need help - 85 yr old parents joining us in Charleston

Hello Forumites! Here%26#39;s my delimma - my husband is coming for work - we%26#39;re staying in North Charleston at the Hampton Inn. My parents want to drive over and spend a couple of nights. They still get around fairly well, but knee problems, etc don%26#39;t allow them to walk very far. Mother loves historic homes (she%26#39;s been an interior designer all her life). Should I find them a place in town to stay or should they stay in N Charleston at my hotel? I will not have access to the company car so how could I get back and forth if they stay downtown? What would be the most convenient locations to stay downtown for access to tours, etc? I will appreciate ANY help or advice! Thank you so much!

need help - 85 yr old parents joining us in Charleston

My opinion--have the stay at the Hampton Inn. If you don%26#39;t have a car but they do, it would probably be easier for you all to be in one spot.

Getting around the Charleston area isn%26#39;t that difficult--just remember to zig while everyone else is zagging e.g. avoid driving around commute time.

Search through the Charleston forum. Last summer there was a thread on handicap-accessibility and tourist attractions.

BTW, if you%26#39;re staying in North Charleston, you%26#39;ll be a pretty easy drive to Magnolia Plantation and the sights out that way.

need help - 85 yr old parents joining us in Charleston

Many of the plantations have wheelchairs that you can borrow and some can make other accommodations if you ask.

She would probably enjoy Middleton Place (include the house tour), Nathaniel Russell House and Edmonston Alston House the most. All three have real furnishings from the families that lived there and are very well maintained. They are not reproduction pieces. The newest pieces are from soon after the Civil War but most of the furnishings are from the 1700s %26amp; early 1800s.

Small hesitations about the house tour at Middleton ...

The lighting is very low, to preserve the artifacts. If you enter out of the bright sunlight, it will be hard to see.

When I toured with my 85-year-old parents, we sat for quite a while in the sun while we waited for the house tour. My mother has good eyes; but they, perhaps, did not adjust to the low light as quickly as younger eyes might have. My mother stumbled as we are going in, and the guide actually snapped at her to be careful of the furniture! (My mom, who is a ';true southern lady';, was terribly embarrassed.) Also, the staircase is quite steep, and can be hazardous in the dark.

Take care. Move slowly. Hold on to your mom and dad.

Take the carriage tour downtown. Parking is at the stables. Take a car tour of one of the beach islands, stopping for lunch at a restaurant overlooking the beach/water.

CRAZZZZZY idea - would you consider renting a 2-br villa at the beach and hubby can stay with (or visit?) If the timing is right a 2-br can be as inexpensive as a 1-br but it%26#39;ll be more like a vacation. You%26#39;ll probably feel better being with your parents rather than having to track them down and worry about their driving around in a city they don%26#39;t know.

Thank you all so very much for your help! Can%26#39;t wait to see your beautiful city!