The Ashley River plantations — Magnolia, Middleton Place, and the starkly beautiful Drayton Hall — are 30–40 minutes' drive northwest of the city and each offers a different perspective on Lowcountry history and the lives of the enslaved people who built it. The beach towns of Sullivan's Island and Folly Beach are half an hour east, with Atlantic surf and relaxed seafood shacks. Further afield, historic Beaufort and the ACE Basin wetlands make a long but rewarding day trip down the coast.