The entire Summerville/Charleston area has much to offer for entertainment including shopping at one-of-a-kind boutiques, specialty stores and antique shops. Antebellum plantations, intricate gardens and historic homes and museums will satisfy history buffs.

For the outdoor adventurer, try kayaking or canoeing down one of the rivers that pass through as they flow on their way to the Atlantic Ocean. Golfers of all levels will find a definite challenge on the many prestigious golf courses "Where the game of golf was first played in America".

So much of what makes America great began right here. Here is a list of the "Top Ten Things To See When You Stay At Woodlands".

1. Historic Summerville - just a short bike ride from the inn takes you to the quaint village of Summerville. Explore the market on the square and visit the many shops, museum, and small cafes and restaurants available. It is always a good idea to end your visit at Geurins Pharmacy for a malt from Summerville's oldest soda fountain. www.visitsummerville.com
   
   
2. Historic Gardens & Plantations - Take a tour of one of the many plantations and gardens nearby. The first that you will come to is Middleton Place; America's oldest landscaped gardens. Open daily 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. www.middletonplace.org. Just down the road is Magnolia Plantation. This 17th century estate, acquired in 1676 by the Drayton Family (whose heirs still own it) features the year-round bloom of America's oldest gardens (c. 1680), boasting one of the largest collections of azaleas and camellias in the country. Open daily 9 a.m. to dusk. www.magnoliaplantation.com. Drayton Hall, the oldest preserved plantation house in America that is open to the public, is located 20 minutes away. This National Historic Landmark remains in nearly original condition. www.draytonhall.org
   
   
3. Historic Charleston - Charleston was founded by the English as the first European settlement in what is now South Carolina. Today Charleston's history has been richly preserved and offers horse-drawn carriage rides, mansions and museums, and nearby, historic monuments such as Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the Civil War were fired. Stroll The Battery or White Point Gardens, where pirates once dangled from the gallows, for spectacular views of the harbor. Visit Catfish Row, the inspiration for America's first opera, Porgy and Bess, where vendors once peddled their produce along the roadside. Now private homes and specialty shops line the area. Browse though the traditional market on Market Street and visit the many boutiques, art galleries and the King Street antique shops. www.charlestoncvb.com
   
   
4. South Carolina Aquarium - Located on historic Charleston harbor, the aquarium opened its doors this summer becoming home to thousands of live plants and animals. Through more than 60 exhibits representing areas throughout the state, this educational and conservation-oriented Aquarium provides a comprehensive view of the power, mystery and beauty of South Carolina's unique aquatic habitats-from the mountains to the sea! Open daily 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
   Website: www.scaquarium.org
   
   
5. Golf - Kiawah, Seabrook, and Wild Dunes are the courses in the area that grab a golfer's attention and they're located less that an hour from the resort; however, there are many reasons to stay closer to the inn for a great game of golf. Just minutes away you can choose from several spectacular courses. Legend Oaks Plantation, a traditional-style course located on the site of a former rice plantation and designed by Former Pete Dye associate Scott W. Pool; Pine Forest, a Ken Killian designed championship course situated on hundreds of acres of pristine South Carolina pine, live oak and dogwood featuring unsurpassed mix of natural beauty, superb design and unspoiled landscape with acres of lakes and lagoons; and Coosaw Creek Country Club, an Arthur Hill designed course blessed with an unusually rolling terrain amidst a beautiful woodland setting not seen elsewhere in the Lowcountry.
   
   
6. Beidler Forest - Walk back a thousand years in the world's largest virgin cypress-tupelo swamp forest. This 11,000-acre river sanctuary in the heart of Four Holes Swamp embraces 1,800 acres of ancient trees that tower over black-water streams, clear pools and 300 species of wildlife. You'll delight over the forest's wonders from vantage points along a winding, elevated boardwalk (1 ½ miles long) that conveniently starts and ends at the Visitors Center. Open Tuesday - Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. www.beidlerforest.com
   
   
7. Cypress Gardens - For a true Lowcountry adventure, explore one of the Charleston area's most beloved attractions‡Cypress Gardens! Here you can stroll along four miles of walking trails that wind through the area's most beautiful gardens…paddle a flat bottom boat through a real cypress swamp?elax in a unique and exciting Butterfly House, which features a vast array of native butterflies and the plants they thrive on…or explore an Aquarium that offers an up-close look at the amphibians, reptiles and fish indigenous to the cypress swamp. For many visitors, Cypress Gardens proves to be their favorite experience because it allows one to interact with the area's beauty. www.cypressgardens.org
   
   
8. Beaches - The area's lush Sea Islands of Kiawah, Seabrook and the Isle of Palms where endless sun drenched beaches await. These magnificent white, sand beaches offer water sports of every kind including boating and deep-sea fishing.
   
   
9. Mepkin Abbey - The monks of Mepkin Abbey welcome visitors. People come because they have heard of the beautiful environment, their life of prayer, work, and study, because of the quiet and peace they can find here, or because they are curious about the monk's life and mission. www.mepkinabbey.org
   
   
10. Fort Sumter - America's most tragic conflict ignited at Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, when a chain reaction of social, economic and political events exploded into civil war. At the heart of these events was the issue of states rights versus federal authority flowing over the underlying issue of slavery. Fueled by decades of disagreement and confrontation, South Carolina seceded in protest of Lincoln's election and the social and economic changes sure to follow. With Fort Sumter as an unyielding bastion of Federal authority, the war became inevitable. A powerful symbol to both the South and the North, Fort Sumter remains a memorial to all that fought to hold it. www.nps.gov/fosu