Charleston, South Carolina

Last Sunday I had just left South Carolina, so this destination is fresh on my mind and I am ready to share! I went to Charleston for my best friend’s wedding festivities and I honestly feel like I need to go back because there is so much more I have yet to discover. We also went to Pawley’s Island, but I figured I could do an entirely separate blog on that destination another time. Anyways, Charleston is a charming city with so much history to it. If you are like me, and into “ghosts” or “hauntings” this city is filled with ghost stories… there were literally people taking ghost tours, so I’m not making this up! There is so much to discover in Charleston from the history, shops, restaurants, nightlife, and it’s right by the ocean to! Fair warning: the weather is bipolar and humid… expect random storms. I’m from California, so getting a thunder and lightning storm in the summer when you’re on the beach is a foreign concept to me! The storm does come and go, but if you have outdoor activities planned, it can definitely change them. Also, learn from me… if you are traveling far, you need at least 5 days to explore this city (not including travel days). As cool as this trip was, we did not get to fully explore the shopping, history, culture, and nightlife as much as we could’ve-if we had more time.

What to do? Where to eat?

King Street: If you haven’t heard about King St., well know you have. This is a popular street where a bunch of shops and great restaurants are located. My friends and I didn’t get to fully enjoy King St., however, I definitely got a glimpse of it and it’s so cute!
Charleston City Market: This is a really cool, never-ending, street market with so many little goodies to find. I love seeing people’s crafts and talents being expressed. I honestly didn’t buy anything, there were A LOT of people, and it kind of stressed me out a little bit because I felt like I couldn’t stop and browse too much with crowds coming from every direction! But that’s a personal problem, we still got to see so many things and it was really cool.
Joe Riley Waterfront Park: If you want to see the ocean and/or have kids with you, this is a good place to go. Being from California, I was curious to see what the opposite coast is like. The pier had swings on them which I found to be really unique and cool. As a bonus, if you have kids, they can play in all of the fountains.
Stars Rooftop Bar: On all of the research that I had done on Charleston prior to the trip, this was one of the top recommended places that I came across several times. The restaurant part of it is fancy with good food, and the rooftop part is super cute. This is a good place to grab a drink and chill with some friends with a cool view!
Élevé Rooftop Bar: Another rooftop bar, that is SO CUTE. Again, the restaurant part is fancy and the food is yummy, but the roof is so dang cool. We went for lunch, but I can definitely see how this place would be poppin’ at night. LOVE the decor! Such a vibe.
Republic Garden Bar: This bar is so cool and so cute, it is definitely a must during your visit to Charleston. They have one of those classic-gigantic neon signs that make for a great photo-op and really good drinks too. We went during the day, but I definitely recommend going at night. I feel like we missed the mark a little bit and should’ve gone to more of these places at night instead of during the day. Either way, it’s a great stop!
Trio Nightclub: BY FAR, my favorite part of the entire trip. If you read my Vegas blog, you would know that my best friend Lexi and I had a self-discovery in Charleston that we are so “club girls”. For the soul purpose of loving music and dancing (not drinking, so calm down over there). We got a free table and champagne for the bride-to-be; which was super cool, but as the night went on, we were long gone from that table and on the dance floor! The club was two stories, the bottom floor playing the classic pop/bar type music, where upstairs was EDM and strobe lights. SO MUCH FUN! 10/10 recommend.
Uptown Social: Another poppin’ bar, that we should’ve stayed at for longer. However, the food was SO GOOD. I got the Oven Baked Parm Sandwich and it was amazing! Seriously, one of the best sandwiches that I have had in a long time. Also, we had the Pizza Dough Bites as an appetizer and that was also soo dang good. For real, go eat here.
Charleston Beer Works: I’m honestly so impressed by the food in Charleston. Every restaurant we went to was amazing. I was never once disappointed with anything that I ate. This is definitely a foodie-city. We had lunch here and I got the Sabre Wrap, which yet again was so good. As an appetizer, we had the Local Pretzel, and AGAIN… SOO GOOD. I’m telling you, the food scene in Charleston is *chef’s kiss*.
Clean Juice: You guessed it, another yummy food place. This one is healthy and there were like 10 different things that I wanted to order, but I never finish my food, so I only ordered the The BBQ Wrap… but oh boy, did that hit the spot. Check this spot out!!
Saltwater Cycle: Truthfully, we didn’t get to do this because a lightning storm came in and canceled our reservation. However, I’ve watched so many videos on them and followed their Instagram, it looks like a blast! I can tell you that their customer service is great and they were always very communicative with me throughout the entire planning process, until the cancelation :(. This is a “brew boat”. If you know what a brew bike is, then this is literally the same thing, but on a boat. Such a fun activity to do with friends!
Middletown Place: Another thing that we didn’t do, but I found this place during my months of research and it looks so beautiful. If you are someone who is interested into beauty and greenery, I recommend checking this place out.
Charleston Walking Tours: We technically didn’t do a scheduled-paid walking tour, but we practically did one anyways haha. One of the girl’s in the bridal party, who has been to Charleston before, gave us a walking tour around the neighborhoods of Charleston. I must say, the houses are very beautiful and I am interested in learning about the history there one day too. Anyways, there are actual walking tours that you can explore if you do want to learn about the history in Charleston or ghost stories!
Charleston Boat Tours: There are many other boat tours outside of Saltwater Cycle if you are looking to enjoy so time out on the water! Just do your research, pay close attention to the weather, and have fun!