Day One, Thursday:
Charleston has always been on our list of places we wanted to go. As avid Southern Charm fans, we knew we needed to check out this southern paradise ASAP. Sark booked us a 3 night trip for an anniversary gift for us a few months ago and off we went!
Thankfully, our IG friends who also love Charleston gave us tons of recommendations and inspiration for places to go and things to do for our trip so we put together an itinerary before we went!
Even before we got there, we knew we would fall in love with Charleston. Southern hospitality is real y'all!!! Just as we expected, we knew everyone would be so welcoming and kind throughout our trip. The second we landed at the airport we were greeted by a greeter golden retriever dog at baggage claim! It was the cutest thing ever..... what a welcome!
We stayed at the Courtyard Marriott by the waterfront on the Ashley River and it was absolutely beautiful! The hotel is located just 5 minutes from King St, a little outside the hustle and bustle of the main streets and it was perfect. We used Uber on Thursday night for our first night and we had no trouble getting rides to and from. Everything was close by- it really was a great spot and we saw some of the most beautiful sunsets from our room!
We stopped at the lobby bar for some welcome margaritas & appetizers after we checked in. The view from the outdoor area off of the lobby bar was absolutely stunning. The grounds boasted an in-ground pool that overlooked the Ashley River- filled with a sea of boats. We really picked a good one.
After our apps, it was time for dinner. The most recommended spot to eat was definitely Halls Chophouse on King St. It was restaurant week in Charleston so we couldn't get a reservation until 9:30pm- but we were happy to get one at all!
When we arrived outside at Halls, it was our first time seeing King St. King reminds me so much of Nashville- without all the neon lights. It's filled with bars, restaurants, shops, cafes, literally you name it-- and it just keeps on going! There are horse and buggy's, and pedi-cabs everywhere. We didn't take either one on our trip, but next time for sure! They are both perfect ways to see everything on King if you'd rather not walk it.
Halls was BUMPING! Especially for after 9pm on a Thursday. The live music was super loud in the main bar area but we were seated in the back dining room which was more our speed for that time of night. Our waitress we found out was not only from Boston like us, but also just a few towns away from our town! Such a small world.
The food and drinks at Halls did NOT disappoint. We both got steaks and some sides to share. If we can recommend anything- you have to get the corn side. It was UNREAL. Our waitress also sent over some shrimp and grits to try for the first time because well....when in the south!!! To my dirty martini lovers-- they make one of the best here with the blue cheese stuffed olives.. YUM!
If you can get a reservation at Halls- we highly suggest doing so! It was well worth the money, and the late dinner reservation. We loved it- and we will definitely be going back. They also do a gospel brunch on Sundays too!
Day Two, Friday:
Friday morning we woke up and rented a ford explorer through Enterprise for the day! We were so excited to rent a car, to give us an Uber break and just have a car to go and do whatever we wanted. We wanted to be able to sight see and just drive around and explore..so we highly recommend renting a car for Charleston!
Our first stop in the car was to none other than the pineapple fountain! I've been dreaming of visiting this fountain and it was probably the highlight of the trip for me. The morning we went and saw it- it was so windy by the water it felt like actual heaven. I didn't ever want to leave! The sound of the fountain was so peaceful and calming...it was unreal. We took so many pictures and I even tossed my shoes off and dunked my feet in for good luck! Waterfront park is gorgeous- you cannot miss it.
Next we hopped on over 1 street and checked out Rainbow Row. Rainbow row is the name of the 13 colorful, historic houses in Charleston and they are absolutely gorgeous. They are privately owned- but a definite stop for some photos. You can't go to Charleston without stopping by Rainbow Row!
Next, we headed over to the Charleston City Market for some shopping. This was another spot that many people told us not to miss out on. There is some street parking but we did find a parking garage right next door that was perfect for us to park our rental in.
Before heading inside, we saw that there was a hotel next door with a rooftop bar. The Market Pavilion hotel is absolutely stunning. It's totally charming and the lobby was absolutely gorgeous with velvet furniture and crystal chandeliers. I remember researching Charleston and pictures of the Pavilion Rooftop Bar came out & I knew we had to stop there.
The Pavilion Rooftop was like something that I've never seen before. The rooftop hosts the hotel's pool and a restaurant that surrounds with 360 degree views of the entire city and the ocean. It's beautiful!
We both got the Pavilion Punch for cocktails and some sandwiches and everything was outstanding. Definitely worth the stop for the views alone...it's a beautiful stop. Must see!
After lunch, we headed next door to the Market. The Market is filled with local vendors selling anything and everything you can think of. Handmade jewelry, seagrass baskets, Charleston souvenirs, t-shirts, sweatshirts, fudge, candy, books, literally you name it. It was amazing and it just keeps on going and going. We found so many good treasures here and gifts to bring back home. I'm glad we came here and we felt good supporting the local small businesses.
After we left the market, we drove around Mount Pleasant, which is a suburban town outside of Charleston. This town was absolutely gorgeous and had some beautiful homes. We loved seeing all of the different styles of homes... who wouldn't want palm trees in their front yard?! We definitely had some house envy.. and could totally picture ourselves living there.
