college of charleston

i’ve heard such great things about the laid-back vibe of charleston, south carolina; with its beautiful and lush scenery and delicious food it has always been high on my “must visit” list, though i have yet to book a ticket. my friend, patricia, traveled there regulary, and always had the best stories about the city. i sat down with her recently to get a flavor for charleston’s southern charm.

jaunt blog: tell us a bit about your travel and how you planned for your trips.

patricia: i traveled to charleston extensively to visit my boyfriend, tom, who’s in the navy and was stationed in the area. i flew there one weekend a month for that one and a half year period. yelp was the website that i used most in planning my trips. tom and i are huge foodies, and we planned all of our trips around great restaurants. our favorites were FIG, the glass onion, kilwin’s ice cream (ohmygoshsogood), husk…the list goes on and on. we also like to watch diners, drive-ins and dives and get restaurant ideas from that show. that’s how we found the glass onion (get the cornbread, and don’t be stingy with the fresh honey).

also, I highly recommend paying the premium to stay in a hotel in the downtown area so you are walking distance from everything. we were able to find a great priceline deal for the andrew pinckney inn which we LOVED. stay there if you’re able to; it was my favorite hotel of all my trips.

patricia and tom at kilwin’s in charleston

jb: tell us about your favorite moments on your trip. what do you remember most?

p: i have wonderful memories of walking around downtown charleston. it’s so historic and it feels that way; you feel like you’re walking through the setting of Gone With the Wind. one of my absolute favorite memories was watching 4th of july fireworks at patriot’s point. there’s a decommissioned aircraft carrier and submarine in the water at patriot’s point, and on the 4th of july, they shoot off fireworks from the deck of the aircraft carrier. we walked around the aircraft carrier, drank beer (there was a little 4th of july fair in the parking lot) and then watched the fireworks from the back of tom’s truck. the view was spectacular; probably the best view of fireworks I’ve ever had.

patriot’s point in charleston

jb: that sounds amazing! if i were to visit charleston outside of the fourth of july, what are some things i must do or see?

p: you MUST have the cinnamon crumb cake ice cream at kilwin’s. i know it’s a chain, so you could have it in a number of kilwin’s on the east coast, but you have to have it. a walk around downtown charleston is definitely in order, to see as much of it as you possibly can.

oh my gosh i can’t believe i almost forgot my absolute FAVORITE place in charleston: the gin joint. you will have the best cocktails of your life. it’s tucked away downtown, and they also have brunch if you’re in the mood. my favorite cocktail is the new orleans gin fizz, which i discovered at the gin joint.

oh and also! go to folly beach if you’re there in the summer, and hit up the folly beach crab shack. get an oyster shot if you’re feeling adventurous (a raw oyster in a shot glass filled with a bloody mary). their seafood buckets are soooo good.

charleston beach

jb: who should visit charleston?

p: i would recommend charleston to anyone who likes history, food, beaches/the ocean, a delicious cocktail, and a lively downtown scene where everything’s within walking distance.

jb: i’m totally sold; you had me at “cocktail.” what should i pack?

p: it gets very hot and humid during the summer (a great excuse for a trip to folly beach!). as a result of the humidity, there are a ton of bugs, so bug spray is a must. pack loose clothes if you’re going to be there in the summer, and warm clothes for the winter (it’s right on the water). tom and i got majorly into the help and read it together while he lived there. it’s a fantastic book and even if you’ve seen the movie, i would still recommend it.

college of charleston willows

downtown charleston

the battery, the promenade in charleston