Happy Memorial Day weekend! I wanted to share our trip to Charleston from a few weeks ago. There's also a sale on my beloved Charleston Rice Beads from Candy Shop Vintage going on through Monday- scroll down to see more details.
Our 1st Anniversary/Babymoon trip to Charleston was the perfect relaxing getaway weekend.
This could get pretty lengthy, so I'll just do a recap of our first day here, and follow up with the other two days, this weekend.
We left Thursday night from Florida and made it into Darien, Georgia late that evening. We were a little over two hours out of Charleston the next day, and arrived around 10:30 that morning. It was too early to check in, so we parked and walked/shopped on King Street for an hour. We then jumped back in the car and drove out to Mount Pleasant, John's old stomping grounds. We planned to eat out on Sullivan's Island at The Obstinate Daughter, but the drawbridge was broken. So, we stopped at Shem Creek Bar and Grill instead. We couldn't have timed it any better; the rain started as we were eating, and let up as soon as we pulled up to our hotel to check in. Besides that, we had perfect weather the rest of the weekend.
We stayed at the Fulton Lane Inn right in the heart of downtown, on Lower King Street. It was super convenient to most of the 'touristy' attractions. It was a bit of a hike from the dining district on Upper King, though. If I hadn't been preggos, we could have walked it no problem, but as it were, we took Uber the handful of times we needed to head up that way. Just something to keep in mind if you're planning a trip and want to stay closer to the foodie section of town. I think next time, we might opt to stay up that way, since we really like trying out the dining scene.
Our room was dreamy- we reserved a Petite Suite and asked for the top floor. Our bay window provided lovely light and the sweetest little nook for having our complementary breakfast and coffee each morning. Thankfully, there are also floor-to-ceiling thick curtains to pull to keep the morning light out, so we could sleep in a bit. The view looked right out onto King Street, and besides some motorcycles and a garbage truck here and there, was quiet. I always travel with a little white noise fan, so that helped block any unwanted noise.
Real keys to get into the rooms!
The view of King Street from our bay window.
After checking in and resting for a bit, we cleaned up and headed down to the courtyard for the complimentary wine and cheese evening reception. Then we walked the half mile or so to meet John's dad for dinner. He was staying at the Market Pavilion Hotel, and had made dinner reservations at Grill 225. We had some more nibbles in the concierge lounge, then headed up to the rooftop Pavilion Bar for a before-dinner drink (cranberry juice for this mama).
John's dad.
Dinner followed. It was really tasty. I had the filet and even though I had to order it cooked a bit more than I'd prefer (I love a medium-rare steak), it was still flavorful, juicy, and tender. The sides are served family style; we tried the brussle sprouts and asparagus, both of which were tasty. We also ordered desserts-- the chocolate souffle and the bread pudding. It was a really nice meal and a special treat from John's dad. I don't know that Grill 225 would be at the top of my list to go back to, given all the stellar choices of restaurants in Charleston, but it WAS enjoyable and I'd recommend it if you are looking for a good reliable steakhouse in town.
We had plans for early the next day, so we called it a night and walked back to our hotel. We were greeted with turn-down service and sparkling pomegranate-cranberry juice- so sweet! It was a great first day in the Holy City.
Ok, as you'll see in my following posts (and you might have already seen in my Instagrams), I'm obsessed with Charleston Rice Beads. Lucky you, Candy Shop Vintage is offering 20% off everything in their shop, with code SUMMERHOLIDAY, including these unique beauties. I'm so tempted to add to my collection, but with Baby Will's arrival a mere two months away, I seriously need to curb my shopping and spending. So *sigh*, I'll 'window' shop from my computer.
Here's a photo of me wearing the gold version:
Let me know if you pick anything up for yourself, so I can shop vicariously through you! Have a great weekend, and as always, thanks for reading.
XO, Ashley
