escape to charleston

A few weeks ago I travelled to Charleston, South Carolina, the lucky winner of Andra Watkins‘ Charleston Getaway promotion for the launch of her book, To Live Forever, An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis. (A contest WAY better than my recent Cock Soup giveaway, it goes without saying.)

My one previous visit to South Carolina was a trip to Myrtle Beach, land of the $5.99 All You Can Eat Buffet (it was 1983, I’m sure with inflation it’s up to at least $8.99 today) and the $0.99 Store (again, 1983…I had never experienced one of these before). It was a great destination for a family vacation, but not necessarily the most stimulating of spots. Other than the people watching. The people watching was FANTASTIC. But I digress.

Charleston and Myrtle Beach couldn’t be more different.

To put it simply, I was utterly charmed by Charleston.

First there was the architecture:

And gardens! I was so impressed with how green a city it was! Big, beautiful, mature trees all around the historic downtown area.

Then there was the darling boutique hotel we stayed at, the Zero George:

I can’t believe I failed to take a single shot of the interior. It was a welcoming, well appointed and southern hospitality-filled dream!

No trip to Charleston would be complete without a trip to a historic house museum. Based on our hosts recommendation, we chose the Aiken-Rhett House Museum. Built in 1820, in the typical Charleston double house style, it is the historical house with the most original contents. Photos were not permitted inside, but I was able to capture these outdoor shots:

We walked and walked and walked to take in as much of the city as we could. The historic Charleston City Market was a highlight. Unfortunately I just realized I don’t have a single photo. I guess I’ve got some serious work to do if I ever want to become a travel blogger.

Without fear of being judged creepy or macabre, I requested a visit to an old cemetery. Andra and MTM took us to Magnolia, a cemetery that was dedicated in 1850. Our original plan was to stroll through and then set up picnic there, however morning rain left us worried the skies might dampen our picnic. Instead we took our stroll, captured some photos:

…and then made our way to a lovely brunch on Sullivan’s Island at The Obstinate Daughter. I failed to take any pictures of our brunch. This is not surprising as I didn’t take a single food picture the entire weekend despite so many wonderful and memorable meals. Most notable were our two dinners: Friday night at Lana, with a delicious meal prepared by chef, John Ondo, and Saturday night at Fish, with an exquisite meal prepared by chef, Nico Romo.  I clearly fail miserably as a food blogger. Sigh.

Next it was a short drive down to the beach so I could dip my toes into the bath water-warm Atlantic Ocean. If my flight wasn’t leaving in less than 90 minutes, I swear I would have jumped in for a swim, it was that inviting.

Alas, I had a plane to catch, so I grabbed my hat-twin and we tried hard to pose for a serious photo. Serious wasn’t in the repertoire though, as the wind kept whipping her hair directly into my open (laughing) mouth. MTM captured at least 5 shots on each of our phones, and they pretty much all look like this: both of us trying to contain our laughter long enough to get the picture.

And finally, ever the marketer and sales person, I took the opportunity to give the book prime billing along the Sullivan’s Island shore:

Both Mr. Enthusiasm and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of our weekend in Charleston, but most especially the company of our wonderful hosts, Andra and MTM.  Let’s face it, this could have been somewhat disastrous. What if they turned out to be weirdos? Or what if they thought we were weirdos? *Gasp*

I can honestly say that Andra and MTM will always be welcome in my home, and I really look forward to spending time with them again.

Thank you Andra and MTM, and thank you, Charming Charleston for a wonderful trip!

xoxo nancy