Greetings from Charleston, SC

Being wedged between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Carolina coast, I've found myself gravitating more towards the ocean than the mountains.
While I haven't earned the title of seasoned lowcountry explorer yet, I do have some great recommendations of places to go, things to see, and yummy places to eat!

When most people think of taking a beach vacation, the first places that probably come to mind are:
1. Florida
2. Caribbean


But did you know the South Carolina coastline can be an awesome, quieter, and in some ways less expensive coastal vacation?


Let's be honest here; the Palmetto state does not offer pristine white sand beaches.
But it does offer a one of a kind, historically Southern landscape -- palm trees included!

A visit to the 'Lowcountry' as local's call it, really takes you back in time.
Does the above house look familiar? It was Allie's summer home in the Notebook! Located right here in .....

Charleston, SC.

Placed right in the middle of Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head island, it's one of the most popular tourist destinations in South Carolina. And with good reasoning.

Cobblestone roads, plantations, and riverfront dining make this Southern City a place you'll never forget.

I'm a morning person, and I live for a nice healthy breakfast to get my day started. About a year ago my mom & I found a locals favorite for breakfast: Three Little Birds Cafe.

This cute and quaint little cafe was hard to find my first visit. It's located in the middle of a parking lot in an old shopping plaza! Plenty of parking, service is always fantastic, and the lox is to die for.
I return to this place every time I'm in town :)


My other recommendation is for those of you who, like me, enjoy eating a giant ice cream cone in replacement of a meal:

Check out that full moon

Jeni's Ice Cream on Charleston's main strip, King St.
Always natural ingredients paired with wild & wacky flavors such as Loveless Biscuits & Peach Jam or Riesling Poached Pear make this place an ice cream shoppe you won't soon forget.

Brace yourself - you'll inevitably spend  more time in this shoppe than the average ice cream run. The personable staff will let you, scratch that, encourage you to try every single flavor!

Can't wait to go back.

A perfect day downtown Charleston would involve grabbing a giant ice cream cone at Jeni's and strolling along the infamous Battery Point a few blocks away!

I've got to work on capturing a better photo of this 'rainbow row' of beautiful, antique Charleston homes.
They have Key West blues, hot pinks, you name it!
Some are private residencies while others are actually bed & breakfasts.
I have yet to stay at one but it's on my bucket list!
Stay tuned for that...

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So now that your belly is full you're ready for some exploration.

Have no fear.
Charleston's got a LOT.

I've been there probably 5 times so far and my to do list only grows with each visit.

Here are my favorites:

Can you spot me?

One of Charleston's top attractions is the whimsical, fairytale land known as Magnolia Plantation.

And I say 'Whimsical'  with good reasoning; because at this Plantation, things like this will happen:

This Plantation is very family friendly.
For the adults you can stroll through the house and gardens, learning absolutely everything there is to know regarding the history of the grounds. Wonderful photo opportunities as well.
And for the kids, there's a petting zoo and bush mazes in the gardens!

I spent an entire day at this plantation and didn't cover everything; it's definitely a two-day weekend event if you want to see it all! So I will be returning in the near future.
See you there?
:)


My absolute favorite plantation in the Charleston area, though...

BOONE HALL.

My first visit here was on my 1 year wedding anniversary weekend, and what a perfect place to celebrate LOVE.

Some people visit for the history, others visit for the ample photo opportunities, but most people visit because yes, this is Allie's summer home in The Notebook. And by golly they want to touch those gates where Ryan Gosling slammed his truck into!

This place is also very family friendly. The canopy tour will drive you around the plantation and tell you everything there is to know. You'll go by gator filled swamps, fields of pecan trees and watermelon, then stop at their 'butterfly cafe' for homemade pecan ice cream.

mmm mmm mmm!

This place has wonderful energy and the staff make you feel like family. You can go inside the plantation house, but a man actually lives on the second floor so it's roped off.
Imagine having tourists come into your house all day?
Wild.


Speaking of the Notebook, you can also walk by the theater where Allie & Noah had their first date:

The theater is no longer in service, but they still keep the old sign up for tourist/movie fanatics!
How cute is that baby announcement!?

You can find this theater at 446 King Street in Charleston.


My final recommendation is the beautiful Cypress Gardens.

Is that a fairytale or what?
Again, the Notebook filmed their infamous row-boat scene here; where Allie & Noah were rowing around the hundreds of gorgeous white ducks.

You pay something like $10/person for entrance into this beautiful gardens area and have free access to the row boats, a small aquarium and a nature center.
Another family friendly place!

The staff are one of a kind. They are the epitome of Southern hospitality.
My first visit here was the day after my birthday, and after I told the kind woman working the front desk that it was my birthday weekend, she proceeded to tell me she is a singer and dropped everything she was doing to sing Happy Birthday to me! Girl had some pipes too.
I was downright flattered.

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There are so many other islands to explore near Charleston. Like Kiawah, Edisto, Beaufort and Hilton Head to name just a few. Wild dolphins are everywhere and there's nothing more beautiful than a 100+ year old oak tree covered in Spanish Moss. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be a frequent visitor to the South Carolina coast but, here I am. And absolutely loving it. It's truly a different world out there.

Feel free to email me at StephanieP607@yahoo.com or leave a comment if you have anymore specific questions or even suggestions of places for me to check out!

I'll see you out there.