Off the Beaten Path: Charleston

I'm in love with Charleston, South Carolina, and I don't care who knows it!

On our recent trip to S.C., we got to spend a day in one of my favorite cities of all time: Charleston.

We started the day off at the Farmers Market in Marion Square, on King and Calhoun Streets. It was probably the largest farmers market I've ever been to, and it offered so much! We grabbed our breakfast here--Garrett and I got empanadas and coffee, others got huevos rancheros, omelets, grits, and green smoothies. Everything was delicious. After eating and strolling through the market some more, we grabbed some fresh veggies to cook for dinner and headed out to explore the rest of the city.

From the farmers market, we headed down King Street, which I took to be the main shopping strip. It was pretty, but not the part of the city I was interested in. Garrett and I separated from the group and found a small coffee shop, which has become one of our new favorite vacation to-do's. We fell in love with City Lights Coffee as soon as we stepped through the door.  A small, quaint, and colorful environment flowing with blues music--who wouldn't love this place? His espresso and my smoothie didn't disappoint, either.

After finishing our drinks, Garrett and I met up again with the group. Everyone was tiring and ready to move on to the beach house, but I still felt that we hadn't seen the best part of the city: the residential area. I was ready to comply and head out with the group, but Garrett swooped in and saved the day. He knew that I wanted to stroll through the neighborhoods because I had talked about it so much before arriving, so he was wonderful in making sure we got the chance.

We continued down King Street in the direction of the water, and soon the shops died down and beautiful old homes took over. The residents of historical Charleston take such pride in their homes, as they should. No two homes were the same, which was especially nice to see in this day and age of cookie-cutter neighborhoods. So many of them had wrap-around porches, which I die for. What I loved most were all of their gardens--almost every residence had an alleyway leading into the front entrance of their home that was lush with greens and flowers and light. If I could come home to such beauty every day, why, I'd just have to be the happiest person in the world.

If you follow King Street all the way down, you end up at a park facing the water. Garrett and I smiled at each other when we saw the ocean--just a few weeks ago, we had our toes in the Pacific Ocean. We acknowledged our luck to now arriving at the Atlantic Ocean. 

The homes flanking the waterfront are, of course, unbelievably huge and gorgeous. I couldn't decide which way to look--stare at the pretty houses, or look out across the bay to Fort Sumter? We stayed by the water long enough to have time for both.

After getting an adequate fill of the ocean view--we got to see a sailboat race, too--we rambled back into the neighborhoods. We strolled down Market and Church Streets, and took lots and lots more pictures.

This city is a dream for anybody who appreciates beauty and loves history. I feel as though I could spend a whole week getting lost in all of the neighborhoods and enjoy every minute of it. If you have the chance to visit Charleston, go. And take every chance you can to wander off of the beaten path.