SOUTHERN CHARM

My husband had his 15 year reunion in Durham, NC so while we were out there, we decided to make a short road trip over to one of my favorite cities in America. Charleston! And it is as darling and lovely as I remembered it.

The city is just so charming and each and every block is overflowing with history and character. We loved walking down the city streets and I swear I have never been to a more picturesque city–the vibrant and colorful homes, the mature trees, the over abundance of pretty stoops, resting areas and window planters…I could just spend a whole week walking around downtown Charleston.

One of the activities that we ended up LOVING was going on a horse carriage tour. We went along with Palmetto Carriage Tour and I cannot say enough good things about them. It was an hour long and I have never been so riveted by American history and architecture! It is definitely a must do and a fantastic way to get acquainted with the city.

If you have a car, I would definitely recommend taking a little trip out to visit one of Charleston’s famous plantations and beaches. We visited Magnolia Plantation and Garden, Middleton Plantation and Boone Hall Plantation. All of them were amazing and Boone Hall we loved so much that we went back again!! Boone Hall is most famous for their 3/4 of a mile long, moss draped oak trees (Ave. of Oaks), but for those of you who watched the Notebook, this is also the grounds they used for the movie.

Aside from activities, our favorite meals were at Magnolia’s, Poogan’s Porch and 82 Queen. Another bonus about Charleston is that it is a teeming with restaurants that offer al fresco dining so you can bring your fur baby everywhere!! It is the ONLY city that we have been to that is more Fido friendly than Denver.

We also decided to spend one day at the beach and it was the perfect way to mix things up. We drove out to Kiawah beach and I could not believe how gorgeous the beach was. Soft clay like sand, crystal clear and warm water, gentle waves, sand bars for little kids to wade safely in, and best of all–so empty! We will definitely be back and maybe even split up the stay so that we can spend a few days at the beach and a few days downtown next time. And there you have it. I am already planning our return trip!!