Ben and I were lucky enough to travel to Charleston, South Carolina for our 2 year anniversary. We had such a great time! Charleston is the perfect place to go for a short vacation -- there is enough to do to keep you occupied, but not enough that you end up spending your vacation trying to see/do everything instead of relaxing.
We stayed in the Charleston Place Hotel and really enjoyed it. Our room was beautiful (as was the entire hotel) and on our hotel floor, they were constantly serving drinks and snacks in the lobby. I wish I had taken more pictures of the hotel, but their website gives a good overview. Another great thing about the hotel is the fact there were built in restaurants and shops. We had a chance to eat breakfast at the Palmetto Club, and it was delicious. They have a beautiful little courtyard attached to the restaurant that would be nice to eat in if the weather is accommodating.
On our arrival to Charleston, we unpacked and headed out to find some dinner. We ended up on E. Bay Street eating at a popular restaurant/bar called Pearlz. Ben and I split a few appetizers and then went to explore Charleston's night life. We ended up at the Gin Joint, which is a great little bar with tasty, original cocktails. They also have a menu option that I appreciated -- bartender's choice. They provide a list of adjectives (ex: fruity, refreshing, bold, bitter, sweet), and you select two for the bartender to make you a drink.
Over the weekend, we spent some time exploring Charleston -- visiting Waterfront Park, walking through the City Market, running along The Battery, shopping on King St, trying new restaurants (The Charleston Grill and the Macintosh), and having a native Charleston historian (Harlan Greene) give us a wonderful bicycle tour of the city (including the College of Charleston). I also found some time to visit the hotel Spa, which was very relaxing :)
The food in Charleston was absolutely fantastic. I don't think we had a bad meal there. At the Charleston Grill (the hotel restaurant), Ben and I decided to select the chef's tasting menu -- such a good idea! We got 6 courses plus dessert and it was all delicious. My favorite was probably the foie gras with a mini donut and mascarpone cream...incredible. The Macintosh was also a really enjoyable experience. It has a more laid back atmosphere, but the food is unique and scrumptious. For our anniversary dinner, we ate at FIG. Again, it had a more casual atmosphere, and the food showed why the restaurant had such a great reputation.
We also had a chance to visit one of the beaches close to Charleston, Sullivan's Island. It was so nice to have a day where we could just lay on the beach, listen to the ocean, and read our books.
All in all, a fantastic trip. Charleston is definitely a place I would want to visit again to explore more of the city and the renowned cuisine.
