Absolutely fantastic experience! Highly recommended! Ask for Simon!
This was our family’s first guided ghost tour in the Charleston Area and, humidity aside, it was well worth it!
What some tourists fail to realize is that a tour is an interactive experience that must incorporate well researched information, anecdotal details and, perhaps most importantly, a skilled orator to present these in an invested and interesting manner in an effort to capture the imagination of the group and transport them to the time and setting of the period discussed.
To that effect, Simon is an Master Craftsman in oration and narration.
He was personable and his “stage presence” was great. My immediate impression of his tone and tenor was reminiscent of a Morgan Freeman and/or Mr. Rogers. Like familiar voice that wraps around you like a warm blanket. He never once felt compelled to yell (like some of the other tour guides we crossed paths with along the streets and alleyways of Charleston). He simply projected his voice effectively and canvased his audience to meet their ears.
It was also quite clear, he is passionate about the subject matter and has rehearsed his presentation to a level of proficient transition and adaptation to meet the interests of his audience.
As you can imagine, ghost tours in the city of Charleston are very popular; given the city’s long, rich and sadly, dark history. So, it is only a matter of time before competing tour groups will cross paths.
Under such unexpected encounters, a less experienced or less prepared guide may find such a situation as a severe interruption and cause the tour to lose its momentum and fizzle into a walk and wait situation.
A GREAT guide will observe these as the approach and immediately adapt anecdotal shifts to the tour and realign the tale to incorporate other features and stories which connect to the greater narrative.
To this Simon was also a craftsman.
Bottom line, if your visiting the Charleston area and American History and/or intriguing tales of the afterlife is your game, then look no further than Simon at the Buxton Bookstore’s (160 King St) guided tours.
Can’t wait to schedule a historical and culinary tour with Simon in the near future!
Manuel and Tiffany Rivera