Charleston Info

With so many Davidson basketball fans now reading this blog, many of whom are coming to the Conference Tournament, I thought I would make a quick "Charleston tours" post.

While basketball fans may not have too much time to be a tourist, the late start on Friday and afternoon start on Saturday give opportunities for day activities and a few night dining excursions. I hope that those making the trip will stay through Sunday even if we lose early.

First off, I will list a few "don'ts" for Davidson fans:

-Don't eat at Hyman's Seafood. The restaurant has bought out every tour guide to get its name out there, but they won't publish this statistic. There are no returning diners, ever.

-Don't take a Ghost Tour. Although it might seem obvious, you won't actually see any ghosts on a ghost tour. Instead you spend gobs of money for a twilight walking tour with stupid stories.

-I wouldn't suggest going to Fort Sumter. It's a long process to get tickets, boat ride and all, and it's really just an island with a few walls on it. Go to the National Ft. Sumter Monument on Concord St. for a better feel of what happened for free.

-If you are staying downtown, don't drive. If you are staying at the Sheraton, drive in, park in a lot, and get out. You really can't see much driving, and there are no places to stop, get out for a look and move on. So commit to walking around a general area, then go someplace else.

And here are some good tips.

-Go to the Aquarium complex at Liberty Square off of Calhoun and E. Bay. There's the nice aquarium, Fort Sumter monument, IMAX theater, Food Court, and spectacular views of the harbor and new bridge all together.

-Check out the Wreck in the old village of Mt. Pleasant for great seafood, cheap dining, and a unique experience. The restaurant is literally the wreck of two shrimp boats that crashed into a storage locker in Hurricane Hugo. The tablecloths are made of paper and they don't take debit cards. This place is cool. Plus you can watch them take the shrimp off the boat, carry it to the kitchen, and have it on your plate before you know it. Beat that, Red Lobster!

-Make sure to check out the King St./Calhoun St. intersection. This is the heart of the College of Charleston, and I felt absolute bliss as I walked through there yesterday with my Davidson Wildcats shirt. They don't like being swept and they know this won't be the year where they win a Conference tournament in their own city. Plus, the shopping is good here too!

-Finally, here's a word of advice for first-time tournament goers. Davidson ticket-holders are able to get a seat in the two sections behind the Davidson bench. In order to get in here, you should come before the Elon game ends and wait out in the concourse. When they clear out the previous games' fans, it will be a mad rush for the best seats as they are general admission and no one wants to end up in the upper deck. If you are coming from downtown, take I-26 to I-526, then get off at the Coliseum exit. This will be a 15-20 minute drive, and leave time to park. If coming from the Sheraton, just travel one exit North and you are there. There will be Davidson tailgating going on in Lot C. Make sure to wear your red and cheer on the Cats.



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