itinerary Archives - Felix & Flora

Our Girl's Trip To Charleston - What To Do & Where To Eat

Me & My Girls

I’ve been talking about taking a girl’s trip to Charleston for quite some time now. So when it turned out we had a week off during the spring before it gets too hot down there, I knew we had to go. It was actually perfect because one of my friends has a family home in Folly Beach, which is just outside of Charleston, where we ended up staying for the duration of our trip.

In this post, you’ll find what we did over our 3 full day of exploring & some of the best spots in town to eat.

Day 1

Basic Kitchen

We had a bit of a slow start, since the day before we had two performances & then drove the 6.5 hours down. Once we finally got all showered, dressed, & ready, we drove into the city to find a cute spot for brunch. Basic Kitchen was just the perfect little spot for our first meal in Charleston. I ordered the avocado toast & a moon milk latte with almond milk, as well as an order of their sweet potato fries served with a delicious cashew ranch sauce on top. Not only was the food good, so was the service & the interior design. Cozy bench seats, fresh walls, green plants, rattan details, & beautiful plates were among my favorite details. Each day we wanted to come back, but decided to explore new places.

Wandering The Streets

After we ate, we were so excited to see some of the lovely homes. We took our time walking down towards The Battery looking at each & every home & its perfectly manicured garden. One of our favorite roads to explore was Tradd St. which I would highly recommend walking down to see some of Charleston’s most gorgeous homes. Seeing these pretty houses gave me so much home & garden inspiration, which I wrote an entire post about, find it here.

We finally made it down to a very chilly Battery Park. Very quickly, we saw the water, the cute pineapple fountain, & of course we had to walk down Rainbow Row. I loved the Caribbean feel of the colorful houses. Just iconic.

5Church

For dinner we were so excited to try out a super cool restaurant called 5Church. This restaurant has taken over an old historic church with vaulted ceilings & beautiful stained glass windows. They have really fun cocktails & the food was incredible. Since I was in the Deep South, I decided to order their chili infused honey fried chicken. This dish was served with brussels sprouts, creamy campanelle, & a homemade biscuit. My plate was so big & so full of food, it would have been perfect to split with someone. Instead, I took some of the chicken, campanelle (basically fancy mac & cheese), & the biscuit home to eat over the next few days, which I had no problem doing. The biscuit was perfect for breakfast the next day!

Day 2

Margaritas & Horses

We woke up to a rainy Charleston, but were surprised to see that it was going to clear up by 11 am! Once we got into the city, we went to Minero for some tasty Mexican food & margaritas. This is one of our favorite things to do together. Mexican food just always sounds good! After filling our bellies, we signed up for a horse drawn carriage tour of the city. It was really fun to hear some of the history & stories of the very streets we had walked the day before. The tour guide was a Charleston native, who gladly answered any & every question we had for her. Even though I was hesitant at first, I would highly recommend taking one of these tours.

Open Markets

After we said goodbye to our horse, Austin, we walked over to the open markets. This is a great spot to find artsy souvenirs or gifts for friends & family. My favorite vendor had the loveliest placemats & table runners. I’m shocked they didn’t make it home with me, but I know if they’re there next time I visit, I won’t be able to resist! The one thing I did leave with was a pink fresh water pearl ring that I’m totally in love with.

Before leaving the markets, I had to stop by Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit for a sweet treat. If you’re wondering what to order, get the cinnamon biscuit with the fresh strawberry jam & some French press coffee with cinnamon. You won’t be disappointed. I’ve been craving it ever since!

King Street

This slightly gloomy & overcast day was perfect for some shopping down the famous King Street. This is the same street that scenes of The Notebook were filmed! So cool! Walking down this street you’ll find just about everything. From local boutiques & antique stores, to H&M & Louis Vuitton, there is something here for everyone. We loved walking through the little antique stores to see all the sweet vintage finds. After a few hours of great shopping, we walked back to the car to change clothes for dinner.

Husk

About a month prior to our trip, we made reservations to eat a fancy dinner at the luxurious Husk. We loved the idea of getting all dressed up & eating somewhere fancy one night of the trip. When it came down to it, none of us were wanting to spend the money on fancy food. We were cold, tired, & had already spent our money shopping…haha. So we cancelled our reservations & went to the Husk Bar in the the carriage house next door. The snacks & cocktails were good, but I’m gonna be honest, the service was quite bad. Maybe it was an off night, but this is the one thing from our trip that I would not recommend to others.

Outfits Worn

1: Floral Wrap Top // White Denim Culottes // Blush Espadrilles // Trench Coat // Pink Bag (old, similar here)

2: Navy Button Front Mini Dress // Rain Boots // Sun Hat // Blue Gingham Bag // Flower Earrings // Trench Coat

3: Peach Seersucker Mini Dress // White Espadrilles // Earrings // Hair Clips // Daisy Crossbody

4: Blue Floral Maxi Dress from Chicwish // Blue Espadrilles // Woven Belt // Basket Bag // Pink Flower Earrings

5: Gingham Crop Top // Yellow Seersucker Midi Skirt // Espadrilles // Headband // Sunglasses // Earrings

6: Butterfly Sleeve Top // Denim Culottes // White Lace Ballerinas // Earrings

Day 3

Boone Hall Plantation

This was our last full day in Charleston & the weather turned out to be just perfect. The sun was out, it was finally warm, & we were ready to soak it in. Our first stop on this beautiful day was Boone Hall Plantation. Not only is this a historical plantation, but it was Allie’s family home in The Notebook & it’s where Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds got married! Needless to say, it’s breathtaking. We walked the gardens, toured the home, walked through the homes of the slaves, & listened to the stories passed down through the generations about life as a slave on the property.

I do have one funny story about my love for the blooms on this property. After our tour of the house, we were led to a patio which had an amazing view of the largest azalea bushes I have ever seen in person. I went to them immediately & asked my friends to take some photos of me. My enthusiasm took over & I ended up rubbing my face in the bush full of bright blooms, which seemed cute at the time. In reality, my face broke out so badly over the next few days! Needless to say, I’ve learned my lesson: I can enjoy the beautiful flowers without rubbing my face in them…

Hampton Park

This was the absolute perfect day for a picnic. So after leaving the plantation, we grabbed food at The Park Café, & made our way to Hampton Park for a lovely afternoon picnic. This was one of my very favorite parts of my trip, so I actually wrote an entire post on it which you can read here. We ate lunch, rode bikes, & enjoyed the warm sunshine.

Craving Thai

After spending the afternoon at the park, we had all been craving some Thai food, so we were determined to find some for dinner. We found a great Thai food place called, Basil, right on King Street which was perfect. While eating, I realized that I had not found a present to bring home for Ben! I decided to surprise him by cooking some curry for him the next night when I got home. (He usually does the cooking, so this was a big deal.) If I can do it, you can do it!

Fool-Proof Yellow Curry Recipe

A bottle of Trader Joe’s Yellow Curry sauce

Rotisserie chicken

A red bell pepper

Edamame

Whole salted cashews

Golden potatoes

Snap peas

Cut them up (as much as you want), throw them in a crockpot (I left mine in on high heat for four hours), & serve over white rice! Amazing as left overs as well!

I Love You, Charleston

Well, there you have it! We had an amazing & super inspiring trip. This is one of those places I know I’ll be back to visit again someday. Until next time…xx