I had 17 hours in Charleston, SC and besides sleeping I had plenty and more to do as it was my first time exploring this southern city.

The night before we landed with chilly temperatures and some rain but by the next morning the rain and clouds had floated on and we were left with a sunny and mid 50’s day. I got a good start to the day heading downtown with a Lyft. My driver gave me some recommendations for the day and some quick history of the city and on the CSS Hunley Submarine. One of the very first submarines that was built and built three different times and they each sank taking with it 14 men and the namesake of the submarine. Built during the civil war era for the confederat army by Horace L Hunley. There is a replica of the submarine outside of the Charleston Museum as well as a whole museum on the submarine at the Friends of Hunley Museum. Perhaps on another trip….

My driver did take me on a quick little tour passed the Rainbow Row and down to the Battery with some more history information on the civil war and on the Forts. I was then dropped off at the Historic Charleston City Market with one more recommendations to buy a sweetgrass basket. With my interest peaked on that I walked into the Market and getting my first look on the sweetgrass baskets. I then walked around seeing the many artisans and eventually settling on one of the booths and looking at the baskets and talking to the artist and finding out more about the heritage and the traditions that are passed down from generation to generation and typically through mother to daughter. I picked out a basket and am excited to be using it somewhere in my kitchen.

The website for the City Market with a little information on the Sweetgrass Baskets here

I bought my basket from Cheryl Weston she also has a memoir of her mother and the lessons and stories from braiding Sweetgrass Baskets. here

As after buying something its always good to then get coffee and take a walk around the city. I ended up drifting down towards Rainbow Row. The colors, the flowers, the greenery everywhere. stopping every so often to take pictures and to just wonder as I got down to the Battery. I could have just strolled all day along the Battery enjoying the sunshine, eventually the plan was to make my way to one of the museums. I may have seen a squirrel and walked into a boutique shop. Okay it was the sign, it made me laugh I also saw a lot of pink and well we can blame it on it being February and I was someplace new.

E. Blackhurst boutique did have plenty of sweaters to choose from, I myself settled on a cute little number of a skirt and am looking forward to wearing it out at some point.

My day was drawing to a close and my phone was depleted on power so I had started looking for a place to grab another coffee, food and to charge my phone before making more decisions. Every place was full and packed of people so I had walked a little farther up and found a little cafe where I could get a quick snack and to charge my phone. A lesson before leaving your hotel, make sure you have all of the correct compensates for charging said phone. I did find a Walgreens and I was close to the University Campus for me to head into to find a spot to charge my phone enough before going back out to explore.

I was able to check out the little Natural History Museum at the campus before it was time for me to head back to the hotel. So not really any museums that I was planning on going into but it was such a nice day to just walk around and check out some of the shops and see a few of the popular spots I really ended up not minding at all.

There will be more Charleston overnights for me at some point in the near future. This is one place I would really enjoy going back to.

with love,

Jess