PRINCETON CLASS OF 1973 MINI-REUNION

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA

Dates: Thursday, March 26 – Saturday, March 28, 2020 [Suggested activities for Sunday, March 29 included below]

Cost: $973.00 per person, payable in full by credit card upon registration. This fee DOES NOT include hotels, breakfasts, or lunches. Due to space constraints at restaurants and on tours, we are limited to 50 people. A waiting list will be maintained. 

Registration: Registration is closed.

Refund Policy: No refunds on registration fees after December 31, 2019. We recommend that you invest in trip insurance if you are concerned about recouping registration costs due to cancellation.

Hotels:

You are responsible for securing your own accommodations. There are numerous hotels in the Charleston area as well as options available through AirBnB, VRBO, etc. The three hotels listed below are conveniently located options.

1. The Hampton Inn at 345 Meeting Street – 843-723-4000

2. The King Charles Inn at 237 Meeting Street – 843-723-7451 or 866-546-4700

3. The Vendue Inn at 19 Vendue Range- 843-203-2828

Meals: Alcoholic beverages at our dinners include beer and wine but not cocktails.

Disability and Dietary Accommodations: While we cannot guarantee accommodations for accessibility or dietary restrictions, please note any issues when you register. We will do our best to meet your needs.

Questions? Please contact Macie Green VanRensselaer at macie.hall@gmail.com.

Schedule:

Thursday March 26

5:30-7:30 Wine, Beer and Carolina Moonshine Cocktail Reception at the home of Richard Thaler ’73, 5 Tradd Street.

8:00-9:30 Dinner at High Cotton and presentation by Harlan Greene, historian, researcher, archivist, and authority on Charleston’s past. He currently serves as head of the College of Charleston’s Special Collections Department. Greene has published numerous fiction and nonfiction books and essays focused on Charleston, homosexuality, and Jewish identity. He will discuss the highs and lows of the city’s history

from 1670 to the present with interesting tidbits and trivia not found in history books. Meet at High Cotton, 199 East Bay Street.

Friday March 27

9:30-11:30 Walking Tour of historic downtown Charleston. Meet at Charleston Place Hotel, 205 Meeting Street.

11:45-3:00. Free time for lunch, relaxation, shopping, walking the city.

3:00-5:00 Historic Cruise on the Pride of Charleston sailing sloop to cruise the Charleston Harbor with views of Fort Sumter, Fort Moultrie, Morris island (site of Fort Wagner) and more. Meet at 10 Wharfside Street.

5:00-7:00 Free time for relaxation, shopping, walking the city.

7:00-9:00 Dinner at Magnolias and presentation by Brian Hicks. Hicks is an award-winning senior writer and columnist for The Charleston Post and Courier. He is the author of In Darkest South Carolina, a book that covers the Briggs v. Elliot case that became known as Brown v. Board of Education, the topic of his presentation. Meet at Magnolias,185 East Bay Street.

9:30-10:30 Charleston Ghost Tour with Rhett Dunaway ’84 to visit many ghostly sites and scenes in downtown Charleston.

Saturday March 28

9:30-11:30 Walking Tour of historic downtown Charleston. Meet at Charleston Place Hotel, 205 Meeting Street.

11:45-3:00. Free time for lunch, relaxation, shopping, walking the city.

3:00-5:00 Historic Cruise on the Pride of Charleston sailing sloop to cruise the Charleston Harbor with views of Fort Sumter, Fort Moultrie, Morris island (site of Fort Wagner) and more. Meet at 10 Wharfside Street.

5:00-7:00 Free time for relaxation, shopping, walking the city.

7:00-9:00 Dinner at Magnolias and presentation by Brian Hicks. Hicks is an award-winning senior writer and columnist for The Charleston Post and Courier. He is the author of In Darkest South Carolina, a book that covers the Briggs v. Elliot case that became known as Brown v. Board of Education, the topic of his presentation. Meet at Magnolias,185 East Bay Street.

9:30-10:30 Charleston Ghost Tour with Rhett Dunaway ’84 to visit many ghostly sites and scenes in downtown Charleston.

Sunday March 29

11:00-1:00 Coffee & Nosh Farewell at the home of Rich Thaler, 5 Tradd St

2:00-5:00 Tradd Street House and Garden Tour (Optional Must RSVP by March 1)

Suggested Activities for Free Time and Sunday, March 29

The Gibbes Museum of Art

Walking Tours

Historic Charleston Foundation (tours of house museums, special events)

Historic Houses

Historic Plantations and Gardens

Civil War Era Submarine Hunley

Fort Sumter

Several restaurants offer weekend jazz brunches, including High Cotton and Eli’s Table.

Rich Thaler’s Top Spots and Tips for Lunch 

• Blind Tiger Pub, 38 Broad Street: Perfect for Hungry Tigers. Indoor and outdoor dining in the back. Very good burgers.
• Brown Dog Deli, 40 Broad Street: Deli-style sandwiches to go. If you would like to eat on a bench by the Cooper River this is the place to get takeaway.
• Pearlz Oyster Bar, 153 East Bay Street: Excellent oysters but also have grits, burgers, etc.
• Millers All Day, 120 King Street: Breakfast until 3:00PM!
• Eli’s Table, 129 Meeting Street: Nice sit-down restaurant with salads, sandwiches and more.
• One Broad Street, 1 Broad Street: Quick and easy bakery and Café.
• Minero, 155 East Bay Street: OK Mexican cuisine.
• Rooftop@the Vendue, 19 Vendue Range (part of the Vendue Hotel): Terrific view and OK food for lunch.
• Blossom, 171 East Bay: Good seafood.
• Fleet Landing, 186 Concord Street: Right on the water. Very good seafood. A fave of mine—I took Jim Lape, Katherine Holden, and Enid Duaney there and all liked it. Make a reservation as it is very popular for lunch.
• Gaulart & Maliclet French Café (aka Fast French), 90 Broad Street: Cheap prix fix French place. Usually some kind of good soup and sandwich. Bar eating with a glass of wine for about $15 per person. No reservations but tables turn fast.
• Avoid Hyman’s. It is a total tourist trap!
• Lots of other places; these are where I tend to go. If you liked High Cotton or Magnolia’s for dinner, they also do nice lunches.