Before you get busy shopping and dining and admiring Beaufort’s fine old homes, go straight to the town’s pride and joy since 1980, the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park (843/525-7054, www.cityofbeaufort.org, daily 24 hours), stretching for hundreds of feet directly on the Beaufort River.

A tastefully designed and user-friendly mix of walkways, bandstands, and patios, Waterfront Park is a favorite gathering place for locals and visitors alike, beckoning one and all with its open greenspace and wonderful marsh-front views. My favorite part is the long row of swinging benches on which to peacefully sit and while away the time looking out over the marsh.

Many of the popular restaurants on Bay Street have back entrances and outdoor seating facing Waterfront Park, but you may opt for a casual picnic. Kids will especially enjoy the park not only because there’s so much room to run around, but for the charming playground at the east end near the bridge, complete with a jungle gym in the form of a Victorian home. The clean, well-appointed public restrooms are a particularly welcome feature here.