13. Bridging the gap
In 2005, the 2.5-mile, eight-lane Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge was completed, connecting downtown Charleston to the suburb of Mount Pleasant. (It's named after a former state senator whom many South Carolinians affectionately know as Cousin Arthur.) Bike the Bridge Rentals offers three-hour, self-guided tours. 360 Concord St., 843/853-2453, bikethebridgerentals.com, $15.

14. Better homes and gardens
Each fall, the heavy wooden doors and garden gates of the city's private historic houses swing open to the public. Throughout late September and October, around 180 residences participate in the Preservation Society of Charleston's Fall Tours of Homes & Gardens, some of which are evening walks (147 King St., 843/722-4630, preservationsociety.org, $45). Certain homes, such as the Edmondston-Alston House--where Robert E. Lee took refuge during the Civil War--offer tours all year long (21 E. Battery St., 843/722-7171, middletonplace.org, $10).

Legare Street, included in the Fall Tours of Homes & Gardens (Morgan & Owens) [enlarge photo] INTERACTIVE MAP! Explore these Charleston locations • Launch the map

15. The telltale tavern
Sullivan's Island is a sleepy town (population 1,873) with wide, sandy beaches. It's also the site of Fort Moultrie, a significant battleground during the American Revolution and the Civil War (1214 Middle St., nps.gov/fosu, $3). Edgar Allan Poe was stationed as a soldier on the island from 1827 to 1828, and Poe's Tavern pays the author tribute--of a sort--with such dishes as Edgar's Drunken Chili and a Pit & Pendulum burger made with applewood-smoked bacon and sharp cheddar (2210 Middle St., 843/883-0083, poestavern.com, sandwiches from $8).

16. Have a Pleasant day
Little has changed in Mount Pleasant's old town over the last 70 years: Thick malted-milk shakes and mortar-and-pestle-ground prescriptions (called compounds) are still sold at Pitt Street Pharmacy (111 Pitt St., 843/884-4051, pittstreetpharmacy.com), and the Old Village Post House remains the best inn in town. The B&B's six rooms have original hardwood floors, 10-foot ceilings, and soothing whirlpool tubs (101 Pitt St., 800/549-7678, oldvillageposthouse.com, from $145).

17. Here's the beef
Charleston's revered downtown burger shack, Your Place, recently relocated to Mount Pleasant. Die-hards may bemoan the new nautical-themed decor--life preservers and photos of lighthouses cover the walls--but the monstrous cheeseburgers topped with bacon and jalapeños are still drawing them across the bridge. 217 Lucas St., 843/388-8002, burger $6.50.

18. This little piggy went to market...
The stalls at the Charleston Farmers Market, held Saturdays from 8 A.M. to 2 P.M., aren't limited to fresh produce. Vendors sell everything from pulled pork sandwiches at the Omelette Station to sweetgrass scrubs at The Charleston Soap Chef. Marion Square, 843/724-7309, closed late December to early April.

19. On the sauce
Barbecue in Charleston is all about the right base, but Ciarán Duffy, the chef at Tristan, has added an unexpected ingredient to the mix: cocoa. His sauce comes in three flavors--chocolate, chocolate chili, and chocolate pomegranate. 55 S. Market St., 843/534-2155, tristandining.com, entrées from $17.

20. Just call them Social drinkers
There are more than 50 wines sold by the glass at Social Restaurant & Wine Bar, a new spot in East Bay with industrial track-lighting and bartenders who wear WINE STUD T-shirts. The Kiona, an inky cabernet with hints of chocolate, is excellent. 188 E. Bay St., 843/577-5665, socialwinebar.com, from $3.

21. Sugar and spice and everything nice
Ex-Manhattanite Kristin Kuhlke has made a name for herself on King Street with Cupcake, a bakery that sells over 30 varieties of cupcakes, including red velvet (433 King St., 843/853-8181, freshcupcakes.com). Before opening the bakery, Kuhlke worked for a cell phone company, fielding complaints. "When I moved back to Charleston, I just wanted to make people happy," she says. "And who doesn't love cupcakes?" Another good spot for a sugar fix is Three Smart Cookies, where iced cookies come in dozens of shapes, from polar bears to pink polka dot bikinis (334 E. Bay St., 843/937-9229, 3smartcookies.net).

22. Water, water everywhere
The best way to explore the city's network of salt marshes is via kayak. Mount Pleasant's Coastal Expeditions leads half-day tours through estuaries inhabited by manatees and ospreys. 514-B Mill St., 843/884-7684, coastalexpeditions.com, $58.

23. Thursday night fever
The Hot Wheels Skating Center on James Island, a 10-minute drive from downtown Charleston, has a Rolling Back in Time night every Thursday. It's a bargain at $3, including skate rental. 1523 Folly Rd., 843/795-7982, hotwheelsskating.net.

24. From rice to riches
The plantations that made Charleston into a wealthy city were built along the banks of the Ashley River. The most iconic is Drayton Hall, the oldest preserved plantation house in the South. 3380 Ashley River Rd., 843/769-2600, draytonhall.org, $14.

25. Going to the chapel
The oldest church in town, St. Michael's Episcopal Church, has a 186-foot tiered steeple (71 Broad St., 843/723-0603). St. Philip's Episcopal Church, meanwhile, is known for its graveyard, the resting place of Edward Rutledge, a signer of the Declaration of Independence (142 Church St., 843/722-7734). Sunday mornings, look for the procession of boys in seersucker and girls in Mary Janes.