Welcome to Charleston: A Visitor's Guide, Part 1

So you've decided to visit Charleston! That's GREAT! But do you know what to expect? Where to go? What is a deal? How the locals live and deal with every day occurrences? Here's a peek in to our little nook of the Lowcountry. And please don't hesitate to let me know if you need help/recommendations/etc.! 

Why should you visit Charleston?
If you've decided to visit this area just because you've heard some great stories about what we have to offer here, I'll help you find something (hopefully) that you find interesting! 

A lot of people visit because of our great beaches! If you want a little surfer town with a small-town feel, check out Folly Beach. If you want to hang out with the locals, check out Sullivan's Island. Or, if you want to people-watch or if you are with a large group, head to Isle of Palms! 

Another great thing about Charleston is our history here. We are, after all, the oldest city in the Great State of South Carolina. We were officially founded in 1670 when King Charles II was on the throne. We have a plethora of historic sites around here that date back to the colonial period. Charleston and its surrounding areas also played a large role in the American Revolution, and hosted George Washington! Francis Marion is also a well-known officer in these parts. And most obviously, the Civil War began here when cadets from The Citadel fired shots at The Star of the West and Fort Sumter. (Also, for some extra history, check out Old Santee Canal Park to see some great swamps AND the plantation home where the CSS David, aka "the little David" was built in secrecy under the plantation!)

Charleston is also the home of Darius Rucker, and during hurricane season, Jimmy Buffet frequents our beaches to catch a good surf. 

If none of that convinces you, the magazine Travel + Leisure named us the "World's Best City" in 2016! 

When to visit: 
Well, how's your hu-mid-i-tay tolerance? I'm definitely not kidding with that question. Do you want to get some Travel Insurance in case there's a hurricane? Our hurricane season is July - Thanksgiving. 

• Prices are generally on the higher end for lodging and attractions from Memorial Day-Labor Day and Holidays. If you're a beach go-er, I recommend mid-late August through September. Remember, the kids down here go back to school in the middle of August so there will be fewer locals. Ideally, the week before Labor Day and the week after are best. Of course, as long as there's no hurricane headed our way! 

Where to stay: 
Honestly, this totally depends on what you are looking for and if you want to walk everywhere, walk yourself down a boardwalk to the ocean, or if you want to explore this historic.  Do you want a beachfront hotel? Do you want bustling Downtown with a great view? Do you need a place to park your car overnight? 

To be honest, this would need an entire post to get into what we have here. I will say, though, that Middleton Plantation has an Inn, and you'd stay right on the grounds of the plantation. Or, if you want historic, beautiful, and downtown, check out Two Meeting Street Inn. If you want to feel like you're at the Ritz, check out The Francis Marion Hotel that's right on King Street and Calhoun. 

Or, hop on Air BnB for some great finds! Give some serious thought to renting a home on Lake Moultrie or Lake Marion. It's not oceanfront, but it is still pretty amazing, and only an hour away from the hustle and bustle of the city and the ocean. And the prices will be cheaper!


Up Front and Honest: Some of the Bad:
As with everywhere else, there is bound to be some downsides to a city/area. 

• First visit south of the Mason Dixon? The lower you get on the map, the more homeless people you'll see. If you think about it, it does make sense. They have to be able to survive outside year-round. Cities offer free hurricane shelters and transportation. 
• Not staying downtown and don't have a vehicle? You'll be on a tight schedule - public transportation isn't the greatest. But, we do have Uber! I've heard many positive reviews about using Uber here. Or budget (if you can) for a rental car. I do NOT recommend a taxi. Their prices are kind of ridiculous. If you do stay downtown, their public transportation is pretty regular, and a lot of what we have is walking-distance away. 
• If you're on a budget, consider staying just outside of Charleston. Not only are prices cheaper, but you'll be out of Charleston County. Charleston County has a higher tax on tourism-related things, such as hotels. 
• The drivers: everyone is either a part of the Daytona 500 or on a Sunday drive. Nothing in between. 

Get In The Mood: 

A list of some books to get you ready to visit Charleston

• The Lords of Discipline, by Pat Conroy
• North and South, by John Jakes
• Porgy, by DuBose Heyward

A List of Movies to Watch: 

• The Notebook (Allie's parent's vacation home is Boone Hall Plantation - also the plantation where Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds got married. Also, the famous swamp boat ride is filmed at Cypress Gardens, which has recently re-opened after extensive work from hurricane damage)
• The Patriot (also partly filmed at Boone Hall and the College of Charleston)
• Not a movie, but the television series "Army Wives" was filmed here in Charleston. Take a short drive to visit the actual Hump Bar! 
• The Lords of Discipline (based off the novel)
• Forrest Gump 
• For a hard dose of reality, try and get through the movie 12 Years a Slave. Remember, Charleston was one of the main ports, and thousands of slaves passed through the old slave mart. 

