As I’m sure you’ve seen all over my Instagram and in last week’s outfit post, I was down in Charleston weekend before last for The Blog Societies’ Conference. Charleston is a city I have spent quite a bit of time in, but I always jump at the chance to visit again. It’s so full of charm and history—there are surprises around every colorful corner and behind every wrought iron gate.
Fellow blogger Dana and I stayed at the Fulton Lane Inn on King Street, which was just a short walk to the Belmond Charleston Place, where all of the conference activities were happening. Both hotels are wonderful, the Belmond being a bit more of a splurge, and Fulton Lane being a quaint and lovely place to stay. We had breakfast delivered to our room in the morning, which was both convenient and delicious, and we were so close to all of the amazing Charleston restaurants (and shopping).
Of course eating is one of my favorite activities to do in Charleston and on this particular trip I went to The Darling Oyster Bar, the famous Hominy Grill, and the trendy rooftop Élevé. The Darling had clam chowder poured over fries. Yup, that’s all you need to know. Oh, and don’t order the hush puppies…those were the only disappointment of the evening. Hominy Grill can get a line, but 8:30 AM on Friday was good to go. Plus, they are perhaps the most efficient restaurant I’ve ever seen. We were in and out in less than an hour. Élevé was definitely my favorite meal. Everything was delicious from the burrata to the truffle fries, and the ambiance is perfection.
Other recommendations from past trips? Magnolia’s is one of my all time favorites. Husk is way overrated, and I’ve heard again and again that everyone’s cornbread comes out burnt—mine certainly did. I’ve stayed everywhere in the area from downtown to Sullivan’s Island to Isle of Palms to Kiawah, and if you’re staying for longer than a weekend, I would recommend staying on the beach somewhere. I love downtown, but it’s sometimes better worked in as a shopping trip or a dinner destination throughout the course of a longer beach stay. As far as getting there, you can typically find flights in the $140ish range from DC, JetBlue being your best bet.
This time around, I only wish I had time to squeeze in a few more restaurants. I suppose that’s a good enough reason to plan another trip down South ASAP…
