Charming Charleston: How to Spend a Long Weekend
For a long colorful weekend in Charleston, we celebrated a dear friend’s 40th birthday in the southern city. It’s a great city to stroll to enjoy the architecture and floral dresses. It was quite the group of about 30 ppl, however, we managed with some strategic plans each night and found ourselves the perfect place to Derby watch at the rooftop at The Vendue, above the artsy boutique hotel.
Only wish we had more time. Here are the highlights from our trip and a few other pointers for a long weekend:
Derby Watch Party @ The Vendue
Where to Stay in Charleston
Emeline was our boutique hotel residence for the weekend. We really like the location, and vibes at the property. There was always a great scene at the bar and restaurant as well as a lovely sunny terrace for a morning coffee. Loved the little wine window…
Pull up a chair 🍷
Other places to consider are The Bennett, Loutrel, The Dewberry, Zero George Street, The Charleston Place, The Vendue, the Arts Hotel, and Hotel Bennett.
Where to Eat
Dine at High Cotton for a little more upscale vibe. For a perfect brunch spot, put your name in at Poogan’s Porch and walk around the colorful neighborhood. Check out Magnolia’s for another southern brunch option. Fig is another Charleston institution that you should have on your itinerary.
Leon’s Oyster Shop is a bustling spot with outdoor and indoor space, plus a lively bar space to dine as well.
The Darling - Another top-rated oyster spot along with 167 Raw Oyster Bar. Make time to oyster bar hop!
If you want a top-notch BBQ spot, check out Lewis and get in line early. It draws quite the crowd and you’ll soon find out why.
What to See
Head further south to Rainbow Row and get lost in that neighborhood in the small side streets. Enjoy the colorful homes, then drop some serious coin in nearby shopping streets with loads of boutiques.
Can you fit in a beach day or a few? Head out to Isle of Palms and Folly Beach or Sullivan's Island, which is about a 30-minute Uber, or plan to stay there a few nights.
Hop on a traditional tour focused on history, architecture, and even ghost tours - the town has many graves under our very feet all over.
Go Out
Stop at one of the many Booze Pop trucks and then saunter out to find some fun nightlife.
Little Palm (sister property to Emeline) is a great pool party scene for day and night. Strut up King Street and hit the two-story Uptown Social, which has several rooms, and turns into a fun dance party upstairs on the deck.
What to Pack
For us ladies, you cannot go wrong with more color, florals and breezy, flow-y maxi dresses. As I packed for the trip, I had my trusty Rent the Runway for all the Lily Pulitzer style needs. I had two dresses per day to go from day to night. Toss in some linen and you’re set. Since the dresses were light, it was easy to pack it all in a carry on with wearing my jean jacket on the plane and only a few sandals that were reasonable for all the walking.
For more guides, Travel+Leisure is chock-full of robust tips here. If you need hotels booked in Charleston, don’t hesitate to reach out!
