text:
Chapada dos Guimarães

Chapada dos Guimarães is a city in Mato Grosso do Norte, Brazil. This region, which is at the geographical center of South America, is known for its waterfalls and characteristic mountains and canyons.

Get in
Buses depart from Cuiaba daily. Buses leave hourly, beginning at 07:00, and the trip to Chapada dos Guimaraes takes approximately 1 hour.

Get around
While Chapada dos Guimarães holds the record for once having been the largest municipality in the world in area extending to an what is now the city of Sinop, Mato Grosso, the village is small, and easily navigated on foot. It is possible to get to such attractions at the Veu de Noiva in the Chapada dos Guimarães National Park or the Centro Geodesico by taxi or a rented bike, other attractions such as Aroe Jari Cavern Complex or the Waterfall Circuit will require a guide and a vehicle. In the case of Rio Claro, São Jeronimo or Cidade das Pedras, that vehicle ought to be a 4x4. So either you should rent a vehicle near the airport or contract a tour agency unless you just want to do the basics close to the city.

See
The word Chapada means "tableland" in English, and Guimarães comes from the names of the first settlers. The area is also home to a diverse ecosystem, making it ideal for birdwatchers and other nature lovers.

Arriving in Chapada dos Guimrães there are a number of rivers with swimming areas & restaurants along the way such as Rio Claro. These are more popular with Cuiabanos looking to escape the heat and humidity of the capital than with foreign tourists. Within the National Park you are allowed to visit the Veu de Noiva Falls without a guide entering the park between 09:00 and 16:00 giving you enough time to see the falls before the park closes at 17:00. The trail to the falls is 800 m. It is best to visit either early in the morning or late in the afternoon to have a chance to see the Green-shouldered Macaw and other avifauna.

The visit to Cidade das Pedras takes about an hour and in addition to truly sublime landscapes offers birdwatchers and nature lovers another chance to see the Green-shouldered Macaw which nests in the cliffs as well as a rare Cerrado specialty, the horned sungem hummingbird. This tour takes about an hour and a half. A 4x4 is essential in the dry season and a licensed guide who is authorized by the park is mandatory. It is essential that you schedule this trip in advance as the guide is required to retrieve the key to the gate from the park headquarters, and return it after the trip. The best time to visit is at sunrise and since the park headquarters opens only at 09:00, it is essential that the agency registers the trip and the guide retrieves the key the day before the trip.

The most popular tour within the park is the Waterfall Circuita 6-km hike visiting 7 waterfalls. This, also can only be done with a licensed guide authorized by the park and a voucher issued by an agency. Tours can be arranged either as a private tour or as a group tour. Make sure to ask, as the price might not be different, and if you don't ask for a private tour you might be grouped with a bunch of people that don't speak your language.

The São Jeronimo Trek is a little more difficult because of the distance, steepness, and exposure to the sun. Only a few of the guides are interested in making this tour, so plan ahead. It is possible to hike out, stay overnight in a cabin, and hike back the next day. This option makes the hike less arduous.

The Aroe Jari Cavern Complex is on private property some 45 km from the city. It is the largest sandstone cavern in South America. The trip must be accompanied by a licensed guide or tour conductor. Sometimes you can find a local Portuguese-speaking conductor on the premises for a group tour but it is safer to schedule in advance, especially if you want a bilingual guide.

There are also the waterfalls Marimbondo and Geledeira nearby to each other 8 km from the city. No guide is needed but the route is not well marked.

The Centro Geodesico with its scenic outlook claims to be the geographic center of the South America. Cuiaba also had a Centro Geodesico making South America the only continent that had two geographical center points! The one thing you can be sure about is that the one in Chapada dos Guimaraes is more beautiful. The historic town square has the Hippy Fair on the weekends. The church is an historic landmark.

Buy
The Village is full of stores that sell arts and crafts to tourists as well as clothing and other souvenirs. You can find Banco do Brasil and Bradesco near the town square. Bradesco is the most likely ATM to work with foreign credit and debit card accounts. Sometimes the network doesn't function, sometimes the ATMs don't function, so carry a little extra cash. Credit and debit cards are readily accepted in even the smallest shops and even by some street vendors, so hoard your spare change in case of an emergency and use plastic.

Eat
There are a wide variety of restaurants in the Village of Chapada depending on your tastes and your budget.

The family run Casarin Restaurant serves authentic Italian food at a reasonable price and in the off season, your waiter might just be Ricardo Casarin, Chapada's most famous birding guide.

Another option for Italian food is the Pomodori Trattoria Restauraunt. For those who don't have deep pockets enterprising squatters show up with trailers on the town square at night and occupy spaces along the sidewalk vacated by merchants who have closed for the day.

Street food includes all manner of burgers and hot dogs - Brazilian style. Not to be ignored are the Galinhadas served by the restaurants lining the road to Chapada. They consist of free range Brazilian chickens served with rice. There are no individual portions, it is a group affair. When visiting Aroe Jari Cave complex consider arriving early in the morning, making the trail and then coming back for a chicken of fish lunch before visiting a nearby waterfall on the premises to cool off. The meal must be ordered before you depart for the trail. Savvy travelers should be aware that restaurants in Chapada have the uncanny habit of shutting down on major holiday like Christmas and New Years so the owners and employees can be with their families even though the city is full of hungry tourists. During Carnival they work but many take time off immediately after. If you are coming during a holiday, ask ahead about dining.

Frutos do Cerrado offers ice cream and popsicles made from a variety of fruits, many of them endemic to the Cerrado (Brazilian Savanna).

There is also a place that serves Açai near the Pousada Bom Jardim, a frozen concoction made from an Amazon Palm Tree that is simply delicious.

Drink
Pomodori Trattoria has the hands down best drink menu in the city. They make a variety of awesome Caprinhas as well as an extensive variety of microbrews and imported beers, most of which you will find are not in stock; but, in any case, it is interesting to look at the drink menu and trying to find one that they have in stock will give you an excellent chance to practice your Portuguese. If you want to go native, there is a bar on the edge of the village just beyond the bus station on the way towards the Centro Geodesico that offers Cachaça Infusions with native plants that give flavor and are recognized in folk medicine for curing various ailments, things that neither the local health board nor the medical establishment approve of. It is not a speakeasy, but it might be better if we don't publish the name. Go easy, don't forget you are not a native.

Go next
Chapada dos Guimarães is popular due to its proximity to Cuiaba International Airport, the Transpantaneira and the Northern Pantanal. It is also a popular destination for birdwatching. Staying in Chapada, even if only for a night, and stopping by the Veu de Noiva Waterfall is an excellent alternative to staying at the area around the Cuiaba airport which is not particularly safe.

title: Chapada dos Guimarães


text:
Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park

Chapada dos Veadeiros is a natural area in the state of Goias, Brazil. It is also the name of a National Park within that area, listed as a World Natural Heritage Site by UNESCO for being an outstanding preservation area of the Cerrado – one of the world's oldest and most diverse tropical ecosystems.

Understand
Chapada dos Veadeiros is a big geographical area in the center of Brazil, well known for it's amazing fauna, flora and geological formations. There's a national park, which has an area with 65,515 hectares with plenty of great landscapes, gorgeous waterfalls and lakes and is sought after by many travellers in search of true contact with nature.

There are basically two places where you can stay when travelling to Chapada dos Veadeiros: Alto Paraíso and São Jorge. São Jorge is a small village right in front of the national park's entrance. It lacks infrastructure like asphalt roads and public illumination, the intent is to leave the region around the park pretty much as it is, in order not to disturb it's fauna and flora. Even though it might sound uncomfortable for some, that's what makes the small village special. There you really feel you're somewhere mankind hasn't dominated yet, and there you can really experience Chapada.

Alto Paraíso is a small city which is about 20 km (12.4 miles) from the national park's entrance. Differently from São Jorge, it is a city with normal public illumination, asphalt roads and so on. You will find there more options for sleeping and eating.

Beyond the national park, the region has other attractions inside private properties such as the Moon Valley and the Almécegas waterfalls which are situated nearby São Jorge, being accessible through the payment of a daily fee.

The Chapada region is also a magnet for mystics attracted by the alleged properties of its crystal soil and rumored UFO appearances.

Rumor has it that, according to NASA, the Chapada is Earth's brightest point as seen from space. Lying on a quartz crystal bed, it's said to reflect light like a mirror.

History
The national park was created in 1961.

Flora and fauna
Cerrado is the predominant kind of vegetation. The trees are low and curved, and the vegetation is usually ground-high. It is similar to the Savana vegetation in Africa.

Cerrado wildlife, including orchids, buritis and many threatened animal species such as the pampa deer, swamp deer, jaguars, guará wolves, rheas, crested seriemas, tapitis (small hare-like rodents), giant armadillos, great anteaters, capybaras, tapirs, red-breasted toucans, king vultures and black vultures.

Climate
Chapada’s climate is tropical, hot and semi-arid. The average annual temperature is around 25°C (77°F). The National Park is closed to the public during the rainy season (December to February). During the rest of the year it is mostly sunny and hot. At the height of the dry season (September), the temperature can peak at 40°C (104°F).

In the beginning of the year the climate is very humid, and it rains pretty much everyday. It is very dangerous to be close to a waterfall during bad weather, so, avoid visiting the area during those days.

After May, the rain ceases and the climate turns almost desertic. There's a six-month period with almost no rain at all and it gets pretty dry and hot, as you can imagine (what makes the waterfalls even better!). In that sense, the best period for visiting is between June and July, because the probability of raining is very low, and the waterfalls still have plenty of water. After that, it is still worth seeing it, but the waterfalls won't be as good because they start running low on water (no, they never get dry).

Get in
The city of Alto Paraiso de Goias, the main gateway to the Chapada, is 230 km (143 miles) from Brasilia and it is also fairly close to Goiania (capital of the Goiás state).

By air
There are no regular flights to the Chapada region. Flyers usually land in Brasilia (frequent flights from everywhere in Brazil) then travel overland to one of the gateway towns.

By bus
There are buses departing from Brasília to Alto Paraíso.

By car
The road condition from Brasília is OK. Access is done by the BR-020 and the GO-118 roads, through the cities of Formosa, São Gabriel and São Joao D'Alianca.

To reach the national park, take GO-327 to the São Jorge Village, where the entrance to the park is located.

