It’s no secret that I’m a fan of adventure. I love to travel and see new places, try new things, see new beaches, eat at new restaurants. With a couple days off from work in late June, my mom and I tried to decide where to go away to. We threw around different places like Cape May, New Jersey, Ocean City Maryland, Philidelphia, Pennsylvania, and many others. But I was pretty set on Charleston. In the spirit of adventure, we bought some snacks at Target, got on the road (a long but scenic fifteen hours), and booked a hotel on the way down.

The first day, we walked around one of the main shopping areas, King Street. We saw the shops and restaurants they had and picked the places we wanted to try. We ate at Closed For Business for lunch, a cool dive-styled restaurant that mixed historical and modern decor.

One of my favorite parts was walking through the French Quarter where the famous Rainbow Row is located. That’s where I found this real life Barbie house that’s literally all the home goals rapped into one.

We walked along the Charleston Harbor that looks like the Lowcountry that’s the setting of every Nicolas Sparks book. There’s also a giant fountain that kids were playing in as relief from the heat. It was a humid afternoon because of the morning’s rain but it was a beautiful sight.

I think Charleston must be one of the most photogenic cities in the world. Every house is beautiful and colorful and quaint with flower baskets outside the windows and wrap-around porches. It was all I could do not to pack up my stuff, knock on the door, and see if anyone would mind taking a tenant.

That night we ate at Sol, probably my new favorite restaurant, possibly ever. We sat outdoors on the patio and even though the sun went down, it was still warm outside and the perfect temperature. And as I was eating, I made this whole plan to come to Charleston with my friends for a girl trip. I was already planning on going back and I hadn’t even left.

One fun fact about me: I love baked goods, but especially doughnuts. So when I saw a sign for Glazed I absolute knew I had to go there. This was probably one of the best doughnut places I’ve been too, especially because their flavors are so unique. The doughnuts are soft and fresh and the perfect after dinner snack. Pictured below: Raspberry and Grapefruit Basil.

The next day, after little bit of sightseeing, we went to the beach in Isle of Palms just across the bridge over the harbor. It was a bright and sunny day, perfect for the beach. We sat by the water and relaxed, enjoying the sea’s breeze.

That night we had dinner at my second favorite restaurant of the trip: 492. We started out with a Foccacia bread appetizer that I was weary about but ended up being so good. And the burger I had was probably one of the best I ever ate. Though we were full from dinner, we decided to get ice cream, because, let’s be honest, vacation isn’t vacation if you don’t have ice cream after dinner. The night before, we saw a line out the door at Jeni’s and decided to go there. Though the line started snaking down the street, the wait wasn’t that long as was totally worth it.

Our last day, we did more sightseeing before getting on the road for the fifteen hours back home. We went to the market, bought some souvenirs and a sweetgrass basket, and I found one of my new favorite boutiques. And, luckily, they have an online store that can be shopped from anywhere. With sandy hair and a little bit of sadness, we set back on the road home. Not ten minutes out of the city, we already made plans to come back.

• always choose adventure •