The river road , Hwy-61, leads west from Charleston along the Ashley River, past a series of magnificent plantations. Many can be visited, although in best Southern tradition, house tours tend to dwell on the furniture and dining habits of the slave masters rather than provide a sense of social history. Drayton Hall , closest to Charleston at 3380 Ashley River Rd (daily: March-Oct 9.30am-4pm; Nov-Feb 9.30am-3pm; $10; tel 843/769-2600), is a particularly fine Georgian mansion, looking much as it did in the mid-eighteenth century with its handcarved wood and plasterwork. The nearby Magnolia Plantation and Gardens , ten miles from downtown Charleston, is most notable for its stunning ornamental gardens, particularly in spring when the azaleas are blooming. Tram tours cover the entire grounds (grounds open daily 8am-dusk; last tickets at 5.30pm; $12; house tours daily 9.30am-4.30pm; $6; tram tours $5; tel 843/571-1266 or 1-800/367-3517) but require purchase of general admission ticket. The Audubon Swamp Garden (tel 1-800/367-3517), a preserved swamp, complete with alligators and lush flowers, has a self-guided walking tour ($5), which does not require the general admission charge. You can also rent bicycles and canoes to roam the area for $3 per three hours. Across the Ashley River, on Hwy-171, west of the Ashley River Bridge, Charles Towne Landing is a 663-acre state park (daily: summer 8am-6pm; rest of year 9am-5pm; $5, tram tour $1; tel 843/852-4200) with a natural habitat zoo, a living history settler's village and a replica of a seventeenth-century merchant ship, as well as hiking and biking trails and bike and kayak rentals.

East of Charleston, beaches such as Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island are heavily used by locals at weekends. The further you get from town, the more likely you are to find a stretch to yourself. The Isle of Palms bus (#8) from Charleston's Market Street, runs to both Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island. If you want to stay, there are plenty of motels and eating places, and the odd decent bar, such as the Windjammer , 1000 Ocean Blvd, Isle of Palms (tel 843/886-8596), open until 2am with live rock at weekends; Bert's Island , 2209 Middle St, Sullivan's Island (tel 843/883-3924), is similar.

Around Charleston

• Around Charleston

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