When South Carolina Gets Snow...

We seemed to have brought down some Buffalo weather when we came down here for school! January 3rd, the Charleston area received the largest snowfall on record in quite a while - and it didn't melt by the next day.  We had snow for at least a week! We did NOT expect that!! Although we did have some fun. Here's some of our photos and some fun commentary. 

Our beloved space heater that Shawn brought in to the bedroom - a godsend at night, and a great nightlight as well! [And still used when it goes below 50 at night]

When the snow finally started to come down, Shawn was already at home - EVERYTHING closes when the forecast just mentions the word snow. Literally, everything. Walmart, Chick Fil A, gas stations, Food Lion, schools.

It was pretty entertaining though for us, only because we know how to deal with this kind of weather.  When it first started, like I said, Shawn was home, but I was at work. OOPS. They didn't close in time. The bridge we HAVE to get over to get home was shut down due to safety concerns. Shawn couldn't come and get me from work.  I ended up getting a ride from work to the corner, and walked to the bridge where there were police officers blocking vehicles.  I figured if traffic wasn't able to go across, maybe I could walk over it and have Shawn meet me on the other side. NOPE. I ended up having a police officer drive me all the way home because the roads were "too bad and it's bad out." Um. Okay. Perspective is everything down here. I'll go with it. Below is what it looked like when I got home from work. Thank you sheriff for the ride!

We put the slides in, just because we didn't want the weight of the snow on them, and its also easier to heat up the motorhome when the space is smaller!

Buffalo gal showing SC how it's done

The day after, before we got another round of MAYBE 2 inches? Sunny, pretty, and pristine. 

Shawn "shoveled" part of our front porch with a tote lid... we thought we could leave the snow shovels at home! 

Three days later, the state of emergency was still in effect, but the travel bans and restrictions were lifted. We decided to go out and see what everything was like, and Walmart was able to find a whopping 10 or so people to come in and staff the registers and restock shelves. Off we went.

Clearly, they need some help from states that regularly get snow.  DROPPING SALT DOES NOT MEAN YOU CANNOT PLOW, AND PLOWING DOES NOT MEAN ICE MELTS. And naturally, the parking lot to Walmart wasn't plowed. We didn't mind, we weren't expecting much based off what was being shown on the news. Below is the lovely, un-plowed parking lot. I think we were more irritated that people were putting down wood chips instead of kitty litter or salt down to "melt" the ice. 

We made it home, but realized someone took out our mailbox! We don't know if it happened the night before, or that day. Oh well, we had to put it back up! We don't know if there were any injuries, damages, etc. We can only imagine it was rough though - the mailbox was far on the other side of the ditch!

Fresh snow... it was so pretty! Nostalgic for home. 

But don't be fooled, we are definitely adjusted down here. It was roughly 75 degrees today, and sure, it was nice in the sun, but it was pretty darn cool with the breeze in the shade! But at least we are in flip flops, and headed to 80 degrees! Hooray! 

It's funny - we find ourselves cool and cold if it is under 75 outside, and we leave the big space heater on until we get warm, which we notice is around 79-82 degrees.

But we still dislike the humidity, unless we are on the beach. 

Here's to a relaxed weekend! ONE final exam left. 

Getting Settled

Howdy!! We are getting used to the South Carolina life, and loving it! (Except when it rains and we are stuck inside.)  Shawn got a job down here, I'm still waiting to hear back about a graduate assistantship (fingers crossed!) and life is just so... happy, enjoyable, loving, fun, and interesting! 

In our little town, we are less than FIVE whole miles from (in no order): Food Lion (think cross between Save A Lot and Tops), Bi-Lo (more upscale grocer, think Wegmans), Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, Dollar General(I'm sensing a pattern here...), Walmart, Chick-fil-A (Shawn's new favorite place for chicken), Hardee's, Sonic, Auto Zone, Big Lots, Verizon, Waffle House, Walgreens, the DMV, Wells Fargo, Piggly Wiggly, and Heads Up Hair Design (which was the best $25 hair cut I've ever had in my whole entire life - super thorough, helpful, and well trained!). And so much more.  I couldn't even list everything in an entire post - there is A LOT. 

