A year or so ago I posted this question on Facebook,”What is your favorite Charleston restaurant.” A wide variety of friends chimed in with their favorites.
Like everything else, if you ask 5 different people this question you will get 5 different answers. To get the conversation started here I’ll list some of our favorite places to visit when we are in town.
Marina Variety Store Restaurant This restaurant is near the campus, right on Lockwood Blvd. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They have a terrific menu, and is right on the river at the Charleston Marina. Great food at a good price and it is a casual restaurant. We eat here for Sunday brunch before driving home.
The Wreck Right on the river off of Shem creek. Extremely casual, with paper table clothes and plastic utensils. The food is off the boat fresh. Check their operating hours and get there right when they open.
Virginia’s On King – Not far from Marion Square, Very good Southern cooking.
Jestine”s Kitchen – a traditional spot for tourists to visit. The food is good, but expect a wait.
Charleston Crab House on James Island – Great location with none of the parking hassles of downtown Charleston. The food is consistently good. We went here with 30 people on Ring Weekend.
Tommy Condon’s– A Irish pub with good food and atmosphere.
Sticky Fingers – A great place for barbecue and wings. Several locations.
Melvin’s – Not too far from campus terrific barbecue.
West Ashley Crab Shack – across the river from The Citadel campus. We’ve never had to wait for a table and have enjoyed all the meals we’ve eaten here. A good place to go for seafood without the parking hassle and crowds of in town.
Hominy Grill – An award-winning restaurant. We ate brunch here the Friday of Ring Weekend. The restaurant is close to campus.
Ye Old Fashioned Ice Cream & Sandwich Cafe – We stop at the location just over the bridge from The Citadel once each visit. The ice cream is great, but the sandwiches and salads are too.
Poe’s Tavern On Sullivan’s Island. A great pub with terrific burgers and sandwiches.
For a good listing of Charleston area restaurants visit the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau “Where to Dine” web site. A number of websites give reviews on area restaurant’s. Fodor’s is just one I check.
Please leave your tips in the comment section of this entry.
My son’s knob year I looked at hotels.com to find an affordable hotel in the Charleston area for Matriculation Day and Parents Weekend. I had never been to Charleston and didn’t know the area. We were budget conscious, but at the same time we didn’t want to stay in a bad area of town. The first few visits we stayed at properties that were a little higher in price, but were also well-known chains.
The Cadre of Bravo Company lead push ups during the promotions ceremony Parents Weekend, 2009.
After talking with other parents on our visits I picked up a few tips. If I had this information earlier we could have saved a good bit of money. Learning this one tip took me from the decent AAA discounts to the DEEP discounts I enjoyed for the final 3 years.
Sunset over the Ashley River as seen from the Best Western Downtown Charleston balcony.
A very industrious hotel general manager found our Facebook group for Georgia Parents several years ago and offered us a special rate at the Hawthorn Suites, a great property about 7 miles from campus that offers a 2 room suite with kitchen facilities, an indoor pool, and a full breakfast in the lobby each morning. They still offer discounts to all Citadel families if you call the hotel directly in advance and rooms are available.
Every hotel I’ve stayed in: the Embassy Suites in North Charleston, Best Western Charleston Downtown, SpringHill Suites Charleston, LaQuinta Inn & Suites Charleston Riverview, and the Courtyard Charleston Marriott, and the Hampton Inn & Suites Charleston/West Ashley, have laundry facilities for your cadet to use while off campus visiting with you. Be sure to have plenty of quarters and your own detergent.
Recognition Day, April 2008. Embassy Suites-Historic Charleston in the background.
A few families with RV’s have found camp grounds in the area they like to frequent. A number of families like to rent homes or condos by the beach when they visit. VRBO.com is a good place to start to find a rental property.
If you have tips, or a favorite hotel or rental company you like to through, please leave a note in the comments section of this entry.
(unless of course you want to keep your special place a secret)
Bravo Company, 2011 Seniors show off their rings. photo by Stanley Leary
In one week my oldest son will graduate from Armor Basic Officer Leader Course (BLOC) at Fort Benning, GA. In two weeks families from around the country will arrive in Charleston, SC for Parents’ Weekend at The Citadel. This is the first time in four years we will not be in Charleston and it feels really strange.
I was going through photos from last year and thought of a few things I learned about parents Weekend that I should pass along.
For the families of seniors this weekend is all about the Ring. The afternoon presentation is in McAlister Field house. The Cadet Activities office does a great job of posting information in advance. You’ll see people in all types of dress. The senior cadets will be in their most formal uniform. We decided to wear nice clothes for the presentation.
One little tip for the mothers of cadets. . . if you would like the “Mother’s Ring” or a pendant consider buying it for yourself. Some cadets will order them on their own, but not many do. Parents of underclass cadets – the ring is ordered in their junior year. The payment is due early their senior year. The price varies with the gold prices and it can be close to $1,000.
After the seniors go into the field house the rest of the Corps of Cadets and their families can participate in the academic open house and the address by the president, or just leave campus. Of course you always need to check with your cadet. Depending on their rank and company they may have certain duties to perform.
