Charleston has been a destination on the top of me and Christian’s “places to go” ever since we were first married, so it’s not surprising that when we got the news we were pregnant with our rainbow baby, the conversation for a getaway there quickly followed.
In the life of a farmer, there are only two seasons you can truly get away: summer and winter.
The former tends to be when we start feeling the need for a vacation since it is right after the bustling season of planting and right before the lively (and long) season of harvest.
— FRIDAY —
Our trip began early on Friday morning where we had breakfast, lunch, and dinner packed so we could make good time and expand our budget during our stay.
Upon arrival, we checked into Andrew Pinckney Inn, a lovely historic hotel that we would go back to again. They had the yummiest complimentary breakfast, each room is uniquely decorated and quaint, and everything was very clean. Not to mention, their customer service was incredible our entire stay!
After getting our bags unloaded at the Inn, we headed to Sullivan’s Island with our packed dinner for a golden hour picnic and stroll!
Sullivan’s Island felt incredibly peaceful, private, and non-commercialized, which was perfect for a romantic and relaxed picnic. We settled into a lovely spot off the beaten path where we watched the sun set and the waves crash against the shore.
That first evening set the tone and intention for our entire weekend;
Indeed, this was a time set aside for grateful reflection of where we have been and heartfelt preparation for what’s to come.
— SATURDAY —
We got a Charleston Tour Pass for our first full day. After reviewing different activities we wanted to do in our planning, the Tour Pass made the most economical and logistical sense.
First stop: Boone Hall Plantation!
Boone Hall is most known for being Allie’s parents home in the iconic film “The Notebook,” and it was as beautiful as it was depicted in the movie. However, since we live in the South where we see grand antebellum homes on a regular basis, the house itself was a bit underwhelming. It is certainly worth seeing for the oak lined driveway and lovely surroundings, though!
Additionally, you can tour the old slave houses where they walk you through the history of the families who lived there and what they may have experienced during that time. We enjoyed the historical performance they offered on this subject as well!
Second stop: Lunch at Grit Counter, then a tour of Nathaniel-Russell House!
Our Tour Pass came with a voucher to the Grit Counter, which is why we went there; it was good, but it’s hard to compete with the numerous Five-Star restaurants Charleston has to offer!
Additionally, we had initially wanted to tour the Aiken-Rhett house, but they closed earlier than expected due to COVID hours so we chose Nathaniel-Russell instead and thoroughly enjoyed it!
Third Stop: Speed Boating on the Harbor!
This was also included in our Tour Pass, and we could not recommend it highly enough! You are not required to have a boating license, yet you get to have a boat to yourself and a 2-hour tour along the harbor! It was an amazing experience that we would do again with Charleston Speed Boat Adventures.
Last stop: Dinner & a stroll downtown with dessert to close the evening!
We chose a restaurant close to our hotel called Henry’s on the Market, and it was fabulous! We shared between us the Jumbalaya and Chicken Fettuccini. We ended at Kaminksys with a delicious brownie sundae!
— SUNDAY —
We dedicated our last day in Charleston to truly explore the city. Since it was July, and I was 20-weeks pregnant, we opted to rent mopeds over bikes so that we could take in more outdoors while staying cool in the process!
Renting mopeds ended up being one of the best decisions we made on our trip.
They allowed us to see so much, while still being able to stop easily at places that caught our eye. Additionally, I was able to conveniently store my camera and bottles of water in the under seat compartment which made taking photos and staying hydrated much more enjoyable (a high priority for me!).
Shoes – Tretorn
Mopeds rented from The Scooter Stop in Charleston, SC.
We explored the entire downtown and stopped at multiple parks and neighborhoods to take it all in.
To close the day, we got a bit more dressed up and took a sunset drive around The Battery and King Street before heading to dinner.
This is the part of the day that I had made up my mind I would devote to capturing the different places and things I would want to remember.
It is so important to me to be able to document our family memories; however, doing this while still being present and enjoying what’s in front of me takes a lot of intentionality.
I start by looking at the day ahead and making a plan on when I will be purposeful about getting my camera out. I typically intentionally capture things at the beginning or end of the day, then take a more relaxed approach otherwise.
My biggest goal in the documentation of our life is quality over quantity.
I really try to resist the urge to take a perfect photo, whether it be of the scenery around me or a stranger taking a photo of us.
At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is that we have memories stored away to look back on in the future.
Shoes – Steve Madden
One thing that Christian and I both prioritize in our marriage is taking the time to learn each other’s interests and passions. It has deepened our relationship into the sweetest and most fun friendship!
This has manifested itself in Christian sharing an eye for photography! He often is the one to catch good lighting or a pretty alleyway and initiates getting me in front of the camera (something in which he’s made me get more comfortable with;) and snapping those moments, too.
Finally, we had dinner at Poogan’s Porch. It was a calm atmosphere with southern charm and cooking!
We always love spending the last dinner of our trip reflecting on our favorite memories over the stay, what’s been rewarding/challenging in the months past, and how we want to be intentional in the future.
This leaves us with grateful hearts for the life God has given us together, and anticipation of what He has in store.
After dinner, we took one last romantic drive around the city, this time sharing a moped.
With my arms wrapped around Christian, the cool summer breeze blowing in our faces, and the city lights glowing as we passed by, we said a “goodbye for now,” with many memories stored away to smile back on in years to come as our family grows.
I was SO excited to read this post because Charleston is really high on our list! It looks like you had such a nice, relaxing trip. Can t wait to go to Charleston and check out all of these places!
Laura, you are certainly another form of “Joanna Gaines”! Keep up the good work, love!
Patti