CNN Travel Highlights Charleston

9 great Memorial Day getaways

Charleston, South Carolina: For high art with Southern hospitality

WHY GO THIS WEEKEND: One of the earliest observances of Memorial Day was by a group of freed slaves and took place weeks after the Civil War ended in 1865 in Charleston's Hampton Park.

Today, the world-renowned Spoleto Festival starts its two-week run this weekend, filling the historic city's theaters, churches, and outdoor spaces with opera, theater, jazz, symphonies, choruses, and visual arts. Highlights this year include the Mozart opera The Magic Flute; Hans Christian Andersen's The Red Shoes, performed by the U.K.'s innovative Kneehigh Theatre Group; and Grammy-winning jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves. Tickets can be purchased on a per-event basis, with prices ranging from $10 to $130.

WHERE TO STAY: Rooms can be hard to come by during Spoleto, so for last-minute travelers, we recommend Lodge Alley Inn, a time-share that rents its unreserved rooms starting seven days in advance. It's an old Masonic temple with choices of a studio or a one- or two-bedroom condo, all with kitchenettes. From $194,bluegreenonline.com. Alternately, you can stay across the river at the Hampton Inn in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. It's a short drive to downtown over the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, and the rates are more affordable than those in the city center. From $159 per night, hamptoninn.hilton.com.

EASY GETAWAY FROM: Atlanta; Charlotte, North Carolina; Miami; Washington, D.C.