Best Downtown Historic Charleston Trip Ever! Our Trip Review & Recommendations
Stephen and I had been looking forward to our Charleston trip from the moment Shawn&Lauren told us they would be flying us out for their East Coast destination wedding. So many of our photographer and videographer friends have raved about the beautiful sites, delicious food and amazing Southern hospitality. Our trip to Charleston was that and so much more!
We started our trip in California and then flew to Atlanta for a destination engagement session with one of our other TréCreative couples (more on that soon!). From there we drove the 4 hours across to Charleston for the second half of our trip. We're Airbnb hosts ourselves, so whenever we can we try and opt for stay at one as well while traveling. The little house we rented in Charleston was the perfect spot for us for the days we were visiting. It was just a short drive into historic downtown and away from all the noise that can sometimes come from being in that area.
Among visiting some iconic locations and experiencing the delicious food of Charleston, we also spent time with one of our past couples Jonathan&Erin, and met up with a few local creatives from Rising Tide Society in the area as well. The main reason we were in Charleston was for Shawn&Lauren's destination wedding which we can't wait to share with you soon!
In our opinion, Charleston is definitely everything and more that people raved about. You could walk for hours downtown getting lost around the historic neighborhoods. We never got tired of the number of food options either. Stephen and I hope to be back soon because we really only made a small dent into everything Charleston has to offer! Stephen and I absolutely love traveling together. We love experiencing new sites and cultures along the way. We are constantly so amazed by the places our work takes us and want to always live with an adventurous spirit! Make sure to stay until the end for our travel recommendations if you're planning your own trip to Charleston, South Carolina!
Below are some amazing sites we highly recommend you check out in Charleston!
Things to Do:
Magnolia Plantation - This is one of the largest plantations in the area. The grounds are amazing and they are open 7 days a week, 365 days a year! You could easily spend all day here especially with the vast amount of tours they offer!
Legare Waring House - This is where our anniversary photos were taken at (more on this soon too)! The grounds are smaller than Magnolia but still lots of room to explore and it's so beautiful! They have a zoo here too if you want to see some wild animals. If you're looking for some amazing photo locations and beautiful iconic Spanish Moss this is your place! Or if you're a bride wanting a destination Charleston wedding, we highly recommend the property! When we were there the first day, there was a wedding going on and it was absolutely gorgeous looking!
House Tours - In downtown Charleston there are house museums you can tour! Many of them are in the original condition and unbelievable gorgeous! If you like tours like me, you'll love adventuring all over downtown Charleston to find the houses. We did one random tour of the Calhoun Mansion that was incredibly interesting.
Rainbow Row - When in Charleston, you have to check out Rainbow Row. This is the iconic different colored homes all lined up next to each other. This area of town can be harder to find parking so bring your quarters for the meters! Depending on when you go there can lots of people wanting to take photos of the same thing so be aware.
Carriage Rides - Charleston has 5 different carriage tours that go all over Historic Charleston and give you a summary of the area and history! This is something low key and relaxing that everyone will enjoy! We went with Palmetto and had a great experience.
Things To Eat/Drink:
Lowcounty Bistro - Go for the Shecrab Soup, voted best around.
Prohibition - We went here with Abby Grace after our anniversary session. It was SO delicious. We had the most amazing Brussels Sprouts, deviled eggs, crab and sweet corn. Their drink and cocktail selection is top notch.
Poogan's Porch - We went to dinner here with Jonathan&Erin and their new little one Aurora. The food was incredible. They offer traditional southern food as well as modern dishes with southern flavor.
Mercantile and Mash - If you're looking for the hip coffee shop to get work done at, this is your jam. They even have food and a market of sorts there as well. When we were there we ran into another photographer/videographer friend of ours from Virginia, small world!