Fees and permits
For every attraction there will be an admission fee of around R$10. For visiting the park you also have to pay the guide, which will take you through the park and explain you interesting things about the fauna and flora.

Get around
There are two options to get around Chapada dos Veadeiros: get a car, or hitchhike (not recommendable, but an option).

The attractions are not close to each other, which makes it impossible to just walk, so, don't go there without a car, unless you're ok with hitchhiking. From São Jorge it is very easy to get around, as the park and the main waterfalls are close (10–20 minutes by car). From Alto Paraíso it is a little bit more distant, but still very easy and well indicated.

Note down the names of the waterfalls you wish to see and take it with you (it will be difficult to find English speakers there). People there are very friendly and will be very happy to help you find the place.

See
The main attraction is the National Park  (phone +55 62 3455-1116) - Its entrance is located at the Km 39 of GO-239 highway, near the village. There are two authorized paths inside the park: way of the canyons and way of the falls, each of one during normally from the morning till the sunset. Admission is from 8AM to noon, closes 5PM (during Daylight Saving Time (mid-October to mid-February) admission is from 9AM-1PM and it closes at 6PM). Every entry must be accompanied by a local authorized guide; you will find them right in front of the parks' entrance, or walking in São Jorge. Each guide is authorized to enter with a group of up to 10 persons, and to receive R$100 for the whole group.

In addition, there are several astonishing places located on private property. For each of them, the proprietors charge a fee of around R$10 per person.

 * Moon Valley (Vale da Lua) - Accessible through a 20-minute walk from São Jorge, it has a moonlike landscape and glimmering rocks, with two large natural pools, suitable for swimming.
 * Almécegas waterfalls
 * Raizama waterfalls
 * São Bento waterfalls
 * Andorinha waterfalls
 * Segredo waterfalls
 * Confluence of the rivers São Miguel and Tocantinzinho. The attraction is to jump in the river and be carried until close to the confluence.

Do

 * Trekking
 * Canyoning
 * Rappel

Buy
There are lots of crystals, rocks and such for sale, especially in São Jorge. Hand made objects for decoration, necklaces mades of seeds or leather are everywhere on the streets.

Drink

 * Bar do Pelé São Jorge center - Cold beer, billiard tables.
 * Casa de Cultura Cavaleiro de Jorge Cavaleiro de Jorge street, São Jorge - eventual shows and performances.

Camping sites
São Jorge and Alto Paraíso have several private camping areas. They're very cheap, around R$10 a day and usually it's a nice place to know people, as usually to camp is what young people do when going to Chapada. - There are many others. Sometimes they change names. Talk to locals, and some nice option will surely present itself.
 * Camping do Tatu - São Jorge entrance
 * Camping Boomerang - São Jorge main street
 * Camping da Dona Zeza - São Jorge main street
 * Camping do Tirulin - São Jorge, just off main street
 * Camping Pachamama - GO 239, km 17

Backcountry
Visitors are not allowed to stay in the park overnight, and must leave until 5PM (or 6PM during summer time).

Stay safe
Tourists are recommended to take vaccination against yellow fever at least ten days before the trip.

Go next

 * Brasília - 230 km
 * Alto Paraíso de Goiás (36 km)
 * Cavalcante (123 km)
 * Colinas do Sul (34 km)
 * Niquelândia (114 km)
 * Teresina de Goiás (100 km)

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park


text:
Chapala

Chapala is a town on the shores of Lake Chapala in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. Many North Americans reside in this town, attracted by the mild climate and lower Mexican cost of living.

Understand
Chapala is located in the central zone of the state. Chapala is also the name of the biggest lake of the country. Chapala means "place of Vases"(Nahuatl); "really wet place" (Coca); or "place of grasshoppers over the water" (Nahuatl).

History
Originally Chapala or Chapallan was a pre-Hispanic settlement whose earliest antiquity is found in the twelfth century AD, when migration of Nahuatl tribes from the northwest, reached this latitude, finding the north shore of the lake highly populated as referred by Fray Antonio Tello, Franciscan friar and chronicler.

Climate
It is temperate, thanks to Lake Chapala, which provides freshness, and does not reach the levels of heat or cold that is in the towns to their surroundings.

By bus
The 'directo' bus leaves every full hour from the old bus station (la central vieja) in Guadalajara. It has A/C and costs M$58 (Dec 2021). It takes around 1 hour. You will be dropped off in the called Central Camionera Chapala.

By car
From Guadalajara, follow the signs to the Airport, then go ahead to "Chapala"

Get around
Small enough to walk around. When you come out of the bus station, turn left and follow the main road to reach the lake and the main church.

See

 * The Lake. Nicely designed lakeshore walk with playgrounds, food stalls, restaurants and markets stalls selling bits and bob.
 * The parish of St. Francis of Assisi.
 * The main square with the mercado.
 * Art exhibits at the Old Train Station.

Do

 * Take a boat out to (island) on the lake.
 * Browse the weekly market (every Monday from about 9AM-2PM) winding all the way up Calle Alvaro Obregon just to the left off the main highway (Francisco Madero) going toward Guadalajara.

Buy

 * Markets beside the lake where they sell traditional and not-so-traditional things from Mexico.

Eat
There are nice restaurants by the shore of the lake. Many of them have live mariachi music.

 * Acapulquito: Shellfish
 * Alfredo's California: International
 * Beer Garden: International
 * Café París: Coffee
 * Cazadores: International
 * Chapala Haciendas: International
 * Chef Place: Shellfish
 * Chemary: Chinese
 * Cozumel: Shellfish
 * Don Juan: Shellfish
 * El Arbol del Café: Coffee
 * El Patio: International
 * El Pescador: Shellfish
 * Guicho: Shellfish
 * Nido Mexican: Mexican
 * Pensando en Tí: Mexican
 * Petrita: shellfish
 * Santinos: Pizza
 * Superior: International
 * Valencianas: Pizza

Drink
Apart from the restaurants you will find lots of drink stalls along the new lakeshore walk selling
 * Micheladas
 * Vampiros
 * Piña Coladas
 * Just plain cold Mexican beer
 * Aguas frescas

Sleep

 * Hotel Quinta Real (La Floresta)
 * Lake Chapala Inn. A very nice B and B right on the Malecon overlooking Lake Chapala.  Wonderful breakfast and they even have a pool.
 * Lake Chapala Inn. A very nice B and B right on the Malecon overlooking Lake Chapala.  Wonderful breakfast and they even have a pool.

Go next

 * Ajijic
 * San Juan Cosala

title: Chapala


text:
Chapel Hill

Scenic and regularly decked out in "Carolina blue", Chapel Hill is a lovely college town in North Carolina that makes up the westernmost point of the Research Triangle. The town is the smallest of the Triangle's three cities, with an influence and pull that belies its size. Based around the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the town caters heavily to the local student population, with plenty of bars and restaurants near the university's beautiful campus. Immediately to the west of Chapel Hill is the adjacent town of Carrboro, an old mill town now known for its local shops, restaurants and nightlife.

Understand
The town began as a small village of a thousand people consisting of mostly Scottish and English immigrants arriving in the area during the 1700s; the village took its name from the New Hope Chapel, which happened to be situated on a hill (the Carolina Inn of Chapel Hill now stands where the chapel once was). The town was founded in 1819 to support the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill and later was incorporated in 1851. The adjacent town of Carrboro was settled in the 1880s around a spur rail line built to serve the university; the town is named for Julian Carr, who purchased a local cotton mill and installed electricity in the town. Today, Carrboro is where many UNC students live, owing to its cheaper rents, and is home to the Weaver Street Market (a local co-op), a popular farmers' market, plenty of bars and restaurants, and a bunch of festivals.

Like much of the rest of the Piedmont, the landscape is hilly and heavily wooded, becoming very lush and green in the summer months. Politically, Chapel Hill is liberal compared to much of North Carolina. Although legend says that the town became liberal when a Union general married former UNC President Swain’s daughter, Chapel Hill’s liberal politics are similar to many US college towns and are bolstered by nearby Carrboro, which is known for being a bastion of liberalism in the state. It is not uncommon to see a protest in Chapel Hill and/or on the university campus for various liberal causes, with the traditional locus of this being the square in front of the post office on Franklin Street across from the campus.

By car
Interstate 40 passes along the north and east side of Chapel Hill, with three exits: NC 86 (Exit 266), US 15/501 (Exit 270), and NC 54 (Exit 273). From the west, NC 86 (which becomes Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd in Chapel Hill) is the best exit. Be warned that Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd is a notorious speed trap through Chapel Hill, where the speed limit is only despite the road being designed to handle much faster speeds. From the east (say, Raleigh or the Research Triangle Park), NC 54 (which becomes Raleigh Road) is a good option. Coming from Durham, US 15/501 is the most direct route.

By plane
The nearest commercial airport is Raleigh-Durham International Airport, a 20 minute drive to the east in Morrisville, just off I-40. RDU has two terminals; Terminal 1 services budget carrier Southwest, while the more modern and architecturally impressive Terminal 2 services American Airlines/American Eagle, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, and United. Both terminals have restaurants, newsstands and smaller versions of North Carolinian stores such as A Southern Season and the ACC Store. RDU also has rental car services and overnight car parking. If taking public transit, Triangle Transit route #100 takes you from the airport to the Regional Transit Center, where you can then transfer to #800 or #805 to Chapel Hill.

By train
The nearest Amtrak stop is in Durham, which is served by the New York City-Charlotte Carolinian line and the Raleigh-Charlotte Piedmont line. The station is across the train tracks from the Durham Station Transportation Center, where you can take Triangle Transit #400 or #405 to Chapel Hill.

By bus
Limited commuter service from Greensboro and Burlington is provided by PART (Piedmont Authority for Regional Transit) Route 4, with connections to Winston-Salem and High Point.

There is no long-distance scheduled bus service into Chapel Hill. Greyhound and Megabus serve the bus depot in Durham; from there you can take Triangle Transit #400 or #405 to Chapel Hill.

Get around
The UNC campus and the downtown area are very pleasantly walkable, but going further afield largely requires transportation by car. Anything outside the immediate Franklin Street downtown area can be frustrating on foot, with long distances and fast-moving car traffic. Grocery stores are a fairly long walk from downtown Chapel Hill, although downtown Carrboro is served by the Weaver Street Market and a Harris Teeter. Limited public transit service around town is provided by the fare-free Chapel Hill Transit bus system.

