24 HOURS IN CHARLESTON

Charleston, you’re a wonder.

I’ve visited many small towns and cities in the past but none have impacted me quite the way Charleston did.

Conveniently located on the coast of the Atlantic ocean, Charleston was one of many cities which profited immensely from the American slave trade era; a hard fact to shake off despite the city’s beauty.  This is not a fact the city attempt’s to bury either as there are various historic and educational tours frequently available to visitors everyday of the week. The city has become a very popular tourist and wedding destination over the years, voted America’s # 1  small city, 5 years and counting.

We had actually planned to do a day trip but when we arrived to the city at 3PM, we decided to extend our stay until the next day.  For the record, trying to explore all of what Charleston has to offer in 24 hours is impossible. I would definitely encourage planning a weekend stay at minimum.

Charleston in 24 Hours

3:00PM

Old King Street

After a looooooong 5 hour drive from Atlanta, we arrived in the city at 3:00PM. After finding a secure spot for our rental, we wasted little to no time as we set out to explore old King street by foot. I think it is safe to say that nothing defines Southern charm quite like King Street. It blooms as a commercial corridor which hosts a variety of high-end shops, trendy restaurants, sophisticated cocktail settings, hotels, art galleries and lively nightlife scenes.  Did I mention shopping?

John Street

We were so lost in amazement and picture taking that we didn’t notice how quickly time had passed.

6:00PM

I actually booked our hotel stay for the night at 5:15PM and we checked into the hotel at 6. Thanks Expedia!  After a quick hotel review search on Trip advisor, I made the executive decision to stay at The Mills House Wyndham Grand Hotel –  The Pink Hotel on the corner of Meeting and Queen street.

7:30PM

I left my husband in charge of researching food options while I got ready and he was quickly overwhelmed by the amount of food options the city had to offer. He decided that we should park on Cumberland street and stroll through until we found found something to eat.  We ended up dining at Fleet’s Landing Restaurant and we definitely discovered a new meaning to comfort food as we tasted our way through some of the featured items on the restaurant’s menu.

9:30PM

It began drizzling after we wrapped up for dinner, so continuing our exploration on foot was off limits.  I dropped my husband off at a local bar to catch an Oilers game (who goes to Charleston to catch an Oilers game!?) and I headed back to the hotel to wind down for the day.

6:00AM

In-house gym for some light cardio

8:00AM – 11:00AM

I got back to the room after my workout at 8:00 and woke my husband up. Breakfast called for room service. We figured this would be the best way to save time as we got up to get ready for the day.  After filling up our bellies, we decided to explore the hotel’s premise a bit more.

11:30 – 2:30

After we checked out, the plan was to find a local bike shop, park the car and pedal off into the streets with a camera in hand.The details of this architecturally rich city reveal themselves when the peninsula’s sidewalks, seawalls and secret alleyways are explored on foot.  At every turn, the polish of more than 300 years of history is evidenced by the enchanting chronology of quaint architectural styles.

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Rainbow Row

3:00PM

Until next time Charleston.