Charleston, SC is one of those places that I’ve seen a lot of friends go to and heard about a lot but my family had never visited before. I casually mentioned it when they were thinking about places they might want to visit for the weekend and was surprised when we actually went ahead and booked a hotel there! We booked it Thursday night at like 11 pm and then were on our way less than 12 hours after! The drive was eight hours over but it seemed to go quickly and was totally worth the trip. Charleston had the cutest historic downtown area, a waterfront park and seafood scene that reminded me of Annapolis, palm trees and the sun glancing off all the little rivers running through marsh areas reminiscent of California, and its own Southern charm with amazing food to match. It was funny to see the role reversal on this trip because my brother actually took almost all of the pictures from the DSLR camera while I took a lot more pictures on my iPhone for once!

Here are 5 places that I would recommend visiting if you’re ever in the area!

1. Waterfront Park & The Battery

This is a must-do if you’re in the area! The Waterfront Park has two fountains to cool you off from the summer heat as well as a park filled with the beautiful spanish moss trees that Charleston is known for. Stroll through the trees, tip a toe in the Pineapple Fountain, walk along the little pier or kick back and relax on a swing underneath it. You can also spend an afternoon and walk along to White Point Garden on the tip and along the other side to the Battery. The Battery is great since walking along the path you have a beautiful view of the water or all the historic houses lined up on the other side!

2. Historic Downtown Market

This place is bustling no matter the time and day. The Historic Downtown Market actually stretches four blocks long and contains hundreds of vendors that are selling handmade crafts, foods, jewelry, clothing and so much more. If you’re looking for a keepsake to take back to to anyone or to simply remember your time, this is the place!

3. Magnolia Plantation

There’s plenty of plantations in the Charleston area such as other famous ones like Boone Plantation but my family opted to spring for Magnolia because of the famous gardens on the property. We spent a morning walking around the property which is right on the river and through the gardens and worked up quite an appetite

4. Folly Beach on Sullivan’s Island

I’m a huge fan of the beach and love being able to spend an afternoon on any vacation lounging at the beach and soaking up the sunshine. Folly Beach on Sullivan’s island is the perfect beach! The sand stretches for the longest way up to the shoreline and gorgeous houses line the dunes. The water was actually warm enough to go in but since I didn’t have my bathing suit but I spent an hour or so walking up and down the beach instead collecting seashells. It’s the perfect beach for families, there’s plenty of space to spread out enjoy the sun and there were people in the ocean learning how to surf!

5. Park Circle

This is something that I don’t reckon you’ll find in any guide books or anything, but when we arrived on the first night we went straight to dinner. We took a sketchy road to get to the district but it was so worth it in the end! Tucked a few minutes away from our hotel was this cute restaurant & shopping area lined with good food, some outdoor bars, and boutique shops. I can only imagine what it looks like during the day! It’s actually in North Charleston and the Italian place that we went to is called Fratello’s Italian Tavern. They had great ambiance and delicious Italian food 🙂

Here’s some more pictures from the trip! If you are ever planning a trip back and need more suggestions of places to see and things to do, let me know!