Seasons and Festivals
Charleston is enjoyable year-round. The historic old city is best explored on foot, making the spring months, when the air is cooler and flowers of every variety are in full bloom, the loveliest and most comfortable time to visit. It is, however, peak tourist season and the most crowded time.

Most locals find March through October to be the best time to enjoy the myriad of outdoor activities - golfing, tennis, sport fishing, kayaking, hiking, swimming off the barrier island beaches. But, for those not acclimated to the area, the humidly hot summers may take some getting used to.

Pleasant weather and lovely settings - charming streetscapes, lovely gardens, landscaped lawns of former plantations, jewel-like historic venues - serve as a delightful backdrop for annual events enjoyed by everyone.

In cool January, Boone Hall Plantation in Mt. Pleasant celebrates the oyster harvest, with oysters served straight from steaming buckets, during the Low Country Oyster Festival. In February, the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, the largest collection of wildlife art anywhere, showcases the beauty of wildlife found in the surrounding woods, marshland, estuaries and ocean, through the work of sculptors, painters, photographers and carvers.

In March through late April, Charleston is painted in the brilliant color of the peak blooming season. It's a wonderful time to walk through historic neighborhoods and private gardens during the Festival of Houses & Gardens and the Garden Club of Charleston House & Garden Tours. For one weekend in mid-March, fine antiques and period furnishings are showcased at the Charleston International Antiques Show. In cool March, stroll leisurely through the great selection of regional art at the French Quarter Art Walk, taste the flavors of the region in the Distinctively Charleston Food & Wine Festival, drive up to Summerville for the glorious Flowertown Festival. Charleston's signature event, Spoleto Festival USA, held in delightful late May and early June is 17 joyous days of acclaimed productions of dramatic opera, soulful jazz, classical ballet, spirited contemporary dance, highly polished professional theatre, and fine chamber music. Featuring international talent, and held in remarkable venues throughout the city, the festival attracts a world-wide audience. The offerings are astounding.

The month-long Fall Tours of Homes & Gardens at the end of September, is a great time to see the gardens of Charleston dressed in full autumnal color. During the Candlelight Tour of Homes & Gardens, Charleston takes on an almost surreal glow. The MOJA Festival, also at the end of September, celebrates the region's rich African-American heritage with performances, tours, concerts and exhibits.

The senses are once again stimulated in October by the French Quarter Art Walk and The Taste of Charleston. Every Saturday in November, get a feel for life on a plantation on the Ashley River during Plantation Days at Middleton Place. In December, Charleston lights up elegantly, making a stroll through the historic city an even greater delight.

Population
The population of the historic old city of Charleston, lying between the Ashley and Cooper rivers, is limited by its containing geography. The 2007 population estimates for the "Peninsula," as it is commonly known, is 36,313.

Limited by geography, the City of Charleston's growth has been forced northward, off the Peninsula, and has a total population of 118,492. The population of the City of Charleston and the surrounding metro area, the "Trident Area," is just over 600,000.

Size
Charleston's 8 square-mile old city, the "Peninsula," is bound by the Ashley and Cooper rivers and is surrounded by salt marsh, estuaries, shallow creeks, oyster beds and the barrier islands of South Carolina's Lowcountry, along the Atlantic Ocean. The larger "Trident Area," encompassing Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties, is 104.31 square miles, and has interesting Lowcountry communities and sites to visit.

Transportation:
Remoteness, the very thing that has made Charleston unique, also places it somewhat "off-the-beaten" path, and it takes awhile to get there from I-95, South Carolina's main north/south thoroughfare.

• By car. Coming into the city by car, there are two choices. The scenic route, coming up from the south off I-95, is the Savannah Highway, or US Highway 17S. This drive is a fascinating one, through Beaufort and the saltmarshes and estuaries in the Lowcountry. The other, and faster, route is via I-26, straight into the city.

•By air. Several major carriers serve Charleston International Airport, located in North Charleston, 12 miles west of the historic city. The taxi fare into the city is about $25, excluding tip, and an airport shuttle service is available. Some hotels offer a shuttle service, and major rental car companies have airport facilities.

•Parking. There are public lots and garages throughout the city. Whether you are spending a few days, or are in for just a day, park your car and take in the sights of Charleston on foot. Use the car only to drive out into the hauntingly beautiful Lowcountry to see the plantation museums, visit fishing towns tucked in the marshes and along the estuaries, or to enjoy the barrier islands, with their lovely beaches, parks and golf-courses.

•Walking. In the small, compact historic city, walking is the best way to get around. And, it's made easy by the grid pattern layout of the streets. The main north-south streets are King, Meeting and East Bay. The primary east-west streets are Tradd, Broad, Queen, and Calhoun.

•Downtown Area Shuttle (DASH), the easily recognizable, green, turn-of-the-century trolley, travels throughout the historic city, providing a way to get around if you don't want to walk everywhere. Trolleys only stop at designated, signed trolley stops, and the $1.25 exact change fare can be purchased upon boarding. Transfers (25 cents), $4.00 All-Day passes and $10, 10-ride passes are available at the very helpful Visitor Reception & Transportation at 375 Meeting Street, located close to the Peninsula entrance off I-26. While there, pick up the very helpful, free The Map Guide - Charleston.

•Taxis. There is taxi service in town, but taxis are not permitted to pick up fares along the streets. They must be called for in advance.

Accommodations
Lodging establishments in the Charleston area are, in one word, delightful, and are very much a part of the total Charleston experience. Whether a luxurious hotel, a comfortable motel, or an intimate inn, all have a common denominator - a naturally gracious hospitality, the kind that makes you want to return, again and again. Who would not enjoy a pleasant greeting upon returning from a day of sightseeing, afternoon tea on the piazza, breakfast served in a private garden, turn-down service accompanied by chocolate and brandy.

Accommodation choices are many. Grand hotels have impressive lobbies and soaring atriums, anti-bellum d�cor and fine antiques. Comfortably consistent name-brand motels, some in the heart of the historic district, others along the Ashley River, provide pleasant and convenient stays. Quaint inns and intimate Bed & Breakfasts in historic homes with heirloom-filled rooms, hold fascinating stories and offer unparallel hospitality. Experience the sea islands in inns on the saltmarsh, shimmering gold in the glow of sunset, or in beachfront cottages along the dunes overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Enjoy the luxury of full service ocean-front resorts with challenging, picturesque golf courses designed by the world's best golf course designers.

Over four million visitors come to Charleston each year, for the sights, the culinary creativity, and for an immersion into the city's genteel hospitality, graciously delivered by the proprietors and staff of all the area accommodations. During the lovely spring months, Spoleto Festival, and holiday weekends, be sure to make reservations well in advance.