S/O Roadtip Ideas - eHell Travel Guide

[norrina]

Roe's request for suggestions of things to do/places to go specifically in the southeastern United States got me to thinking that it MIT be cool if we had a thread where all of our eHellions could post suggestions for their hometown. An international eHell travel guide! I'm a little concerned that if the thread gets long enough it might start to be difficult to find suggestions for any one specific area, but I'm hopeful that a keyword search for a specific city/state/country/etc. within the thread could still be helpful.

I'll start. My list is long, because I just spent a significant amount of time compiling it in preparation for a one-week family reunion.

Things to do in Charleston, SC
(I haven't actually personally visited all of these suggestions, so if something turns out to be a bust, please don't hold me too accountable!)

History & Museums

• Charles Towne Landing. Has a 22 acre zoo of animals the settlers would have encountered, including bison and pumas. In W. Ashley area of Charleston, about 15 minutes from downtown. http://www.friendsofcharlestownelanding.org/visit-us
• Patriots Point Museum. Home of the USS Yorktown. In Mt. Pleasant, just over the Arthur Ravenel bridge from downtown. http://www.patriotspoint.org/
• Fort Sumter National Monument. Where the American Civil War began. Only accessible by ferry; you can come from downtown or from Mt. Pleasant. http://www.nps.gov/fosu/index.htm
• Fort Moultrie. Said to be the only area of the National Park System where the entire 171-year history of American seacoast defense (1776–1947) can be traced. This is on Sullivan's Island, about 20-30 minutes from downtown. http://www.nps.gov/fosu/historyculture/fort_moultrie.htm
• The North Charleston and American LaFrance Fire Museum & Educational Center. Fire vehicles and fire equipment from as early as the 1700s. In N. Charleston, about 20 minutes from downtown (right next to the Tanger Outlets). http://www.legacyofheroes.org/
• The Museum Mile, in downtown Charleston. Some museums that are part of the Mile are:
  Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon. http://oldexchange.org/
  Charleston Museum. Billed "America's First Museum". There are permanent exhibits of Charleston's history, and then other changing exhibits. Sometimes there are children's activities. http://www.charlestonmuseum.org/home
  Aiken-Rhett House &/or Nathanial Russell House. Both of these house museums are owned by the Historic Charleston Foundation. https://www.historiccharleston.org/Home.aspx
  Gibbes Museum of Art. https://www.historiccharleston.org/Home.aspx
  Children's Museum of the Lowcountry. http://explorecml.org/cml/

Plantations

• Drayton Hall Plantation. This claims to be America's oldest plantation house open to the public. In the W. Ashley area of Charleston, about 30 minutes from downtown. http://www.draytonhall.org/
• Magnolia Plantation. Claiming to be America's oldest public gardens. On the same road as Drayton Hall, a little over 1.5 miles further out of town. http://www.magnoliaplantation.com/
• Middleton Place Plantation. This claims to be home to America's Oldest Landscaped Gardens, 65 acres of them. It is in the same neighborhood as Drayton Hall and Magnolia Plantation, just under 6 miles further down the same road. https://www.middletonplace.org/
• Charleston Tea Plantation. Credit to SamiHami for the suggestion. America's only tea garden. On Wadmalaw Island, about 35 minutes from downtown. http://www.charlestonteaplantation.com/Default.aspx
  

Nature

• South Carolina Aquarium. Downtown. http://scaquarium.org/default.aspx
• Angel Oak. GIANT oak tree on John's Island, about 25 minutes from downtown. http://angeloaktree.com/
• Audubon Center. Come see the the largest virgin stand of Baldcypress/Tupelo Gum swamp forest in the world. I don't actually know what that is, but it sounds neat! It's about an hour out of town. http://charlestongateway.com/attractions/audubon-center-at-beidler-forest/
• Frances Marion National Forest. Nearly 259,000 acres of wilderness and wildlife, about an hour and a quarter out of town. http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/scnfs/home/?cid=FSBDEV3_037393
• Old Santee Canal Park. 195-acre park, with trails and canoe rentals, and an interpretive center explaining the history of the canal. Lots of children/family events. A little over 45 minutes from downtown. http://www.oldsanteecanalpark.org/portal/page/portal/OldSanteeCanalPark/About%20The%20Park

Experience the City (things to do downtown)

• Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. Has a 2.7 mile bike/pedestrian bridge going to/from downtown Charleston to Mt. Pleasant, especially beautiful for a sunset walk. http://www.cooperriverbridge.org/index.asp
• Battery Park/White Point Gardens. Beautiful for a stroll or a picnic. The surrounding neighborhoods are also lovely to explore. http://www.sciway.net/sc-photos/charleston-county/charleston-battery.html
• Charleston Waterfront Park. Just a little down the road from Battery Park, with walking trails, plaques of the city's history, and a pineapple fountain for splashing in. http://www.charlestoncity.info/dept/content.aspx?nid=211&cid=430
• Charleston City Market. It's supposed to be "steeped in history", it's really just touristy shopping. http://thecharlestoncitymarket.com/
• Charleston Water Taxi. Offers a few different tour options to choose from. http://www.charlestonwatertaxi.com/
• Rickshaw Ride. You can hail them downtown like a cab.
• Carriage Tours, some companies include:
  Palmetto Carriage. http://www.palmettocarriage.com/
  Classic Carriage Works. http://classiccarriage.com/
  Old South Carriage Co. http://www.oldsouthcarriagetours.com/
• Walking Tours, such as
  Charleston Strolls, a walking tour of areas where carriages and motor vehicles are not permitted. http://charlestonstrolls.com/our-tours/
  Old Walled City Tours, three options to choose from. http://www.walledcitytours.com/
  Charleston Pirate Tours, led by a pirate and his parrot, ARRR. https://charlestonpiratetour.com/
  Ghost Tours. Spooky! http://bulldogtours.com/ and http://www.tourcharleston.com/

