Travel Diary: Charleston

Recently, I spent some time down in beautiful Charleston, South Carolina. It is such a cute city and seemed to always have something going on. If you’re looking for a walkable place to visit and some of the most amazing restaurants in one area, Charleston is definitely worth adding to your travel list! Here are my favorite recommendations – from my Charleston travel diary to yours.

Where I Ate:

• The Daily. One of my first days in Charleston, I spotted this busy place and knew it must be good. And it did not disappoint. A great spot to grab a quick bite. Their Aztec Cacao Smoothie is a must try!

• Magnolias. This restaurant has been on my radar since I began planning to visit Charleston. If you’re looking for a white table cloth setting and delicious cuisine at a reasonable price, Magnolias is a wonderful place to try.

• 167 Raw. My absolute favorite! Words cannot even describe – well except for the fact that I’m going to describe it right now haha. Known for their amazing lobster rolls, tasty scallop po-boys, and fresh oysters, 167 Raw’s small restaurant is worth the wait! If you are in Charleston and you love gourmet seafood and/or oysters then you have to try this place. I had to go twice during my stay because it was so amazing!

• Hyman’s Seafood. If you’re looking for traditional seafood -fish and chips or phenomenal grits, then Hyman’s is a great choice. Celebrities, past and present, have graced this restaurant and it’s obvious why – the food and service are a perfect way to enjoy your vacation to the Southern Coast.

• King Street Cookies. For when you get that sweet tooth, King Street Cookies has got you covered. After a day of shopping, I was looking for a little snack before dinner and found this little shop. So many flavors of cookies! And they are so very delicious. The one downside to this spot is how do you choose which cookie(s) to get!

What I Did:

• King Street. The main spot to shop in Charleston. King Street is full of different shops and restaurants to visit. I don’t know what else to say other than you really can’t go to Charleston without seeing all that King Street has to offer.

• Rainbow Row. Do you ever see those Instagram-worthy photos of beautiful southern homes painted in vibrant colors and wonder how you could get a photo like that? Well, that is exactly what Rainbow Row is – one road of beautiful homes in many colors. So if you’re looking to document your vacation take a detour to this spot. I promise the photoshoot opportunities are endless!

• Henry’s On the Market. A perfect Friday or Saturday night spot. Five bars, a rooftop deck, speakeasy bar, outdoor lounge, and dance club all in one. The bartenders are awesome and the music is great. Definitely a good place to check out if you’re looking for a night on the town.

• City Market. In the center of downtown you’ll find the Historic Charleston City Market. Filled with numerous vendors selling anything from T-shirt’s to jewelry to tasty treats. This is a great place to check out on a weekend morning.

• The Rooftop at the Vendue. I visited this bar on my first weekend and my last weekend and what an amazing way to look out over downtown Charleston. It’s a beautiful spot with beautiful views, with two floors of lounges. This made for a great girls night out!

I had such an incredible time in Charleston and can’t wait to go back! Charleston is packed with so many unique spots to see and unfortunately I ended up running out of time to see all of the history Charleston has to offer. But, these are some of my favorite and most frequented spots to enjoy and embrace the Charleston culture. I hope this travel diary helps inspire your next visit to Charleston.  Happy Traveling!

♥ Jocelyn

In case you missed it, check out my last post, Travel Diary: New York City!