcorn or Wholly Cow Ice Cream and Coffee and Just Fresh café to suit your hunger needs.

American Military Museum – is just around the corner from IMAX. Established in 1987, the museum honors all branches of the military. In all there are 70 displays of uniforms and artifacts from the recent Iraq War and Operation Desert Storm to World War I and the Revolutionary War. You'll even see rejected band uniforms designed by Cecil B. DeMille and German uniforms from World War II.

Guests visiting Aquarium Wharf can experience all of the various attractions, including the National Park Service's Ft. Sumter Visitor Education Center, Ft. Sumter Tours, the Charleston IMAX Theatre and the South Carolina Aquarium for one affordable packaged price. A variety of packages that includes all three attractions or a package for two of the area's top attractions at a savings can be purchased.

Nothing is more romantic than a carriage tour in a city like Charleston. Although our carriage tour of about 16 people would not be characterized as "romantic" it was an unforgettable experience, peeking into the lives and nuances of a city. On this chilly, windy afternoon, blankets were provided to each of us as we loaded onto the carriage in The Big Red Barn. Our guide, Myron, has over 20 years experience, specializing in Civil War and 20th century cultural history.

During the one-hour tour covering 25-30 blocks of historic downtown Charleston, Myron reminded us often of the on-going effort to preserve the historic buildings and maintain the heritage of Charleston and the Lowcountry. With knowledge, wit and humor, Myron pointed out historic houses, gardens, mansions, churches, and parks.

(Interesting tidbits from our tour) One of the things you might see, but not realize is that there are doors accessing the front porches of the houses. From the front, it looks like the door enters the house, but taking a side 3-D look, you can see that it actually opens onto the porch. Looking even more closely you can see that the doors are not square to line up with porches that are not level so that water can drain from them. As our guide talked, or we stopped to see something specific, the mules pulling our carriage seemed to be able to read the red and green lights and knew where to park for us to have a better look.

Charleston became known as "The Holy City" because of its second charter guarantying religious freedom. This "welcome mat" drew French Huguenot, Baptist (known then as Anabaptists), Congregationalist, Presbyterian, Jewish, Lutheran, Methodist and Roman Catholic religions to Charleston, making this the home of the "first" and "oldest" churches in America.

Located in the heart of the Market area, the famous Red Barn is the beginning and the end of the carriage tour. Palmetto Carriage Works, the oldest Charleston carriage company, has its Ticket Office in the Rainbow Market. For discount tickets, free all-day parking, and private carriage rides visit www.carriagetour.com

For our last evening in Charleston, we, of course, wanted a relaxing, but nice atmosphere and great food. We went straight to the locals for advice.

Our carriage tour operator suggested "Blossom", Magnolias' casual sister, for seafood with a southern accent. In 2005, Blossom updated its décor and menu: While a Lowcountry seafood menu is emphasized, an old-Italian menu of pizzas from their wood-ovens and homemade pastas are also favorites. Looking into its storefront is misleading. It looks like a small restaurant with a private dining area for a small party. Once inside, it is roomy, sophisticated, cheery, modern and comfortable, making you feel special. From our table, we could see the Chefs in the "exhibit" kitchen inside and on the outside a patio with church steeples in the background that is available when weather permits.

The server brought a warm loaf of bread in a linen basket with butter that was easy to spread. The entrées were delicious: Oak Roasted Salmon with grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, caramelized onions, zucchini and balsamic. Seared Scallops with artichoke raviolos with apple-smoked bacon, wild mushrooms and sweet corn jus.

Large family and business groups, a couple on a romantic evening and families with small children enjoyed their multi-course dinners or pizza from the oven. Whatever the reason, a casual or elegant dining experience, Blossom will meet the bill.

Lunch ranges from $7 – 14; dinners $7 – 28. Located downtown at 171 East Bay Street. Parking is available adjacent to the restaurant in the evening and weekends.

Although, this was our last sunset in Charleston before leaving, we thought,

"Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina, in the morning…"

[photos © Howard Johnson and Charleston Area Convention and Visitor Bureau]