Charleston remains the star attraction of South Carolina, but the Palmetto State has much else to recommend it: the rugged peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains; the placid lakes of the central Piedmont plateau; and the broad, sandy shores and resort islands of the Lowcountry. The first state to secede from the Union in 1860 wears its history on its sleeve, from the live-oak promenades of Georgetown to the stately mansions of Charleston’s Battery.