Shopping

• Shopping on King. In downtown Charleston. Everything from high end clothing retailers to pizzarias to antique shops. Ends at the courthouse on Broad Street.
• Tanger Outlets. In North Charleston, about 20 minutes from downtown. Close to (if not more than) 80 shops to choose from. AAA and AARP member discounts. http://www.tangeroutlet.com/charleston

Misc.

• Firefly Vodka Factory. Credit to SamiHami for the suggestion. Vodka, vodka, and a little more vodka. 'Nuf said! On Wadmalaw Island, about 40-45 minutes from downtown. http://fireflyvodka.com/index.cfm#!/home.cfm
• Spoleto Festival. Credit to SamiHami for the suggestion. 17 days and nights of over 150 opera, classical music, jazz, dance, and theater performances. Held annually in late spring, the 2013 dates are May 24 - June 9. http://spoletousa.org/home/

[SamiHami]

And don't forget the two I mentioned in the other thread:

Charleston Tea Plantation
Firefly Vodka Factory

Also, depending upon time of year, there is the Spoleto Festival.

[norrina]

And don't forget the two I mentioned in the other thread:

Charleston Tea Plantation
Firefly Vodka Factory

Also, depending upon time of year, there is the Spoleto Festival.

Right! I updated my OP, to have all the Charleston stuff in one post for easiest reference, and credited the suggestions to you.

[SheltieMom]

I'm in Fort Worth, TX, and there are lots of things to do here.

The Fort Worth Stockyards, and the longhorn cattle drive.

Six Flags Over Texas--the original

Depending on the season, the Cowboys, Mavericks, Rangers, Stars, and my personal favorite, The Dallas Sidekicks (indoor soccer)

The Fort Worth Zoo is a must. It's rated one of the top 5 zoos in the country.

[Stanwyck]

Chicago is a great place to visit.

World-class museums (including but not limited to):
Field Museum (has "Sue" the most complete T Rex skeleton) Museum of Science and Industry (German U-Boat! coal mine!), Art Institute (2nd largest art museum in the US), Adler Planetarium (oldest planetarium in the US), Shedd Aquarium (beautiful location on the lake), Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago History Museum, Museum of Broadcast Communications...
The Field, Shedd and Planetarium are all part of the "Museum Campus" and are within walking distance of each other.

Navy Pier - a bit touristy, but has the Chicago Children's Museum and the Ferris Wheel.

The observatory on top of the Hancock building has a better view (IMHO) then the top of the Sears Willis Tower; but the latter has the ledges (glass boxes that extend out from the side of the building). The former has a nice but pricey lounge on the 95th floor.

Chicago has some of the best architecture in the country. Take one of the boat tours on the Chicago River, or head out to nearby Oak Park, home to Frank Lloyd Wright.

The parks are first rate.  Millennium Park on Michigan Avenue (right next door to the Art Institute) is home to the "Bean".  Look for the statue of Lincoln in Grant Park and the statue of Grant in Lincoln Park. Buckingham Fountain is also in Grant Park.

The two zoos are Lincoln Park Zoo (in Lincoln Park) and Brookfield in the suburbs.

State Street and Michigan Ave. are the main shopping districts.  We also have fantastic restaurants.

[readingchick]

Warsaw Indiana and surrounding areas:

*Warsaw Biblical Gardens

*First Fridays (this is a downtown thing)

*Central Park

*Village at Winona (quirky shops, unique places to eat, plus a walking trail to burn off the calories!)

*Mermaid Festival (mid-to-late June)

*Marshall County Blueberry Festival (Labor Day weekend in Plymouth)

*Old Jail Museum

*Shipshewana (this is two counties away; the flea market attracts quite a lot of people so the traffic situation can be a bear during those times)

*Fort Wayne (home of the Komets and TinCaps, also the Vera Bradley outlet sale, the Botanical Gardens, the Children's Zoo and the Casa restaurant chain)

[guihong]

Little Rock:

*The Visitor's Center itself is in one of the oldest homes in town (ca 1843). 

*Central High School Historical Site (the desegregation crisis).  Fantastic museum across the street from the (still operating) school.

* Clinton Museum and Library (worth checking out whether you liked him or not)

*Big Dam Bridge over the river; walk or bike

*A very good art museum and the MacArthur Museum of Military History within walking distance of one another (Douglas MacArthur was born there)

*Riverfront-lots of shops, eats and the Museum of Discovery

*Close to town are Indian mounds and a plantation museum

*Hot Springs and much recreation is 1-2 hours away . 

Writing it all out, it is a nice place to live!