Book excerpt: A complete guide for everything you need to experience a great Long Weekend in Charleston. When Charles Pinckney, signer of the Declaration of Independence, was asked sarcastically where Charleston was, he replied, “Why, Sir, it is where the Ashley and the Cooper rivers meet to form the Atlantic Ocean.” More history than you can shake a stick at here in Charleston. I ought to know. We have family buried in the historic French Huguenot church located at 136 Church Street. (Huguenots were French Protestants that fled from France after the Catholics started slaughtering them in the mid-1500s. Our family came over in the early 1600s.) “We’ve always wanted to visit both Savannah and Charleston. We chose Charleston first. It’s so wonderful that we can’t wait to get to Savannah to compare.” –--Beatrice K., San Diego “Forget all this history. I come to Charleston for the food. There’s a culinary rebirth going on in the South, and it’s centered in Charleston, so any foodie is going to have a great time. All the top spots—and some surprises—are listed in this book.” –Gerald S., Kansas City. You'll save a lot of time using this concise guide. =LODGINGS (in several parts of Atlanta) variously priced =FINE & BUDGET RESTAURANTS, more than enough listings to give you a sense of the variety to be found. =PRINCIPAL ATTRACTIONS -- don't waste your precious time on the lesser ones. We've done all the work for you. =A handful of interesting SHOPPING ideas.