Best time to visit?

I%26#39;m planning a trip to Charleston for 2007 and would like to know whether mid-April or late August is a better time to go based on weather, events, etc.

My concern in August is it%26#39;s in the middle of hurricane season. Should this be a concern or am I blowing it out of proportion?

Also, we are looking at these time periods rather than summer because we want to see the Parade of Cadets at the Citadel while still being able to enjoy good weather for sightseeing.

Finally, which is the better month to see the plantations in full bloom?

Looking forward to any thoughts. Thanks.

Best time to visit?

If I had to pick, I%26#39;d go with April.

1. August is just sooo hot and humid. And yes, it is smackdab in the middle of hurricane season, which is definitely something to consider, see%26#39;ins how expensive your trip will be.

B. I don%26#39;t know for sure, but it%26#39;s possible that the Citadel doesn%26#39;t have the parades so early in the school year. You might want to check that out! Conversely, April is pretty close to the end of the school year, so they may have finished.

The weather in April can fluctuate between relatively cool and pretty hot. So you%26#39;ll probably be able to hit the beach, even though you can do plenty of that in LA.

It really is pretty here in April, as the Azaleas and other flowers are hitting their stride.

Let%26#39;s see what the other posters say.....

Best time to visit?

You want to come in the Spring. The first part of April if possible, unless we have a very cold winter and late spring. We won%26#39;t know that until about February. The spring blooming flowers will be at their best. The plantations will be wonderful! It%26#39;s just too, too, hot in August to have many flowers.

I wouldn%26#39;t worry about hurricanes. They may come, probably won%26#39;t. The chances of having one at the exact time that you happen to be here would be even slimmer. However, the heat can be counted on to be there in August and it will make your trip miserable if you plan to do much walking around the city.

Soooooo, if you have a choice, pick April. You won%26#39;t regret it.

Thanks Floski and Aileen679,

I appreciate the input. It looks like we%26#39;ll be in Charleston in April!

Thanks again for your help!

Floski gave some good advise.

April would be my choice. The camillas usually begin to bloom in late November and bloom until mid-March and the azaelas begin blooming about the time the camillas start. Each year is different due to the weather conditions.

The spring is a high tourist period here and the planations are very busy so my advise is to go EARLY in the morning, especially if you are going to tour the houses. Most of the grounds open about 9:00 A.M. and the house tours begin about 10:00 A.M. so be there early and beat the rush!

Be sure that your trip is not during The Citadel Spring Break. That can be checked on The Citadel calendar at www.citadel.edu.

SCBlossom,

I checked out the Citadel%26#39;s website thanks to your response to a different post of mine (and actually, it%26#39;s based on your reply that I changed from a May trip!)

Thanks again for your help and suggestions. The Citadel already has their 2006-2007 parade calendar up so I%26#39;ll make sure my trip coincides with their schedule. Don%26#39;t know why I%26#39;m so fascinated by this but it sounds so cool! I guess it%26#39;s because we don%26#39;t have a West Point, Virginia Military Institute or Citadel out here on the West Coast.

October.

Cool and not too crowded.

Plus, my wife loves the Preservation Society%26#39;s Candlelight tours that are offered in the Fall.

SoCalSon, be sure to go into the chapel, the library and Mark Clark Hall. You might want to call mid-day on the day of the parade to confirm the time because it does change sometimes on short notice.

Enjoy your trip! Hope that you enjoy the parade.

I almost forgot!

There is a really nice museum on campus, just to the right of the main gate as you come in. I%26#39;ve been to it many times and always enjoy it. I%26#39;d call it a must see.

SCBlossom and Floski - Thanks again for all your great help on this and other posts of mine. We%26#39;ll definitely check out your suggestions on campus as we want to see more than just the parade. Also, good to know about the possible last-minute changes.

Conchobar - Thank you for your recommendation but October is a hard month for us... football season ticket holders... ya know, priorities :-)

Thanks again everyone. I can%26#39;t wait to visit Charleston (but I guess I%26#39;ll have to... just 10 months to go!)