In this post I’m sharing my Day Trip to Charleston, South Carolina.
Magnolia Plantation Charleston S.C.
The house we see today is the third house to be built on the property. The first two were lost to fire, one by a lightening strike and the second by hand of the Union army.
Magnolia Plantation has been in the same original family for more than three centuries. Some sections of the gardens are over 325 years old. Quite a bit of beautiful history on these lands.
Magnolia was established in 1676 by the Drayton family. Drayton descendants also built the neighboring plantation, Drayton Hall.
As you walk the grounds you’ll hear the strange cry of peacocks who freely roam the grounds.
We started our visit with a tour of the house. What a delight that the tour guide worked for the owners while they last lived in the main house in the 1970’s as a teenager. He was full of interesting history and it made for a wonderful tour. He was invited to give a tour eight years ago and has been doing so ever since.
Charleston Antebellum Plantation
After a tour of the house we were off on the boat tour. The boat tour was of an area inside the levies built by slaves for growing rice. It took 200 slaves five years to build the levy. The wildlife on this tour was fascinating, including the
American Alligator who was basking in the sun by the
pluff mud to greet us as we walked toward the boat.
Looks friendly, don’t ya think? Supposedly they lie around during the day to help regulate their temperature and digest food from their hunting the night before and won’t bother you. Of course I don’t want to ever get close enough to find out if that is true. I’ll just take the word of those who say so.
Magnolia Plantation Gardens
Lastly after the boat tour we were off to walk the grounds and gardens. If you’ve never been you will not be disappointed.
Day Trip to Charleston, South Carolina
The gardens at Magnolia plantation were opened to the public in the late 1800’s as a way to earn income for the plantation.
After we left Magnolia Plantation we were off to downtown Charleston for dinner at
Hank’s Seafood Restaurant , a locals favorite and certainly one ours. We eat there every trip.
We share everything so it’s win win and enjoyed a lump crab cocktail, shrimp cocktail, lobster, steak au poivre with pimento cheese grits, and fried green tomatoes. The peppercorn sauce is soooo delicious! Everything was!
Here’s a look at their menu:
Hank’s Dinner Menu . Be sure to make reservations if you want to dine there. They are packed every night. There is open seating at the bar and a community table.
For more history of Magnolia Plantation
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Additional Photos and Information on Magnolia Plantation
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About Julia
Hey Y’all! I’m Julia, the cook and writer behind the recipes here at Julia’s Simply Southern. I began my website so that I could share easy to follow recipes that anyone can use to put a home cooked meal on the dinner table. Thanks so much for stopping by!
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