Explore, Eat & Relax In Charming Charleston

Recently, I went on a girl’s trip with my mom, sister-in-law, and mom’s best friend to Charleston, South Carolina. I will admit, when I heard the plan was Charleston, I was not overly excited. I figured it would be a nice, quiet weekend without many activities. I couldn’t have been more wrong! Charleston ended up stealing my heart for many reasons such as:

1. There were plenty of varying activities to choose from.
2. There were great restaurants with amazing food!
3. It was great to also rest during our free time.

If you have never been, PLEASE read on to see why Charleston would be a great destination for your next domestic vacation.

Explore:

Ya’ll, there are SO many activities to choose from. We had about 3.5 days worth of time to explore, but easily could’ve used a few week or more. No matter what your desires are, there will be many options for you. These can be as calm, adventurous, sporty, or as rigorous as you’d like! We opted to stay on the calm side of things and enjoyed every bit of it. My favorites were:

Classic Carriage Works- Slavery to Freedom Tour- Although I am well aware of the country’s history of freedom, our tour guide did an excellent job of describing exactly what slavery was like in Charleston, how abolishment was handled, and what the city and state are doing now to raise continued awareness on the matter. On this tour, you will see multiple plantations while also simply enjoying the beauty of the area. If you’re like me, you leave with a deeper appreciation for those that fought for equality. If you’re lucky, you’ll also get to pet your horse at the end! :)

Aiken-Rhett House– The Aiken-Rhett house is probably one of the realest ways you can see what it was like to be an owner of a large plantation and what a slave’s living conditions were like. It is a self-guided tour with headphones included. You can go as fast or as slow as you’d like while taking in the history. If you are sensitive or have any type of deeply rooted, negative emotion towards the facts of slavery, prepare yourself prior to going. It is hard to walk through the tiny, cramped slave quarters then walk through the beautiful mansion, but understanding helps us keep an open mind and spread more love and equality today.

City Market– The Charleston city market is AWESOME! It’s filled with independent vendors of all sorts. Whether you are looking for art, home decor, jewelry, food, etc. you will likely find it here. We went twice- once during the day and once in the evening. The evening visit included live music, which I’m always a fan of. Although it was crowded, I loved that there were so many vendors that I could choose to support. They were all quite unique as well! It’s a great way to take a piece of Charleston back with you.

*If you end up having more time than we did or would like additional options, I would suggest visiting Magnolia Gardens, taking the King Street culinary tour, and/or adding in a harbor tour. We unfortunately did not make it to them, but they are top rated suggestions.

 

Eat: 

This is the south so you know there were so many great restaurants to choose from. It’s actually hard to pick which ones were my favorite because there was not a single bad meal! In an effort to not let the food section take over the post (and it easily could…the food was that good!), I will narrow it down to my top three with a few additional that can be added for a quick snack.

Poogan’s Porch– When we arrived at Poogan’s Porch, it felt as if we were walking into our grandmother’s home. I could smell freshly baked biscuits in the air (which are complimentary with every table btw…) and could feel the warmth with all of the staff. We ordered a variety of options such as the fried chicken and crab cakes. We had fried chicken at multiple restaurants, but this one, paired with the greens and mashed potatoes, was my favorite!

Virginia’s on King– Let’s talk all things fried! When I looked back at pictures, we pretty much had fried everything on our table. What led this one to being one of my top restaurants was the catfish and grits with hushpuppies because 1. I love hush puppies 2. I love fried food 3. I’m not a fan of shrimp, but I love grits so adding catfish instead was such a great idea! And it was great! We also ordered the fried soft shell crab sandwich and of course… fried chicken.

Hall’s Sunday gospel brunch– Ok, now this restaurant blew… me…away! Everyone who offered food suggestions said we HAD to eat here and specifically for the Sunday brunch. We went right when they opened and were amazed from the moment we walked in. The entire staff was so friendly. They welcomed us by shaking our hands, asking how our days were, and expressing gratitude for us being there. This continued throughout the entire experience, including when we walked out (pictured below with a member of staff leaders).

Now, on to the food and gospel. On Sundays, Hall’s features a gospel band that can sing their hearts out! It was so refreshing to hear the live music and also hear gospel playing over the loud speaker when they weren’t in the room. If you aren’t in the main room where they perform, no worries. They roam from room to room so everyone has the experience. And the food…. the FOOD! I ordered the french toast, which came with a tower of bacon. The presentation and flavor was the best I’ve seen and had. Please make it a point to dine here.

Tip: It’s best to make reservations for all of the above restaurants. We were lucky to get into them all, but I would not bet on this! Call or use Open Table in advance.

Quick snacks:

Hot Little Biscuit: They serve hot and fresh biscuit sandwiches. You’ll have to wait about 10-15 minutes for it, but believe me… it’s worth it. I suggest the BLT.

 

King Street Cookies: If you know me, you know I love cookies! They are pretty much my food weakness. King Street Cookies has so many fun and traditional flavors. I was in cookie heaven when I walked in. I suggest the s’more cookies.

 

Relax:

 

Charleston is filled with great activities and great food, but as with any trip, it’s important to make time to relax. There were parks all around that we could take time in. There beauty is literally all around you.

I would also suggest:

Folly Beach– If you look up beaches to visit, you’ll find quite a few. We picked Folly because it was pretty while also small enough to not feel like a large town. We spent just a few hours here with perfect relaxation.

Henry’s – Henry’s is a lounge space in the heart of downtown. At night they play live music and also turn the space into a nightclub. During the day, it is nice and quiet with such a beautiful outdoor space. We could’ve sat here for hours!

 

A peaceful hotel- If you pick the right hotel, your outdoor space will not require you to leave if you don’t want! We stayed at the Courtyard Charleston Marriott right in the historic district. It had a fire pit in the front, nice courtyard and pool in the back, and a library space + bar in the downstairs common area. We spent a bit of time here reading and relaxing. Many choose to stay right on King Street, but our hotel was just a few blocks up and much cheaper (but equally nice!). And they gave complimentary, warm cookies so of course I was sold on that!

 

If you haven’t had Charleston on your list before, I hope this post helps in bringing all it has to offer to life! It is charming, fun, historic, and an overall delight to be in! I guarantee, you will love it!