Plus: Southern rivers to float and a Space Coast adventure

Chef Nikko Cagalanan at his restaurant, Kultura.

Planning a summer getaway to the Holy City? Some of Charleston’s best restaurants are tucked behind unassuming doors and down quiet neighborhood streets. From pepperoni pizza and a chilled red at Tutti to pickled shrimp at Babas on Cannon and a hidden bistro offering just six daily dishes, these small but mighty local favorites pull inspiration from Europe, the Lowcountry, and beyond—proof that big flavors thrive in little spaces.

Kissimmee and the Space Coast, Florida. With a space- and wildlife-obsessed teen, I’m surprised it took our family so long to visit Central Florida. Our son has autism, so my husband and I planned this trip around sensory-friendly attractions and activities that played to a few of his favorite things—astronauts, alligators, and apps.

To infinity and beyond. Our burning space-travel questions were answered by Robert Thirsk during Chat with an Astronaut, a new program at the Kennedy Space Center in which visitors get to grill rocketeers about everything from space walking to reentry. The entire visitor complex is also a Certified Autism Center, and an online sensory guide prepares families and rates attractions based on the five senses. Even though it was loud, bumpy, and overstimulating (in the best possible way), we all loved the Space Launch Experience.
Reptile-palooza. We ditched the crowds for a meditative kayak tour with the Paddling Center at Shingle Creek Regional Park, at the northernmost headwaters of the Everglades. As we glided past bald cypress trees draped with Spanish moss, our guide pointed out great blue herons and white ibises wading in the shallows and a yellow-bellied cooter sunning on a log. Our son calmly spotted a water moccasin(!) swimming up Shingle Creek and a twelve-foot-long American alligator lounging on the bank, which made his day.
From screen time to green time. Like any teenager, our kid often opts for technology over the great outdoors, so we were thrilled to learn that the Nature Conservancy has partnered with the mobile app Agents of Discovery at four of its Florida preserves, including the Disney Wilderness Preserve. While my husband and I observed yellow meadowlarks and sandhill cranes through binoculars, our son completed his app mission and learned about the importance of wetlands—and the animals that rely on them—in the process.