When I dreamed of Charleston, I thought of perfectly manicured cobblestone streets, rows of beautiful, historic buildings and all the classic charm that comes along with an iconic Southern town. After spending a weekend with my gal pals traipsing through the city, I’m happy to report that Charleston delivered all of those dreams and so much more. Reapply your lipstick, grab a sweet tea and enjoy a recap of our Charleston adventure!

Day 1

Well, technically day 2. My dear friend Kara and I arrived late on a Thursday night in August and went straight to our friend Sarah’s house for wine, charcuterie and six months worth of catching up on gossip. So, I’m declaring our Charleston adventure began on Friday.

Kara and Sarah rose bright and early Friday morning to attend a kickboxing class at RockBox in West Ashley while I enjoyed an extra few hours to sleep off my wine from the night before – this was vacation, after all! They collected me after their class and we headed to Black Magic Cafe for brunch. I had a perfect Southern meal of grits, bacon, an iced coffee and a mimosa (or two), and just like that, my wine headache was cured!

We then drove toward downtown, across the iconic Ravenel Bridge and into the town of Shem Creek. For all you Outer Banks fans, a lot of water scenes were filmed here! I kept one eye out for John B and the other on the charming scene around me: Shrimp boats, paddle boarders and a few party boats came and went from the marina. A sweet older couple held hands as they strolled down the pier. A group of fisherman worked to rescue a hooked sea turtle. And I made friends with a beautiful white bird that joined our walk.

There were several waterfront bars and restaurants in the area, but we ran out of time to try. Next time I visit, I’m making sure to try Saltwater Cowboys!

Sarah had to head into work, so Kara and I continued downtown to stroll and shop King Street. It was beautiful and breezy between the buildings, but still being in early August, we were soon ready for some A/C and a drink. We found ourselves at Hyman’s Seafood who was having an awesome happy hour – $2.50 Bud Lights and $5 apps… a win!

We returned home to get ready for our big night out, then made our way to Uncork for our dinner reservation. We sipped wine from a dispenser, ate yummy apps (order the meatballs!), enjoyed live music and took plenty of dreamy photos – we didn’t quite know what was in store next!

Sarah bumped into a friend who was working at The Darling, so we popped in for martinis. Then, we ventured to King Street Dispensary to get a little more rowdy. There was a line of college students and bachelorettes waiting to get in, but things moved quickly. One thing led to another and we found ourselves at Silver Dollar, a bar with a rowdy DJ, laser lights and plenty of dancing. After a while, we ventured across the street to Stars Rooftop for a nightcap overlooking the city. We struggled getting an Uber home, so I recommend trying to head out before closing time (2 a.m.)!

Day 2

First step on the Day 2 was a rehab brunch at Church and Union, which was one of my favorite spots of the whole weekend. There were a few groups that got rowdy while we were there, so I would say this is better suited for a group of friends or a bachelorette party than a family. We had a delicious brunch and super cheap mimosas!

We then walked through more historic streets until we reached the Pineapple Fountain which is along the waterfront. I’m already dreaming about when I can return to this spot on a crisp fall day with a coffee and a good book! Towering trees perfectly lined our path as we made our way to Rainbow Row, a must-see for dreamy photos! At this point, we were getting hot and ready for a break.

We stopped in Blind Tiger and had a really weird experience. The place was small and charming, but the bartender was having some sort of breakdown and was super aggressive toward the staff and customers. I wouldn’t cross it off the list, but if you walk in and the vibes are off, skip it.

We then ventured to Henry’s On The Market for more drinks (shocker!) and this was a close second favorite to 5Church. If you’re stopping in for drinks only, I highly recommend heading to the second floor. There is a dreamy lounge area and nice outdoor seating. We stayed here until the sun went down! We then stumbled across the street to an outdoor market and bought gorgeous stone necklaces because why not.

No trip would be complete without a visit to an Irish pub, so we popped in Tommy Condon’s for a quick drink before heading out of downtown and back to West Ashley. For dinner, we went to a Mellow Mushroom inside an old movie theater – it was so cool! We had a couple of pizza slices before ending our night dancing at The Roost.

Day 3

We had late flights home, which meant Sunday was a full day of more adventures! We went to Folly Beach for a day on the water, but an afternoon storm meant we got to try just about every restaurant and bar in the area (not kidding!). We started at BLU, a beach bar inside the Tides hotel. This is the perfect spot for tropical drinks and a break from the sun. Then, we popped in Chico Feo, a super cool laidback bar with great covered outdoor seating. I didn’t have anything to eat here, but the food looked great and I’ve been told their ramen specials in the fall are to die for!

We were hungry at this point, so we popped in Taco Boy, an energetic Mexican restaurant with great food and drinks. It was raining pretty hard when we wrapped up, so we hopped over to Snapper Jack’s for shelter, sweet tea and sushi. When the skies opened up, we lounged on the beach for a bit before grabbing a quick dinner at The Washout and heading to the airport with full hearts and full bellies.

I already can’t wait to head back to Charleston for more adventures in the future! We jammed a LOT into a few days, but if I’ve missed anywhere, drop a comment below!