Charleston, South Carolina

Mon, Oct 30, 2017

Charleston, South Carolina

I’ve been to the beautiful city of Charleston South Carolina over 20 times and needless to say I’m yet to get sick of it! We started going when I was around 9 years old, and for the last few years I’ve gone once in the spring and once in the summer. This particular post is from a girls trip I took this past April with my mom, sister, and sister-in-law. In March and April, Charleston puts on home and garden tours, which are special peaks inside the hidden gems of the city. The tours are filled with stunning historic homes and gardens and I highly recommend it! Not to mention the spring time is my favorite season in Charleston, it’s always mid 70’s, sunny, and not humid (like it is in the summer). The flowers are in bloom and they match the pastel homes that line the cobblestone streets. It really is such a unique place in the world…the perfect combination of beautiful old historic homes, peaceful beaches, and also boasts some of the best food in the country. Charleston is an unexpected foodie city and the amount of good restaurants in such a small place is astounding! When my family first started taking trips there, there wasn’t the food scene that there is now. I don’t know what sparked it, but in the last 6-8 years new restaurants and bars have sprung up downtown and we are so glad they did! My food and activity list might be a little more on the “classic” Charleston side, if you will, because these are the things I have loved to do before Charleston was so trendy. With that said, you might find someone else’s to eat or to do list a tad cooler than mine but the classics are tried and true! Also, I might add that I get more people asking me what to do, see, and eat in Charleston than any other place I’ve been. So this post is waaaay over do, but I will say, it’s given me time to perfect it! Here’s my go to places and things : )

***Updated April 2023

Honorable mentions…Poogan’s Smokehouse, The Rise, The Ordinary, Felix Cocktails et Cuisine, One Broad Street, S.N.O.B.

Fun Things To Do

Where To Stay

I get asked this A LOT. I have only ever stayed on Isle Of Palms in a beach house with my family (30 minute drive from downtown Charleston), which are available to rent on VRBO and Airbnb. If you are staying for longer than a weekend, I think staying on Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island, or Mount Pleasant is a great option. These places are all within 15-35 minute drive to downtown Charleston and generally more affordable than staying downtown. You get to stay on the beach but explore downtown Charleston everyday if you want (my family usually drives in for dinner every evening and spends one or two afternoons downtown as well).

If you are only in the area for the weekend, staying downtown is a greaty option and I would recommend Hotel Bennett. It’s the only place I’ve stayed downtown and it is perfect (and expensive) in every way. Other than that, I can’t speak to any other hotels because I haven’t stayed anywhere else!