Charleston
Southern Charm
At just about 5.5 hours away from Knoxville, Charleston is the quintessential southern town with a mix of southern charm, historical significance, and beach views. We had originally scheduled a trip to Charleston for spring break 2020, but ended up cancelling and had not rescheduled until this year. Qualifications for a trip for us include good food (this is a must), some historical significance (Nick loves this part), walkability (we love to step out of the hotel into the city), and fun!
For this post, check out where we stayed, where we went, what we did, and where we ate!
Where To Stay
One of the hardest things for me when planning a trip to a new city is finding the perfect location. For this trip, I will have to give it up to Nick because he found the perfect location! We stayed at The Saint Hotel, which is right on East Bay Street and was the absolute perfect location. Most people know King Street, but from my experience, King Street is for shopping and East Bay Street is for eating. For me, I would much rather walk out of my hotel in to a sea of restaurants and cafes and then walk to the shops.
The Saint Hotel is a newer hotel, in fact, they had just celebrated their 100th day when we visited. The decor is very unique (link red velvet) and the rooms reminded me of some of the places we stayed in Europe. I do think the staff was still working out some kinks (we had a fire alarm at 10:45 pm one night and they do not do regular room service but you can request it). The one down side is that parking downtown is NOT cheap. You can choose to valet your car on site for around $38 a day or self park in a garage just around the corner for $18 a day (but can be more if you are coming and going).
The Saint Hotel
View from the balcony
Bedroom
Bathroom
What To Do
One of my favorite things to do when visiting a new city is to take a fun tour the first day we are there. In my opinion, it is one of the best ways to get a lay of the land, ask about local hot spots, and see parts of the city you may not normally see. For Charleston, we did a Segway tour of the village area in Mt. Pleasant. I am so happy we got to see this area!
We also did a ghost tour one of the nights that was really fun and very scary. Charleston is home to some of the most famous ghost stories and it did not disappoint. We walked through the city at night, went through a couple of graveyards, and also visited a dungeon that was used by the British in the Revolutionary War.
In between the eating and sightseeing there is always shopping, and Charleston has some good shopping. We spent about half a day on King Street in and out of some famous and local shops and I also found some very cute boutiques off King Street as well. My favorite stop was Mulberry and King in Mt. Pleasant and Maris DeHart, which was right next to our hotel.
Where To Eat
After our first Europe trip, I learned that Yelp and local recommendations are your best friend when traveling and looking for places to eat. Before going, I received a lot of recommendations from people who had lived there or traveled there quite a bit, but we also stumbled across some amazing places as well.
Bars and Drinks
RuRu's Tacos and Tequila: great Mexican food but even better margaritas.
The Griffon: reminded us of an English pub.
Church and Union: the bar is gorgeous and the food looked amazing.
Tommy Condon's: Irish pub. Food was just ok, but the drinks and live music were great.
Saltwater Cowboy: the food was ok, but drinks on the water were amazing.
Carmella's Cafe and Dessert bar: grab a cocktail, dessert, or afternoon coffee.
Food Recommendations
Callie's Hot Little Biscuit: perfect for breakfast. Order ahead to skip the line!
Bitty & Beau's Coffee: great coffee and you are supporting a great cause.
Bumpas: we went 4-5 times. The food was so good and it was just a fun vibe.
New York City Pizza or Pizzeria di Giovanni: both claim to be authentic and both are good.
Ye Old Fashioned Cafe & Ice Cream: in Mt. Pleasant and recommended by several friends.
Poogan's Smokehouse: amazing BBQ!
Poogan's Smokehouse
Saltwater Cowboy
Bumpas
Carmella's
What I Wore
Alright, let's get to the good part: the fashion. It was the perfect weather while we were visiting so I got to break out all of my sandals and spring dresses for the trip. Below, I linked everything I was wearing and added in some similar styles as well. Happy shopping!
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, I receive a commission.