Curb parking in the downtown area is available but often full, especially while school is in session, making it hard to find a spot. Paid lots and garages are available along Rosemary Street, just north of Franklin Street. Outside of the downtown area, parking is very easy to find.

By bike
Chapel Hill is a great location for recreational biking, with local mountain biking trails and scenic road riding through local farmland. Commuting by bike is popular in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area. The Carrboro area is somewhat bike-friendly, while Chapel Hill is spotted by steep hills and poorly lit stretches of road. Some roads have bike lanes or wide shoulders, and there are also several bike-only paths; however, these tend to be short and do not tend to serve as transportation routes, but rather as exercise areas.

UNC Bike Share is available for visitors to use. Once you create an account, you can ride bikes from hubs around campus and the downtown area. You can use them up to an hour a day for free; extra time costs $5 per hour.

Buy
There are an assortment of local shops along Franklin/Main Street through Chapel Hill and Carrboro. The only sizeable mall in town would be the on Estes Drive off of Fordham Blvd on the northern side of town, with a small selection of shops and restaurants, including the popular A Southern Season store. However, a much wider selection of shops can be found at (off I-40 past the eastern edge of town in Durham), an upscale mall with indoor and outdoor shopping and dining.

Food

 * For groceries, Harris Teeter has locations on in Carrboro and at the, and Food Lion at the western end of Main St in Carrboro and on the north side of Chapel Hill at Fordham Blvd and Ephesus Church Rd. There's a  on the north side of town at Franklin St and Elliott Rd, and a  nearby at Fordham Blvd and Ephesus Church Rd.
 * For groceries, Harris Teeter has locations on in Carrboro and at the, and Food Lion at the western end of Main St in Carrboro and on the north side of Chapel Hill at Fordham Blvd and Ephesus Church Rd. There's a  on the north side of town at Franklin St and Elliott Rd, and a  nearby at Fordham Blvd and Ephesus Church Rd.
 * For groceries, Harris Teeter has locations on in Carrboro and at the, and Food Lion at the western end of Main St in Carrboro and on the north side of Chapel Hill at Fordham Blvd and Ephesus Church Rd. There's a  on the north side of town at Franklin St and Elliott Rd, and a  nearby at Fordham Blvd and Ephesus Church Rd.

Eat
Many restaurants in Chapel Hill are on Franklin Street and the roads nearby Franklin Street, but some restaurants are away from Franklin and others can be found in residential neighborhoods such as Meadowmont and Southern Village within the Chapel Hill city limits.

If you need to use a bathroom on Franklin Street, remember that most restaurants require a food purchase before using their bathroom facilities, even on nights such as Halloween and nights where Franklin Street shuts down for bonfires (i.e. if the UNC men's basketball team wins against Duke University).

If ordering delivery, consider restaurants in Durham too – some of them deliver to Chapel Hill.

Drink
Being a college town, Chapel Hill and adjacent Carrboro have more than their fair share of bars. All the nightlife options are sandwiched along Franklin and Rosemary Streets in Chapel Hill and Main Street in Carrboro, with Thursday and Saturday nights being the busiest.

Coffee

 * The most convenient option in Chapel Hill is, in the middle of town near the intersection of Franklin Street and Columbia Road and is regularly open. There are other coffee shops in the downtown area and on the UNC campus.
 * If you are on campus, one option sits on the western edge of campus: in the Health Sciences Library at 335 S Columbia St. However, hours are limited once school is out of session.

Sleep
Most accommodations in Chapel Hill are of the chain variety. If you want to stay in the center of town, you have three options, and they tend to be expensive: the Carolina Inn and the Franklin Hotel in Chapel Hill, and a newly opened Hampton Inn in Carrboro. There are cheaper accommodations on two of the main roads out of town, Highway 15-501 and Raleigh Road, positioned to take advantage of their proximity to I-40, and driving into town from one of these will be all but necessary as bus service on the edge of town can be inconvenient at best.

Connect

 * Any of the libraries on the UNC campus have public terminals to access the internet. The campus also has guest Wi-Fi, available at certain locations.
 * The Town of Carrboro has free wireless; see the website for maps and access areas.
 * The has Wi-Fi free of charge. Bring your own laptop, unless you are a resident or wish to pay an annual library card fee. You need a library card to use the computers.

Go next

 * Durham is a short drive northeast of Chapel Hill and home to the prestigious (and rival sports institution) Duke University, a couple of museums, a small historic downtown, a major performing arts center, and trendy bars, cafes, and galleries.
 * Eno River State Park offers miles of hiking trails, including some that lead to an old quarry that is now a popular swimming hole, and is outside Durham.
 * Raleigh, the state capital, is about a 45-minute drive east and home to the state museums of art, history, and science, the state symphony and ballet, and the campus of the North Carolina State University.
 * Hillsborough, the county seat, is a cute historic town a half-hour drive north of Chapel Hill, good for a day trip or to spend a night or two.
 * Pittsboro, another historic town with activities on the Haw River, a half-hour drive southeast

title: Chapel Hill


text:
Chappaqua

Chappaqua is a hamlet in the Town of New Castle in northern Westchester County, New York. Its most notable current residents are former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Understand
Chappaqua is a small suburban town. Most residents are living here because of its elite school system. The town is filled with relaxing things to do and historical things to see, but if you are looking for night life this is not the place.

By plane

 * Westchester County Airport, 240 Airport Road, White Plains, +1 914 995-4860 (airlines). The closest airport, about 10 minutes drive. Rental cars are available.
 * Stewart International Airport, 1180 First St, New Windsor, +1 845 564-2100. Another alternative to the congestion of the 3 major airports. Allegiant Air, American Eagle, and JetBlue operate flights from Florida and Philadelphia (Mar 2021).
 * Newark Liberty International Airport, Newark, New Jersey, John F. Kennedy International Airport, and LaGuardia Airport: The three major international airports in the New York City area offer service to just about anywhere. Westchester-based taxi and livery cars offer regular service to and from the three internationals from most areas of the county. New York City yellow cabs will take to you Westchester in a pinch, but the fares can be exorbitant. If staying in Westchester, ask if your hotel offers shuttle service.

By train
Chappaqua’s train station, 108 Allen Place, hosts Metro North trains that connect the town with New York City. The trip takes an hour to NYC.

Go next

 * Hudson Valley
 * New York City

title: Chappaqua


text:
Chardon

Chardon is the county seat of Geauga County. It is in Ohio's "snowbelt" and receives an average of 106 inches of snow each winter. In 1996, the National Guard was sent in after the city got about four feet of snow in less than a week.

By Car
State Route 44 runs north and south through Chardon.

By plane

 * Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport is a major international airport in Brook Park.It is about 50 minutes away.

title: Chardon


text:
Charente

Charente is a département in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern France.

Cities

 * – A 19th century city with a medieval heart preserved behind ramparts
 * – A small medieval town, best known for the famous brandy which bears its name. It was also birthplace of François I (1494-1547), a King of France and one of the main instigators of the renaissance in that country

Do
The Charente is navigable from Angoulême to the sea. Boats can be rented without a license.

title: Charente


text:
Charente-Maritime

Charente-Maritime is a department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern France.

Cities

 * is a beautiful old harbour town.
 * is the main town on Île de Ré, the beach suburb of La Rochelle.
 * – a lovely town, bombed by the Allies in World War II, it has managed to rise, phoenix-like, from the ashes to become a chic, very French, resort.
 * , a town with Roman monuments.
 * , one of the official most beautiful villages of France, located on a small promontory that dominates the Gironde estuary.
 * , a town with Roman monuments.
 * , one of the official most beautiful villages of France, located on a small promontory that dominates the Gironde estuary.
 * , one of the official most beautiful villages of France, located on a small promontory that dominates the Gironde estuary.
 * , one of the official most beautiful villages of France, located on a small promontory that dominates the Gironde estuary.
 * , one of the official most beautiful villages of France, located on a small promontory that dominates the Gironde estuary.

Other destinations

 * is the best known of the Napoleonic sea forts, as it's the setting for a long-running TV game show. Boat trips visit.
 * , an island right next to La Rochelle, with beaches and old towns, ideal for a bicycle trip.
 * , the second largest island on the French Atlantic coast with beautiful sandy beaches and pine forests.
 * , a small island next to Fort Boyard where cars are banned.

Understand
This beautiful area of southwest France was born out of the French Revolution. The two areas of Saintonge, based on the old Roman town of Saintes, and Aunis, based around the old Huguenot stronghold of La Rochelle, were merged and Charente-Maritime was born. This is where the French themselves go on holiday because of the beautiful scenery, mild temperate climate combined with the luminous quality of the light (a painters haven) and almost 500 km of beautiful coastline.

Get in
Fly to La Rochelle or Bordeaux (an hour's drive from the southern Charente-Maritime), Poitiers.

Get around
Hire car.

See
Many of the villages are steeped in history, man has occupied this land for a long time. At the southern tip of the region is the "Haute Saintonge". This special area is a bit like the land that time forgot. Some of the locals still wear their blue overalls and slippers for all occasions. The land glows with light and warmth. The houses with their Roman tiled roofs and their ramshackle outbuildings invite further investigation. The architecture is predominantly Romanesque. It is littered with fabulous churches, farms, wells, market halls. The ornamentation on the churches is awesome. Visit the church of Sainte Fortunata at St Fort sur Gironde and see the horses heads, or the church at Lorignac or Sainte Ramee. Grapes and sunflowers, as well as tobacco and maize, are grown here. Most villages have a local wine maker, some have several. 100 years before the revolution a wine producer had a moment of serendipity. He poured some grape juice into a seemingly empty cognac barrel. He forgot about it and rediscovered it a few years later. The nectar known as "pineau" was invented. This area has lots of pineau producers, you can visit most of them and of course taste the pineau.

Do
Visit the local wine producers and have a dégustation (wine tasting). Taste the wine, pineau, and, of course, the world-famous cognac houses. Hennesy, Remy Martin, Otard, Martell and others all have tours in English and French. Chateau de Beaulon is in the heart of the Haute Saintonge and you can visit the distillery in Lorignac as well as visit the chateau itself at St Dizant. There is a huge wetland park at Vitrezay where you can walk along the shores of the Gironde or round a series of lakes. The beaches are nearby. There are golf courses in the area. It is a ramblers paradise with miles of marked walks. There are thermal springs in Jonzac as well as Caribbean-themed indoor water sports (Les Antilles de Jonzac).

