Charleston is the ultimate hotspot right now, featured in all the top travel magazines and influencer feeds, a place where picturesque historical homes in playful pastel hues blend with old-money sophistication and Southern charm.
Nicknamed The Holy City, because of its rich history of religious tolerance and abundant places of worship. We say Hallelujah to Charleston.
Stayed 📍 Mt. Pleasant SC
(near the magnificent Ravenel Bridge which connects downtown Charleston, over the Cooper River.)
Visited 📍 Daniel Island, Sullivan Island, Downtown Charleston
Top experiences listed in order experienced 🏁
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Wild Life and Nature: Alligator sightings and Live Oak Trees ✔️
Nothing brings peace like spending time in nature, and seeing an animals in their natural habitat. Anticipate geckos, alligators, beautiful great egret birds, turtles, dolphin sightings, and to be in awe of the mighty live oak trees dripping in Spanish moss. -
Buttermilk Biscuits:
Vicious biscuits. We had a lot of misses with food here, and we're most likely at fault. This was a major W that we returned to for seconds. We had the cheddar and jalapeño buttermilk biscuit + a gluten free biscuit with house-made butter and jelly. Thrilled to say the coffee was also phenomenal. You even eat biscuits plain and cold and still be satisfied (this was our return flight food). The menu also has so many other delicious items to choose from. 🤤 We were also curious about but didn't make it to Page Okra Grill. -
Shem Creek: Surprisingly for a port city, Charleston has limited water front dining options. Shem Creek in Mt Pleasant quenches that thirst, a great place to catch sunset over the marsh. Or dock and dine with lively fun people. Salt Water Cowboys was a crowd favorite. We were curious about the insanely tall deck views at Red's Ice House, but didn't make it up. You can also rent kayaks and paddleboards here.
- Beeple Studios on Daniel Island: DM for early access to this currently hidden blog, dedicated to Beeple's amazing futuristic digital art experience. Side Bar: The Kingstide roof top on Daniel Island is a great spot for tasty bites and drinks with river views.
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Mt Pleasant Waterfront Park/ Pier: Really cool perspective to view the Ravenel bridge from underneath, this is also where the entrance is to walk across the bridge. Equally impressive is seeing the ginormous cargo ships go under the bridge. Keep a look out for cool "shell" sculptures throughout, and a vistor's center with information galore. This is actually where we purchased our next experience tickets at for a discount.
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Boone Hill Plantation a beautiful place the exudes a rich history.
The entrance is one of my favorite views from the trip, cruising through the stunning live oak trees. We also really enjoyed the outdoor tour riding the farm wagon ride around the property, which include cotton field and alligator sightings. - Sullivan Island: Noted as one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the USA. We did a quick drive through and dipped our toes in the Atlantic Ocean, in this "luxury" beachfront town. Really cute main street and public beaches. Great place stay for an elevated beachy family vacation.
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Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge walk to Downtown Charleston:
We took a poll on Instagram + X and you the people encouraged us to walk the 2.5 miles into downtown Charleston. We did that + walked 12.5 miles more (one of us in rubber flipflops) to explore by foot.
Verdict on bridge walk: everyone needs to experience it, at least once. Lots of people use the bridge in daily exercise routine. Be aware + stay in your lane, there's designated walking and bike lanes. Also far to note once you get across the bridge, you're essentially another mile from anywhere you want to be in downtown Charleston. -
Downtown Charleston:
When if you drop into Charleston off the bridge, regroup and grab a bite or beverage at Mercantile & Mash located in a historic Cigar Factory.
The main Street to go across town = East Bay St.
King Street= is the hub of upscale shopping, restaurants and retail.
We especially enjoyed
- Pineapple Fountain at Waterfront park, proof of travel spot ✔️ Legend has it that down South, sea captains had a unique way of announcing their return from long voyages. They'd impale a pineapple at their gate, signaling to the whole neighborhood that they were back on land and ready to welcome guests.
- Lauren Dierrllo Art inspiring colorful fun tile art + gallery.
- Charleston City Market: Over 300 vendors in the heart of the "city." A frozen key lime pie bar was our treat from the market.
- "The Shops at Charleston Place" Louis Vuitton + one of the fanciest public bathrooms I've ever stepped foot.
- Rainbow Row: iconic instagramable opportunity. Think "the Painted Ladies" in San Francisco.
- Charleston Battery: River walkway with views of impressive homes, the water, and a park (that might be under construction for awhile)
- People had us concerned over the traffic, and inability to get a ride share, we experienced neither but also went during the week at off times. Also noted there are water taxis available from main locations.
- We went to a Dingy BBQ spot worth not going to (DM if you need to know where not to go).
- Had our 1st Cyber Truck Sighting here, world hold on.