If you plan a trip to Charleston, leave an afternoon to ride a bicycle. You can tell Charlestonians by their old-fashioned, coaster-brake bikes with baskets and bells on the handle bars. They know that two wheels is often the most convenient and always the most scenic way to see this historic city where cars and tour buses circle the Battery, the peninsula where the Cooper and Ashley rivers meet the Atlantic Ocean.

The Battery (Courtesy: the Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau)

On a bike, you can pause for a glimpse of Fort Sumter across the water, chat with fishermen, or ride slowly up and down Rainbow Row, where occassionally you'll spot someone polishing the door knocker of one of those stately, pastel-colored houses.

There are a couple places around town to rent bikes. Check the yellow pages. A word of caution, though: Three of the main streets into the historic city -- East Bay, Meeting and King -- are clogged with cars, often driven by tourists either lost or wacky and likely not looking for cyclists.

Rainbow Row (Courtesy: the Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau)

These busy streets are also noisy. I once stayed at the Lodge Alley Inn, a popular hotel on East Bay Street, and I awoke early in the morning to the grinding and clanging of a garbage truck hoisting a restaurant dumpster. So take my advice and ask for a quiet room when staying along busy thoroughfares.

My favorite hotel is Fulton Lane Inn on King Street. It is mid-priced and quiet, the staff is cordial, and the comfortable rooms have big canopy beds. Breakfast is delivered to your room.

There are nice accommodations all over Charleston. If you're new to the area, call the Charleston Trident Convention & Visitors Bureau for an information packet at 1-800-868-8118. The bureau can fill you in on the beaches, golf courses, plantations and museums around Charleston as well as activities in the downtown area.

If you arrive in Charleston without a room, go to the reservations desk at the Charleston Visitors Center, 375 Meeting St. Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

If you like bed and breakfast inns, call Historic Charleston Bed & Breakfast, a booking service that arranges accommodations in private homes and carriage houses. 1-800-743-3583. I prefer B&Bs because the host and hostess know Charleston. I'd rather get restaurant advice from them than, say, a hotel bellhop.

I've tried probably two dozen restaurants in Charleston, but circle back to four. These aren't necessarily the best, just ones where I rarely get a mediocre, unfilling dish. At night, you can't miss Slightly North of Broad, with its gas lamps flickering along East Bay Street. My favorites are barbecued tuna and ribeye steak with Clemson blue cheese.

At Pinckney Cafe, on Pinckney Street, chef Scott Fales usually keeps a pot of grits bubbling on the stove. I was lucky enough once to dine on grits topped with duck, chicken and pan gravy.

My favorite for Italian is Celia's, on Beaufain Street. Fulton Five, on Fulton Street, gets rave reviews, but its dishes aren't hearty enough for me. Until a recent remodeling, part of Celia's charm was the old clapboard building that housed the restaurant. It appeared ready to fall down. It's always been cozy and friendly inside. A word of warning: the relish and bread that arrives before appetizers is so good you can easily spoil your appetite. I usually order a pasta dish with sausage, green peas and cream sauce.

Every spring during the Spoleto Festival, diners are entertained by musicians playing for their supper. The Blind Tiger, a pub on Broad Street, is a dark, often smoky place, but the ales and lagers are good, and the crab cake dinner with sauteed vegetables and rice spills over the plate. Of course, there's a dartboard in the back.

For nightlife, I stroll along Market Street (where merchandise vendors operate by day) and listen for live music coming from one of the half dozen bars and clubs that attract College of Charleston and Citadel students. Another popular spot for the young crowd is the Music Barn, on Ann Street. This fall, a musical variety show, Serenade, opened on John Street in a refurbished railroad station dating back to the early 1800s.

During the day, the market area is the starting point for horse-drawn carriage tours. If you want a personal tour, call the Historic Charleston Foundation, at (803) 724-8485, for the names of tour guides.