Overshadowed by Charleston, its famous next-door neighbor, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina is a great weekend destination in its own right. With tons of southern charm, beautiful outdoor parks, and less crowds, it makes a relaxing place to get away.
Let’s walk through what you can do with a weekend in the beautiful Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
Patriots Point Maritime Museum
We started our weekend in Mount Pleasant with the Patriots Point Maritime Museum. Even if you are not a museum person you might want to make an exception for this one.
There was nothing quite like stepping aboard a US WWII aircraft carrier, a destroyer, and a submarine at the Patriots Point Museum.
The USS Yorktown aircraft carrier was complete with a helicopter and several fighter jets on deck, with more down below. A floating city, we felt like ants as we explored the labyrinth of corridors from the engine room to the bridge.
Quick Tips:
- Check out the interesting signage on the walls, especially if you are looking for a recipe to make a batch of 10,000 cookies!
- While you’re exploring the ships, take the time to speak with the volunteers at Patriots Point. Most served on similar vessels and love to enlighten visitors on what life was like.
- Reserve 3-4 hours to visit the three ships. However, you could easily spend the whole day here if you wanted.
Stop for Lunch
A friend of ours use to live near Mt. Pleasant and had told us about Not Just Franks Café. A little roadside outdoor café just next to Ace Hardware.
Don’t let the “hole in the wall” feel put you off. The owner was super friendly, and the food was made fresh. There are tables outside, but we grabbed a delicious Chicken Bacon Ranch sandwich and a Reuben to go and ate at our next stop.
Laurel Hill County Park
Not far from Frank’s is Laurel Hill County Park. As we pulled up, it looked like just a baseball field. However, between the soccer and the baseball fields, on the far north side, was a little gate ($1 entry) at the edge of a wooded area.
Like a secret southern retreat, here we found miles of beautiful, wooded trails. After assessing the map at the entrance, we followed the large circle loop which led us past a small waterway and the most picture-perfect oak lined tree path.
Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park
As our day wound to a close, we headed back to the harborside for views of the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge.
A fantastic location for sunset, unfortunately our beautiful day had turned overcast by the afternoon. Nonetheless, views from Mount Pleasant Pier did not disappoint.
Where We Stayed and Ate in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
Only staying one night, we opted for Homewood Suites Mount Pleasant as it was a good balance between location and price. In line with typical Hilton standards, the suite was large and comfortable.
The hotel was within walking distance of several restaurants, so we gave the Opal Restaurant and Bar a try. The duck and salmon were both delicious.
Day Two - Weekend in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
Sullivan’s Island Beach and Lighthouse
On our second day we went to Sullivan’s Island. The island’s long expansive beach was windy when we were there, but it made the perfect place to play around with the stunt kite.
Following the coastline, we ran into what we can only call the most “unique” lighthouse we have ever seen. The boxy structure stood out amongst the low-lying coast.
Fort Moultrie and Battery Jasper
Next, we headed to Fort Moultrie.
Over the past two centuries the fort has undergone several historic transformations. Managed by the National Park Service, they have done a fantastic job of recreating various time periods of the fort’s history. We followed the signage in order to experience the effect of the fort moving backwards in time.
It’s also worth watching the visitor center’s 20-minute video before heading across the street to the fort.
Stop for Lunch
We intended to try Page’s Okra Grill, but there was an hour wait and we were starving. Across the street we found The Pickled Palate. This quirky little sandwich shop has a lovely outdoor garden space and good sandwiches.
Quick update: On a recent trip back to Mount Pleasant we finally got to try Page’s Okra Grill. With a menu as southern as Dolly Parton, it was everything we hoped for. Don’t miss out on their fried green tomatoes and pie!
Pickett Park
After lunch we made a quick stop at Pickett Park. This small but pretty park extended out into the waterway via a wooden boardwalk. It was a great place for bird watching and walking off lunch.
Charles Pinckney National Historic Site
To finish our relaxing weekend in Mount Pleasant, SC, we stopped by the Charles Pinckney National Historic Site.
Do you know who Charles Pickney was? Yeah, we didn’t either, but he was integral to the drafting of the U.S. Constitution. Contributing to approximately 28 clauses, including having a President, it’s believed he was written out of history because James Madison, the chief recorder of information, disliked him.
Read all about him on what remains of his 28-acre Snee Farm. It’s free to visit and makes a wonderful place to walk around the gardens.
A weekend wasn’t quite enough time to see everything Mount Pleasant has to offer, so we’ve been back a few times since. Keep a look out for our update on more places to explore in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
For more weekend and day trip suggestions see our South Carolina travel page.