The RIng Ceremony. A photo is taken when you go through the ring then half way down the carpet. I didn’t look the right way. You will hear a voice through the flower arrangement telling you to look to your right. photo by Stanley Leary
Friday night is the night the senior cadets walk through the replica of the Ring with their mother, date and /or family member. The cadet activities office posts the schedule of when each company is assigned to go through the ring. You need to be at the field house 15 minutes prior to the posted time. If you have an early time you can plan on dinner after you go through the ring. Our time was after 8:00 so a group of Bravo families went to dinner prior to going through the ring. Our cadets didn’t plan ahead. One of the moms’s called around Wednesday night to find a place that would take our group of 30 a the last-minute. Some companies have a tradition of having dinner together at a hotel. The school arranges to have a photographer at the presentation and also at he Hop afterwards. Do not be upset if your senior wants to spend most of their time with their buddies. They have waited three years to earn the right to wear that band of gold.
Bravo Company flag. Parents’ Weekend 2010
Saturday morning is a crazy busy time. Schedules vary but in general you can go to the barracks and see your cadet and their room. . Parents’ Weekend is the first time of the school year when they have Open Barracks, a time when family, friends and alumni can enter the barracks and visit rooms. The knobs prepare for this day weeks in advance. They put a lot of time into painting a banner to be displayed from the 4th division (4th floor) of the barracks. If you wondered where their sheets went to, take a close look at the banner. Seriously, the banner and the various bulletin boards are a big deal. Each floor has a different bulletin board. The cadets take great pride in their designs each year. Make sure to notice them.
You can hear the Regimental Band concert of Summerall Field, watch the Kelly Cup competition and see the Rifle Legion Performance Saturday morning too. At 10:00 parents of knobs will want to be in the battalion to watch the promotion ceremony for the knobs. They are promoted from cadet recruits to cadet privates. The Citadel Heroes volunteers will man a table where you can sign cards for deployed cadets and recent graduates.
After the promotion ceremony the cadets get ready for the parade. First year parents will soon learn to stake out their spot in the stands early or bring their own chairs.
There is very little time between the parade and when the cadets have to get ready to march to the football stadium. You can pack your own lunch, eat in Coward Mess Hall or purchase a box lunch through cadet activities. We ate in the mess hall the first year then brought our own lunch after the first year. I’ve learned that if you ask 5 different people their opinion of what to do for lunch that day you will get 5 different answers. Do what your cadet would like to do.
It is fun to watch the cadets march to the stadium. Once you get to your seats you can watch the cadets line the field to cheer on the team. The cadets all sit together. We found sitting across the field from the cadet section was our favorite spot. You are out of the sun. The Summerall Guards perform at half-time.
(NOTE the following paragraph about group tickets is not valid for 2012 tickets. There are no group rates for parent’s Weekend and Homecoming in 2012)
A good friend of mine purchased a block of tickets at a discount then made them available to friends. The normal $30 ticket at the group rate was only $6 each. My son’s senior year we had over 200 people in our section. I had to pay for the tickets but everyone sent me their checks and a self-addressed stamped envelope. To do this you need to plan in advance. I purchased the tickets Matriculation Weekend at the ticket office and had the pick of the best seating. Posting a notice to the parent Facebook groups is a quick way to get the word out about ticket availability.
Once the game is over the cadets are free to join their family and friends. We were fortunate to have a group of friends to tailgate with each fall. Most knobs want to get good food and sleep before returning to the barracks around 11:30 pm. There is a silent procession of cars that drive around the parade field the hour before their curfew. It reminded me of the final scene from the movie “Field of Dreams,” when all you can see are a stream of headlights.
Sunday morning after chapel or ethics seminar the knobs can go off campus until about 6:00 or 7:00.
Just remember the weekend will fly by. You’ll do a lot of walking so wear comfortable shoes. Parking is always tight these big weekends so getting to campus early Saturday is a good idea.
The 2011 Summerall Guards perform at half time of the game on parents’ Weekend.
Miscellaneous tips and info:
Dress: Be sure to check the weather reports. The past 4 years the weather was mostly very warm and sunny. Summer weight clothes are best. You’ll see a variety of outfits, mostly casual. Comfortable shoes are best since you do a good bit of walking. It did rain one year. Umbrellas are not allowed in the stadium. A rain poncho is best.
Hotels: Most hotels will offer a special rate for Citadel families. Call the hotel directly and ask if they offer a Citadel family rate. The hotels closest to the school book very quickly. Marriott, Best Western, LaQuinta and SpringHill Suites, Marriott Courtyard are all very close. The Hawthorn Suites Hotel is near The Citadel Mall and about 7 miles away they offer a very low rate for a suite room. Please feel free to leave your hotel recommendations in the comment section.
Restaurants:
Charleston is known for it’s great restaurants. Reservations are suggested for most fine dining restaurants. You can find some wonderful places all around the area. The places farther from downtown are easier to get into and the prices can be lower too. Feel free to leave a comment below with your favorite restaurant tips.
As a little background, I thought it might be helpful to post links to the entries I’ve written for Off the Base, a blog by Bobbie O’Brien of WUSF. Most of my entries for Off the Base have to do with being the mom of a cadet at The Citadel. Future entries on this blog will be on a variety of topics.
A year or so ago I posted this question on Facebook,”What is your favorite Charleston restaurant.” A wide variety of friends chimed in with their favorites.
