Downtown Charleston is famous for history, food and shopping.  One place where you can get all three is the slave market in the heart of the historic city.

First of all, let me address the elephant in the room.  There were never slaves sold from this open-air market.  In fact, it was a gift from the city to the newly freed slaves.  This place was meant for them to have an outlet to sell goods and make a living.  Today the selling spirit is alive and well.

Walk up and down ‘the market’, and you will be able to buy any souvenir you can imagine.  There are people selling t-shirts and knick-knacks.  Some people sell painted or sketched pictures of local landmarks.  Savvy chefs offer recipes and cookbooks highlighting the cuisine of the Low Country (the area from Columbia, SC,  to Savannah, GA).

You even will stumble upon women sitting in rocking chairs and weaving sweetgrass baskets, handbags and all sorts of other things.  Their craftsmanship is perfect, and all items are gorgeous.  However, before you take one home, you need to plan on spending a pretty penny.  These women know that you can’t find anything like this anywhere else.

Phew, I am huingry after all this walking.  Both sides of the market are lined with stores, candy shops, pubs, and restaurants.  There are themed places like Bubba Gump, which is based on the movie Forrest Gump.  You can enjoy some great local wings from Wild Wing Cafe.  The possibilities are almost endless.

If you want some dessert to get your sugar levels back up, there are a few candy stores where they actually make the candy right in front of you.  Beware, some of the shops offer free samples.  Once you bite down, it is all over.

After eating all that candy and before stopping to buy a new belt, you should stop to quench your thirst.  The pubs offer a relaxed atmosphere during the day and a great place to rest your feet.

There truly is something for everyone at the Charleston market.