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6 Tours Unique to Charleston — Locals’ Picks

By U.S. News & World Report

Ask anyone who’s sweated through the extensive exam required to become a licensed Charleston, South Carolina, tour guide: This charmed port city takes its history and culture seriously. Tourism authorities go to great lengths to ensure that all official tour guides are well-versed, but that hardly means all tours are the same. In fact, whether you’re interested in Gullah culture, ghosts or grits, there are a number of great tours that allow you to experience the city through a unique lens.

Gullah Tours

The Gullah people are descendants of West African slaves who incorporated elements of their language and culture into their communities on the Sea Islands along the Atlantic Coast. “You can’t understand Charleston without appreciating the impact of Gullah culture on this region,” says Darcy Shankland, editor-in-chief of Charleston Magazine.

[Read: The Best Hotels in Charleston.]

Learn about the history of the Gullah people on Alphonso Brown’s Gullah Tours. Brown, author of “A Gullah Guide to Charleston” who was raised in a Gullah community, takes visitors on a two-hour narrated bus tour of significant sights. Tickets are $20, and reservations are strongly recommended.

Another option if you’re interested in Gullah history is the Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens in Mt. Pleasant, says Jenny Miehe, concierge at the French Quarter Inn. “You not only get to see an iconic Southern plantation, the plantation admission cost includes an ‘Exploring the Gullah Culture’ tour with great storytelling that’s only about 45 minutes long,” Miehe says. Admission is $24 for adults, $21 for seniors and members of the military, $12 for children 6 to 12 and free for kids 5 and younger.

Walking Tours

Small and quaint, Charleston is ideal for exploring on foot. “A walking tour is my favorite way to experience all Charleston offers because you can see the city’s delights from a human scale, up close,” says Richard Burton, head concierge at Belmond Charleston Place.

Miehe says there are numerous walking tour options, but the good news is that it’s hard to go wrong. “I’ve never met a Charleston walking tour guide who wasn’t cool,” she says. Speaking of cool, Miehe recommends scheduling walking tours early in the day, before the temperatures heat up.

According to local experts, standout walking tour options include Lowcountry Legends (a two-hour private walking tour costs $50 per person, with a minimum of four people), Tommy Dew’s Walking History Tour (the less-than-two-hour tour costs $25 for adults and $15 for children 12 and younger) and Oyster Point Historic Tours (the two-hour tours cost $20 for adults and $10 for children 12 and younger).

Carriage Tours

A horse carriage tour is a good way to cover a bit more ground than you can on foot, plus it puts you at the perfect height to glimpse over garden gates and into the windows of the historic homes. “I definitely recommend a carriage tour — they’re only an hour long so guests get a good overview, but it leaves enough time to go back and explore on your own,” says Jess Segall, front office supervisor at the HarbourView Inn.

Several carriage companies offer tours, but experts recommend Old South Carriage Co. and Palmetto Carriage Works. Both companies offer hourlong tours that are $26 for adults, $16 for children 4 to 11 and free for younger kids if they ride in a parent’s lap. All horse carriages follow one of several routes, and the particular route a tour will go on is determined by a lottery.

[Read: 6 Must-See Charleston Museums.]

Fort Sumter Tours

“You don’t fully experience Charleston until you see it from the water,” says David Hood, head butler at The Spectator Hotel. And one fun way to get on the water and see Charleston’s historic harbor, plus get a refresher on your Civil War history, is to tour Fort Sumter National Monument. Fort Sumter Tours leaves from either Liberty Square downtown or Patriots Point in Mt. Pleasant, and includes a half-hour boat ride out to the fort (and back), with breathtaking views of Charleston — plus, if you’re lucky, frequent dolphin sightings. Once you arrive, you can take a self-guided on-the-ground tour of the historic fort itself.

Tickets are $21 for those 12 and older, $18.50 for seniors and members of the military, $13 for children 4 to 11 and free for those 3 and younger.

Culinary Tours

In recent years, Charleston has become as celebrated for its food and James Beard Award-winning restaurants and chefs as it has for its architecture and history. Indeed, much of the city’s history and culture is linked to its food. So, what better way to get an authentic taste of the city than with a behind-the-scenes tour of its foodie scene?

[Read: 7 Great Charleston Water Parks and Beaches.]

Charleston Culinary Tours offers various delicious options. Its classic 2.5-hour “Downtown Charleston Culinary Tour” allows you to sample classic Southern fare at three or four well-known restaurants (destinations vary by tour) while your guide gives you a primer on the city’s culinary scene. The tour costs $60 per person, and alcoholic beverages aren’t included.

Ghost Tours

Any history-rich city has its share of hauntings, and Charleston is no exception, according to its many popular ghost tours. Among them, Bulldog Tours gives its guests an up-close-and-personal tour of the beautiful historic Circular Congregational Church’s graveyard, whose earliest resident was buried in 1695. As you hear ghoulish tales, you’ll also learn about some of the city’s prominent citizens.

The hour-and-a-half-long ghost tour costs a few shivers and $25 for adults and $15 for children 7 to 12. It’s free for brave souls 6 and younger.

To experience more of what Charleston has to offer, check out the U.S. News Travel guide.

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6 Tours Unique to Charleston — Locals’ Picks originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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