Eat
Plenty of waterside restaurants dotted around the small ports of Mortagne, Port Maubert, and Vitrezay plus many other restaurants ranging from humble €10 meals to haute cuisine. Melon au pineau is a speciality as is a whole range of seafood and the salt marsh lamb.

Drink
This is the land of wine, pineau, and cognac. Take your pick, you won't go far wrong. The vins de pays Charentais is quite a find. It was born out of necessity when the demand for grapes for cognac declined, but has been improving rapidly and is a perfect summer drink.

Go next
Visits to Futuroscope at Poitiers, wine museums, or the fabulous chic shops at Bordeaux are all under a two hour drive. The whole town preserved as a war memorial at Oradour-sur-Glane (in the Limousin) is just slightly further away.

title: Charente-Maritime


text:
Charity (Guyana)

Charity is a port city in Guyana.

Get in
Charity is accessible by road up from Supenaam, which passes through Queenstown and Anna Regina. It takes around 2 hours to get from the ferry terminal into town. The other way in is on the river from northern destinations such as Mabarumba.

Get around
Everything in this one street town is in walking distance.

See
People watching. Monday is market day, which is festive but loud. The variety of goods on offer isn't terribly interesting, but there is a good vibe.

Drink
Banks Beer, the Guyanese beer, costs $220–260 depending on where you drink.

Sleep

 * JR's

Go next

 * Shell Beach

title: Charity (Guyana)


text:
Charleroi

Charleroi, located on the river Sambre, is the third largest municipality and fifth-largest city of Belgium. It is in Hainaut province of Wallonia, the French speaking part of Belgium. A former mining town, it is viewed unfavourably by most Belgians, who often look down on Charleroi as a poor, polluted, derelict, and violent city that is not attractive at all.

Nevertheless, Charleroi indeed has its share of attractions, including unique museums such as the internationally-acclaimed Museum of Photography. It played an important role in the development of the Belgian comic strip culture, and in the world of modern dance, Charleroi has also become an important place due to its yearly festival. Charleroi also sees a high share of tourist traffic among Belgian municipalities as it is the location of the low-cost "Brussels South-Charleroi airport". While most tourists head straight from the airport to Brussels and other locations in Belgium, France and the Netherlands, the city itself is worth a go as well.

History
While there are remains of human settlements dating back to prehistoric times across Charleroi, it is actually a rather new city. It was only created in 1666 when the Spanish, who then controlled the Low Countries, started building a fortress there. It is the then King of Spain, Charles II, that the name of the town alludes to. This is why the inhabitants of the town are often called Carolos.

The city was created at the beginning of a turbulent period, when it saw itself being turned over many times between the Spanish Crown, France, the Netherlands and the Austrian Empire, before finally becoming a part of the independent Kingdom of Belgium in 1830. It was only then when Charleroi became a boom town, as the local supplies of coal fuelled rapid expansion of mining, metallurgy and glass manufacturing. Charleroi and the neighbouring municipalities saw an influx of immigrants from all over Europe, especially Italians. This community remains highly influential to this day.

This all came to a halt following the rapid decline of mining and heavy manufacturing in the area following World War II. From the 1970s up until the late 1990s, Charleroi was battling rampant unemployment, urban decay, and poverty rates that had seldom been seen in western Europe, to the point where it was compared to many declining cities in the rust belt of the USA. But since the early 21st century, the city started reinventing itself, most notably as a hub for modern industries, such as bioscience, engineering, and healthcare. However, the biggest boost to the city came in the resurgence of its airport, which in turn encouraged the local government to invest in transportation (such as modernizing the railway station and upgrading the city's light rail system as a new metro) and tourism.

Comic strip capital
Charleroi lays claim to being one of the birthplaces of the Belgian comic strip culture, as the Spirou magazine was published there first in 1938, featuring such popular comics as "Lucky Luke" and "Smurfs". This heritage is subtly reminded about throughout the city, e.g. at the metro station Parc you can see Lucky Luke murals, while further characters await for you at the Janson station.

Administrative organisation
The present-day Charleroi municipality actually comprises much more than just the historic city of Charleroi - it has been expanded in 1977 to encompass fourteen other directly neighbouring and farther small municipalities around the city. Therefore, there are as many as fifteen former town halls and fifteen separate town centres across Charleroi. That way, Charleroi also became the third-largest municipality in Belgium, as other large cities, including Brussels and Antwerp, remain divided into a number of different municipalities.

Charleroi is the capital of the Arrondissement de Charleroi, one of the seven districts of the province of Hainaut. The district includes further neighbouring municipalities, which are not part of Charleroi. There are about half a million people living in this district, a densely-populated and formerly heavily industrialized area.

By plane

TEC, the regional bus company, operates a bus line (bus A) between the airport and the Charleroi-Sud train station. A ticket can be bought on one of the ticket machines on the bus stop near the train station or at the driver when coming from the airport. The ticket costs €6 (Feb 2023) and the ride takes 17 min.

Flibco operates buses directly to the airport from Bruges, Brussels Midi Station, Ghent, Mons and Lille.

By public transport
Public transportation in Charleroi is provided by TEC, which is a regional operator responsible for public transit in all of Wallonia. In Charleroi, they operate a light-rail Metro system and bus lines. TEC is an acronym for Transport en commun which means public transportation.
 * TEC Charleroi (City Bus service), Place des Tramways 9, Tel: +32 71 23-41-11 or +32 71 23-41-15
 * TEC Charleroi, Esplanade de la Gare du Sud, Tel: +32 71 23-41-11. Ticket office at the north-west corner of Charleroi-Sud railway station in the métro léger station.

By metro
Métro léger de Charleroi, which translates as "light metro of Charleroi", is a light rail system that is a combination of underground rail and street-level tram/light rail, which is often referred to as a "pre-metro". In the city centre, it travels underground over a loop line, while going into the suburbs it becomes a ground-level light rail with separate right-of-ways or a street-level tram using the tracks of Belgium's former vicinal system.

There are four metro lines in Charleroi, all sharing the central loop and branching out to various suburbs and even as far as other municipalities.
 * M1 and M2 travel eastwards of the centre sharing the route, but while M1 reaches as far as Anderlues, the M2 terminates at Pétria in Fontaine-l'Évêque
 * M3 goes northwards to Gosselies. It is the newest part of the system, only inaugurated mid-2013
 * M4 goes eastwards to the Soleilmont intermodal terminus in Gilly

The tourist office at the Charleroi-Sud railway station has a pamphlet describing sites and an itinerary along the Charleroi-Pétria métro léger line. It is effectively a tour by tram. You will probably want a day-pass for such an itinerary.

Despite the extensiveness of the system, there is no direct connection by metro to Charleroi Airport.

By bus
There are also several bus lines running across Charleroi.

By taxi
You can also use taxi to travel around in Charleroi. Taxi2share :+ 32 466 041 620  Taxis bleus/blauw (blue): +32 2 268 0000

Centre
The centre of Charleroi is relatively compact and walkable, encompassed within a ringroad known as the Petite Ceinture de Charleroi. Because Charleroi is located on a slight hill, the northern part of the centre is known as Ville Haute ("upper town"), and the southern part as Ville Basse ("lower town").

Ville Haute
The hexagonal Place Charles II marks the very centre of the city, featuring the uniquely eclectic Saint-Christophe church, which has seen additions from just about every architectural style since it was built in 1667, and the elegant town hall (Hôtel de ville) built in 1936 in an eclectic style mixing Art Deco with classicism. Its hind side faces the Place du Manège and features a tall belfry. On the other side of Place du Manège is the Palais des Beaux-Arts, featuring a Museum of Fine Arts. The Ville Haute features numerous wide, tree-lined boulevards. On one of them, in the former barracks, you can find Musée des Chasseurs à pied.

Walking through the streets of Ville Haute you can admire the architecture of the golden age of Charleroi, which fell between the historicizing eclecticism of the late 19th century and Art Nouveau. Some of the more interesting buildings are the 'Maison Maison Dorée at 15 Rue Tumelaire and Maison des Médecins at 40 Rue Léon Bernus.

 * Jules Destrée Museum - dedicated to the notable Wallon politician - Hotel du Ville, Place du Manege, +32 71 86 11 32346
 * Jules Destrée Museum - dedicated to the notable Wallon politician - Hotel du Ville, Place du Manege, +32 71 86 11 32346

Ville Basse
The most picturesque part of the Ville Basse is the Sambre, whose right (northern) bank features the tree-lined elegant boulevards Quai de Brabant and Quai de Flandre. The left (southern) bank is dominated by the Gare du Charleroi-Sud, the city's main train station, with an imposing historic building dating back to 1874, the middle of Charleroi's own golden age, and renovated in 2011.

South
Two of the most interesting attractions in Charleroi are situated in south of the municipality, in the former communes that were annexed by the city - the internationally acclaimed Museum of Photography in Mont-sur-Marchienne, and the former coal mine Le Bois du Cazier in Marcinelle. The metro system was not extended in this direction at all, but both sites can be reached by bus from Gare du Sud within 15 minutes. There is no direct bus connection between the two, you are best advised to go back by bus to Gare du Sud and change there.

Le Bois du Cazier
The colliery (coal mine) in Marcinelle was the site of the worst mining disaster in Belgian history, when an underground fire claimed the lives of 262 miners. While not remembered as vividly now, it was a pan-European tragedy, as the miners stemmed from 12 different countries, and this was a pivotal point in the history of coal mining and heavy industry in Belgium. Mines were subsequently required to comply with much more stringent safety standards, which saw many of them close as being uneconomical.

Le Bois de Cazier was also closed subsequently, but rather than being abandoned, it was turned into a unique museum complex, with most of it industrial heritage kept intact or adapted and a number of artifacts collected, many kept in working condition. There is the Industry Museum, which presents not only coal mining, but also other heavy industries and the general technological and social progress of the 19th century. The Museum of Glass occupies a modern glass-and-steel addition to the complex, guiding visitors through a "countdown" from contemporary glassmaking technologies to the very earliest ones. In the workshops, a mixture of historic and modern machinery is still operated and blacksmiths continue to forge.

