Sweet Charleston



Charleston

 Elizabeth and I came home this weekend for academic break, and as she's never seen very much of Charleston we spent the day downtown trapsing across the city. Having always lived so close to Charelston for 20 years, it's easy to forget just how gorgeous the city can be. With the cobblestone streets, numerous historic buildings, and easy access to beautiful waterfront views, Charleston is hard to not fall in love with. Today's weather was wonderful as well, low 70's and sunny with a slight breeze...absolutely perfect. If you've never been, here's a list of things you should see and places you should try to go:
   1. King Street- even though it's a bit pricey, it's nice to just walk down the street and see the beautiful buildings. Plus, this is the best place to get a feel for the college side of town as it's fairly close to College of Charleston campus
   2. The Market - about a 15 minute walk from King Street, the Market is great. Lots to see and buy, and most of the prices are generally pretty reasonable. Although if it's too hot outside it will be stuffy in there, and probably crowded because it's where people go to "beat the heat".
   3. Waterfront Park - a short walk next to the water you have to take at least 5 minutes to enjoy the huge swings that provide an awesome view of the harbour.
   4. The Battery - not full of much to do but yet another great view of the water. And, there are tons of trees and quite a pretty epic gazebo.
   5. Planet Smoothie/Cupcake - all the way down King St. past Marion Square and right next door to one another these two places are a great place to get a snack. The best way to pick between the two is to decide how heavy of a snack you want (the cupcakes are rich and delicious, but not the best if you plan on walking a lot more after eating).
   6. Blue Bicycle Books - right up the street from Planet Smoothie, this store is absolutely adorable. Very cozy and full of both old and new books (and a very friendly but perpetually sleepy cat) I think this would be a great place to spend a few hours just perusing.
   7. Baked- always fresh and delicious this bakery is made even better by its fun seating (long tables that promote sitting with people you don't know) and fun, bright decor. Oh, and it's on E. Bay St.
   8. Charleston Cook!-  also on E. Bay St. I probably love this place so much because I love to cook. They have loads of cooking utensils, cute aprons, recipe books, and they even offer cooking classes. I would probably spend a fortune here, that is if I had one.
   9. Churches - Charleston's called the Holy City for a reason, there are churches everywhere. Many of them are historic and quite beautiful on this outside as well as the inside. As Elizabeth said "They're like Walgreen's...there's one on every corner".
   10. Walk - even if you don't do everything that's on this list, though quite a few of them are things that everyone suggests, just walking Downtown is an experience. You'll find hidden courtyards, cute alleyways, and many photo opportunities. Plus, it's fun to wander around and imagine what it would be like to live in one of the houses that you pass...

The Battery, King St, Baked, Planet Smoothie