A Girls Trip to Charleston

Last month I packed up & headed to Charleston with my #BloggersDoTravel gals for a fun girls trip! We’ve been to Charleston together quite a few times (and already have another trip booked!) and yet we always find something new to love about Charleston! Today I’m sharing our whirlwind four day trip with y’all – including where we stayed, where we ate & drank, and all the fun things we did while there! So let’s get started, shall we…  

where we stayed

We stayed at the gorgeous Hotel Bella Grace throughout our stay and I cannot say enough great things about this hotel. Although it just opened this past August, it has nailed the Charleston charm already! The staff was so kind, the rooms were spacious, and the decor is 100% #goals! Around every corner was a gorgeous space, including the Delaney House which has a restaurant and gathering space that is both charming & chic. I think the photos below speak for themselves about how gorgeous the property is! In addition to all the wonderful details of the hotel, it is a great location. It’s right near Marion Square and in walking distance to King Street, along with plenty of restaurants and shops.

 

where we ate & drank

Charleston is such a foodie town, so anytime I head to the low country I love trying new restaurants! There are so many restaurants that it can be overwhelming or easy to just go to our favorites, but this time we made sure to head to spots we had never been before. It’s safe to say I have a few new favorite Charleston restaurants after this trip! And yes, we did eat and drink a lotttt.  Just one of the perks of going to Charleston in the winter – you can get into all of your fav restaurants and there’s no need to rush! So where did we eat?

SKINNY DIP CHARLESTON | After we got settled into our room at Hotel Bella Grace, we headed to Skinny Dip for some frosé! Not only is their shop filled with gorgeous pieces, the upstairs is chic as can be and the drinks are delish! what to order: the frosé or Fred (aka a frozen red wine!)

LITTLE JACK’S TAVERN | Little Jack’s is known for it’s burger, but honestly everything we ordered was SO darn good! This restaurant has a lot of classic charm and a really cool vibe. what to order: You can’t go wrong with the burger! Order a side of Brussels sprouts and herb & garlic fries for the table, you won’t be disappointed.Their drinks are great too!

GRAFT WINE SHOP | We headed to Graft after dinner & it’s a cute, quaint spot. When we were there they had a live band – which made for a great atmosphere. what to order: they’re known for their wine selection, so you can’t go wrong ordering a glass (or two!)

BASIC KITCHEN | As a picky eater I was a little hesitant about Basic Kitchen when I looked at the menu…. but y’all it was so SO good! We went for lunch and everything was so fresh and flavorful, that I felt silly for being nervous. I went out of my box and ordered dishes I wouldn’t normally order and they were all incredible. We all ordered a few things and shared among the table and it’s hard to pick a favorite dish! what to order: The cauliflower “wings” are packed with flavor and the cashew ranch is the BOMB. You also can’t go wrong with the Avocado toast or any of their bowls. 

THE ORDINARY | This was a “must” for Cathy & Jess, so we headed there for cocktails and apps before dinner one night. If you love raw seafood you’re in for a treat! They have great happy hour specials! what to order: anything on the raw menu & the sea salted chips were a great pre-dinner snack, too!

FELIX | This may have been my favorite restaurant of the trip! It’s a little French spot that is delicious and so cute inside! what to order: Order the croque monsieur as an appetizer! I ordered the petit steak-frites and it was delish!

TAVERN & TABLE | We had an early morning workout class, followed by pedis in Mt. Pleasant, so we headed to Tavern & Table afterwards for lunch. It was such a nice day that we were able to sit outside by the water. We did apps and drinks here. what to order: Since I only ordered appetizers I can only recommend the pimento cheese & bacon jam, crab and artichoke dip, and the peel & eat shrimp.

HAROLD’S CABIN | We popped into Harold’s Cabin for cocktails one afternoon. It’s in Kristin’s neighborhood and let me just say, it’s so cute. The vibe is so cozy and relaxed, which I loved! what to order: any of the cocktails! The chai whiskey was great.

LEON’S OYSTER SHOP | Leon’s is another Charleston spot that’s always highly recommended. I had been there once, but not for dinner. I personally think Leon’s is a little overhyped unless you’re going for oysters (I don’t eat them, so I don’t know!) It’s got a great patio and drinks, though! what to order: frozen G&Ts or frosé are always good! The fried chicken is what I ordered with a side of scalloped potatoes.

INDACO | If you’re looking for a delicious Italian restaurant while in Charleston, look no further than Indaco! what to order: I’m a sucker for burrata and theirs is SO good. For dinner I had the Margherita pizza, but everything we each ordered looked delightful!

VINTAGE LOUNGE | This was the perfect spot to end our girls trip! The aesthetic is great and it’s such a fun vibe whether you’re with your girl friends or on a date! what to order: We ordered the fondue as an after dinner dessert and tried an assortment of different cocktails!

fun & girly things to do in Charleston

All of us #BloggersDoTravel girls pack the most that we can into every trip! We love spending time together and doing all sorts of fun things and this trip was the perfect amount of relaxing & having fun! We did a lot while we were together!RELAX AT HOTEL BELLA GRACE | The hotel where we stayed had delicious happy hour snacks and drinks, so we always started our evening out there! It was nice to sit around a table and just chit chat and catch up by the fire! We usually ended the night by piling on our beds and having some girl talk (or watching Heather McMahan’s IG stories haha!)

SHOP ALONG KING STREET | There is endless shopping when it comes to Charleston! We popped into Beckett Boutique and we all found some really great stuff! They have a great mix of designers and fun accessories. I could have spent hours in there…in fact I think we did ha! I picked up this bag while there and it’s safe to say I’m obsessed! We had a great time just walking along King Street and going in and out of the different shops.

TAKE A WORKOUT CLASS | There’s no shortage of workout classes in Charleston! We started off one morning with a private workout class with Sarah Fricks! I can’t say enough great things about her class. There are five different classes offered and we went with ‘The Works,’ which is a blend of vinyasa yoga, meditation, and core/strength work. We all were SO sweaty after, but the class itself was amazing! I’ve never taken anything like it!GET A BLOW OUT | There are quite a few blow out spots in Charleston! We started one morning off with blowouts from The Dry Bar before heading on to the rest of our day’s activities! There’s nothing quite like being pampered and having someone else do your hair!GET A MANI/PEDI | if you’re looking for the cutest nail salon in the Charleston area, check out MylkBar. Aside from their cute decor, they’re a non-toxic salon with great products! While we were there we were treated to smoothies from Hushup + Hustle, talk about delicious! We all left feeling so relaxed!

Well, there ya have it! If you’re looking for a girls trip destination, I can’t recommend Charleston enough! Whether you go in the spring/summer or in the winter, there are plenty of things for you to do! Thanks so much for stopping by! xx