Travel Charades: Charleston

After ten years, Bob and I finally made our way back to Charleston, South Carolina for a quick weekend getaway. I’m so glad we did! As you know, one of my goals for the year ahead was to increase our travel content (or “Travel Charades,” if you will), and Charleston was at the top of the list!

Dress: Blue and Pink Lace Fit and Flare Dress // Jewelry: Kendra Scott Justyne Earrings {c/o}

Shoes: No. 21 Raso Mules {similar here} // Eyewear: White Round Sunglasses {only $13!}

After all of the natural disasters in 2017, we wanted to visit domestic destinations that could benefit from additional tourism dollars. Far too many cities were impacted by tropical storms, hurricanes, and flooding. This is why we’ve decided to make recent trips to Houston, Miami, and Charleston. It’s important to cherish the beauty of these cities, and, hopefully, encourage others to follow suit!

Without further delay, here is my Travel Charades Guide to Charleston:

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WHERE TO STAY: The Inns Charleston

The most difficult decision when planning our trips is where to stay. I’m insanely picky about accommodations. Seriously. My mind spins as I sort through a laundry list of questions – “do we like the location? How are the nearby food options? Will the decor be cute? Is it safe?” The list goes on and on. Plus, Charleston has countless historic hotels, popular bed and breakfasts, and Airbnbs, but I really wanted something different. Something I hadn’t seen before, you know? Enter The Inns Charleston.

The Inns Charleston is a collective of luxury vacation rental homes. My friend, Hilary, manages their social media and PR efforts, and reached out to me about a complimentary stay at their newest location, “154.” The property is located in downtown Charleston, and features four separate units (A, B, C and D). We stayed in B, which features three bedrooms, two baths, a kitchen, gorgeous living room and outdoor porch with chairs and lounge seating. We also had the opportunity to tour C, which features two bedrooms, one bathroom and a living room. Too cute!

Our room and the inn was PRISTINE. As soon as we walked through the door, I turned to Bob and said, “Are we literally the first people to stay here?!” Everything felt so new, clean and fresh. In fact, I had two consecutive nights of great sleep (the mattress and sheets are crazy comfy). They even have an eye mask and ear plugs by the bed and a fan in case you want some extra white noise. 154 is located on a well-traveled street, but we didn’t find it to be noisy on the weekend we were there.

No design detail is overlooked from the artwork to furniture, kitchen utensils, and even the bathroom toiletries (Hérmes, obvi). There’s even small bags of Charlotte treats, the fridge is filled with bottles of water, and the Cuisinart coffee maker has two types of coffee pods (and six of them, not the standard two you’ll get at most hotels).

I also loved they had a parking spot for our car and an outdoor common area with patio seating (perfect for reading a book, enjoying a glass of wine, or just chatting with friends/family).

I HIGHLY recommend a stay, and I can’t wait to go back. Book a stay at 154 here. If the property is already reserved, I also recommend checking out The Inns Charleston’s other two properties – 71 and 69.

WHERE TO EAT: 

Charleston is the ultimate foodie’s paradise, especially when it comes to seafood! After reading through some of the amazing guides created by some of my favorite gals like Grace, Julia, Krystin, Liz, and Megan, a few restaurants seemed to float to the top. Seeing that we were in town for just 48 hours, we narrowed it down three spots:

Leon’s Oyster Shop: We met up for brunch with Hilary first thing on Saturday morning and had the best time. Not only was the company fantastic, but the food was incredible as well. I had avocado toast with a side of scalloped potatoes, and Bob enjoyed the fried chicken sandwich. Most of all, we loved the relaxed vibe of the place.

The Darling Oyster Bar: The cutest décor and ambiance. We made an early dinner reservation (4 PM), and the restaurant filled up quickly. We ordered a bottle of verde wine (best decision), oysters, tomato toast, lobster roll and a cajun shrimp dish. The oysters and shrimp were by far my favorites! I would definitely return to Darling – especially for the $1 oysters during happy hour!

Husk Restaurant: This restaurant was hands-down the best meal of the trip! The ambiance was fun and our meals were DIVINE. We went for Sunday brunch, and I can only imagine how good their dinner is too! The menu changes daily – we had smoky chicken wings to start, followed by an omelet and a potato and brussel sprout hash.

WHERE TO SHOP: Hampden Clothing

You can’t go to Charleston without shopping at Hampden Clothing. It’s basically a sin if you don’t, lol. Harper’s Bazaar, VOGUE, and Marie Claire have all named this independent clothing store as one of the best boutiques in the nation. Stacy Smallwood, the fearless leader and owner of Hampden Clothing, is a force to be reckoned with. Seriously.

One step foot into this iconic King Street store and you’ll understand why. I still remember shopping at Hampden during our first Charleston trip ten years ago. Moreover, they have the most amazing website with a curated selection of designer apparel and accessories. Lastly, see more about Hampden Clothing and all of my picks as guest editor of their site here!

Dress: Blue and Pink Lace Fit and Flare Dress // Jewelry: Kendra Scott Justyne Earrings {c/o}

Shoes: No. 21 Raso Mules {similar here} // Eyewear: White Round Sunglasses {only $13!}

If you’ve ever considered a trip to Charleston, book it now – you won’t regret it! We had a the most fantastic weekend, and we’re already planning on heading back soon!

Thank you to The Inns Charleston for hosting us for a complimentary weekend stay. Partnerships like these make Style Charade possible.

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