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Charleston Travel Guide

August 5, 2021 by jessica Leave a Comment

It seems like everyone is going to Charleston lately — and for good reason: it’s an incredibly beautiful city that’s full of southern charm, picture-perfect streets, and incredible food! We visited the city back in April for a celebratory “vaxication.” It was our second time in the “Holy City,” and with roundtrip flight prices dropping substantially from Madison, I don’t think it’ll be our last time in the sweet South Carolina city. Below, you’ll find some snapshots from our recent trip, along with suggestions of what to see and do, and where to eat and drink.

SEE & DO:

  • Rainbow Row  & The Battery & Pineapple Fountain – If you’re heading to Charleston, I’m sure these photogenic areas are already on your radar.
  • The Beach – We visited Folly Beach both times we were in South Carolina. It’s a quaint beach town for an afternoon of swimming. Head to Lost Dog Café for breakfast and Taco Boy for lunch.
  • Aiken-Rhett House Museum – There are two main historic house tours in Charleston. There’s the Aiken-Rhett House, which is a historic preservation project, and the Nathaniel Russell House, a restoration project. Each has an audio tour available through the Historic CHS app (bring headphones). I preferred the Aiken-Rhett museum as it did an excellent job going through the historic features of the house, as well and discussing the lives of the enslaved people on the property.
  • Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site – There were a lot of recommendations for this online and it was a nice place for an afternoon hike. I don’t think I’d go out of my way for it, but it was a good option to break up all of the eating and drinking!
  • McLeod Plantation – We decided to do this tour because it’s a county park and that seemed more ethical than some of the other plantation tours. We had a wonderful tour guide who lent insight into the enslaved people who lived on the property and what they did once gaining freedom.
  • Fort Sumter – We did this on our first trip to Charleston and it’s worth taking an afternoon to take the ferry out to see it.

EAT & DRINK:

  • Kudu Coffee & Craft Beer –  A café that also serves beer with a cute outdoor patio. Check their schedule for live music.
  • Blind Tiger – The best outdoor patio with plenty of seating areas. 
  • Brown’s Court Bakery – Fantastic iced coffee and pastries (both sweet and savory). Ask them for their recommendation of the day. A lot of things sell out quickly, but whatever is left is still going to be amazing. We took our coffee and breakfast to a nearby park. If you’re visiting in the spring and they have their fresh strawberry rolls, get one! (It’s pictured above.)
  • Uptown Social – Head up to their rooftop patio! There’s a full cocktail program, a decent beer lineup, and good pizzas. They usually do a lunch special with a select pizza, too.
  • The Darling Oyster Bar – This was by far our best meal in the city and worth the splurge. We had oysters to start and I had scallops for my entrée. Loved ’em! Hot tip: they do have matchboxes, but you’ll need to ask for one.
  • Bay Street Biergarten – Lively atmosphere and a lot of outdoor seating. Skip the food, though, and just go for drinks and the ambiance.
  • Callie’s Hot Little Biscuits – Delicious, but don’t let their miniscule size fool you. They’re incredibly filling! That said, between this place and Brown’s Court, I’d suggest Brown’s Court for breakfast. 
  • Little Jack’s Tavern – Their burgers are expensive, but it was delicious. We had actually wanted to go to Leon’s Oyster Shop instead, but they didn’t have any seating available and suggested Little Jack’s as it’s their sister restaurant. It was charming inside and the service was excellent.
  • Breweries – Three of the brewery stops we liked the most were Charles Towne Fermentory, Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co., and Westbrook Brewing Company.

STAY: I wanted to make a quick note about accommodations. We stayed at the Hyatt this time around and it wasn’t great. It looks nice enough online and while I prefer boutique hotels, hotels and Airbnbs were so expensive when we traveled. We assumed the Hyatt would be good enough for what we needed. The first room we were given was, shall we say, “well worn” and had the most awful sewage-y smell. I did ask to change rooms and the new room was better, but it wasn’t as nice as the online reviews led me to believe.

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Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: charleston, south carolina, Travel Guide

Postcards from Charleston

June 19, 2013 by jessica Leave a Comment

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After our stay in Folly Beach and a day trip to Savannah, we ventured to Charleston for the last three days of vacation and stayed in this condo. (Ahem, “The Pool House at the Villa.”)

