Weekender's Guide to Charleston, South Carolina

Adam and I planned to spend our anniversary weekend up in the White Mountain of New Hampshire. I was excited to get away just the two of us in our camper, to go hike some of the bigger mountains without having to drag to kids along (literally). As our anniversary approached, the weather started to look like a complete washout for the weekend and we made the last minute decision to pivot. I quickly set out to Google Flights to see if I find an inexpensive deal out of our local airport (one terminal New Haven airport an easy 30 minutes from our house). We ended up paying $289 for both of us to fly round trip to Charleston, South Carolina and back. And the best part? We pulled into the airport at 5 and we were having dinner under the palm trees by 8pm. Parking and security is about a 2 minute process and flying from one small airport to another with very little driving on either end was a weekend warrior's dream.

***Charleston is typically serviced by a lot of these budget smaller airlines making it an EASY and AFFORDABLE destination

 

I had never been to Charleston but always heard other's proclaiming their love for this little southern capital city. Beaches, good food, warm weather, and history all swirled into one weekend away. I stepped off the plane and checked into our lovely little resort, the Harborside at Charleston Harbor Resort. We decided to stay just outside the city so we could enjoy the resort-style amenities Harborside had to offer. The property had several pools, restaurants, was right on the water/marina and had a water taxi or shuttle that took you downtown. The resort also had resort bikes you could borrow and I took full advantage of that feature. Staying at the resort was the perfect mix of sightseeing and relaxing, a mix of getting into the city and sipping daiquiris by the pool. 

*** We have had a lot of luck booking last minute hotel deals on Hotel Tonight. We were able to stay at this beautiful resort for a fraction of the price by booking a few days before our trip on the app.

The first day I didn't really get all the hype. Sure it's a cute little city with some great food but looking at the musty list you'll find a fountain in the shape of a pineapple and a row of colorful houses. I kind of fell into my “but what do you actually do here confusion”. It's really August so it's that hot soupy weather those that live on the east coast know a lot about. 

I spent the morning on the resort bike, over the bridge to experience downtown Charleston, stopping by the parks and fountains and scenic spots along the way. We had in the air conditioning or by the pool for the hottest parts of the day, reemerging after 5:00 as the sun started to set in the city cool down while also coming to life. The day vendors were packing up so the evening vendors could set up shop in the Open Air market. Bachelorette parties for staking their claim around the city and the rooftop bars were opening for the evening. Families and couples and singles walked around the city while kids played in the water fountains and dogs found a water bowl to cool down by. I watched pelicans swooping for their dinner and the resident dolphins playing in the surf. Palm trees lined the roads and beautiful historic homes and apartments flanked cobblestone streets.  Southern double porches with climbing ivy and flickering gas lanterns light the way. 

I wouldn't say it's the kind of place you come to do anything besides eat and drink and soak up some Southern charm. So here's my Weekender's Guide that offers a few glimpses into some fun things to do while relaxing in the area and enjoying the food. 

Rainbow Row, Pineapple Fountain, and Waterfront Park 

Just walking around the quaint little city of Charleston is an adventure in itself. You will experience the iconic southern charm as you walk around the waterfront city. You can add a few iconic landmarks like Rainbow Row, Water and the Pineapple Fountain. While it's cute, I think it's a bit silly to go out of your way to see a fountain and a few colored houses. Regardless, they are iconic and scattered throughout every gift shop in Charleston. You can also use the water taxi to get around different areas of the harbor and downtown if you want to add another fun way to get through the city.

**Our resort had bikes for complimentary use by guests. It was a fun perk to be able to explore the city via bike 

Shem Creek - Kayak, look for dolphins, and have a cocktail on the creek

Shem Creek is famous for its dolphin population that likes to follow the fishing boats back into the creek. There is also a boardwalk that follows along the water and various restaurants right on the water. We rented kayaks at Nature's Adventures on the creek but didn't see the dolphins until we were on the boardwalk later watching fishing boats clean off the grime from the day.

*** A single kayak ride was relatively inexpensive and a fun way to explore the area, but your best bet for seeing dolphins is watching for the fishing boats coming back in to the docks

 

Charleston City Market - Open Air Market

The Charleston City Market is a lovely little stretch of shops in downtown Charleston. There are booths set up throughout the buildings, some open air and some with air conditioning. You can find everything from local artists and jewelers to dog toys. They also have a special night market with live music that runs later into the night. 

Wine and dine

It's no secret that people come to Charleston for the food scene and there are a ton of amazing restaurants and bars. We tried a mix of some of Charleston's famous restaurants and some lesser known gems. Somehow one of our favorite meals ended up being the shrimp and grits back at the resort we stayed at (Charleston Harbor Fish House). I will say some of the famous tourist traps were pretty disappointing (Magnolias was fine, and Hymans totally skippable) but this list looks really promising. https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/best-restaurants-in-charleston. 

Shop, Golf, Plantations, and More

We were only there for a long weekend and purposely kept our schedule light with plenty of time to relax by the resort. With more time, you could easily golf, check out one of the plantations, and even do a haunted tour of Charleston. 

Charleston was so easy to get to and we loved this spot for a four day, three night getaway. You can expect great weather, a walkable city, an amazing food scene, and some fun ways to move on a bike through the city or kayak through the creek. We planned another trip back with the kids before we even left and getaways to charming little Charleston when we are in need of a little bit of sunshine just may fall into our travel rotation.