Back in May, I went on a quick weekend trip to Charleston, South Carolina. Outside of moving back in August, this was the first time I’d really traveled in a long time and I really didn’t know what to expect. Looking forward to sharing my Charleston recommendations plus what tips for travel I have as we shift back into traveling for leisure, work, and beyond.
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24 Hour Challenge + What to Do in Charleston, SC | What To Expect at the Airport
I’ve flown twice since this trip in May, but I definitely went into this trip with some anxiety and apprehension about flying. Since I’m back in a bigger metro area, I’ve been taking advantage of being able to compare flight costs between our area’s major airports and flew out of Baltimore/Washington International Airport since the return flight was about $800 less. The airport was hands down the most people I’d seen congregated since before the pandemic, but just about everyone was good about being respectful.
Airports still have mask requirements regardless of vaccination status; TSA will likely ask you to briefly pull down your mask when reviewing your ID at security. At the gate, you can pull your mask down to throw a snack in your mouth or take a sip of your drink, which will be echoed by flight attendants during your flight. Airlines are no longer reserving middle seats so it’s very likely that you’ll have a seat buddy during your flight.
24 Hour Challenge + What to Do in Charleston, SC | First Night in Charleston
This was my first time flying into Charleston and a fun fact to know if you’re planning a trip is that the airport is about 30-40 minutes from downtown Charleston. After grabbing my bag, I found my Uber, and headed into Charleston. I met up with Tomi at our rental for the weekend and we took a little time to rest and chat before heading to our dinner reservation at Anson.
I ordered the Fried Green Tomatoes as my starter. These were served with pimento cheese and a bacon jam — absolutely delicious. For dinner, I ordered the Shrimp Pasta Linguine as my entree; it was good but I definitely enjoyed my starter more than the main dish.
After dinner, we strolled for a bit before ending up at The Watch Rooftop at The Restoration Hotel right before sunset. The view was stunning and we were able to enjoy cocktails while watching the sun set.
24 Hour Challenge + What to Do in Charleston, SC | Where to Get a Quick Breakfast
Saturday morning we got up early to shoot our podcast launch photos on Rainbow Row. Afterwards, we stopped by 132 Spring Coffee & Kitchen Bar and oh my GOSH. Everything was SO good. I had a delicious bagel sandwich that had egg, cheese, arugula, bacon, and a pepper jam plus I tried a little of Tomi’s cinnamon roll which was also incredible. I ended up going back in to grab another cinnamon roll so that I’d have something to eat before going to the airport Sunday morning. We stopped by the College of Charleston campus to walk a bit and get some pictures.
24 Hour Challenge + What to Do in Charleston, SC | Dinner & Rooftop Bar
After that, we were off to Melfi’s which was in my mind the best meal I had there. Tomi and I split the Warm Crab Bruschetta and it did what it needed to do. We both kind of looked at each other when they brought out this small plate but it was 100% worth it in my opinion and I’d order it again. For my main course, I ordered the Bucatini Cacio e Pepe and again SO good. Something about the blend of pink and black peppers really made it perfect.
After that delicious meal, we went to the rooftop bar at Stars Restaurant for a nightcap. This was PACKED and admittedly a bit much for me; the crowd was mostly college aged so I may look at other options if that’s not the vibe you’re looking for. We weren’t able to watch the sunset in quite the same manner that we did at The Watch.
24 Hour Challenge + What to Do in Charleston, SC | One Last Must See
Sunday morning before I left for the airport, we rushed over to the infamous pink church, French Protestant Huguenot Church. If you’re going on a weekend be aware that there will likely be weddings and/or services happening and be sure to get there early if you want pictures free of people in the background.
Charleston is definitely a city I’d love to take another weekend trip to; I hope this city guide has been helpful and one you can save and refer back to.
