I think Ben said it best when he declared Charleston to be a town you could just melt into and never leave.
We felt so at home in the south, taking in the scenery, laid back lifestyle, and strolling our days away.
Vacation never felt so sweet!
I love how downtown Charleston has a couple of different sides to it. Centuries-old cobblestone streets still remain in parts of the French Quarter with upscale dining establishments just around the block, and influences from Europe to Miami can be seen in the enviable homes that line the peninsula.
As a history lover, I, well, love, the fact that many places in the area (including private homes, shops, and businesses) have placards with the history of the building on them – some dating back to the early 1700s. I always forget how “old” the east coast is compared to the rest of the country. I think that’s so neat!
As I mentioned in previous posts, the food in Charleston is not to be missed. From regional snacks like boiled peanuts (crazy!), to re-imagined dishes like pig ear lettuce wraps, and staples like Chicken & Waffles, the splurges were well worth it.
(Remind me of that when I’m chugging along on the treadmill this week, mmkay?)
One thing I was surprised by is how OUTSTANDING Charleston’s shopping scene is. Like, some of the best shopping I’ve seen anywhere, ever.
The main shopping district on King Street is lined with upscale brands like Cynthia Rowley and Louis Vuitton, fun and more affordable shops like Anthropologie and Kate Spade (ok still not that affordable) but the kicker is all the boutique shops filled with adorable dresses, jewelry, bags, and shoes that also dot the street. Ben and I were both pretty happy that I’m not able to fit into anything right now because I could have done some serious damage this past week!
One thing we were able to buy was a bow tie for our little man. He’ll be such a Midwestern gentleman! ;)
I always say the best way to get to know a new place is to see it on foot, and lucky for us Charleston is a true walking town. Ben and I walked everywhere – I’d say between 3-5 miles a day. Between the gorgeous waterfront and house gazing, it wasn’t hard to rack up the miles. Helped negate our heavier dinners, too…right? RIGHT?!
While in Charleston we stayed at the Francis Marion Hotel on King Street. The stunning hotel was built in the 20s and is in the perfect location for exploring the shops, restaurants, and areas on and off King. (Photos from hotel website.)
While the hotel was beautiful and clean, it was definitely built in a different era. The rooms are small and bathrooms even smaller with needs for updates. If I were you, and the budget allows for it, I’d stay at a nearby B&B to get the true Charleston experience in an old, Victorian-esque home. The Francis Marion was not bad at all, and we were only there to sleep and shower though, so no biggie!
With that, it’s back to the real world for us! Charleston was a dream, but alas, it is time to wake up. Thank you for coming along with us! Back to regularly scheduled programming tomorrow. I hope you had a great weekend!
Chicken and waffles? Wow I think my boyfriend would die and go to heaven if he saw let alone ate this.
Glad you guys had fun :) Love the photos.
That’s it! Charleston is officially on my list!
Looks like a great vacation! I’d love to visit there sometime. I love the east coast so much.
Thanks for taking us along on your fabulous vacation! The trip was great. Thoroughly enjoyed ALL those pics. Glad you had a good time and good weather too! Safe travels to you and Ben.
The Southeast is fabulous! I grew up in the Twin Cities but moved East after college, then married a Carolina boy and kept moving further south. I could NEVER EVER live in the Midwest again. For me the South takes it every time. Such special people too. Glad you had a good trip.
I never had boiled peanuts until I moved to the south, but they are actually sort of awesome.
Just wait til you get to plan trips with the little one! Finally a bump picture!! Yay! :) As you can tell, most of us readers are a bit baby-obsessed! Haha
Charleston looks beautiful! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Your belly is so cute and I’m loving your outfit too. :)
Hopefully this doesn’t come off as creepy because I don’t even know you – although I FEEL that I know you through your blog – but I had a dream you bought a new house, and Ben had a HUGE beer brewing room.
Lovely pictures of Charleston – you’re inspiring me to travel!
This makes me want to go back to Charleston! We were there about a year ago for a wedding and stayed at the Francis Marion as well. The room was small but I still can’t get over how TINY the bathroom was! I called down and they said every room was this small and building permits would not allow them to renovate/make them any bigger. Almost felt like a NYC hotel room, but worst! Glad you had a great time!
Thank you for all the information about Charleston. We have talked about visiting, and you helped us make a favorable decision.
Charleston is easily one of my favorite cities in the US, so I was so excited to read about your vacation! Looks like you two had a great time! Love the baby bump shots – so cute :)
Your bump is just the the cutest. You are the prettiest pregnant lady, ever :) And thanks to you I think I found a new vaca spot to put on my bucket list. Your pictures are gorgeous and I love all of your reviews of restaurants, shops, etc. Charleston is beautiful. Glad you guys had fun!
Yay baby-bump! So lovely.. you are beautiful!
Now you have to try the real chicken and waffles made in Lancaster County, PA. I didn’t even know the rest of the world had fried chicken on top of it until I ordered it on vaca one day… so weird.
I never would have thought to add Charleston to my vacation/travel list but after your reviews, it is heading straight toward the top! I am so glad to hear you had a great time :) The food and the shopping and the history sounds absolutely wonderful.
Yay! We got the side belly shot! You look great!
It looks like you had so much fun! After drooling over all of your photos, I’m begging The Boy for a trip to Charleston! We’ll see! :)
Love the bow ties! Hope your transition from vacation to regular life is a smooth one! eh, mine is always a bit rocky….. :)
Before we moved to San Diego almost 10 years ago, we lived in the Carolinas for 5 years. For part of the time in Myrtle Beach, about an hour away from Charleston but world’s apart on many levels. Taking the drive down to Charleston was always so much fun and seeing all your pics made me remember my life back then. Thanks for the trip down memory lane and glad you guys had such a great time. And you’re looking fabulous with your bump :)