Le Bois de Cazier has also been turned into a site of remembrance of those who perished. A striking exhibition inside the former mine's buildings presenting the fateful day of August 8, 1956, the extent of the tragedy and its consequences. Outside, a park was organized in the 26-hectar estate of the former mine, with 12 species of trees planted to represent the 12 nationalities who lost their miners in the tragedy (and the seedlings were brought from those very countries). There are also three slag heaps, with the tallest spoil tip accessible by a modern skybridge, providing a striking panorama of the Charleroi area from its 250 metres.

The entrance fee to the site is €6 (€4.50 for students, and €1 less off either if you are in a group) and includes entry to all museums. At the site, you can participate in an organized group tour for €5 every first Saturday and Sunday of the month, at 15:30. Alternatively, a group of up to 25 people can rent a guide for €45 (covering entry costs as well), and a further €25 per group gets you an extra visit to the workshops. There are special activities offered at similar fees to organized groups of schoolchildren. Le Bois du Cazier also featured event rooms for up to 800 people for rent, and a souvenir shop.

The site is open Tuesday to Friday from 09:00-17:00, and from 10:00-18:00 on Saturdays and Sundays. Do note it is closed on Mondays. There is no metro connection to Marcinelle, but the bus line 52 from the Gare du Sud takes you to Le Bois du Cazier.

Other places of interest

 * Musée archéologique
 * Musée archéologique
 * Musée archéologique

Do

 * Markets. If you are in Charleroi on a Sunday, do not miss the markets that spread out from Place Charles II over neighbouring streets.
 * Football: Royal Charleroi SC, Les Zèbres, play soccer in Pro League, Belgium's top tier. Their home ground (capacity 15,000) is Stade de Pays de Charleroi, Rue des Emailleries, 500 m southeast of city centre.
 * Basketball: Spirou Charleroi play at the Spiroudrome in Belgium's top-tier basketball league.
 * Basketball: Spirou Charleroi play at the Spiroudrome in Belgium's top-tier basketball league.

Budget
All these are in the city centre:

Sleep
Given the short distances to other Belgian cities, most people staying overnight are likely to be passengers at "Brussels South" airport. There are no hotels at the airport terminal, and reaching those nearby is difficult without a car. However, several hotels offer shuttles to the airport.

It might be possible to stay overnight in the airport terminal. The Gare du Sud station building is closed at night, so don't plan on staying there.

The nearest youth hostels are in Mons, Brussels and Namur.

Stay safe
Despite its reputation, Charleroi's crime rate is not exceptionally high. In fact it is marginally lower than in other Belgian cities like Brussels, Liège, or Leuven. Nevertheless, it is better to avoid going alone or in small groups at night in some neighbourhoods outside the city centre. Couillet, Marchienne-au-Pont, and Marcinelle are the most frequently mentioned areas to avoid. It is also advised not to wander around the railway station at night, unless you're in a group and know where you're going.

Connect
Charleroi has 4G from all Belgian carriers. As of July 2022, 5G has not reached the city.

Go next

 * Thuin — an attractive town partly set on a hilltop. It is 20 minutes away by train from Charleroi-Sud station. For rail fans, there is a tram museum with operating historical trams.

title: Charleroi


text:
Charleston

There is more than one place called Charleston:

United States of America

 * Charleston (South Carolina) - A city in the state of South Carolina.
 * Charleston (West Virginia) - A city in the state of West Virginia.

New Zealand

 * Charleston (New Zealand) - A town in the South Island of New Zealand.

title: Charleston


text:
Charleston (South Carolina)

Charleston is the largest and oldest city in the state of South Carolina in the United States of America. Its historic downtown is on a peninsula formed by two rivers, the Ashley and the Cooper, flowing into the Atlantic, and protected from the open ocean by surrounding islands. Charleston was captured in the American Civil War without much property damage, so the historic part of town has buildings that are hundreds of years old. The current downtown skyline, with practically no tall buildings due to the city's height restriction ordinance, is dominated by church steeples and the stunning Arthur Ravenel cable-stay bridge over the Cooper River. The city is a major port on the eastern seaboard of the U.S. and a popular destination for domestic and international tourists.

History
Charles Towne, as it was first called, was established in 1670 by Anthony Ashley Cooper on the west bank of the Ashley River, Charles Towne Landing, a few miles northwest of the present downtown. By 1680, the settlement had grown and moved to its present peninsular location.

Around 1690, the English colonists erected a fortification wall around the small settlement to aid in its defense. The wall sheltered the area, in the present French Quarter, from Cumberland St. south to Water St., from Meeting St. east to East Bay St. The wall was destroyed around 1720. Cobblestone lanes and one building remain from this colonial English Walled Town: the Powder Magazine, where the town's supply of gunpowder was stored. Remnants of the colonial wall were found beneath the Old Exchange Building.

Luckily, Charleston was re-captured in the Civil War without much property damaged, and it was the first city in the U.S. to pass a historical preservation ordinance. Thus, much of the beautiful architecture, from early Colonial, Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, and Italianate to Victorian, remains for future generations to see and enjoy.

Charleston is also known as the Holy City due to the numerous church steeples, which dot the city's low-rise skyline, and the fact that it was one of the few places in the original 13 colonies to provide religious tolerance to the French Huguenots and to Jews.

Charleston is in general a laid-back, but sophisticated, city and has an old-South feel, just like its neighbor, Savannah. Most people in Charleston are helpful when approached in a polite manner. If a traveler speaks little English, Charlestonians are still generally willing to help as best they can. It is advisable, however, to at least learn a few key English phrases, and perhaps carry a traveler's phrasebook.

Talk
The dialect here varies from standard American English, having a "Southern Coastal Accent" that contains British influences. For those who learned Standard English, some speech may be difficult to comprehend here. Generally speaking, one can easily get by with Standard American or British English, though. The inhabitants of Charleston are, to a large degree, transient (due to several military installations, port labor, rail labor, and other factors), and therefore many other languages are inherent in a minority role.

A minority dialect spoken here is Gullah, a dialect of English almost incomprehensible to most English Speakers. If you are familiar with "Porgy and Bess", you are familiar with Gullah. Gullah has West-African influences mixed with pidgin French and English. The dialect originated around John's Island. If you travel south of the city (to the islands, or towards Ravenel), the dialect becomes somewhat more prevalent (although still in a minority context).

Alternative languages include Spanish and Portuguese, brought to the city and its outskirts by its large Latin American population. One may encounter "Spanglish" here, which is an odd combination of Spanish and English.

Place names in and around Charleston are often very Americanized versions of French (Legare Street, for example, is pronounced luh-GREE) or other languages.

By plane
Taxis to downtown cost about $25; shuttles arranged by Airport Ground Transportation cost about $14/person to downtown. CARTA operates a local bus service, Bus 11, to downtown every 40-60 min during the day for $2 that takes about 1 hr. CARTA also operates an express bus, XP4, to downtown every hour during the day for $3.50 and takes about 20min. Rental cars are available at the airport terminal; Interstate 526 connects the airport with Interstate 26, which in turn terminates just north of historic downtown at U.S. 17.

By car
Charleston is located nearly at the midpoint of South Carolina's Atlantic coastline. It can be easily reached by car, from the north or south, via U.S. Highway 17, which cuts across the Charleston peninsula, or from the west, via I-26, which terminates just northwest of the historic downtown at U.S. 17. The outer beltway Interstate 526 forms a loop from U.S. 17 in Mount Pleasant to U.S. 17 in West Ashley, passing the Charleston International Airport. Travelers from I-95 can reach Charleston via I-26 (Exit 86 from I-95).

By train
Amtrak has a located 10 miles north of downtown. The Palmetto stops there on its way from New York City to Savannah, as does the Silver Meteor. Going South, the Silver has an unpleasant but not undoable early morning arrival (around 5AM), but the Northbound departure is a reasonable 9:23PM. The Palmetto is a day train and has reasonable hours in Charleston but due to its very long run, leaves or arrives in New York at unfortunate hours.

By bus
The is in North Charleston. To get to Downtown Charleston, cross the street from the Greyhound station and take the #11 Airport bus (away from the airport). The last stop for this bus is the visitor center in downtown.

Get around
Outside of downtown, which is best explored on foot, Charleston is a city that is best traveled by car. Several rental car services are available at the Charleston International Airport. Some area hotels also provide transportation to and from the airport.

By public transportation
The public transportation system in Charleston consists primarily of a fleet of buses run by the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) and privately run taxi services. The bus system is not widely used by the upper-class residents of the city, and would be rated as fair by the standards of most larger urban areas. Bus Route 11 serves the Charleston International Airport and the downtown area. The most useful service for tourists CARTA offers are the three free shuttle lines (Routes 210, 211, 213), called DASH (Downtown Area SHuttles), which carry riders around downtown and can cut down on the amount of walking you need to do. Regular fares are $2, but downtown DASH services are free of charge.

Taxis are generally safe and inexpensive in Charleston but are sometimes difficult to find unless they are prearranged by calling one of the taxi services in advance or you are in the downtown area, where it is easy to flag one down. If a taxi to the airport is required, it must generally be arranged in advance. Expect at least a half-hour wait for a taxi to arrive; if staying in a hotel, hotel staff can help arrange for a taxi. Another option is to take a shuttle van from the airport - this may be cheaper. However, upon noting that one is leaving the city for the airport, transport will generally arrive with undue haste.

By tour bus or carriage
Gray Line of Charleston offers a choice of guided mini-bus tours of the historic, charming city of Charleston, designed to give you a fun and informative look into the city’s well-preserved past.

A great way to tour the city is by carriage drawn by horses or mules (many vendors available at the Market in downtown Charleston), although one might prepare oneself for some derisive comment and exasperation from locals inconvenienced by such quaint methods of transit.

By foot
Luckily for visitors to Charleston's peninsula, the historic district is accessible on foot. If staying in one of the many hotels on the peninsula, a visitor could easily explore most of the city's major historical sites without the benefit of a car, either by foot or with the help of the DASH trolley lines. Unfortunately, the plantations—a significant part of Charleston's history—are not located within walking distance of the peninsula. If you are driving into the historic downtown, the first thing to do is to find someplace to park. Garage parking is available at the Visitor Center for $2/hr, but metered street parking is also available throughout the city.

The streets in historic downtown Charleston are more or less parallel and perpendicular to the Cooper River waterfront, forming a warp grid pattern, with a major shift in the angle of the grid at the east-west "fault line" of Beaufain/Hasell Street, just north of the old Market Area near the waterfront. The major east-west street, Calhoun Street, was once known as the Boundary Street, separating the then-suburbs north of it from the urban area south of it. The major north-south street, King Street, is the main shopping street in downtown, from the Upper King area north of Calhoun around the Visitor Center south to the upscale anchor, Charleston Place, at Beaufain/Hasell.

