Hello all!

I’m so excited to share my experiences in Charleston, South Carolina with you all! I spent a lovely long weekend in the Holy City with my mom for Mother’s Day and we had an absolute blast!! Neither of us had been there before so we wanted to take full advantage of our time there to fit in as much as possible!

For this guide, I’ll give you my rundown of where we stayed, the fabulous Lowcountry local cuisine, cute shops, quaint museums and historic sites, and fun Charleston-specific activities to enhance your experience!!

Where to Stay:

• The Mills House Hotel – This iconic pink hotel was the perfect place for my mom and I to spend our long weekend! The hotel has a fabulous restaurant, serene pool area, quaint rooms, and is centrally located to all the best restaurants and historic houses! Almost everything we wanted to see was within a few blocks away from our hotel so we could walk everywhere.
• 86 Cannon – I’ve only heard lovely things about this intimate, boutique hotel.  However, space is limited so it’s best to book your room here early!
• Two Meeting Street Inn – a beautiful waterfront location and stunning architecture make this the ideal spot for a romantic getaway!
• Zero George – an award-winning hotel that offers a contemporary take on Charleston charm.
• Indigo Inn – this boutique inn conveniently located in downtown Charleston is both affordable and charming!

Where to Eat:

When in Charleston, you simply MUST delve into the delicious Lowcountry cuisine filled with Carolina gold rice, she-crab soup, sweet tea, freshly baked biscuits, okra, and fried green tomatoes.  The local seafood is exquisite and the seasonal vegetables are to die for!!

• Barbadoes Room
• 82 Queen
• Blossom
• Magnolia’s
• Anson’s

Bonus Delicacies:

• River Street Sweets for the BEST hot, freshly made pralines
• The Peninsula Grill for their world famous Coconut Cake.
• Southern Sisters Tea Cookies for delicious traditional benne wafer and cookie recipes

Museums and Historic Sites:

Our hotel was located along the Museum Mile stretch of Charleston, which was perfect for my history- and art-obsessed family! We hit up two museums over the weekend and three of the historic homes open to the public.

• The Charleston Museum – great historic background on the city and fantastic rotating exhibits!
• The Gibbes Museum of Art – an American art museum that connects the city and region’s artistic past to a vibrant contemporary art scene.
• Nathaniel Russell House
• Edmonston-Alston House
• Calhoun Mansion

Charleston-Specific Activities to Do:

For a small city, Charleston certainly has a lot of options for fun activities to fill up your schedule day and night!

• Go on some walking tours – my mom and I did a morning walking tour to acquaint ourselves with the city on our first full day and a Bulldog Ghost & Dungeon Walking Tour (where you have exclusive access to the Old Exchange Building dungeons at night).
• Take a carriage tour – There are tons of carriage rides that offer historic tours of Charleston and take you on various routes – most are located around North Market Street. We went with the Charleston Carriage Works tour.
• Stroll down King Street – a great place to wander along and shop, this street also closes down to cars on Sundays for the perfect place to have a relaxing stroll!
• Grab a Pedi Cab – the lovely weather is the perfect excuse to take one of these bike taxis – it’s truly a fun experience and is yet another great way to see Charleston while getting from one location to another.
• Visit the iconic Rainbow Row
• Walk along the waterfront park – enjoy the beautiful scenery and take a pic at the welcoming pineapple fountain!

I hope this guide helps you if you’re planning a trip to Charleston or just wondering where to go on your next vacation. I definitely want to return to explore this beautiful city even more again soon!

XOXO

Parisa