Romantic Getaway: Charleston, South Carolina

Although Charleston is mostly regarded as a historical city, it can also provide the perfect backdrop for a romantic getaway. You just have to time everything right and be prepared to spend a little bit of money. But overall, Charleston is worth every penny.

Before you make the trip to Charleston, make sure you get into town at the right time. Downtown Charleston is full of narrow roads that don't offer a lot of parking. If you try to find a place on the side of the road and it's during the high point of the tourist season, you'll find yourself walking for endless minutes to wherever you want to be.

The best thing you can do so that you spend more time enjoying a walk rather than dreading it is to head straight for the parking garage closest to the hotel you'll be staying in. There's always room in them if you get there right before lunchtime.

Also, plan your longer walks around the night time if you go to Myrtle Beach during the summer. Charleston not only gets hot, it gets incredibly humid. In August, you can almost predict the thunderstorms to hit every day between 3pm and 6p.m. Bring an umbrella and stay hydrated.

That being said, downtown Charleston seems to be rivaling the "for lovers" slogan that the state of Virginia uses to advertise its soft spots. My favorite part of Charleston is the selection of quality restaurants downtown. There is plenty of fine dining to be had between East Bay Street and the famous Market Street.

The Peninsula Grill, already famous for it's 7-layer coconut cake ($100 + shipping if you want it delivered to your house), gives you an extra-detailed wait staff, quiet lighting, and complicated meals like cornmeal dusted North Carolina Mountain Trout (currently priced at $30). The best feature of the grill is that cell phones are absolutely forbidden to be heard and used inside the restaurant, therefore preserving the romantic atmosphere as you dine.