Editor’s Note — if you’re looking for additional Charleston recommendations, here are some other posts to check out: 

• Charleston Travel Guide
• What to Do on a Girls’ Weekend in Charleston
• A Long Weekend in Charleston
• 96 Hours in Charleston + Mount Pleasant

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Happy Monday, friends! How was everyone’s weekend? Mine was a good one—I kicked things off on Friday night at Jazz in the Garden with my cousin and my sister. It was a hot evening, but so much fun to throw a blanket down in the Sculpture Garden, enjoy pitchers of sangria, and catch up. If you’re local and have never been or are visiting town this summer, I can’t recommend it enough! I spent the rest of my weekend hanging by the pool and catching up on to-dos around the apartment. I have a half day tomorrow and then have the 4th off, so it’ll be a chill week, which I am looking forward to!

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Today, I thought I would share a little bit about what I did on my solo trip to Charleston. I wrote about my thoughts on traveling alone in Friday’s post, but today I want to focus on sharing recommendations in case you’re planning a trip to town. I’ve written about Charleston a lot here on TOT, so I’ve been keeping a running list of all my recommendations in my Charleston Travel Guide so you have a single repository of information.

It’s no secret I love Charleston—it’s such a colorful town with so much history. It truly is like nowhere else I’ve been, and I hope I’m able to go many more times in the future. I also think it’s a great place for a weekend or long weekend trip because the peninsula is very walkable, and you can cover a lot of ground in a short period of time. (I only took two Ubers when I was in town—one from the airport and one back to the airport.) In addition, as I’ve mentioned before, flying to Charleston from DC is very affordable. Though I booked my tickets on points this go-around, had I paid out of pocket, it would have been $112 roundtrip on Jetblue. Plus, the flight is quick—it’s less than an hour in the air!

WHERE I SHOPPED /

I spent a lot of time on my solo trip walking around and popping into stores if the window caught my eye or if I needed an air conditioning break from the sweltering heat. One of my favorite stores is The Skinny Dip. Not only do they have all sorts of cute clothes and accessories, they also have a ton of letterpress cards and art prints for sale, which are two of my favorite things to buy on a trip. Upstairs is the cutest bar offering wine, beer, coffee and espresso drinks. There’s also an outdoor patio with a swing and ample bench seating off the bar if it’s a cooler day.

While in town, I was on the hunt for the perfect circular straw crossbody bag, and saw one hanging in the window at the Impeccable Pig, so I went in and grabbed it. (It’s this one if you’re in the market!) The Impeccable Pig has several locations throughout the South, and I’d definitely pop back into one again—they had the cutest clothes, accessories, and jewelry.

During my candle-making workshop at Candlefish, we were given the opportunity to shop around with a 15% discount. In addition to stocking up on my favorite candles, I grabbed several letterpress cards and a beautiful notebook. (You can see all my stationery purchases from Charleston here!) Candlefish also has cute wrapping paper, cocktail stirrers, wine charms, and all sorts of barware and hosting pieces.

About a week before my trip, Monica sent me an Instagram DM about the Charleston pop-up store We Took to the Coast, so I made a point to pop-in. The owners, a nice couple who I chatted with for a while, are from Greenville originally, and have curated a beautiful selection of seaside-inspired clothing and home goods. Right now, it’s only in town for the summer—so definitely pop in if you get a chance!

I also made it a point to pop into Mac & Murphy, which is the cutest paper goods store, and Candy Shop Vintage, which is known for making jewelry out of rice beads and sourcing the cutest vintage pieces. I had been to both on prior trips, but hadn’t been in a few years, so I’m glad I made it by.

Though I can easily be overwhelmed in the Charleston City Market, I decided to walk through this trip because it was right on my way to lunch, so I figured it’d be worth the time to see if anything caught my eye. I’m glad I did because I discovered Sofya’s beautiful paintings. I love how colorfully and abstractly she depicts Charleston, and I ended up bringing three of her prints home with me. Though she does ship online, her prices are a lot cheaper in the market—I paid $60 for all three prints—so definitely check her out if you’re in town!

WHERE I ATE & DRANK /

There’s no shortage of great places to eat and drink while in Charleston! On this trip, I went to a few new places, but also made it a point to head back to some tried and true favorites. Here’s where I ate and drank:

• The Living Room at the Dewberry—on my girls’ trip to Charleston last year we stayed at the Dewberry and fell in love with its Living Room bar. It truly feels like you’re in a different era when you’re there—almost like being on the set of Mad Men. I actually stopped in both Sunday and Monday night while I was in town to work on my blog while enjoying The Basically, a cocktail they make with La Croix.
• Closed for Business—this was a great bar I ate at for my first lunch in town. If you love craft beer or cider, definitely stop in—they have a rotating tap with some of the best local brews, and they even had some from Charlottesville!
• The Darling Oyster Bar—I am not a huge fan of oysters, but I am a huge fan of The Darling! If you’re more of a turf girl like me, definitely check out their burger or fried chicken sandwich. I also tried their ceviche and it was delicious. Check out the host stand for matchbooks!
• Fleet Landing—my friend introduced us to this gem on our last trip to Charleston, and I had to go back for another pomegranate mojito! This popular restaurant is right on the water, and while there was a long wait for both indoor and outdoor tables, I was able to find a seat at the bar right away.
• The Bar at Husk—I have eaten at Husk the restaurant many times, but my friend Kate offhandedly mentioned she loved The Bar at Husk even more than the actual restaurant—and she told they still serve the fame burger, which basically sealed the deal for me.
• El Jefe—a great Tex Mex restaurant and bar near a lot of the bars on King Street. I wrote about my night here in this post, but needless to say, I can’t recommend it enough.
• The Cocktail Club—I grabbed a drink here one night before dinner, and definitely want to go back and stay longer next time! Located upstairs in a historic King Street building, it has a great outdoor patio and such a cool vibe inside. Definitely stop by if you get the chance!

WHAT I DID /

One of my favorite things to do in Charleston is wander the residential streets and just take in the Charleston-style architecture. When I wasn’t shopping or eating/drinking, I was walking around, taking it all in. I considered taking some sort of historical tour since it’s been a while since I’ve done one in town, but decided I didn’t want to be committed to any certain schedule. So, I walked through most streets in the Historic District, by the Pineapple Fountain and Waterfront Park, down the Battery, and down Broad Street. It was hot while I was in town, but despite the temps, it was great to get out and walk around.

If you need any advice for an upcoming trip to Charleston, don’t hesitate to reach out! You can see all my posts on Charleston here.