It was my first time to South Carolina and the charming, historic town of Charleston won my heart. I loved everything about it. The stunning architecture, colorful houses, cobblestone streets, the food and hospitality, flower gardens and the most gorgeous TREES that have had roots into this land for hundreds (some over a thousand) years!
I was hesitant to drag my "good" camera all the way with me, but I am so glad that I did. It is bulky, and iphones are great but no comparrison in my opinion to shooting manual with a real camera and having that control with editing larger files. Most of the time, I just kept my Canon EF 1.4 50mm lens on my camera because it is so lightweight and made it easy for me to wear around my neck for the days I wanted it with me while exploring. Other times my phone camera served it's purpose perfectly. I'm glad I had both options.
What we did!
Day ONE: We explored downtown Charleston in a private horse led carriage ride with Palmetto Carriage Works. We were given route one on our tour and we learned so much fascinating history and facts about the city. We had nothing but great things to say about the company we used, their horses were healthy, happy and taken really good care of, and our driver was super!
Took a ferry around the Charleston harbor to Fort Sumter and explored this area where the American Civil War began and walked the steps of those who shaped our Nation.
Day TWO:
Middleton Place Plantation. Quite possibly my favorite thing we did while in Charleston. The Middleton Place is located along the Ashley River and is a rare survivor of the American Revolution, Civil War, economic upheavals, and many natural disasters. This plantation dates back to 1675, and is a National Historic Landmark now. The plantation consists of 65 acres of formal landscaped Gardens, a look at 18th and 19th century plantation life with exhibits, displays, artisans and historic animal breeds in the Stableyards and daily outdoor tours. We did the Middleton House tour. The home was built in 1755 and included an extraordinary collection of furniture, paintings, books, artifacts, and documents dating from 1740s through the Civil War. There was ZERO photos allowed inside the house, but it was eye opening and very very cool to see these artifacts up close! I had a blast capturing (or at least trying) to capture the beauty of this place in all it's glory. The energy this place gave off was unforgettable.
Day THREE:
We had explored and walked tons on the first two days, so on our final day we spent the morning slow and relaxed at the spa at our hotel (I got a massage....heaven) then walked around King street for some antique window shopping.
Southern food has been something I have never really experienced, but I loved it. Every single bite of food we had was incredible.
It was definetly my kind of place, and I cant wait to get the opportunity to go back and explore more.
My Photo Travel Journal is below if you wish to check out any details of our trip. Click on any photo to see it larger.
I'll be back Charleston!
