Charleston
Just a few photos of our trip to Charleston a few weeks ago. We met my good friend from college, Cristina, and her kids for the weekend and we thoroughly enjoyed every minute. Even though we speak on the phone almost weekly, we had not seen each other in over 6 years! Now, this is way too long to go without seeing a good friend. But we picked up exactly where we left off, like no time had passed at all. This is a true testament to the strength of our friendship. And we really had so much to talk about....we talked non-stop. I'm sure you can imagine.
Charleston was lovely. I especially enjoyed the food and the architecture. Let me give you a few highlights-
I loved this quote in the middle of Magnolia Plantation's garden. It is all really about finding the beauty and pleasure in the simple and real things.
Aside from spending quality time with my friend, I also had an ulterior motive for this reunion- to establish the next generation of friendships. It was really so sweet to watch our kids get to know each other. They took to each other immediately and played as if they had known each other for all their lives. I love how kids make friends so easily and genuinely.
The food in Charleston is spectacular. We ate at some delicious restaurants I would highly recommend- Macintosh, Fig where we had the most amazing gnocchi ever, and Indaco recommended by the fabulous Amy. They have amazing pizza and fresh homemade pasta which was to die for. We also tried an 'out of this world' ice cream parlor called Jeni's, also recommended by Amy. Ok, I could have easily stayed there for ever and turned into a ball trying all the inventive flavors like brown butter almond brittle, Whiskey and pecans...oh my! oh and they ship their ice cream!! No joke. If you need a creative gift for that person that has everything, or a fun birthday gift a few pints of different flavors from Jeni's would bring a smile to anyone's face!
It was also fun to meet Amy and Krystine, two fellow Charleston bloggers. I'm a big fan of their blogs so it was fun to meet in person and of course they are just as fabulous as I knew they would be. After reading someone's blog for a while you can really get a sense for the person behind and these two were exactly true to what I had pictured in my mind's eye. It was such a treat!
We didn't do much shopping because of the kids but would like to highlight two stores that I would have loved to spend more time in- Lily, which had the most beautiful little luxuries like candles and stationery and curiosities like earrings and clutches, and Mitchell Hill, a beautifully curated home decor store.
If you go to Charleston you need to visit The Magnolia Plantation. The grounds are spectacular and they have an amazing petting zoo for the little ones. It is only about 30 minutes from Old Charleston and very worth it. And another must-do is to take a carriage ride around the town. It is a fun and relaxing way to see the secret areas, get a sense for the city, and learn about the history and get all the gossip.
As for hotels we stayed in the King Charles Hotel which was fine, nothing to write home about but it had a small pool which was nice when you are traveling with kids. It is also wedding season and most hotels were booked solid. I really wanted to try Zero George. So, maybe next time and I really do hope there is a next time.
Have you been to Charleston? How do you best keep up your old college friend? Do you also believe in making sure the friendship is carried forward by the future generations?
[all photos by AC]