Several blocks south is a major east-west street, Broad Street, which divides two areas in historic downtown, aptly named North of Broad and South of Broad. Those South of Broad were nicknamed SOBs, and those Slightly North of Broad were SNOBs. The French Quarter, founded by the French Huguenots, is just south of the Market Area along the waterfront. The area near the southern tip of the peninsula, where the Ashley and Cooper Rivers meet, is known as The Battery.

There are many walking tours, which give you the opportunity to see more than just driving past in a bus or carriage. There is a walking tour for virtually every interest. You will find Pub Tours, Civil War tours, culinary tours, ghost tours, Gulla tours, architecture tours, art tours, and even pirate tours. Some of the walking tour companies offer tours with guides in period costume. Charleston Pirate Tours even has a costumed guide whose parrot, a blue and gold macaw, accompanies the tour.

See
A good place to start a tour of Charleston is the Visitor Center, not far from the terminus of I-26 northwest of downtown. At the Visitor Center, a traveler can find maps and guides, tour a small museum dedicated to the history of Charleston, book sightseeing tours, and view an introductory film to Charleston ($2). All the free DASH shuttle routes serve the visitor center, so it's also a handy place to park your car and start exploring downtown.

Historic attractions

Charleston's primary attraction to visitors is its historical setting and landmarks. A list of some sites to visit includes:

Historic places of worship
One of Charleston's nicknames is "the Holy City," owing to its many historic churches which dot the downtown peninsula, but also because the city provided religious tolerance to many who fled persecution, including the French Huguenots, Church of England dissenters, and others. The first places of worship organized in the late 17th and early 18th century were located around the old walled town, the present French Quarter. As the town grew outward, later places of worship were mainly located towards the upper wards north of Boundary Street, the present Calhoun Street. Colonial Charleston was the wealthiest English town in America, which is reflected in the sophisticated architecture of many of the churches. If visiting over the weekend, consider attending a service at one of these places to see them up-close.

Do

 *  Carriage tours. Several groups operate horse-drawn carriage tours of the historical sites in the city. Most of these tours leave from stands on Market street, next to the Market itself. While reservations are not required for these tours, they are run on a first-come-first-served basis, so plan to wait during peak tourist season. Luckily, most of the tour services assign a departure time, rather than making customers wait in line, so tourists waiting for a carriage can take the opportunity to visit the Market shops. Discount coupons are available in free tourist maps and guides.
 * Walking tours. Equally fun walking tours include guided history tours and scary ghost tours through the streets of Charleston. Because the historic downtown is relatively compact, self-guided walking tours can be found in many guidebooks. An interesting DIY walk is to do the Charleston Museum Mile along the Meeting Street corridor, which includes historic sites, historic places of worship, and related points of interest; a brochure can be found at the Visitor Center.
 * Baseball can be seen at Riley Park where the Charleston Riverdogs, an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, play ball.
 * Soccer fans may want to take in a Charleston Battery match at the Patriots Point Soccer Complex in Mount Pleasant.
 * College sports fans have three options in the area. While most of the state's attention is drawn to the much more prominent programs in Clemson and Columbia, Charleston-area schools do provide a less expensive NCAA Division I experience. In all cases, the schools' key venues are located on their respective campuses.
 * Charleston Cougars – Representing the College of Charleston, located near downtown, the Cougars play mainly in the Colonial Athletic Association. Unlike the area's two other D-I programs, the Cougars don't have a football team.
 * Charleston Southern Buccaneers – Representing Charleston Southern University, located in North Charleston, and playing mainly in the Big South Conference. While CSU mainly plays on campus, occasional basketball games are played at the much larger North Charleston Coliseum.
 * The Citadel Bulldogs – Representing the state's military college, The Citadel, and located on the Ashley River just to the northwest of downtown. The Bulldogs play in the Southern Conference.

Events

 * Lowcountry Oyster Festival (January)
 * Southeastern Wildlife Exhibition (February)
 * Charleston Wine + Food (Early March)
 * Walking Garden and House Tours (mid-March to mid-April) Sponsored by the Garden Club and the Historic house group. Many related activities.
 * Spoleto Festival USA (Memorial Day to mid-June). One of the best arts festivals in the U.S., which is a counterpart to the festival held in Spoleto, Italy, founded by composer Gian Carlo Menotti.
 * Piccolo Spoleto Festival (Memorial Day to mid-June). The little brother to the Spoleto Festival USA.
 * Taste of Charleston (October).
 * Christmas in Charleston (December).

Buy

The Market and the shops lining Market street are a popular shopping destination for tourists. The Market itself is a large gathering of small vendors that sell everything from blankets to candy. Baskets and other sweetgrass crafts can also be bought at the Market. While the Market is full of the usual kitschy knick-knacks, if you look closely you will find some nice things. Gel candles filled with seashells make for a nice souvenir. Reptile and eel skin wallets are another nice item that you will have a hard time finding in other places. More traditional shops line Market street, and most of these sell merchandise that is aimed at tourists. There are a string of candy and confectionery shops along Market street where you can buy fudge, saltwater taffy and pralines.

Upscale shopping in downtown Charleston can be found at the shops lining King Street. These shops are known for selling high-quality merchandise, but are not known for bargain prices.

A popular souvenir in Charleston are sweetgrass crafts. Sweetgrass weaving is a Gullah specialty and done by hand to produce a wide range of crafts from coasters to child-sized baskets. It's interesting to see the weaving process and it can be viewed for free wherever sweetgrass crafts are sold. The seller will typically be working on a craft wherever he or she is selling them. For the larger baskets, they will sit inside of it while weaving. Sweetgrass crafts are quite expensive. A small basket to hold coins or keys will cost between $70 and $150 depending on the intricacy and features such as handles. Larger baskets can cost upwards of $500. The Market is the most convenient place to buy baskets as there will typically be several weavers there on any given day. If you want more of a bargain or a little more selection, there are roadside stalls on Highway 17 in Mt. Pleasant. If you'd like an affordable sweetgrass souvenir, look for young children downtown selling sweetgrass roses that they've woven. These will typically cost a few dollars and make for a nice gift, but may be hard to find because police chase the children away if they're seen selling them.

Eat
Charleston is considered a great restaurant town in the Southeast U.S., especially for seafood.

Drink
Bars are not difficult to find in Charleston. Charleston has two favorite liquors of choice: FireFly Sweet Tea Vodka (produced from locally grown tea) and Grand Marnier (a French orange liquor). All downtown bars and clubs have to close by 2 AM and Charleston has an enforced open container law.

Sleep
Charleston is serviced by many local hotels and virtually all of the major U.S. hotel chains. Expect to pay a premium for a room on Charleston's downtown peninsula, especially in the historic hotels. A vehicle is not needed - nor recommended - to explore the historic downtown. If a vehicle is accessible during the trip, one may want to hop across the rivers to West Ashley or Mount Pleasant where hotels are less expensive. Both West Ashley and Mount Pleasant are less than a five to ten minute drive to the downtown peninsula. Also less expensive are hotels in North Charleston, which is convenient for Charleston Airport, the Coliseum, and the Convention Center.

Go next

 * Mt. Pleasant, across the Cooper River from Charleston, is an easy trip over the Arthur Ravenel Bridge and is home to Patriots Point, a naval and maritime museum with an impressive display of warships including the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier, the USS Clagamore submarine, the USS Laffey and USCG Ingham destroyer as well as a coast guard cutter. There is also an aircraft and a reconstructed Vietnam era camp. For more military history, nearby Sullivan's Island to the south of Mt. Pleasant is home to Fort Moultrie, a Revolutionary and Civil War fort.
 * There are numerous beach towns in the Charleston area. The warm waters and gentle surf make for a delightful swimming experience particularly during late spring and early fall when lower temperatures allow for a prolonged beach experience. Folly Beach is often very busy, and has earned a reputation for being a good surfing location. Sullivan's Island and Isle of Palms also have a good beach, which is connected. Isle of Palms is often filled with people. Sullivan's Island, however, normally has few people, and is less commercialized, so there is plenty of room. In summer mornings there are plenty of dogs without a leash, often more than people.

title: Charleston (South Carolina)


text:
Charleston (West Virginia)

Charleston, established in 1794, is the state capital of West Virginia. With a population of about 49,000 in 2020, Charleston is the largest city in West Virginia. It's at the junction of Interstates 77, 79, and 64, as well as the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers, the latter of which flows prominently through the city.

Understand
Flowing west from New River Gorge National Park an hour's drive east of Charleston, the gorge of the New River gets wider and shallower after the New River meets the Gauley River to become the Kanawha River 37 miles east of downtown Charleston. It is in this steep valley where downtown Charleston is sandwiched in the narrow strips of flat land between river and cliff, an appropriately striking setting for the capital of the 'Mountain State', with striking views of the downtown skyline while driving in from every direction. The steep hillsides covered with greenery give Charleston a laid-back, lush atmosphere especially in summer. These steep hillsides make development difficult and costly, so Charleston has a much more dense, urban character than one may expect for a metropolitan area of roughly 250,000. Its location an hour west of New River Gorge National Park makes it the closest large city to the park, putting Charleston in proximity of numerous outdoor recreational attractions; it's also a major hub of commerce for the vast rural southern coalfields regions of West Virginia, as well as the sparsely populated rural lands and cute tiny towns to the north, and Mountain Lakes region to the northeast.

Charleston has experienced noticeable population decline through the second half of the 20th century and into the 21st, as the United States has de-industrialized, and Charleston has some resemblances to a rust belt city despite being farther south. It is most similar in culture and architecture to its sister city, Huntington, along the banks of the Ohio River, 50 minutes to the west along I-64. Together, they make a combined metropolitan area of around 650,000; thus making the combined Charleston-Huntington area the largest metropolitan area for several hours drive in every direction.

Generally off the tourist radar, Charleston has much to offer the curious traveler, and prices tend to be relatively affordable compared to larger and more touristy cities and towns.

