i fell in love this weekend. completely head over heels in love with the beautiful city of charleston, sc. peaceful, beautiful, quaint and steeped in southern tradition, the city stole my heart almost immediately.
i flew in friday afternoon in one of the worst thunderstorms, it was a tad scary with some crazy turbulence, but after 3 failed landing attempts and a lot of white knuckling we finally landed and i ventured out in the storm to meet up with my friend and host for the weekend, conor! we headed to his house, this gorgeous, southern home complete with a wrap around deck with rocking chairs and a porch swing, on a sleepy little street lined with gas lit lamps and horse drawn carriage tours walking down it. i felt like i was stepping back in time.
it was a busy weekend – conor had planned a ton of fun things for us to do! and we even crossed off a few things off my 1001 in 101 list! his roommate has this awesome tandem bike that we rode to take a bike tour around town. if you ever have a chance to ride a tandem bike i highly recommend it, it is so much fun!! it’s hard to explain why i fell so in love with this town, there was something about the southern charm, beauty and grace of the historic town that put me at peace. all weekend long, and it was a busy weekend, i felt so relaxed. the south just feels a little bit calmer, a little more laid back, there’s no rush to get anywhere or do anything, it was a refreshing change of pace and one i desperately needed! i did a little bit of a technology cleanse so i don’t have too many pictures from the weekend (don’t worry next time i’m down there i’ll fix that!)
here are my can’t miss stops for your next trip to charleston!
1. boone hall plantation : america’s most photographed (not surprising!) as well as oldest working and living plantations. it was so pretty, especially driving down the driveway toward the plantation with the 200 year old oak trees arching over the driveway. it’s gorgeous. hey girl, it’s also where the notebook was filmed. 
2. theater 99 for saturday night improv is awesome! i definitely had my doubts but it was so funny and it’s a local crowd which makes it a little less touristy and a little cooler.
3. the vendue rooftop bar at sunset : g o r g e o u s. and the drinks were great too, it was a really laid back and relaxing and not too crowded which was really nice!
4. stand up paddle boarding on shem creek : you can also rent canoes and kayaks. i wish we had taken pictures when we were out on the SUP but i am clumsy and i would’ve dropped my phone in the water and it would’ve been terrible. so instead i left it in the car and enjoyed a few hours on the water. it was a blast, we saw a ton of dolphins, one of which was getting really close to us!
5. the farmers market for breakfast : rent a bike, get up with the sun and ride down the farmers market. there are few betters ways to start the day than walking around and looking at the fresh produce, crafts from local vendors and getting a crepe made right in front of you.
we did so many great things, it was a super fun weekend and we did so much. my biggest recommendations is to rent a bike the moment you get there. the city is so fun to bike around and see. take one of those horse drawn carriage tours, go with the intention of relaxing, unwinding and unplugging. soak in the history and charm and enjoy the beauty and peace that’s around you!
have you been to charleston? what are your favorite spots?
