I’m a history buff and there is SO much history in Charleston. It was founded in 1670 and moved to its current site in 1680. The waterfront has moved away from the original city wall, but there are parts of the wall that are still visible. We didn’t see much our first night as we just had dinner. Everyone we met in Charleston was so, so nice. It was true Southern Hospitality and so lovely to be around such kind people for a few days.

Day 1

On our first full day, I booked a tour with Bulldog Tours. I wanted to do a historical walking tour of the city. I love these walking tours in cities I visit because they are a great way to get a sense of the city and learn about it. The guides are always knowledgeable, often funny, and can answer pretty much any question you throw at them. I knew very little about Charleston so I wanted to jump right in. Wear good shoes, there are a lot of cobblestones.

I took maybe 50 photos of homes on our tour. They are simply stunning. All of them have these outdoor living spaces called Piazza’s not the Italian but pronounced pee-ah-za. Because there was no AC when these homes were built; they were built so the wind could blow through. Often these piazzas are the same size as the interior spaces of the home. We also learned that the metal rods in the home were installed after the 7.0 earthquake hit Charleston in 1886. They thought it would reinforce the homes, not likely! Each of these homes is charming, they have gas lights, and many are part of the Preservation Society of Charleston, displaying plaques on their homes. Real estate is no longer inexpensive in Charleston so sadly I won’t be buying a second home there. And, watch out for golf carts. Many residents use golf carts to get around town instead of their regular cars. Our tour ended near Rainbow Row so we grabbed a fried chicken and BBQ pork sandwich lunch with some iced teas.

After lunch, we took the free bus to the Aiken-Rhett House. There is a bus route in Charleston that is essentially a rectangle and it’s free. It gets you to most of the historical points you want to visit. And, if there is not a stop right where we you need to be you are likely a quick walk away.

The Aiken-Rhett House built in 1820 by merchant John Robinson, the Aiken-Rhett House is nationally significant as one of the best-preserved townhouse complexes in the nation. Vastly expanded by Governor and Mrs. William Aiken, Jr. in the 1830s and again in the 1850s, the house and its outbuildings include a kitchen, the original slave quarters, carriage block and back lot. The house and its surviving furnishings offer a compelling portrait of urban life in antebellum Charleston, as well as a Southern politician, slaveholder and industrialist. The house spent 142 years in the Aiken family's hands before being sold to the Charleston Museum and opened as a museum house in 1975. - from the website

This house has not been restored but is preserved as close to its original state. We did the audio tour which was incredibly helpful and informative. The slave quarters were intact and it was jarring to see this in person. On this trip, we did not visit the nearby plantations (we didn’t have a car or enough time) so I’m happy we were able to experience this together. The story of this home is fascinating so I encourage you to check it out. If you want to explore more historic homes visit the website for more information. On the way to Aiken-Rhett, we stopped by the Manigault House. Unlike Aiken-Rhett this house has been restored. I wish we had spent more time there but time was not on our side!

After a trip back to the hotel it was time for dinner at Fig. One of my colleague’s best friends is the lead bartender at FIG; we were treated very, very well. I had the best martini of my LIFE at FIG. It was an olive-washed vodka martini with a pickled pepper & caperberry garnish. If I could have had five I would have, but no way that was going to happen.

Day Two

After a late night, we started a little late and took an Uber to Vicious Biscuit in Mt. Pleasant (about ten minutes from our hotel). After breakfast, we grabbed the water taxi over to Charleston. We had a windy ride with a view of Fort Sumter and were dropped at Joe Riley Waterfront Park. After a stop to dip our feet in the fountain, we made our way to the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon Museum. We arrived just in time for a tour so we joined. It took about forty-five minutes. After the tour, we had to stop at the oldest liquor store in America, The Tavern at Rainbow Row. Opening 1686 it’s the oldest operating liquor store. Although we tried, we were not granted access to the tunnels underneath the building. This place is TINY but so cool. And, if you need to pick something up, it’s very reasonably priced.

Then it was time for lunch at Lewis BBQ. We got on the free bus but never got off and ended up a little lost. We got off in a not-so-great part of town and grabbed an Uber to the BBQ spot. There are two types of BBQ in Charleston, Texas and Carolina, this was Texas. We did not have time or room in our bellies, for two kinds of BBQ.

Then, we had to get in line for dinner at Chubby Fish. We took another Uber to a different part of town, walked around, and I bought a super cute pair of earrings, and we were the first in line. We chatted with quite a few people as they arrived about Chubby Fish and Charleston; everyone was lovely. The host unlocked the door and this woman strode right past me to talk with him. She was trying to not wait in line and palm him some cash, which he did not take.

Claire and I posted up at the kitchen counter and ate all the things. We were still kind of full from earlier in the day but we powered through. The menu changes daily so enjoy all the daily items!