Charleston Strong
One of the many perks of working from home is the ability to tag along on my husband’s work trips. 2015 was a big year for us: we got married in Nashville, honeymooned in Thailand, celebrated my birthday in Savannah, and squeezed in this short trip to Charleston.
The less than 48-hour trip was a mix of me strolling around the city solo while my husband was attending his conference and then together identifying the best spots in town for a quick bite together.
Day 1:
We arrived in the late afternoon and were glad we did our research ahead of time and knew to make a reservation at FIG. Good friends who had recently visited Charleston recommended it — when they were there they ran into Anthony Bourdain! As we walked from our hotel to the restaurant we passed by a quidditch game in Marion Square and my husband immediately took notice of the young, attractive South Carolinians (mostly women) roaming around.
Quidditch
Burger
Biscuit
Dessert
Day 2:
I started the day by visiting a historic synagogue, one of my favorite things to do when discovering a city with history. Charleston didn’t disappoint with my semi-private tour of Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim that dates back to 1749, claiming to be the oldest synagogue in the south!
I then made my way to the Nathaniel Russel House Museum for a tour. Similar to other house tours in southern cities, I’m always blown away by lavish olden day lifestyles of the wealthy. The tour was worth the $12 fee.
In the afternoon I strolled around The Battery and even caught some dolphins close to shore.
Dolphins swimming in the river
On my way back to the hotel I found a number of adorable and affordable boutiques on King Street.
For dinner we trekked to Xiao Bao Biscuit, a recommendation from our server at FIG, and then my sweet tooth and I dragged my husband back to King Street where I spotted King Street Cookies earlier in the day. That was definitely a good choice.
Day 3:
Another one of my must-dos in any new city is a walking tour — and bonus points if it’s free (this one was)! I thoroughly enjoyed my morning free tour by foot. We started at the corner of Church and Linguard and snaked our way through the city ending at the corner of Broad and Meeting. We saw the French Quarter, Rainbow Row, the Charleston City Market, Dock Street Theater, the Old Exchange Building, and the Old Slave Mart Museum. Many thanks to Scott the tour guide!
Old Slave Mart Museum
My husband’s conference ended shortly after my tour which left us just enough time to grab lunch at Jestine’s Kitchen (permanently closed… so sad!) before heading home. Hands down the best sweet tea I’ve ever had.
Recommendations We Missed:
From a friend:
Dinner at Husk
Lunch at SNOB (stands for Slightly North Of Broad)
Boat to Fort Sumter
Seeing a plantation is fun if you have a car, but rather a pain to get to otherwise
Cooking demonstration class at Charleston Cooks
Restaurant recs from our server at FIG:
Minero (permanently closed)