Okay so last Tuesday I was totally stressing about this South Carolina trip planning, right? Wanted to visit historic towns but had NO clue where to start. Just kept staring at maps feeling overwhelmed. Figured I’d share how I finally cracked this nut step by step.
Step 1: The Brain Dump Stage
Grabbed my notebook and wrote down EVERY historic town in South Carolina I’d ever heard about. Charleston, Beaufort, Georgetown, Camden – just dumped ’em all on paper like spaghetti on the wall. Felt messy but got it out of my head at least.
Step 2: The “Reality Check” Filter
Realized I only had three days total. Went through my messy list asking:
- Can I actually drive there from Charleston airport without spending whole day in car?
- Do they have walkable historic districts or just one random building?
- Is there actually stuff to DO besides look at old houses?
Kicked out like half the list right there. Sorry Walterboro – maybe next time.
Step 3: The “Vibe Check” Phase
Called my friend who used to live there. Asked: “Which places actually feel frozen in time versus just having tourist traps?” That’s how I learned Beaufort has legit cannonballs stuck in walls from Civil War. Cool factor upgraded!
Step 4: The Practical Shuffle
Laid out map on kitchen table with sticky notes. Arranged towns by location instead of just coolness. Realized Georgetown was perfect stop between Charleston and Myrtle Beach. Made driving route actually make sense instead of zigzagging everywhere like crazy person.
Final Choices & Why
- Charleston: Duh. Whole dang city’s basically a museum.
- Beaufort: Waterfront Spanish moss vibe plus actual history that isn’t just plaques.
- Georgetown: Tiny but perfect pitstop with legit 300-year-old homes and waterfront shrimp shacks.
Took notes in Google Keep as I went – saved so much headache having everything in one place instead of 15 browser tabs crashing my laptop.
Biggest lesson? Pick three towns max for a long weekend unless you want permanent back pain from car seats. Also pack comfy shoes because holy cobblestones Batman. Now where’d I put my sunscreen…