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I fell in love with the resident cat. It was a little mangy, wonderfully sweet and desperate to come inside the house (as evidenced here). We couldn’t help but bring home a tiny brass cat spotted at an antique store. The forlorn look reminded us of him. 

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And the condo had a koi pond. It probably goes without saying that we’d stay here again if we made our way back. It was charming, clean and cheaper than nearby chain hotels. 

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This was taken during our walk along Rainbow Row. I’d love to live in a city where the pink house on the block isn’t an eyesore. 

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This snapshot is my latest color inspiration. However, I can’t decide if turquoise and lime is better suited for my wardrobe or home. Both? (Dave might argue for neither.)

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Horse-drawn carriage rides along The Battery add to the neighborhood’s historic charm, but they come with one major drawback: horses smell. (We actually wondered if the rancid smell was a type of plant. Nope.)

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I don’t know what these are, but they’re better than Wisconsin’s pine trees. 

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As I took a photo of the pineapple fountain in Waterfront Park, a 20-something girl interrupted me to ask if I’d take an iPhone photo of her and her entourage. Shortly after, another girl asked me to take a photo of her with her boyfriend. Apparently a DSLR fools people into thinking I’m good at this. 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: charleston, postcard, south carolina, travel, vacation

Summer Lovin’

June 5, 2013 by jessica Leave a Comment

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Every beach getaway deserves a new swimsuit, so I was especially grateful that Orchid Boutique offered to send one over just in time for our South Carolina vacation. The shop offers an array of beach essentials and has already become my go-to destination for flattering one-piece swimsuits.

I fell for the whimsical updates on this classic navy swimsuit. There’s enough ruching to hide trouble spots and the box pleats are a welcome way to boost my small bust. A word of warning to other ladies with full hips: this suit is difficult to hike up. I had chosen my regular size (I didn’t want it to be too large on top), but I’d recommend sizing up if you’re blessed with an hourglass figure. It comes with a detachable halter strap if you’re looking for additional support.

Really, though, I felt beautiful in this swimsuit and isn’t that what matters most? (Truth be told, I didn’t feel as confident as the bikini-clad gal on the beach nearby. Her boyfriend was snapping photos of her in some awfully risque poses!)

Featured: gifted Seafolly swimsuit // Juicy Couture sunglasses // Essie “First Timer” nail polish

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: beach, fashion, Folly Beach, one-piece swimsuit, orchid boutique, outfit, south carolina, style, summer, swim, swimsuit, vacation

Postcards from Folly Beach

June 4, 2013 by jessica Leave a Comment

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We spent the first three nights of our vacation in Folly Beach where we had a spectacular view from our room at the beachfront Tides hotel.

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Mornings were spent lazily sipping iced coffee by the pool…

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…and stumbling across critters like this horseshoe crab.

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Lost Dog Cafe was our daily stop for a hearty brunch and drinks served in Mason jars.

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We took a private charter boat over to Morris Island, an uninhabited island and location of the Civil War battle featured in the movie Glory. On the way over, Captain Gresh pointed out Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (the first time I’ve seen them in the wild) and oyster beds.

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We headed up the shoreline of Folly Beach to a more secluded area of the coast for an evening stroll. (I don’t think Dave knew I was busy snapping photos of him.)

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It’s hard to see in this photo, but there were little pelicans perched atop the Folly Beach street signs.

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Honestly, I was probably looking for shells at this moment. (The retro-esque beach coverup was purchased at eShakti.)

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I’ll never grow tired of serene beach sunsets…

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…or vibrant sunny days.

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And, in true blogger fashion, I took an obscene amount of Instagrams.

I’ll share photos of Savannah and Charleston soon!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: charleston, Folly Beach, postcard, south carolina, travel, vacation

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Jessica Hamm
Hello there! I'm a first-time homeowner updating a 1920s house in Madison, Wisconsin. I have a penchant for travel and a love of costume jewelry.

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I’m challenging myself to get through a backlog I’m challenging myself to get through a backlog of travel photos before we book our next trip. First up, photos of the gothic York Minster. I’m not religious in the slightest but I can’t resist stunning architecture and the opportunity to climb hundreds of cathedral stairs for a city view. This one only had a single rest stop about halfway up the flight of 275 steps for a closeup view of the flying buttresses — and a waiver you had to sign before your ascent to promise you’re healthy enough to make it.
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