Charleston

Charleston needs 2 days: walking through the historic downtown, with the colorful houses of Rainbow Row and horse-drawn carriages, on one, and visiting Fort Sumter, the harbor fortification where the first shots of the American Civil War were fired in 1861, on the other. March-May and September-November bring the mildest weather, avoiding the humid heat and summer hurricanes. It's expensive by Southern US standards. Founded in 1670, it preserves the best-preserved colonial historic center in the country, with over 1,400 protected historic buildings, and is considered the birthplace of Lowcountry cuisine, blending African, French and Caribbean influences.