Neighborhoods

 * Downtown: Central Business District. Most shops and restaurants are on or near Capitol St.
 * East End: Riverfront mansions, the West Virginia State Capitol complex, houses with porches. Business district along Washington St.
 * West Side: Across the Elk River from downtown, contains the Elk City business district, blocks of modest homes.
 * South Hills: Across the Kanawha River from downtown, very steep and windy streets with impressive homes.
 * Kanawha City: On the south side of the Kanawha River, southeast of the east end. Many large riverfront mansions.
 * Edgewood: Larger older homes in the hills north of the West Side
 * Oakridge/Greenbrier: 1950s-70s vintage suburbs in the hills north of downtown.

Suburbs

 * South Charleston: Located west of the City of Charleston
 * Downtown South Charleston: A vibrant neighborhood business district around the Criel Mound, older homes, industrial facilities.
 * Spring Hill: Business district along MacCorkle Ave., tidy older suburban homes.
 * Mink Shoals/Big Chimney/Pinch/Elkview: Listed as progressively farther from downtown, this chain of unincorporated suburbs following the Elk River upstream from downtown along I-79 and US-119 is mostly residential and quiet.
 * Dunbar: Older suburban homes, and a downtown business district that has seen better days and been the subject of several unfortunate urban renewal schemes.
 * Institute: Home of West Virginia State University
 * St.Albans: A small downtown business district on the Coal River, a mix of older suburban homes and 1950's-60's vintage suburbs.
 * Cross Lanes: Big box retail, suburban homes mostly built from the '50's- '80s.
 * Nitro: WW1-era industrial suburb
 * Sissonville: Spread-out unincorporated suburb north of the city limits on I-77.
 * Teays Valley: newer suburban subdivisions of mcmansions and big box retail sprawling along I-64 west.
 * Hurricane: newer suburban subdivisions of mcmansions and big box retail sprawling along I-64 west.
 * Eastern Kanawha County: A very industrial region along the Kanawha River east of the Kanawha City neighborhood, this collection of riverside neighborhoods and towns has a mix of some very economically depressed pockets and some well-maintained neighborhoods. Urban development roughly peters out to picturesque smaller towns as one approaches the county line.

Get in
Charleston is accessible by three interstates - I-77 goes from Parkersburg in the northwest to Beckley and Bluefield in the south; I-64 goes from Huntington in the west to Beckley and Lewisburg in the southeast; and I-79 begins in Charleston and continues to Morgantown in the northeast. I-64 and I-77 run together along the West Virginia Turnpike, a toll road, from the far eastern end of Charleston to Beckley, and the Turnpike continues as I-77 to Princeton, near the state border with Virginia. However, tolls are not collected on the Turnpike in the immediate vicinity of Charleston; the nearest toll barrier is about 17 miles (27 km) south of downtown Charleston. US-60 and US-119 are the major US highways through Charleston. US-60 mostly parallels I-64 in West Virginia, except in the Beckley and New River Gorge National Park area to the east of Charleston, where US-60 stays well to the north of I-64. US-119 continues as a four-lane highway to the south, providing access to the towns of Madison, Logan and Williamson in the rugged coalfields of southern West Virginia and into Eastern Kentucky, connecting with US-23 in Pikeville, KY, 2 hours away. US-35 begins in Charleston's western suburb of Teays Valley at an intersection with US-60, crosses I-64, and follows the Kanawha River northwest as a four lane highway to Point Pleasant, and into southeastern Ohio, allowing access to the Hocking Hills region of Ohio and Columbus (2.5 hours away), and continuing directly to Dayton.

By train

 * Route stopping in Charleston:
 * Cardinal operating three trips weekly between Chicago and New York City with stops in Dyer, Rensselaer, Lafayette, Crawfordsville, Indianapolis, Connersville, Cincinnati, Ashland, Huntington, Charleston, Hinton, White Sulphur Springs, Staunton, Charlottesville, Culpeper, Manassas, Alexandria, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia, Trenton, and Newark. At Charleston station, the trains depart early evening westbound, and early morning on the eastbound leg.
 * Cardinal operating three trips weekly between Chicago and New York City with stops in Dyer, Rensselaer, Lafayette, Crawfordsville, Indianapolis, Connersville, Cincinnati, Ashland, Huntington, Charleston, Hinton, White Sulphur Springs, Staunton, Charlottesville, Culpeper, Manassas, Alexandria, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia, Trenton, and Newark. At Charleston station, the trains depart early evening westbound, and early morning on the eastbound leg.

Get around
Most of Charleston's urban development is built along the banks of the Kanawha River in a linear fashion; thus, from the center of downtown, one can find 1960's-vintage suburbs within a 15 minute drive into the hills, but 30 minutes away along the river are also old industrial suburbs with housing stock as old as in the city center. I-64 crosses the Charleston area from east to west, roughly parallel to US-60 and the Kanawha River, crossing the river on 4 separate occasions until both highways deviate toward the west to the suburbs of Teays Valley and Hurricane, and eventually the Huntington metropolitan area. MacCorkle Ave. follows the south bank of the Kanawha River through most of the Charleston area, US-60 follows MacCorkle Ave. east until after South Charleston where it deviates, crossing the Patrick Street Bridge to the north side of the Kanawha River, where it continues east through downtown and eventually through the Kanawha Valley towards New River Gorge National Park.

The South Side Bridge connects Dickinson Street downtown with MacCorkle Ave. via Ferry St and Thayer St, as well as to Loudon Heights Rd. and Bridge Rd. towards the Bridge Rd. business district in the South Hills. The southbound Kaufman Memorial Bridge (35th St) and northbound Bob Basil Memorial Bridge (36th St) connect the East End neighborhood and I-64/77 with the Kanawha City neighborhood. (Access to the bridges from I-64/77 westbound requires exiting at exit 97 and following Kanawha Blvd to a right turn on Chesapeake Av. and right on Washington St; getting on I-64/77 eastbound requires taking the exit to Washington Street from the bridge, and then turning left on Chesapeake Av. and left on Kanawha Blvd, following until the on-ramp to I-64/77.) Other useful bridges include in the western suburbs: the Dunbar Bridge connecting the suburb of Dunbar on the north side of the Kanawha River to the Spring Hill neighborhood of South Charleston; and the Saint Albans Bridge, connecting the suburb of Saint Albans on the south side of the Kanawha River with the suburb of Nitro on the north side; and in the far eastern suburbs: the Admiral TJ Lopez Bridge connects US-60 on the north side of the Kanawha River with I-64/77 on the south side of the river, this is the last exit before the first toll plaza on the turnpike.

Charleston can have tight streets, sharp corners and steep hills, the downtown street grid is not especially rigid, and consists of many sometimes-shifting one-way streets. Important turn offs can be poorly signed, and certain maneuvers can seem unintuitive or directionally backward, owing to the engineering needed to construct highway infrastructure in steep terrain.

In Charleston, as is the case in general with West Virginia, drivers tend to strictly follow the 'autobahn rule' of staying right, passing left while on multi-lane and interstate highways; speed limits and curve warning speeds are generally set appropriately for the road, and following them as posted is advised, especially the first time driving in the area.

See

 * [[File:The Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences of West Virginia, in Charleston LCCN2015631764.tif|thumb|Clay Center]]
 * NightGameAppalachianPowerPark.JPG
 * Criel Mound.jpg
 * NightGameAppalachianPowerPark.JPG
 * Criel Mound.jpg
 * Criel Mound.jpg

Do
Charleston is home to Kanawha State Forest a recreation area located near the community of Loudendale, West Virginia. There are many scenic walking, hiking, biking, and riding trails in the state forest. There is also an outdoor pool that is open in the summer, various camp sites, a shooting range, a small lake for fishing, and stables. Hunting and fishing are allowed in-season. Picnic shelters are available throughout the park and can be rented for parties. There are led walks at various times of the year, information on which is available on the website. Kanawha State Forest hosts an annual trail run called the "Dirty Dog 15K".

There are also various parks throughout the city such as Magic Island, a nice park located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha rivers in The City of Charleston's West Side area which is a favorite haunt for runners, volleyball players, and frisbee lovers. It has a walking track, sand volleyball court, and picnic areas. Coonskin Park, accessible from the Mink Shoals exit from I-79, features a golf course, athletic facilities and a small pond. Wine Cellar Park on Dutch Hollow Rd in Dunbar has its namesake ruin of a wine cellar, as well as a small man-made lake. Ridenour Park in Nitro also has a man-made lake. Cato Park in Charleston's Edgewood neighborhood has walking trails and athletic facilities.

Kanawha Blvd features a riverfront walking path its entire length through the city center, from the Kaufman Memorial Bridge in the East End to the Patrick Street Bridge in the West End.

A stones throw from downtown, in Charleston's South Hills, the Carriage Trail is a beautiful and historical trail that leads to former Governor William MacCorkle's hilltop mansion, the former site of the Sunrise Science Museum. At the bottom of the trail lies the burial ground of two Confederate spies executed by Union troops in 1863.

Learn

 * Charleston Gazette-Mail is he only remaining daily paper, published in some form since 1873.

The city also has one university within its limits, and a second is in an unincorporated community about 8 miles (13 km) west of downtown. A two-year community college moved from the second university to a campus about 4 miles (6.5 km) from downtown in the separate city of South Charleston, and merged with another community college located about 30 miles upriver in Montgomery.

Buy

 * Across the Elk River and I-64 from downtown, the Elk City business district in the west end:.
 * Southridge, about 4 miles/6.5 km southwest of downtown along US 119 (locally known as "Corridor G", its designation in the Appalachian Development Highways System), is a large auto-oriented area developed since the mid-1990s. Split almost 50-50 between Charleston and South Charleston, it consists of four adjoining centers along Corridor G—The Shops at Trace Fork and Dudley Farms Plaza on the north side, and Southridge Center and The Terrace at Southridge Centre on the south side. Consists mainly of "big box" stores, with the usual array of fast-food and chain restaurants.
 * The Kanawha City neighborhood features a long strip of businesses, grocery stores and restaurants along its length of MacCorkle Avenue, including 2 of Charleston's international grocery stores: and.
 * The independent city of South Charleston features a cute, compact downtown business district around the Criel Mound, including the largest East Asian grocery store in this part of the state:
 * The grocery store chains in the area are: large regional chains Kroger, Piggly Wiggly, and Huntington-based Foodfair, local Walmart locations have a large grocery section, and discount grocers are Aldi and Save-a-Lot.
 * The Kanawha City neighborhood features a long strip of businesses, grocery stores and restaurants along its length of MacCorkle Avenue, including 2 of Charleston's international grocery stores: and.
 * The independent city of South Charleston features a cute, compact downtown business district around the Criel Mound, including the largest East Asian grocery store in this part of the state:
 * The grocery store chains in the area are: large regional chains Kroger, Piggly Wiggly, and Huntington-based Foodfair, local Walmart locations have a large grocery section, and discount grocers are Aldi and Save-a-Lot.

