2009 National Conference

Leisure Activities and Tours

Classic Charleston Walking Tour
Enjoy a walking tour of Charleston’s magnificent Historic District; begin it with your own private guide. On a walking tour of Charleston you could visit St. Michael’s, circa 1752, and many other historic landmarks and exquisite gardens; the restored Nathaniel Russell House, a superb example of Adams architecture, well known for its spiral staircase, which is unsupported from floor-to-floor; or the Edmondston-Alston house at 21 East Battery, a period piece of great significance with elaborate and unconventional woodwork (it is one of the only homes still containing 90% of its original furnishings).

Walking Tour Only

• Rate: $26.00+ per person (based on a 10-person minimum)
• Tour length: 2 hours

Tour with One Museum House

• Rate: $38.00+ per person (based on 10-person minimum)
• Tour length: 2.5 hours

Tour with Two Museum House

• Rate: $47.00+ per person (based on 10-person minimum)
• Tour length: 3 hours

Citadel Military College and Patriot’s Point Maritime Museum
As the world’s largest naval museum, this guided tour at Patriot’s Point Maritime Museum features aircraft missiles, guns and mines. The tour also has the Aircraft Carrier “Yorktown,” the Destroyer “Laffey,” the DD-459 Submarine “Clamagore,”
the Coast Guard Cutter “Ingham,” and the River Patrol Boat used in South Vietnam.

• Tour Length: 4 hours
• Rate: $25.00+ per person (based on a 12-person minimum)

Private guided tours are also available at $80.00 per hour with a 4-hour minimum. There is also round-trip transportation for $18.00 per person.

Charleston Carriage Tour
What could be more authentic and wonderful than a private tour of Charleston’s Historic District in a horse-drawn carriage? During your carriage tour you may see any number of the “Port City’s” major landmarks – the Battery, White Point Gardens, Rainbow Row and Charleston’s oldest church, St. Michael’s (circa 1752). During the carriage ride your guide will regale you with Charleston folklore and “insiders’” stories.

• Tour Length: 1 hour
• Rate: $19.00+ per person (based on an 10-person minimum)

The carriage tours will depart from and return to The Charleston Place.

Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens
Arrive at Boone Hall and enjoy a tour of the grounds and outbuildings. Boone Hall Plantation is famous for its picturesque Avenue of Oaks, planted in 1743. This majestic corridor of the Black Oaks is more than three-quarters of a mile long and is one of the primary reasons Boone Hall is known as “America’s Most Photographed Plantation.” Boone Hall is the location chose for filming many well known war-era films, such as “Gone with the Wind,” “Love and War,” “North and South,” and the mini-series “Queen.” Many of the buildings at Boone Hall Plantation are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

• Tour Length: 3 hours
• Rate: $21.00+ per person (based on a 10-person minimum)

Private guided tours are also available at $80.00 per hour. There is also round-trip transportation for $30.00 per person.

Fort Sumter Tour
Arrive at Liberty Square and board a Fort Sumter tour boat. It will take you to historic Fort Sumter in the center of Charleston Harbor, where the Civil War began. The Fort is a National Monument maintained by the National Park Services. Located in Charleston’s Harbor, it is only accessible by boat. Fort Sumter features an excellent museum containing priceless Civil War exhibits.

The 2-hour and 15-minute tour consists of approximately 1 hour at Fort Sumter, then a 1 hour and 15 minutes cruise around Charleston's historic harbor. During the harbor cruise portion of your tour, you’ll enjoy the panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean and entrance to Charleston Harbor, where Charlestonians are fond of saying, “The Ashley and the Cooper Rivers meet to give birth to the Atlantic Ocean.”

• Tour Length: 3 hours
• Rate: $25.00+ per person (based on a 12-person minimum departing from Liberty Square)

Private guided tours are also available at $80.00 per guide with a 3-hour minimum. There is also round-trip transportation for $18.00 per person.

Kayaking in the Estuaries
Paddle the winding saltwater creeks and uninhabited marsh islands of Coastal South Carolina. A safe, comfortable sea kayak provides you with a tranquil view of pelicans, egrets and dolphins, as well as a variety of plants and wildlife.

You can enjoy gliding effortlessly through backwater creeks or bays, or experience a challenging harbor crossing. Your locally trained guide is an expert paddler with a vast knowledge of the environment and the historical heritage of the barrier islands. Escape for an exhilarating day on the water. All that’s required of you is a sense of adventure!

What Should I Wear?
Be sure you wear shoes that can get wet and a head cover. You may want to bring a pair of shorts to change into for the ride back home if you wish. Tandem (double) kayaks are available upon request at registration. Height and weight will be needed at registration to match up the correct kayak to each person.

What Should I Bring?
We recommend that you bring a camera with ample film, sunscreen and sunglasses. A drawstring bag will be supplied to keep the items that you would like to keep from getting wet, as well as a towel.

Half-day Tour

• Tour length: 3 hours
• Rate: $89.00 per person

Three-quarters day Tour

• Tour length: 4 hours
• Rate: $99.00 per person

Full-day Tour

• Tour length: 6 hours
• Rate: $130.00 per person

All rates include boat, guide and safety gear. There is also round-trip transportation for $18.00+ per person.

Charleston’s Regatta
Not for the faint of heart! Your guests will split into 2 or more teams (no more than 6 people per boat) and be instructed by a captain, who will assign duties to each member of the crew. An official team boat, possibly matching jerseys, a team name, prizes at hand and, the race is ready to get underway!

The regatta committee has carefully designed an exciting, but educational and motivational racecourse around the harbor of Charleston. Working together, individuals will work with their captains toward one goal - winning the treasured Charleston Cup. Guests participate in every aspect from steering the boat to working the sails and lines to navigating or simply cheering on your team.

• Tour length: 3 hours
• Rate: $205.00+ per person (includes custom t-shirt for each person)

There is also round-trip transportation for $18.00+ per person.

Note: All rates listed above are subject to change.