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Private tour in Charleston Leigh H
The French Santee: Cradle of Charleston's Antebellum Society - Full Day Tour
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6 hours
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6 hours
1
Leigh H.
5.0
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2
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A native South Carolinian, I have been an avid student of Charleston history since I first visited the city on a Brownie Scout field trip. I graduated from the College of Charleston before earning an MA degree in journalism from the University of South Carolina. I have been a licensed city tour guide for more than 30 years and am a member of the Charleston Tour Association's Palmetto Guild. While I always enjoy taking my guests through the city's Old & Historic District, I can also take you beyond the usual tourist sites to explore the historic places and beautiful vistas of the Carolina Lowcountry, rarely seen places where stories of our nation's founding and the antebellum South unfold. I offer a unique experience designed for those seeking a deeper understanding of Charleston's history, as well as those who have visited Charleston before and want to experience something new and different. I have authored three published books about Charleston and have lectured extensively on Charleston history. I also serve as the biweekly history columnist for the Charleston Post & Courier and created/appear periodically on Lowcountry Live's “I Love the Lowcountry” series (WCIV-TV4). As Director of Communications and Public Programs at Historic Charleston Foundation, I directed the city’s annual spring house and garden tours for 13 years. While there, I was tapped by the Mayor’s Office to serve as co-editor of the city’s official history and tour guide training manual, released in 2011, and am currently helping to produce its second edition. I can curate virtually any tour specifically for you, tailored to your interests and time constraints. I can also provide transportation and am happy to cater to those who need to walk at a leisurely pace with places to sit along the way.
Have a question or want to customize this tour? Message Leigh H.
Especially good for those who've already toured Charleston's Old & Historic District.
Overview of your Charleston tour
This tour is designed for those who want to go beyond a usual tour experience and discover rarely seen places where stories of Charleston's antebellum plantation society unfold. Driving 38 miles into the heart of the Francis Marion National Forest, I'll take you to a sacred site that tells the 4,000-year-old history of those who lived here first. We'll also enjoy an authentic Lowcountry lunch in a fishing village time nearly forgot before it was devastated by a Category 4 hurricane. In addition to this, we'll visit an alluring plantation house where bold women hid Revolutionary War Patriots, and where the Horry/Rutlege family amassed a fortune through enslaved labor. We'll be following the dirt path travelled by George Washington in 1791. Archibald Rutledge once wrote: "Nowhere else in the world has nature been kinder to her children than in the region where the great plantations were formed out of the wilderness of the Lowcountry". By the time we return, I hope you'll agree.
Your Charleston tour itinerary
I am happy to adapt this itinerary to your preferences. That being said, the standard itinerary of this tour would include: -The ancient Sewee Shell Ring, a site that dates back perhaps 4,000 years. -The tiny fishing village of McClellanville, seemingly frozen in time until the violent Hurricane Hugo (1989). -Hampton Plantation, c. 1741 which was the seat of the Horry/Pinckney/Rutledge families. -St. James Santee Parish Church, c. 1768,which is a house of worship so architecturally beautiful that George Washington was awed by its simple grace and symmetry. Depending on your interests and the time you'd like to spend on each place, we could add or swap any aforementioned sites to cover one of these sites: ·The Pitt Street Bridge ·Christ Church, c. 1726 ·The Center for Birds of Prey ·Tibwin Plantation, c. 1803
Want to customize this tour?
Tell your guide which places matter to you, skip what doesn't, and tailor the experience for your group's needs. Not finding what you want? Message your guide to build something unique.
Transport details
Type: Private Transportation / Category: Van
Depending on the size of our group, we will drive up in either a Ford Econoline Van which can seat up to 14 guests or a 2021 Toyota Tacoma for two or three guests.
What's included
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Meeting location
Charleston, South Carolina, United States
I will pick you at your hotel or a place that is convenient for you.
- You can request a different meeting location (for example, your hotel) during the checkout process.
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6 hours
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6 hours
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Book with a deposit
If your tour is valued over $200 USD and booked at least 45 days before the tour date, you can book with a deposit!
How it works
- Your credit card will be authorized only for the deposit amount.
- Funds will not be withdrawn until your tour booking is fully processed.
- 30 days before your tour date, the remaining balance is automatically charged.