We've gone to my Colleges (it's a joint degree between two) and I fell in love with the Campus an library at the Citadel. I've started to dip my foot in to the world of podcasts, and I'm still unsure about if I like them or not.  We went to pick up my seven novels for one of my courses (18th Century Novel), we drove around Charleston and loved seeing the different architecture, we've spent an afternoon at Folly Beach, we had one dinner date in Murrell's Inlet and stopped at a few places in Pawley's Island, we've read books, we've adapted to our hookups, we've seen a lot of wildlife and dragonflies, it goes on.  We are really blessed and thankful to be living in such a place that has so much to offer, explore, and experience.  

But most importantly, we've begun to plan for the future.  Our hopes, dreams, where we want to be, where we want to go, vacations we want to have before we die, where/how we should live within the next few years, and most importantly, we've set up a game-plan as to how we want to achieve our immediate and semi-long term goals (within 5 years).  And we made a small little poster that's hanging on the wall in the hallway to remind us every day to try and get a little closer to those goals. 

And of course, Velvet found a new place to hang when we forgot to close the cabinets :)

We checked out Lake Moultrie, which is less than a mile away from us, but this photo was near the public boat ramp, about 14 miles from us. 

Shawn has been working on our lawn? Area? What do we call it? Here he's working on the back (secondary) driveway.  He also gets on a Ford tractor like this one and bush hogs it (big lawn mower).

These photos were from our trip to Pawley's Island.

We went to Capt. Dave's Dockside for dinner and Shawn tried some more hush puppies.  He wasn't a big fan of these, because he tried some down in Hilton Head at Hudson's, and those had onion in them, which are much more to his taste. These were too sweet. 

View from our dinner table! Right on the inlet, and people can go on boat rides, walk around, shop a little, or even dock right up to the side and come in to eat! 

It may be fake, but it's still pretty huge!

Lots of morning time snuggles

And the puppy has figured out he can sit on the couch and see what's on the dinette table and smell Mommy's dinner even better

This picture is Folly Beach, about two hours before the peak of high tide

The beach wouldn't be complete without my favorite bird: the pelican! There were so many! 

Shawn got to see pelicans hunting for food, and I caught it on video! Pay attention to the pelican on the right :) 

We Made It!

We are HOME! We found a place! We are less than an hour away from Charleston, and just over an hour away from one of my favorite places in the world: Pawley's Island! We still have to get things set up "permanently" because now we won't be moving from campground to campground.  YAY! 

In our free time that we (might) have over the next two years, there is SO much to check out! 

Right away, we are closest to Francis Marion National Forest and Lake Moultrie.

In Pawley's Island, I already know my faves.  I love going to the beach, but this time we'll have to find public access instead of the hotel access! There's also the Hammock Shops that are always fun to check out, especially if the lady that weaves baskets is there.  Be sure to stop in and watch some great guys make the hammocks, and if you go right when they open, you might leave with a free goodie! Lunch or Dinner? Quigley's Pint and Plate, Perrone's, Bistro 217, Dave's Dockside, Drunken Jakes, and for frozen take-out (and simply THE best southern cooking), Get Carried Away.  And for that after dinner final touch, check out Bourbon and Burnz, right on Ocean Highway (17).  They are a full service bar with over 200 brands of whiskey, and also is a cigar lounge.  They have a big selection, you won't be disappointed! 

Other interesting places:
The city of Charleston itself, Meeting Street Inn Bed & Breakfast, Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Middleton Place, Fort Sumter, the Battery, Aiken-Rhett House Museum, McLeod Plantation, Sullivan's Island, Drayton Hall, Boone Hall Plantation, South Carolina Aquarium, Columbia Zoo, and so much more.  

HOORAY! On to a celebratory drink, making dinner, and more settling in. 

Summer, Vacation, and Lilly

Long time no talk people!! Can we just take a second and breathe?!? This has been one HECK of a busy summer, and an even busier start to the school year!

Here's a photographic diary of my summer :)

These first ones are from my visit to Genessee Country Village and Museum:

Ladies gathering for a prayer before they get to work sewing, doing the wash, and other outside work before a battle.

Here's a photo of the mounted cavalry of the Confederacy that was represented by these fine gentlemen! They came all the way from Virginia to re-enact! This was when they stopped by the picnic pavilion to ask for a kind lady to offer a ladle of water after winning a battle.