Dinner on night two was a recommendation from our good friend Ashley - also known as @ihavethisthingwithhomegoods on Instagram. Ashley is a Charleston native who knows alllll the good spots. She told us about Water's Edge on the banks of Shem Creek in Mount Pleasant, SC. A fun fact as well, Taylor Swift ate there once when she was in town! Anything on the water is a must for us- so this reservation was an easy one!
The atmosphere at Water's Edge was great. We ate on the outdoor deck overlooking the water and watched all the boats go by. The drinks were delicious and the food was outstanding. A popular menu item in South Carolina we noticed was She Crab Soup. So we had to try it! Assuming that She Crab Soup to SC natives is like our Clam Chowder here in Boston. It was really good!
For dinner we both ordered the boiled seafood platter and it was outstanding. Being from New England, we both love seafood but let me tell you-- the south knows how to cook their seafood too! Great place, great food and we loved being by the water! Thanks for the rec Ashley!
Day Three, Saturday:
We loved having the car so much, we decided to keep it for another whole day/night. We didn't get in as much exploring as we wanted to in 24 hours, so we extended our reservation. Saturday, our plan was for shopping and exploring King St during the day!
We did have brunch reservations but decided to cancel them to check out Callie's Hot Little Biscuit on King St. We heard lots of good things so we decided that we had to make the decision to skip our brunch and check out Callie's and thank goodness we did!
Callie's has a location on King St and in the Charleston City Market-- but since we were shopping on King for the day, we decided to choose that one. Callie's makes the best breakfast sandwiches on of course, the best biscuits! They also have mini biscuits of all varieties, so you can try a bunch! We loved it here- and so happy that we were able to get in. Trust us, it's worth the line!
After our biscuits, we headed right across the street to Sewing Down South. Which all my bravo people know is famously Craig's store from Southern Charm. We took some pictures and I had a total fan girl moment! So happy Craig followed his sewing dreams!
We shopped on king for a few hours..both ways. Man there are so many shops! Towards one end, there is large building called The Shops at Charleston Place. This is where you can find the high end stores like Louis Vuitton and Gucci. There are some restaurants inside and a beautiful courtyard in the center to have a break. Shopping on King did not disappoint!
After King we decided to head down to Isle of Palms which is a beach town right outside Charleston. We heard many good things about Isle of Palms and couldn't wait to check out all the beautiful homes along the water. Isle of Palms was our spot. It was so chill and beautiful and reminded me SO much of Laguna Beach, CA.
We drove directly to the center where the beach and boardwalk was located, with some really cute shops and the best mexican restaurant! We ate lunch at Papi's Taqueria and had such a great experience. It felt so chill, so relaxed, and it was such a good spot to take a break and get some good food. Definitely recommend!
Driving by all the houses in Isle of Palms was unbelievable. They are absolutely incredible and seeing the details on each one made the designer in me SO happy. We had so much fun looking at all of the beautiful homes and literally could have made a day of just driving around up there. You need to go. An official goal of ours is to have a house there one day. You heard it here first.
The last spot on our driving tour was to Folly Beach. Folly Beach reminded me a lot of Hampton Beach, NH but definitely cleaner. Folly has shopping, restaruants and bars all along the beach on the main strip. It was really fun to walk around and shop. We had to stop at The Pineapple Hut and grab their pineapple dole whip. It was such a refreshing treat after our long day! (Another great recommendation from our friend Ashley!)
Dinner on our last night was at a gorgeous coastal restaurant called The Kingstide. This one I actually found on opentable and I'm so glad that we decided to eat here. The Kingstide is located in Daniel's Island right on the water with unreal views. The coastal setting here was exactly what I pictured South Carolina to look like. It was what dreams are made of.
Daniel's Island, Charleston and Isle of Palms are all golf cart towns. The residents there have golf carts that they drive around that are street legal. Imagine taking your golf cart to dinner?! GOALS!!!! There were about a dozen golf carts parked at the Kingstide and we were envious for sure!
The Kingstide was just as beautiful inside as it was outside. The coastal decor and vibes were ON POINT and so wasn't their menu. I started off with a Greek Martini- a feta stuffed black olive martini, instead of the typical green. It was interesting for sure! The food here was unreal. The views were beautiful- we saw the prettiest sunset over the water. We really loved it here and we're so happy that we found it!
That concludes our trip to Charleston, SC. We originally thought 3 days was not going to be long enough for us but honestly- we felt like we did so much on our trip- we were satisfied! Although, it was sad and hard for us to go back home from such a beautiful place! What made it easier to go home was the fact that our plane ride was pretty short-- just a little over an hour and a half!
We absolutely loved Charleston. The weather, the people, the food, the drinks, the sights. Everything was absolutely beautiful and we're so happy that we booked this trip. We found a really special place that we can't wait to go back to and we are so happy.
If you're reading this and wanting to check Charleston out, don't wait! This place is an absolute gem and I just wish we didn't wait so long to check it out. It's a great spot for a family trip, romantic getaway, or a trip with friends!! You get the best of both worlds having the hustle and bustle of a southern city and being right next to the ocean.
Charleston, we love you! Sea you again soon!
