For years Jake and I have talked about spending our 10th wedding anniversary in Paris. It was one of the five cities we visited on our mini tour of Europe a year into our marriage, and it seemed like a fitting place to return to mark a decade together. But life gets in the way, as does the oppressive Arizona summer, and it just made more sense (don’t you hate that phrase) to escape the heat for a longer period of time and be able to include James (are we crazy or what) by taking a road trip to Chicago instead. That trip to Paris will still happen (talkin’ to you Jake) but for now, our trip back home was exactly what we needed, and we did get to plan a celebratory weekend escape, though no passports were needed.
I’d been curious about Charleston for a while and even though I had heard it can be overcrowded with tourists, its short distance from Chicago lured me in. What I forgot to check: the weather. Never, ever – let me say it again, ever – in my life did I think any place on this planet could rival Hong Kong in terms of insane humidity (I mean, Jake spent summers there with icy cold packs affixed to his body) but Charleston comes close. Needless to say, the sheer discomfort knocked a good chunk of points off his overall rating of the city; it just left me wondering what it’s like in the spring. 🙂
We stayed at this airbnb which didn’t quite rank as my favorite rental this summer (that honor still goes to our place in Tofino), but it definitely wasn’t the worst. (I’ve been banned from using the site for a while, for my repeated poor lack of judgement when it comes to my picks.) The unit itself was perfect – spacious, newly-renovated, private – but the location was ‘meh’ at best. Yes, it was close to King Street, but with that came a lot of street noise at night. (If you’re now thinking, back sweat + lack of sleep = one very raw deal for Jake, you’d be right.)
The area we stayed in is called Cannonborough Elliotborough (how’s that for a name), which we were told is ‘up and coming’ and is now home to some cool little shops, a beautiful new B&B, and some of the most highly recommended restaurants on upper King Street. But for my taste, I would explore options in the French Quarter next time (or this one, just north of there) or better yet – I’d stay on one of the islands and and just make the short 10-15 minute trek into the city when not on the beach.
We loved Sullivan’s Island (though admittedly, we kept going back and didn’t see the other islands to compare!) and our time there was absolutely the highlight of our trip.
As much of our first night was spent on the beach, we woke up Saturday morning ready to explore more of the city (albeit in short bursts, given the heat). But with heavy rain in the forecast from morning to night, we decided to try and flee the wet weather and head to Savannah for the day. The drive is an easy two hours on the nose – worth it to be able to check another US city off my list.
Savannah is known for its gorgeous historic homes and plethora of cobblestoned squares. We didn’t have much of a plan other than to traipse through as many of the squares as possible before the rain came down (so much for our escape). We parked near the edge of Forsyth Park and walked north along Bull Street through several squares before we had to duck into a CVS to buy a pair of umbrellas.
Regardless of the rain (which to be honest, I consider a treat!) we loved walking through the quaint streets taking in the unique Savannah architecture and abundance of Spanish moss. A quick stop off for lunch, a stroll down retailer-laden Broughton street, and a quick peek at River Street rounded off our day…. until I broached the subject of adding one more stop before heading back to Charleston. Surprising, Jake was totally game for heading to the Wormsloe Historic Site to see the amazing live-oak lined entrance that ambles on for over a mile and a half. (Note, it was $10 a head to get into the plantation – or even just to take a photo!- when we were there.)
Exhausted after our road trip, we skipped out on Charleston’s booming food scene (on a Saturday night no less!) and got a bottle of wine and takeout from Five Loaves Cafe. We’d be a total disappointment to all the foodies out there, but it hit the spot.
The next morning we finally set out to explore the city, heading south on King Street, then cutting east to Bay Street and the Waterfront Park, then back west along Broad:
Everyone talks about Rainbow Row, which is alright, but I thought Elliot Street was where it’s at:
From there, Bay Street turned to Battery, and we found ourselves right along the water, with beautiful historic homes directly opposite us.
After walking along the water for a while and then heading back north to wind through the smaller streets South of Broad, we made our way back to air-con and a cold shower before having a quick drink at the Stars rooftop, and then making a last trip to Sullivan’s Island.
Happy 10th <3