Day 4 and 5: Asheville NC to Charleston SC
Postcard from Charleston, South Carolina.
Leaving Asheville during the morning rush hour meant a slow start with heavy traffic and giant trucks providing an unwelcome company. Once on the Old US Highway 25 it was another beautiful solo ride within a green lushly forest where the only worry was to avoid the suicidal furry animals crossing the road without giving any notice. Reaching the outskirts of Charleston 8 hours later resulted in hitting the same-day-opposite-direction rush hour, a busy although spectacular entrance in the pastel colored city via the scenic Ashley River Road: an 11 miles tunnel of trees bending towards the street, as if they wanted to touch the column of vehicles passing by. The day off driving was well spent between getting lost among colonial buildings and historical cemeteries, getting sunburned in long walks on sandy beaches, and sharing beers, fried seafood and blood with a billion mosquitoes overlooking a movie worth laguna sunset. Cause I might be an asshole but the romantic type.
Driving from Asheville to Charleston Cheat Sheet
Accommodation in Charleston:
- The Ashley, 201 Ashley Ave, Charleston, SC 29403 My room was very, very tiny but the house incredible. A dreamy, colorful colonial gem a mile north of Broad Street and the French Quarter.
Where to eat and what to see between Asheville NC and Charleston SC
- White Point Garden, 2 Murray Blvd, Charleston, SC 29401 a nice park with beautiful trees
- Husk, 76 Queen St, Charleston, SC 29401. Southern dishes served in a restored Victorian-era home. I couldn’t get a place in the restaurant so I stayed at the bar sipping an old fashioned, feeling like a local.
- Leon’s Oyster Shop, 698 King St, Charleston, SC 29403. Great, well, oyster obviously served in multiple ways. One of the best culinary experience of this trip for sure.
- Folly Beach County Park, 1100 W Ashley Ave, Folly Beach, SC 29439. White, never-ending empty beaches and beautiful beach homes. A vacation rentals paradise.
- Bowens Island Restaurant, 1870 Bowens Island Rd, Charleston, SC 29412. I got there in the late afternoon but they weren’t serving their famous seafood platter till evening so… I had a couple of cold beers and waited on the terrace overlooking the laguna. Amazing.
Driving from Asheville to Charleston FAQ
There are 270 miles from Asheville to Charleston. I didn’t want to drive on the highway unless really necessary so my route was about 300 miles.
The quickest way on the highway can take as little as 4h or so. My journey was much slower and I got from Asheville to Charleston in 8 hours.
Avoiding the new highway and taking the Old US Highway 25 you can have a beautiful solitary drive in the woods. Also right before entering Charleston the 11 miles on the scenic Ashley River Road are incredibly beautiful.
On a road trip from Asheville to Charleston you can drive 2 bucket list roads: the Old US Highway 25 these days completely ignored by most drivers and the Ashley River Road right before entering Charleston. Also in Charleston you got tons of interesting attractions: Rainbow Row, a pastel colored street, lots of colonial buildings and historical cemeteries, white sandy beaches and beautiful parks.
A mid-size. The southern you get the warmer and sunnier it is but at least till the coast you still have chances to meet not very good weather in any season. Also – if like me you prefer to avoid the main highways – the old country roads aren’t super well maintained.
Photos taken in Charleston: houses, beaches and pictures of food
My itinerary on a road trip from Chicago to Key West
- Chicago to Key West – Main article
- Day 1: Chicago to Frankfort
- Day 2 and 3: Frankfort to Asheville
- Day 4 and 5: Asheville to Charleston
- Day 6: Charleston to Savannah
- Day 7: Savannah to Daytona Beach
- Day 8: Daytona Beach to Florida City
- Day 9: Florida City to Key West
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