Flight
We recommend flying into Charleston International Airport, which is a quick 20 minute drive to downtown! From the airport, you can rent a car or get an Uber/Lyft to your destination. If you are staying downtown, you can easily get around on foot, bike or use rideshare. Outside of downtown, public transportation is very limited so you'll want to drive or use a rideshare to get around.
Travel Note
Early May is a great time to be in Charleston. We recommend making your arrangements as soon as possible for the best rates and availability! Keep in mind Charleston is a popular tourist destination and hotel, AirBnB/VRBO options fill quickly! We recommend staying Downtown, West Ashley, Park Circle/North Charleston, Mount Pleasant or James Island if possible! It is an easy 10-15min Uber to get to the venue and explore downtown. The Islands (Folly, Sullivans and Isle of Palms) are beautiful if you don’t mind a longer commute (25-35mins) but it can be harder and more expensive to get an Uber/Lyft there, especially late at night. You really cannot go wrong and the options are endless outside of the few recommendations offered. If you have questions about where to stay please don't hesitate to reach out! In West Ashley: ● AirBnB/VRBO for vacation rentals. Avondale is our favorite part of town as it’s more walkable and 10 minutes from downtown. Most places east of hwy 526 will be about 15 minutes from downtown. ● Hotels: There is a cluster of hotels in West Ashley that is right by the harbor and downtown! There is a Holiday Inn, Springhill Suites, La Quinta, Residence Inn, Cambria Hotel, and Town and Country. North Charleston ● AirBnB/VRBO for vacation rentals. Park Circle is our favorite part of North Charleston- very walkable, artsy area of town ~20 minutes from the venue. There are no hotels in park circle but there are plenty of rentals. Downtown Charleston: ● There are lots of AirBnBs and hotels downtown (Courtyard by Marriott, Emeline, Lindy Renaissance, The Mills House, The Dewberry, Restoration Charleston), but this will most likely be the most expensive lodging option. In Mount Pleasant: ● AirBnB/VRBO for vacation rentals. Bayview neighborhood, areas around Shem creek and the old village neighborhood are our favorite places to stay in Mount Pleasant. ● Hotels: Embassy Suites by Hilton: Charleston Harbor, Hotel Indigo, Post House Inn
Travel Note
GET OUTSIDE ●Bike Rentals: Bilda Bike, The Bicycle Shoppe, Lime Bikes ●Gardens & Parks: Hampton Park, Waterfront Park, White Point Gardens, Pitt Street Bridge ●Charleston Farmer's Market: Saturday morning in Marion Square ●Kayak & Paddleboard Rentals: Coastal Expeditions ●Walk the Ravenel Bridge Downtown: ● Walk! You can park at the Battery for free otherwise, there are parking garages and street parking all around downtown. Here are some popular areas: ● King Street (for shopping) ● The Battery ● The French Quarter ● Rainbow Row ● Waterfront Park ● "The Market" on Market Street ● Colonial Lake ● Museums: International African American Museum, Gibbs Art Other ideas: ● Fort Sumter (this includes a boat ride and is a bit of a commitment) ● Walking/Carriage tour of downtown to learn some history and see a lot without having to walk ● South Carolina Aquarium is great for kids! ● Sarah’s favorite local shop is Indigo Home- right by waterfront park. excellent card selection, kids section and local artists and goods! definitely worth a visit! While there, check out Sarah’s favorite art gallery- Robert Lange Studios- Sarah’s favorite artist, Nathan Durfee, paints whimsical people and creatures. The gallery is lovely, with a piano and swing inside to enjoy. On James Island: ● Live music at the Pour House. On Sundays they have a great outdoor yoga class (9:30-10:30 $10, get there early for parking) and Farmers Market (11-2ish). The venue is filled with art by local artists, and has a delicious food truck (Malika Canteen). ● McLeod Plantation. While Magnolia and Middleton plantation have more stately gardens, McLeod is centrally located, more affordable and they have a great, non white-washed tour. Mount Pleasant: ●Naval and Maritime Museum: Patriots Point ● Fort Moultrie (on Sullivans Island) West Ashley: ● Magnolia Plantation, Middleton Place, or Drayton Hall to see beautiful gardens and learn about Charleston history ● Charlestown Landing
Travel Note
Charleston has no shortage of amazing restaurants and cafes for all budgets. Here are some of our favorites: Caffeine: West Ashley: Highfalutin Downtown: Kudu, Harbinger, Huriyali, Second State Mount Pleasant: Metto, Vintage Coffee, Brown Fox Coffee Pastries, Breakfast, Brunch: Downtown: La Pâtesserie West Ashley: Wildfour bakery- savory scones and quiches Mount Pleasant: Other: Lunch: Downtown: Queen Street Grocery (charming, yummy sandwiches), Fast & French, Lewis BBQ, Juanita Greenbergs, West Ashley/Park Circle: Tatooed Moose (dont miss the duck fat fries) Mount Pleasant: Other: Drinks: Downtown: Faculty Lounge, Frannie & The Fox, Livingroom at the Dewberry Hotel (Cocktails); Edmund's Oast, Royal American and Burns Alley (Dive bars), The Commodore (great house band): Pour Taproom, Vendue (nice rooftop bars) West Ashley: Gene's Haufbrau (Dive bar where Sarah and Ben had their first date) Mount Pleasant: Shem Creek (plenty of bars right on the water) Dinner: Downtown: Pink Bellies (garlic noodles), Xiao Bao Biscuit (get the Okonomiyaki), Harolds Cabin West Ashley: Mount Pleasant/Sullivans: Poe's Tavern (delicious burgers and shoelace onion rings), The Obstinate Daughter, The Wreck (true Southern cooking) Other: Bowens Island (fresh southern food on paper plates with a view that cant be beat- sit on the back deck where you can often spot dolphins), Chico Feo (tex-mex surf bar)
Flight
The Ottawa International Airport is the closest airport, a 45 minute drive from Smiths Falls, and is the best place for people flying into the July party to arrive from. Car rentals are available at the airport and the Via rail train also runs from downtown Ottawa to Smiths Falls daily.
Train
The Via rail station is 20 minute bus or car ride from the Airport on Tremblay Road. You can also catch the train to Smiths Falls from Fallowfield station, which is about 15 minute uber/lyft ride from the Airport. Round trip train tickets can be purchased for as low as $50 if bought in advance.
House Or Rental
Smiths Falls has some accommodations available at the Best Western (88 Lombard St, Smiths Falls, ON K7A 4G5) or the Econo Lodge (33 Centre St, Smiths Falls, ON K7A 3B8). The Econo Lodge is located right on the Rideau River so it has great views but is a bit dated in accommodation. The Best Western is located right in town and is a bit more updated and modern. Both hotels are within a 5-8 minute drive of the venue. There is also a limited number of AirBnBs available right in Smiths Falls, which include a few apartments and a refurbished train car. We recommend looking here for accommodations.
Travel Note
For a small town, Smiths Falls has ample spots for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner! For Breakfast, we would recommend either the Country Diner (23 Union St, Smiths Falls) or Perfect Thyming (17 Chambers St, Smiths Falls). For Lunch and Dinner, there is Ger-Bos, a family run Italian Steakhouse that has been located at 1 Beckwith St S for over 40 years. There are also a number of pubs, including Matty O'Shea's at 12 Chambers St, where you can find more traditional pub fare food.
Travel Note
For getting around Smiths Falls, Access Taxi is your best bet. Fares are reasonably priced for in town calls, with the Civitan Hall being a short 6 minute drive from the Best Western. (613) 283-1441