24 Hours in Charleston

I never like rushing down to Charleston. It's such a low key city - I like to get into the mindset of relaxing before I arrive. I'll typically mosey on down and aim to get there at 11AM - just in time for lunch at The Pass. If I get there before lunch though, I'll grab a coffee or tea to kick things off.

After lunch, I'll drive over to the hotel and check in. Hotel Emeline is super cute - a bit pricier than I typically like to spend, since they stopped offering a special rate for "Locals" (NC/SC/GA Residents) - but they have some of my favorite Suites in the city, so sometime I'll splurge if I'm only going for 1 night.

King street has everything from Home Decor Shops to Clothing Boutiques to Antique Stores and more. So after I check in to the hotel, I'll walk over to King Street and do a little shopping. I rarely buy anything, but it's fun to pop in and out of the shops and see what they have.

After walking around, I start getting thirsty - so I'll grab a mid afternoon beverage at Harken Cafe. The goal is to quench my thirst - so it's usually a tea or coffee, and Harken Cafe is the best for that. It's a Charleston essential. Plus it's right next to Philadelphia Alley, which is this old, lush, historical alley you can stroll down - perfect to walk through with a coffee.

If your room wasn't ready when you checked-in, it should definitely be ready by now. So at this point, it's time to head back to the hotel and freshen up before dinner. Relax a bit, shower if you want, and change into something cute. I tend to go for an early dinner around 5:30PM/6PM, so I can do something after dinner, like a tour and/or drinks.

I order way too much food at dinner - and probably one too many drinks, so I want to walk around after. A Haunted Tour is the perfect activity - it gets you walking around, plus its more fun with a slight buzz at night.

IF it's not too late at this point, I'll head over to the Palmetto Hotel for a drink. They have THE BEST espresso martini in town. It's topped with a Dulce de Leche foam that just makes it perfect. And then it's time to head back to the hotel I'm staying at to crash for the night.