We were in town for the Charleston Half Marathon. Maximizing our sightseeing time is a priority when in any city for a short time. We like to take city tours from local experts to cover as much ground and learn as much as possible.
An internet search led me to Adventure Sightseeing in Charleston. The reviews were great; I was also attracted because they are a 28 year family-owned company with an excellent reputation. The tour options were also perfect for us; we could choose from a 10:00; 12:30 or 3:15 tour on Sunday, the day after the race. I called directly and spoke with Whitney who took my payment over the phone for the 10:00 a.m. "See It All' city tour. The tour was immediately confirmed by email; she explained that the driver would have a roster; the email was for my records.
We arrived at the Visitor Center Bus Shed (adjacent to the Visitor Center on Meeting Street) about 9:30. The Adventure Sightseeing 14-passenger touring van was already there and our guide, Bill Tynen, was available to check us in. We had a lot in common since at one time he serviced golf courses in Hilton Head where we live. Nine of us were seated comfortably in the van; after a preliminary overview of Charleston (industry, famous people, population), we were off.
It was clear from the beginning that Bill knew his stuff as a licensed guide. The fact that he was a native Charlestonian was proof that we had chosen the right company. Because, as he said, "there aren't too many native Charlestonians." The tour is accurately promoted as "350 Years of History in 90 minutes." We learned about the history of the Holy City, architecture (including the unique Charleston 'single home' construction), education and industry. A highlight was driving through The Citadel; we are big Pat Conroy fans so seeing the location of "The Lords of Discipline" was meaningful. We drove down to the Battery to see the magnificent mansions and the stories that go with them. It rained during much of the tour so we could not see Fort Sumter.
We were further impressed when my husband described a fowl that he had seen while running the half marathon. Without pause, Bill said, "guinea." We Googled it later and he had correctly identified the guinea my husband had seen during the race. Bill had no idea that question was coming.
At the end of the tour, we dropped off some passengers at their hotels. At each stop, Bill got out, opened the doors and assisted them out of the van. We talked to him about the job of a tour guide since I retired from the travel industry and was a tour guide. He explained the rigorous process to become a licensed guide: read a 500- page book and sit for a 200 question written exam followed by an oral exam. It takes a special personality to do that job: accommodating different personalities, knowing the city, driving and narrating and having the patience and humor of a saint. Bill is the whole package.
If you are looking for a reasonably priced, high quality, convenient Charleston city tour, look no further than Adventure Sightseeing.