Charleston, SC

Oh how I've missed you guys!  We had an AMAZING trip to Charleston, SC for Spring Break but I had no way to blog.  That was really disappointing because there were tons of interesting things to share with you.   Charleston is one of our favorite places to go.  We usually go in the fall, around October, but this year we decided to take an extra trip in the spring and it was a beautiful time to be there.  Things were blooming and the entire city was fragrant with new flowers.

We love to stay at the Embassy Suites in Historic Charleston on Meeting Street.  It's not the right in the center of everything, but within walking distance of everywhere you need to go.  It's actually a historic landmark as it was the original Citadel College.  It is is adjacent to Marion Square, where there is almost always something fun going on, from the seasonal Saturday morning farmer’s market, to seasonal movies on the lawn, art sales, and more.

One of the things we like most about this hotel is the complimentary breakfast.  They have made-to-order omelettes, scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage, gravy biscuits, grits, assorted fruits and yogurt, oatmeal, cereals, bagels and other pastries.  It's soooooo good!  It's worth a little extra money to stay here and save on eating out for breakfast. 

Shopping on King Street is a must!  It is developed into three distinctive areas: the Upper King Street Design and Dining District,  the Middle King Street Fashion District, and the Lower King Street Antiques District.

We had lunch at the King Street Grill, a sports bar/Pub with a great Cuban sandwich!

I would also recommend Jestine's and Toast, two restaurants on Meeting Street.  Jestine's usually has a wait and no reservations so get there early or very late!

Our favorite place to eat is Poogan's Porch on Queen Street. Check out the story at

http://www.poogansporch.com/the-story/

You definitely should call for reservations here and believe me, it's worth the trouble!  This time I had the Shrimp Pasta and it was fabulous!  Grilled shrimp, homemade pasta, spinach, pancetta and cherry tomatoes in a cream sauce with Parmesan cheese.  Jaimie had the buttermilk Fried Chicken and said it was out of this world!  If you go, be sure to get a Bloody Mary!  They are wonderful!

We also took a little trip down to the battery and checked out the Cooper River Bridge and Ft. Sumter. 

A great carriage ride tour of the city gave us some historical background on the places we've been seeing and it was really interesting.  What a great trip!  Can't wait to go back in October!