Eat
Although it isn't exactly a capital of cuisine, Charleston is the capital of cuisine for West Virginia, with a variety of options catering to different tastes and budgets. One of the best things about eating here is that there are very few tourist traps, since major tourism in Charleston has not yet caught on. Unfortunately, the lack of tourism also means that the restaurants can be generic; chains like T.G.I. Friday's, Outback, Olive Garden, and Red Lobster are common. There are, however, some more unique local eateries:

Go next

 * Huntington is about 1 hour west on I-64.
 * Beckley is about 1 hour south on I-77/64 southeast.
 * New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is 1 hour east on US-60 or I-64/77 southeast, anchored by the towns of Fayetteville, Beckley and Hinton.
 * Fayetteville Small town famous for outdoor recreation, anchors the north end of the national park
 * Hinton Small town at the bottom of the New River Gorge, anchors the south end of the national park.
 * Summersville Summersville Lake is the largest in West Virginia, half an hour north of Fayetteville. 1.5 hours east from Charleston.
 * Logan 1 hour south on US-119. A regional large coal mining town.
 * Sutton 1 hour northeast on I-79. A tiny, picturesque town near a locally popular lake.
 * Spencer about 1 hour north on US-119, the West Virginia Black Walnut Festival is held here.
 * Parkersburg is about 1.5 hours north on I-77.
 * Weston is about 1.5 hours northeast on I-79.

title: Charleston (West Virginia)


text:
Charlestown

There is more than one place called Charlestown:

Australia

 * Charlestown (New South Wales) - A town in New South Wales.

Ireland

 * Charlestown (County Mayo)

Saint Kitts and Nevis

 * Charlestown (Saint Kitts and Nevis)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

 * Charlestown (Canouan)

South Africa

 * Charlestown (KwaZulu-Natal)

United Kingdom

 * Charlestown (Cornwall)
 * Charlestown (Derbyshire)
 * Charlestown (Dorset)
 * Charlestown (Fife)

United States of America

 * Charlestown (Indiana)
 * Charlestown (Maryland)
 * Charlestown - a district of the city of Boston, Massachusetts
 * Charlestown (New Hampshire) - a town in New Hampshire
 * Charlestown (Rhode Island) - a town in South County, Rhode Island
 * Charlestown (Wisconsin)

Also, with an extra space:

 * In the United States of America:
 * Charles Town (West Virginia)

title: Charlestown


text:
Charles Town

Charles Town is a small historic town in West Virginia, and one of the state's most visited attractions.

Understand
Known for its horses, Charles Town is a city in Jefferson County, West Virginia. The U.S. Census Bureau considers it part of the Washington-Arlington metro area, although extremely few residents actually work in Washington, D.C.

Charles Town was named for Charles Washington who laid out the streets of the town on 80 acres of land in 1786. Charles Washington was the brother of U.S. President George Washington.

Charles Town had a population of 5,259 as of 2010. Its elevation is 512 feet (164 m).

Get in
Charles Town is located on the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. Charles Town is accessed from Route 340 and Route 9. It is a 27-mile (44-km) drive from Frederick, Maryland, via Route 340. It is a 42-mile (68-km) drive from Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, via Route 9.

Get around
Many of the streets of Charles Town are named after members of the Washington family or point to some of the patriotic ideals of the early United States. Examples include George St, Charles St, Samuel St, Mildred St, Lawrence St, Washington St, Congress St, and Liberty St.

The primary east-west street is Washington St (Route 51). The primary north-south street is George St (Route 115).

The downtown and old town areas are laid out in a grid. Street names with either East or West in the name are east or west of George St, respectively. Street names with either North or South in the name are north or south of Washington St, respectively.

Do

Sleep

Go next
Nestled in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, Jefferson County Parks and Recreation Commission (JCPRC) owns or operates eight county parks, comprising of over 250 acres of land, located throughout the county. The parks boast of varied facilities, including picnic areas, athletic fields, tennis courts, nature trails, and playgrounds. The JCPRC strives to provide the best facilities for all residents to use and enjoy.

title: Charles Town


text:
Charlestown (Rhode Island)

Charlestown is a seacoast town in South County, Rhode Island.

By plane

 * TF Green International Airport located in Warwick (Rhode Island). About half an hour from Charlestown. Parking for TF Green starts at $11.

By car

 * From I-95 N take exit 92 for Route 2 towards Route 49 / North Stonington. Merge onto CT-78 East. Take a left at Route 1 and follow into Charlestown.
 * From I-95 S take Exit 9 (on the left) in Rhode Island onto Route 4. Follow Route 4 into Route 1, and follow for about 17 miles.

Get around
Many attractions in Charlestown are spread out, so travel by car is usually the best option. If you are renting a house in one of the many beach suburbs, then beach access is almost always easier by foot. Bicycle travel is also the method of transport favored by many locals, and offers a great experience to view the flora and fauna. There are no real means of obtaining (renting, buying, etc.) a bicycle in town, so it is recommended that any visitors bring their own for the best method of transport to a beach. Water Travel is also very popular. Renting a canoe, or other form of boat is a good way to see the true beauty of Rhode Island. These are easily rentable at many bait and tackle places listed below.

See
Charlestown’s real main attraction are its beaches, which have all varying levels of surf, but are all amazingly beautiful and are almost certainly some of Rhode Island’s best beaches.

Eat
There is an admittedly limited selection for food within Charlestown due to its size, but there is a wide selection along Route 1 in either direction: Narragansett or Westerly.

Emergency contact numbers
If you are not sure of these numbers, calling 911 will always work in this town and in its surrounding neighborhoods.
 * Emergency Operations Center Phone: +1 401 364-1212
 * Fire Phone: +1 401 364-7711
 * Police 4901 Old Post Rd Phone: +1 401 364-1214

Safety tips

 * Pack water—there are plenty of shops in town, but if you’re going to be vacationing on the beach or in the parks for a day or two, you need to make sure you don’t get dehydrated.
 * Follow the buddy system—as a tourist beach community, you should be pretty safe walking around by yourself at night, but it’s best to keep a phone with you and go with friends just in case.
 * Be careful of ticks-check yourself and family regularly. If you are unfamiliar with ticks, this website can give you some more information.  http://www.tickencounter.org/

Day trips

 * Block Island is a small island about a dozen miles off the mainland. Take a ferry there for the day to see the National Wildlife Refuge, take a tour, swim in the ocean, or just wander through the shops.
 * The University of Rhode Island is 20 minutes away (follow Route 1 east then connect to 108 north). Sporting events, home shows, and concerts occur often at the Ryan Center and elsewhere on campus, so be sure to check out the school’s website to find out how to get tickets.  http://www.uri.edu/.
 * Mystic is a 30-minute ride, Route 1 South to 95 South.  aquarium, historic sightings, and shopping.

Onward

 * Newport is a famous city on another island nearby. To get there, you’ll need to follow Route 138 over the bridge; there is a toll both ways, so bring some change.  The main road is tourist-centered, so find a place to park and just walk your way up the strip.  There are plenty of budget-friendly motels around, but also some hotels and timeshares; get a room and wake up next to the beach.
 * Providence, the state capital, is a fun place to visit for shopping and entertainment. You can drive or take the RIPTA bus.

title: Charlestown (Rhode Island)


text:
Charlestown State Park

Charlestown State Park is in Southern Indiana.

History
The creek valley at Charlestown is one of the oldest unglaciated streams in the state. Even though the stream was this way, melting water from northern glaciers helped shaped the streams deep valley's. The trip down Fourteenmile Creek shows the effects of the Ohio River on it and how it is the same elevation as the Ohio due to dams and locks along the Ohio. When the Ohio rises, Fourteenmile seems to be 'reversing' in its flow due to the water backing up.

The park was used as the Indiana Army Ammunition Plant for 50 years, ending in 1995. The park used to also have a turn of the century amusement park called Rose Island.

Landscape
Fourteenmile Creek is the main attraction of the park, with elevational changes of over 200 feet. Devonian fossils litter the park and the area is made up heavily of karst sinkholes. The unique topography of the landscape offers rugged hiking options.

Flora and fauna
Birding is very popular in the park featuring observations of species such as: scarlet tanager, osprey, bluebirds, black vultures and bald eagles.

Wildflowers and heavy woodlands fill the area.

Climate
Located in Southern Indiana summers are hot and steamy, when winters are moderate. Spring and Fall are pleasant times.

Get in
Head east off of I-65 onto SR-62 for eight miles, into the park.

Basic gate fees

 * Weekdays - $4 (Indiana plates)
 * Weekends (F-Su, holidays) - $5 (Indiana plates)
 * Non-Indiana residents - $7
 * Pedestrians, bikes, by horse - $2

Get around
A car gets you in, while hiking is your best bet for travelling the park.

See

 * The trails lead you through beautiful and ancient deciduous forests, bluffs overlooking the creek, and more. Waterfalls, birds, wildflowers and more.

Do

 * Hike four different trails ranging from moderate to rugged. Explore the scenic vistas, bluffs, cliffs, waterfalls and Fourteenmile Creek. Eight miles worth!
 * Fish for bass, bluegill, catfish and other gamefish in the Creek.
 * Visit the nature center to learn about the area and during the summer rangers host naturalist tours.
 * Enjoy a picnic on grassy greenspace or shelters with toilets and playgrounds.

Buy
Pack your goods ahead of time, there isn't a park store.

Eat
There are no restaurants in Charlestown.

Drink
Water is available from pumps throughout the park.

Lodging
Louisville is the nearest major city, offering plenty of lodging arrangements.

Camping

 * The park offers an onsite campground with toilets, hot water and showers. All sites are electric!

Stay safe

 * Use common sense.
 * Firearms aren't allowed in the park.
 * Keep your pets on leashes.
 * Build fires in permitted areas only.
 * Carry in/carry out all of your goods.
 * Drive the speed limit
 * Don't drink water unless it's from park pumps.
 * Don't swim, the creek might look inviting but it isn't safe.
 * Call 911 or park ranger offices if any problems.

title: Charlestown State Park