charleston // i want to ride my bicycle
i fell in love with charleston the moment dana, mollie, and i arrived. the city was instant perfection: from the buildings to the people, we didn't want to leave! the real reason for our trip was to attend the blog societies conference and an incredible time! be sure to check out co-founder cathy anderson's recap of the 4th annual conference! now i promised myself that i wouldn't talk about the horrible humidity in this post so i will try my very best not to.
to say that charleston is the cutest city ever would be an understatement. one of my favorite things to do was to utilize the free bike rentals that our hotel provided. dana and i would go shoot our outfits early in the morning and biking seemed to be the preferred mode of transportation. i mean, who could say no to a blue cruiser bike with a basket!? only those with no hearts...that's who. biking gave us the opportunity to explore the city through a lens in which we rarely use. nyc is full of ubers and angry cabbies that just get you from point-a to point-b. we loved being able to enjoy the ride and stop whenever we saw a cute house or window box (which happened more often than not).
if there is one thing bloggers know how to do, it's eat. we were all so eager to try true southern cooking and it did not disappoint one bit! after intensive research, i compiled a list of restaurants that are a must when visiting charleston...and i am still dreaming about these meals.
where to brunch:
cannon green was the best! both the atmosphere and the food kept us lounging for quite some time. i am definitely a sucker for french toast and they knocked it out of the park. they provided me with the perfect amount to keep me wanting more without having to be rolled out of the restaurant. they even offer outdoor seating on their back patio but...you know...the heat. maybe in the winter??
where to lunch:
the americano transported us right to south america. we were immediately drawn in my the vibrant colors and the food was absolutely delicious! and you can't forget the margaritas!
the obstinate daughter is also a must for lunch! trust me, i am still dreaming about that pizza! although this is located on sullivan's island, just 10 minutes outside the downtown area, we felt as if we never left charleston! the adorable southern charm continued to the island and the beaches were simply stunning!
honorable mentions for lunch include: poogan's porch (those cheese fritters though!), 82 queen, and leon's oyster shop.
where to snack:
sugar bakeshop! they had cupcakes so good, it gave magnolia bakery a run for their money! and their iced coffee had coffee ice cubes. #sobougie
for the best gelato, go to beardcat's on sullivan's island...you won't regret it! and they deserve an a+ for their funky rainbow decor!
and because you can never have enough ice cream: a stop at jeni's will cool you down from any heat stroke you may be having...
where to dinner:
husk. there is honestly nothing better than dinner there. we were lucky enough to snag 9:15 reservations but the late dinner was well worth it! it's also conveniently located right in between 82 queen and poogan's porch in case you wanted to marathon eat. i also conveniently forgot my wallet back at the hotel so thank you dana for treating me!
5church was probably our favorite dinner of the trip. the restaurant is located in an old church with graffiti all over the ceiling. not only was my steak that i ordered one of the best i have ever had, but the waitstaff was far superior to any other restaurant. our dinner actually began on a little bit of a sour note as we had to wait quite a bit of time for our table to be ready, but a bottle of whispering angel and a free round of drinks solved all of our problems!
oh, and the first night we had domino's delivered to our hotel room...5 stars
where to drink:
élevé and stars have the cutest rooftops that give you priceless views of the city!
where to stay:
zero george was everything we wanted and more for our hotel in charleston. words cannot describe how stunning the property was and i was so impressed with how attentive the staff was (even when it came to us ordering domino's at 11 o'clock at night). i will have more pictures to come next!
charleston has stolen my heart and i will be sure to revisit when it is not 3000 degrees and 100% humidity...so how did i do not talking about the humidity?? i would say pretty well!
top: gap
skirt: erin fetherston
shoes: chanel (love these and these)
bag: mansur gavriel
ring: kate spade
bracelet: cartier
sunglasses: celine
