Charleston Plantations

charleston plantationNo visit to Charleston, South Carolina, is complete without a stop at one of the area’s striking historical plantations. These immaculately preserved sites allow visitors to take a step back in time and soak up the atmosphere of the Old South.

Next time you’re in town to visit the Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction, we recommend stopping by one of these three beauties.

Middleton Place

No matter what time of year you visit Middleton Place, you’ll find 65 acres of stunning gardens in bloom. A National Historic Landmark, Middleton Place offers a glimpse into the plantation life that dominated pre-Civil War South Carolina.

Visitors of all tastes will find something to love at Middleton Place, which includes extensive landscaped gardens, a preserved plantation mansion, and rejuvenated stable yards, where actors perform the tasks that African slaves would have done in the 18th century.

Plan your trip to Middleton Place!

Boone Hall Plantation

Famous for the double line of oak trees (planted in 1743!) that line its driveway, Boone Hall Plantation provides educational tours as well as an opportunity to participate first-hand in plantation life. For 320 years, Boone Hall has been a living, producing plantation.

In the 1800s, Boone Hall produced cotton and pecans, but today its crops include strawberries, pumpkins, tomatoes, and other fruits and vegetables. Visitors can pick their own harvests in special fields after learning about the life of those who lived in the Boone Hall house and on the plantation hundreds of years ago.

Plan your visit to Boone Hall!

Magnolia Plantation

Home of the oldest public gardens in the United States, Magnolia Plantation opened its doors to the public in 1870, nearly 200 years after its founding in 1676. In 2010, Magnolia Plantation won a prestigious Heritage Tourism Award for its efforts at interpretively recreating and presenting slave cabins to visitors.

Visitors can enjoy boat tours, a petting zoo, tours of the gardens and house, and a leisurely stop at the plantation’s Peacock Café. The self-guided walking tour of the Swamp Garden is especially popular among tourists, and is open 365 days per year.

Plan your trip to Magnolia Plantation!

 

 

The Best Tours of Charleston

Charleston ToursCharleston, South Carolina, is commonly cited as one of the nation’s most historical cities. Many of our patients who come for breast reconstruction surgery stay long enough to enjoy the eclectic sights Charleston has to offer.

The next time you’re in town, consider making time to visit one of these excellent Charleston tours.

Historic Charleston Tour

Founded in 1670, Charleston boasts more than three centuries of fascinating history. Join the historic tour to learn about Charleston’s role in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, as well as the natural disasters that the city has withstood through the years. Your licensed tour guide will draw your attention to more than 100 points of interest. Hotel pick-up and drop-off service may be available.

Old Charleston Walking Ghost Tour

Keep your mind sharp and your body healthy with a walking tour of Charleston’s most haunted places. Tour guide Mike Brown offers more than a decade’s worth of research about the city’s spookiest alleys, graveyards, and other locations. Offered at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. daily, these tours are sure to get your heart thumping and can act as either a main attraction or the opening for an exciting night on the town.

Historic Harbor Boat Tour of Charleston

Relax aboard a boat for a nonstop tour from the water. During your 90-minute sea adventure, you’ll learn about the historically significant Charleston Harbor and get to view three major forts (Moultrie, Sumter, and Johnson). The tour also includes views of Charleston’s best-known landmarks, including St. Michael’s Episcopal Church. If you keep your eyes on the water, you may even spot dolphins, pelicans, or other Low Country sea life.

Gone with the Wind City & Mansion Tour

Relive the beauty and drama of Margaret Mitchell’s iconic novel on Charleston’s Gone with the Wind City & Mansion Tour. You’ll see the French Quarter, the Market, Old Citadel, and the Rainbow Row of homes in pastel colors. The tour concludes inside the historic Manigault House, complete with antique furniture and architecture.

 

Top 5 Yoga Studios in Charleston

charleston yogaYoga is one of the most effective ways to develop a mind-body connection and improve health and flexibility. Following are five of the top yoga studios in the Charleston area.

Charleston Power Yoga: www.charlestonpoweryoga.com

A Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga affiliate studio, Charleston Power Yoga promises to provide a “challenging, dynamic combination of strength, sweat, and flexibility sure to push you to your edge, yet accessible to all body types.”

In addition to an amazing yoga experience, Charleston Power Yoga offers a unique boutique with One of a Kind Yoga Bags from The Rose Knot and handmade jewelry from yogi Stella Maris. Yoga gear includes Manduka mats and Yogitoes.

