Historical Victorian Inn with Charming Patio Courtyard

A big, peach-colored mansion might seem out of place in many neighborhoods. But the Beaufort Inn’s bright Victorian building fits right in amid Beaufort’s National Landmark Historic District. The South Carolina inn, constructed as a summer retreat for a US congressman in 1897, is one of the jewels of the neighborhood, with its wide, whitewashed verandas and green-and-white striped awnings. Over the years, this Victorian inn near the coast has attracted other esteemed guests, including Julia Roberts and Jimmy Buffett.

The onsite Southern Graces bistro serves lunch and dinner in the dining room, which is accented with dark wood and plush taupe sofas. Each morning in the Magnolia Room, you can enjoy a full complimentary breakfast that includes cereal, pastries, a hot entree, and fruit. Outside in the courtyard, wrought-iron patio furniture rests beneath leafy trees strung with twinkling lights.

No two rooms in the Beaufort Inn are alike; most rooms reflect a modern sensibility, with hardwood floors and earthy hues. In select luxury king or queen suites, there’s a decorative fireplace where you can toast with a glass of red or white wine.

Beaufort, South Carolina: Historic Seaport with Coastal Beauty

Beaufort, a historic Lowcountry seaport just north of Hilton Head, is so charming that films such as Forrest Gump and The Prince of Tides shot scenes here. The quaint downtown area has a variety of boutiques, restaurants, and galleries all within walking distance of the inn.

Seventeen miles north, at the end of a long country road, you can find the tabby-colored ruins of the prerevolutionary Old Sheldon Church. Built in the late 1740s, the church was destroyed by the British army in 1779, rebuilt in 1826, and then torched again by Sherman's troops during his march to the sea in 1865. It rests in the shadow of oaks draped in spanish moss.

Hunting Island State Park, a semibarrier island, runs parallel to the Atlantic Ocean, with a 5-mile stretch of beach and thousands of acres of marsh and tidal creeks abounding with wildlife. At the top of the park's 133-foot black-and-white lighthouse, it’s possible to look out on panoramic views of the ocean.