Hubby and I arrived in Charleston Saturday morning at 5am. We did not book a hotel ahead of time because no one I called would accomodate an early arrival, and I didn%26#39;t want to have to pay for Friday night. So I decided to play my luck with a walk-in.
We wanted to stay in Mount Pleasant, within walking distance to the bridge. To our surprise, the first few hotels we checked on were booked solid. We ended up at Bridgeview Suites. It was decent, but we probably would not stay again. The biggest plus of this hotel is the location, but it needs a lot of updates, and a thorough cleaning. FYI, this hotel is pet friendly.
We slept in til 2pm (Saturday), then headed to Shem Creek Bar and Grill for lunch. This was our second visit there. The day was beautiful and HOT, and the views on the enclosed (air-conditioned) porch were beautiful: marsh, water, boats, kayaks, birds, etc. We had a few rounds of peach mimosas (yum!). Hubby had the shrimp %26amp; grits with a side of wasabi slaw (yum! yum!), and I had a pasta with artichokes, scallops, and shrimp in a fresh stewed tomato/olive oil base with a side of hushpuppies (yum! yum! yum!). Total bill came to around $50 with tip. Not bad for a couple of hours on the water, food, and drink.
Our plan was to hang around in downtown Charleston until our in-dash computer alarmed us of low coolant. We spent the next two hours replacing an upper radiator hose in the 90 degree heat. Fun! Thanks go out to the guys at Precision Auto Care on Highway 17 in Mt Pleasant... lifesavers when we had no tools!
We headed back to the hotel, showered, dressed, and headed west on 26 towards the Performing Arts Center for the Brian Regan show. If you enjoy comedy acts, don%26#39;t miss this one! Hubby saw him back in 1992, and has wanted to see him again ever since. I had never seen him live, and it was awesome! We left with sore tummies from laughing for two hours.
We headed into downtown Charleston, but parking was a nightmare, so we decided on Mount Pleasant for a late night beer and snack. After asking a few locals (when pumping gas), we decided on AC%26#39;s on Highway 17. The french fries were perfection! At around midnight, we headed back to the hotel. Still wired from our snoozefest that morning, we decided to walk the bridge. At 1am, it was still hot and sticky! We were able to burn off those french fries while enjoying fabulous views. Even at 1am, there were a few others with the same idea. Three miles later and a quick shower, our heads hit the pillow at 3am.
Sunday: another snoozefest. :) We woke at 1am, headed into downtown Charleston, and settled on Moe%26#39;s (in the mood for tacos, and quick). I had the veggie taco with chips %26amp; guac, and hubby had a ginormous(!) burrito with chips %26amp; guac. I think his was called the %26#39;Homewrecker.%26#39; With two teas, the total bill was around $15. And very yummy. Guac is very fresh.
We spent the next couple of hours in Millenium Music. It%26#39;s always very easy for us to %26#39;waste away%26#39; time in there. The used discs are plentiful. Lots of samplers to listen to. A decent vinyl collection. And the gal at the coffeeshop made a great iced capp. We shopped a bit on King Street, then headed down to the battery for a stroll and pics.
We walked the bridge again at around 8pm. The views were even better (more traffic on the water), and we got to see one of those giant cargo ships (carrying the tractor trailers) pass right under our feet. That was an experience. If you think the Yorktown makes you feel small, try hanging out over one of those! It dwarfed the Yorktown!
Back to the hotel for a nap (see a pattern emerging?), shower, and change, we again attempted a night in downtown C-town around 10pm. It was Sunday night, and it showed. We saw only one place open on East Bay, and another on Market that was a bit too %26#39;lively%26#39; for our mood. Remembering the french fries and chill atmosphere from the night before, we headed back into Mount Pleasant to AC%26#39;s. We had a round of Bass and split a cheeseburger and fries. Again, yum! We hit the sack around 2am.
Monday morning, we slept til 12pm, then headed to Folly Beach on our way home from Charleston. We stumbled upon a little restaurant/bar/pool hall across from the Holiday Inn. Sorry guys, don%26#39;t know the name, and we paid cash (no receipt)! Hubby ordered fish tacos (tilapia), and I ordered beef tacos. The plates came out and the portions were huge! Three soft tacos stuffed with fish/beef, cheese, fixins, and a huge helping of hot, crispy fries. Wow, this was SO good. We sat there for a while, playing Wordster and Trivia Whiz on the bar-top game (we call it the %26#39;crack machine%26#39;), trying to stretch out our last few minutes of vacation.
While driving out, on a whim, we decided to get a room for the day and camp out at the oceanfront bar at Holiday Inn. HI rates were way too steep for eight hours ($229), so we tried out the Holliday Inn (note the TWO L%26#39;s), and ended up with a decent rate of $99. The room was actually quite quaint (with a cabin feeling), VERY clean, and a stone%26#39;s throw from the beach. And the sweet lady that checked us in let us use her beach towels and chairs!
We camped out at the oceanfront area at Holiday Inn (no questions asked) for hours. We enjoyed vodka tonics, white russians, and fruity blended drinks the entire time, and left with a bargain $40 bill. We headed back to the Holliday Inn for a dip in the pool. It was SO nice, quiet, and we were the only ones there. We usually don%26#39;t do public pools, but this was way too nice to turn down...
After about an hour in the pool and a quick shower, we walked to 11 Center Street (a restaurant/wine shop) and sat on the second floor. This was an %26#39;open-air%26#39; restaurant. It was about 10am, there were two other groups there. The humidity had found another home for the night, and a nice cool breeze completed the mood. It was truly wonderful. Hubby had the seared ahi tuna. I had the mini fish tacos. We split the brie bites (with prunes - wonderful!). Total bill with two sodas was $45 with tip, and well worth it for the food and atmosphere.
Back to the room for a three hour siesta, and we headed out into a traffic-free night at 2am. We arrived home at 7am this morning, and I can still smell the salt on my skin from that beautiful Folly ocean!
It was a great trip. Awesome, really. We had planned on touring a plantation and a ghost walk, but it was too humid. We will save for our next trip!
Thanks everyone for the advice. We will be back at Thanksgiving!
Trip Report: Shows, Ships, Snoozefests, and Sticky Nights
Thanks so much! We are coming to Charleston on Sunday and will be staying in Mt. Pleasant also. Is there parking at the end of the bridge? I am looking forward to walking that route and will head to Shem%26#39;s as well.
Trip Report: Shows, Ships, Snoozefests, and Sticky Nights
Yes, a couple of spaces at the Shell gas station (designated by signs for walkers) and a gravel area across the street from the Shell station. Don%26#39;t forget your camera. We did both times. :(
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