There were two battles that day, and below is a photo of the one that was fought in a town.  The scenario was: Town being attacked, town must defend itself from the Federals.

Swinging back into the "school" mindset, I ordered my agenda for the year.  Little things like this make me smile :)

Here's a favorite from lifeguarding: my niece stopped by with my mom when I was at work and we had a nice hour or so swimming around and having lunch.

Another GREAT year with the Erie County Fair! Our Historical Society got 5th Place (out of over 15), and qualified to be recognized at a special dinner for our display.

Our scene was a Doctor's Office from 1915; everything you see is a TRUE artifact, no reproductions. 

And of course, Hubby and I walked around and found these cute, happy pigs :)

The three little pigs!

Another addition this year: my in-laws are mobile! They found a park where they can keep their camper year-round, and use it as a vacation spot! It's relaxing out there! There are lots of amenities out there, including a seasonal pool, shelter, game room, a schedule of events, etc.

SO. Let's get into something a bit more relaxing. I  had my first professional massage this summer at Corto's and it was AMAZING.  There are a few different rooms, and this one below... Can you imagine soaking in a bubble bath in the tub before/after a massage??? Talk about relaxation and serenity.

I had the lovely experience of babysitting this little one, who wasn't even a week old! My mom's friends are foster parents, and had to go to a wedding so I gladly stepped in!

VACATION!!!!! IT HAPPENED! We went back to Pawley's Island and had a few changes this go-round.  We took 2 days to get there, and 2 days to get back.  Our first overnight was in Hagerstown, MD.  Below is Alex, finishing his breakfast with a bowl of fruit loops :)

It was a bit of a foggy ride from Hagerstown to our next stop in Virginia to meet up with some friends.  From a distance, we couldn't decide if this (below) was a mountain or some more fog to drive through.  What do you think?? :)

Why hello, Virginia!

Heh, I had to laugh.  This was inside the truck stop.  I can only speculate what happened that forced them to put up this sign...

CAROLINAS! Our mandatory stop at the restaurant Twin Lakes in Sunset Beach, complete with the best ever hush puppies and great drinks.

Mr. Lionfish wants to come out and say hello!

We were too full to eat dessert, so we took their famous (and BEST EVER) Key Lime Pie to go, and had it for a midnight snack at the hotel.

Our view this year:) 4th floor perfection.

The stairway to heaven:

Okay, this is one of the best hidden gems in Pawley's Island if you're vacationing there.  They make homemade meals, freeze them, and you can buy them! Which was perfect, because we had an oven in our hotel room. We got a small container of the Palmetto Cheese to try because it is the "Home of Palmetto Cheese", Chicken Cordon Bleu, Palmetto Macaroni and Cheese, and Chicken and Orzo.  This was great because we didn't have to worry about lunches, or food on the road.  Some of it even lasted until we got back home, and had it for dinner. Next time we go, I think I'll get some pralines for Alex to try for the first time.

Vacation selfie!

Heading out for dinner! Such a fancy and handsome husband :)

We went to Perrone's, and we HIGHLY recommend this place to anyone who wants quality food, prepared excellently, and even great service. Below is my lavender lemon drop martini and a Manhattan for Alex, as a pre-dinner treat.  Alex ordered the duck, and the filet for myself. This steak could not even TOUCH the steak I had when I was out west.

After dinner, we went to a cigar/bar/whiskey specialty place, and saw lots of flashing lights go by, and started wondering what was going on.  When we made it back to the hotel, we found police directing traffic at the intersection where we turn in to the hotel, and found that the entire Hotel community was without power! There was a transformer that blew off-property.  I cannot give enough credit to the hotel staff, the Fire department, and other vacationers! Especially the owner of the entire hotel complex; she was in our building going through each floor with a flashlight making sure people were okay, and did a great job overall. She had firemen standing at the stairs making sure to share information with the vacationers, and to make sure people were safe and had a flashlight or other source of light. The power was on within an hour, and things were handled with care.  GREAT JOB!

This (below) was dinner Sunday night, at Capt. Dave's in Murrell's Inlet.  We sat outside, and had some pretty awesome views.  We had boats going by, docking, goats walking around, fishermen coming up with their catch. 

Raspberry honey butter for hush puppies!

Below is... Can you guess?? The place where Andy Griffith was filmed! :) Pilot Mountain. 

It's football season!!! Go Bills!!! Beat the pats on Sunday!!

Below is my Lily Agenda pattern with my Future Female Leader sticker on it! #GOP

Here's to another start of school!