Charleston Part I

I have more photos of our trip to Charleston than I know what to do with. So it's taken me awhile to get them all together and pick a few to share with you. And by a few, I mean a lot ;) Then my Mac refused to upload pics and I was forced to buy a new one....thank you Ty. ;) So I apologize if this post took awhile. I had a bunch of inquiries about recommendations and where we visited.

Charleston was wonderful. It had been on my list of places to go for awhile. I feel like Charleston is one of those places that goes under the radar for awesome places to vacation! We had SO much fun and I am so glad that we chose this locale for spring break. I have had a lot of people ask me how I plan my vacations so I thought I'd show you some of my itinerary from Charleston. Also, look for anything in bold. I've linked everything for you. You're welcome!


Day 1: Travel & Unwind
I packed up the kid's two new backpacks from Skip Hop Zoo with activities for the plane. This works like a charm and they were excellently behaved despite it being a quick flight. We had some time in the airport before take off so we let the kids play by the windows while we had a drink at the bar. We flew out of JFK on a Saturday and when we landed, it was like we landed in a different land. Everyone was cheerful, smiling and friendly in a way that they aren't in New York.  Now I know the reason, too. Charleston is nothing short of amazing! We rented a car from Enterprise which was right in the airport. Don't be fooled by cheaper rates of other car rental places not located at the airport. There are only a couple of them that are actually IN the Charleston Airport and after reading reviews about waiting hours for the shuttle to get them to the off-site rental location, I knew we made a good decision going with Enterprise. It was a quick and easy 10 minute process and we were on our way to the Charleston Harbor Resort.  I chose this resort because of the pools and amazing views of the Harbor. There are two sections to this resort: The Beach Club and The Harborside. We stayed on the Beach Club side. This resort is brand new and was a delight to stay at. I highly recommend it if you are visiting the area.

We settled in and then went to meet one of my best friends who traveled from North Carolina to visit with us. We met for dinner and then came back to get at good nights rest. We watched a movie until we all feel asleep. Ps. King sized beds are amazing but I feel like Ty and I slept so far away from each other each night! lol. 

Day 2: Boone Hall Plantation 

We woke up early and grabbed a quick breakfast at this little place called Charleston Cafe. We forgot that Sunday was Easter and that we probably should have made reservations! But it worked out and breakfast didn't take too long. Then we drove to the place I had been dying to go to for months! Boone Hall Plantation!  This place is as dreamy as the photos you see online and yes, scenes from the Notebook were filmed here. Those beautiful Oak trees all lined up are a MUST SEE! Scarlett made friends with the horses there and she would have stayed there all day if we let her. We also did a tour of the mansion and then did a riding tour of the plantation. We spent most of the day here but you could do a half day if you wanted and incorporate some of the other cool plantations that I talk about on Day 6.

Day 3: Relax, Pool & Sun in the AM....Rainbow Row in the PM

On day 3 we decided to take a day to relax with some drinks by the pool. Every vacation needs a day of relaxation no matter where you go. And what better way to spend a Monday?! First we had breakfast at the Fish House which is the restaurant right on the resort. The rustic feel went along well with the theme as it overlooked the harbor and the USS Yorktown Aircraft carrier (which I will tell you about later). Then we headed out to the pools (there are 2 on the Beach Club side) to swim. We also drank cocktails (Scarlett had a virgin mudslide), and ate delicious, greasy food. It was all I had hoped for....ahhhh....especially after this year's never-ending winter in NY. This was a highlight for me. We listened to music and just relaxed while we watched the kids splash in the water. GLORIOUS. is all I can say about that.

After naps, (that Maxwell took daily by the pool) we decided that we would go explore downtown Charleston. If you stay at the Charleston Harbor Resort, you can take a water taxi right from the Harbor and it will bring you into Charleston. Perk, if you didn't want to take the short drive over the bridge. We found the iconic Rainbow Row (string of beautiful colored houses) and took all the touristy photos that we were obligated to take. We took a walk along the stunning homes that lined the ocean to Battery Park and let the kids run around. It was so beautiful! Everything there is so gorgeous so I apologize if you hear me repeating myself.  The houses there are my dream come true.  Please, please please let me live in Charleston!!! So much so, that Ty had to drag me out of there! Which he finally did after enticing me with dinner at the Oyster House. I discovered an American Mule cocktail, which is now my favorite drink ever, and the seafood was incomparable. That is coming from a New England girl....it was seriously impressive. Pretty much everywhere we ate was just that.  There is good food in Charleston.

I will post part II of our Charleston vaca on Thursday morning!!