A weekend getaway to Charleston, SC with my mom, sister and niece was the perfect way to celebrate my 40th birthday! On our first night there, we stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott Charleston Waterfront just minutes from the downtown historic district. We wanted to be closer to the beach the rest of our time there, so we did all of the touristy things in downtown the first day we were there. I always enjoy my experience staying at Marriott resorts, however Charleston offers several luxurious local hotels with amazing reviews. The two I recommend most are The Dewberry or Hotel Bennett.
While exploring downtown, we ate lunch at the cutest courtyard restaurant called Eli’s Table. This is a great place to enjoy a casual lunch while sitting outside on the patio. I loved seeing the all of the carriage rides while walking around downtown. The one we saw the most was Old South Carriage Co and it looked really nice. You can schedule a private tour on their website. We went to the Charleston Waterfront Park and it was beautiful. It is home to the famous Pineapple Fountain which is the perfect photo opportunity for Instagram.
Of course, we had to do some shopping in the French Quarters while we were there. I was blown away by how many places there were to shop! A few of my favorites were Mix by Copper Penny, Madison Mathews and Sewing Down South. My absolute favorite thing about Charleston is all of the beautiful homes and old historic buildings full of character. There are several well known photo spots and I was so excited that we were able to hunt down the famous pink front door for a quick photo shoot. It was the most adorable house I have ever seen. The address is 126 Tradd Street in case you want to go see for yourself. There are so many beautiful homes in that area.
Rainbow Row is a must see and it is just as pretty in person! I could have stood there all day swooning over all of the pastel colors and palm trees. If you are a fan of the TV Show Southern Charm on Bravo, here is a list of places I had to see while I was in town and believe me, they were worth all the hype! Gwynn’s, Ravenel Bridge, Sewing Down South and Patricia Altschul’s historic mansion.
We also ate at Little Jack’s Tavern and it was the cutest place with the most delicious hamburger and fries ever! We met my sweet friend Claire, which was the highlight of my trip. We became Instagram friends a few years ago and when I told here I was coming to visit Charleston, we immediately planned a lunch date. She showed up with the sweetest local gift and we chatted like we had known each other our entire lives. A couple of other restaurants I highly recommend are Husk Restaurant and Halls Chophouse.
For our remaining two nights, we stayed at the Sweetgrass Inn at Wild Dunes located in the Isle of Palms, about 30 minutes from downtown Charleston. I absolutely fell in love with Isle of Palms. Sweetgrass Inn has everything you need so there is no need to leave once you arrive! They have several options for food. There is Coastal Provisions at the Boardwalk Inn, Beachside Burgers and Bar, Oystercatcher and Hudson’s Market for snacks or a light meal. The resort also offers bike rentals, beach chairs with beach umbrellas, spa cabana rentals and so much more! There are several pools and plenty of kid-friendly areas within the resort. The beach was absolutely gorgeous and the weather was perfect while we were there.
I also partnered with Alpha Lit Charleston while we were there and Leigh was so great to work with! She delivered three foot 40 marquee numbers to the resort for my 4oth birthday photo shoot. We had a great time shooting and I made such sweet memories with my mom, sister and niece! If you are looking for a relaxing getaway surrounded by Southern charm, Charleston is the perfect place to go!