Bikram Yoga Charleston: www.bikramcharleston.com

With two locations in downtown Charleston and Mt. Pleasant, Bikram Yoga offers hot yoga for all levels and abilities. Bikram yoga consists of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises and works every muscle in your body.

Many clients say they feel more positive and have strengthened their bodies and calmed their minds. Others say yoga has helped them lost weight and change their spirit and soul. Between the two studios, over 50 classes a week are available.

Daniel Island Yoga: www.danielislandyoga.com

Diane Zalka’s YogaFit® and Sadhana Yoga Chi holistic style flow in her sessions, which according to the website “strive to create holistic balance, personal growth, and harmony by focusing on flexibility, strength, balance, breath, body awareness, alignment, relaxation, healing the body, calming the mind, and lifting the spirit.”

Zalka, a retired teacher and Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher, believes yoga is for everyone and offers a range of classes at Pierce Park Pavilion, Daniel Island Park Club, and The Field House. Sessions include YogaFit for Kids, Sunrise Yoga, and Restorative Therapeutic Yoga.

Holy Cow Yoga and Artistic Center: www.holycowyoga.com

Holy Cow Yoga has been a fixture in the Charleston area for 12 years and offers a variety of yoga classes including Vinyasa flow, gentle-restorative, yin, children’s, and prenatal. These classes range from challenging to relaxing, and the environment is supportive and dynamic.

Workshops offered include Hip Helper with Steven Willard, Meditation Immersion with Trace Sahaja Bonner, Yoga and the Pelvic Floor with Leslie Howard, and Food for Life with Ayla Sarnoff. Holy Cow Yoga’s Om Store features organic yoga clothes, Kulae eco mats, and eye pillows.

Serenity Now Yoga: www.serenitynowyoga.net

Located near Mt. Pleasant, Sullivan’s Island, Isle of Palms, and downtown Charleston, Serenity Now Yoga focuses on not only yoga, but also offers free meditation instruction and special workshops and events. Their philosophy is that yoga should be accessible to anyone, no matter the fitness level or the age, and their mission is to serve all students who wish to develop a yoga practice.

The instructors at Serenity Now recognize the spiritual component of yoga and are careful to respect that everyone has a different spiritual path. While every session includes the traditional aspects of yoga such as yama, niyama, and pranayama, every instructor leaves room for students to include them in their practice as they wish.

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Visiting Charleston? Here’s What You Should Do: Part I

Charleston vacationWhether you’re a Charleston resident, visiting Charleston for some rest and relaxation, or coming to Charleston to visit The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction, there are tons of wonderful activities to take part in, no matter your special interests.

Here is our list of top 10 things to do and see while visiting Charleston, SC:

1. The Aquarium: For all ages, the South Carolina Aquarium is an aquatic wonderland! Filled with exotic species and local creatures alike, the Aquarium offers visitors the opportunity to view a nice assortment of some of the world’s most enchanting animals. One of our favorite features of the South Carolina Aquarium is their Sea Turtle Hospital, where they house injured sea turtles and rehabilitate them before releasing them back into their natural habitat. We also love the river otter and albino alligator exhibits.

2. Ghost Tours: For a little spook, embark on an exciting ghost tour around downtown Charleston to get a feel for why Charleston is known as a haunted city. Some of the ghost tours include dungeon, graveyard, and old jail tours.

3. Wine Strolls at Middleton Plantation: Every Wednesday, up until November 16, Middleton Plantation hosts an exciting Wine Stroll where visitors can delight in tasting a broad selection of wines and stroll through the plantation’s pristine gardens. Tickets are $15 per adult and are a bargain, in our minds!

4. Relaxing on the Beach: From Folly Beach to Isle of Palms, there is a nice selection of beaches to find pure bliss on. Each beach has its own ambiance and nearby attractions, which makes Charleston perfect for all travelers. No matter which beach you choose to visit, you can’t go wrong!

5. Downtown Dining: When it comes to downtown dining, there are dozens upon dozens of options to choose from. It’s impossible to pick one as your favorite. But, some of our absolute favorites include: Cru Café, Hominy Grill, Carolina’s, Peninsula Grill, Fleet Landing, Mercato, Rue de Jean, and the list goes on and on! There are lots of options when it comes to pricing, as well. Restaurants range everywhere, from fine dining to casual eateries.

Stay tuned for Part II of this post where we share five more of our favorite things to do while visiting Charleston.