Vacation's all I ever wanted

L and I spent took a long weekend last weekend and met my parents in Charleston, SC.  Neither of us had ever been to South Carolina but my parents had been twice and loved it, so we decided it would be fun to see if they wanted to join us for a little Springtime getaway.  Y'all, if you've never been, GO BOOK A TRIP RIGHT NOW.  If nothing else, it was just the perfect place to go for a relaxing weekend.  We had several great meals and the weather could. not. have. been. prettier!  Highs in the low 80s with nice breezes coming off the water and sunshine all 4 days we were there.  It was exactly what I needed!  I would be the happiest girl in the world if I could just sit on a bench outside in weather like that for the rest of my life.  What is there to NOT love about that? 

So, things we did while we were there... We stumbled into Saturday lunch at a great place called Blossom and then we killed time walking around East Bay, Meeting Street, and the market until my parents got to their hotel.  We went to dinner that night at Poogan's Porch, which began a series of meals for me that all seemed like they couldn't be topped by anything else I'd ever eat.  I don't know which one came out on top, but rest assured that they were all fantastic.  After dinner, L and I decided to indulge in a few libations at a nearby bar. 

The drinks were delicious.  What was not delicious was the fact that 1) Charleston allows smoking in bars (not surprising considering geography), and 2) the bar was attached to a cigar shop, so there was double stinkiness going on.  But the cocktails were still delicious.  I personally tried the pomegranite martini (pictured) and the French Kiss. 

Sunday morning, I got up and took a leisurely walk around King Street before the crowds were out and all the stores opened up (and took a fun pic). 

When I got home, L and I worked out in our hotel gym, then showered and dressed for the day and met my parents for brunch at High Cotton.  How great is that name?  I love it for some reason.  I also took the opportunity to treat brunch as my version of Mothers' Day since I won't be with my mom that day and gave my mom her gift, so that was fun. Post-lunch, the four of us took a very tourist-y carriage tour, which was great, despite our hokey tour guide.  It was a great way to see a lot of the city and again, the weather was so perfect for it.  Here's a shot of the famous Rainbow Row:

Afterward, L took off to watch the Lakers' game, Mom and I decided to go shopping, and Dad took off to go find a souvenir for one of my uncles (he gets this uncle something from every. single. place. he travels to).  I found lots of fun things (clothes, cookbooks, candles, and more) and I can't wait to start using them all.  Sunday dinner took us to Magnolia.  Again, so delicious. 

Monday morning, Mom and I decided to go tour Magnolia plantation.  Our tour wasn't until 12:15, so we killed a few hours by touring a couple of historic homes.  Here's the first one we went through:

This home is preserved rather than restored and it's so interesting to see what a 200+ year old home looks like if you don't actively work to keep it in shape.  After the two tours, it was off to Magnolia plantation.  Our tour included the home and the Audubon garden (led by a guide who was even cheesier and hokier than our carriage tour guide, which I didn't know was possible.  He even sang.  There were lots of painful groans, eye rolls, and unamused stares coming from our bench on both tours), where we saw several alligators.  This is the first of many we saw:

Also, side note: I know I have a dry sense of humor.  So does the rest of my family.  We laugh a lot and we have nothing against a touch of cheesiness every now and then, but WOW.  We just kept getting hit with ridiculous tour guides.  I guess that's part of the territory when you're doing touristy stuff.  And maybe it's because they do this EVERY DAY and they just can't help but through in their versions of spice to keep it interesting.  Regardless, everyone would have been laughing at my dad's face at the carriage tour guide.  Mom and I were so glad he wasn't with us for the Audubon guide.  There would have been a lot of faces being made and laughs being stifled.

We also saw Live Oaks that were 500 years old.  I have no words for how beautiful a 500 year old Live Oak is. 

I realize I may be partial- I love Live Oaks anyway.  They've been in the front yard of both of my parents' homes that I grew up in.  The picture above doesn't do it justice.  It was HUGE.

But, moving on.  Finally, a view from the porch of the main house on the plantation:

This is the view from the back of the home (the front faces the river).  The land goes on and on and it's so pretty.  They raise miniature horses, peacocks, and so many different flowers in the gardens that cover the grounds.  There are so many flowers that the air smells like a soft, floral perfume as you walk around.  You don't even have to stop and actually stick your nose in a flower.  It's so great!

I don't really know what L did on Monday.  Or my dad.  I know they ran into each other, but that's about it.  Monday's dinner was spent at Slightly North of Broad, or SNOB.  Another deliciously amazing meal.  L and I grabbed drinks afterward at the Griffon on Vendue Range (how great is that street name?). 

On Tuesday morning, L joined me and Mom for a home tour of the Nathaniel Russell mansion, and then he and I grabbed a quick lunch at Jestine's, which was right around the corner from our hotel.  We'd seen a line outside of Jestine's literally every single time we'd passed that corner, no matter what time of day it was, so we decided we had to try and go for lunch right at 11:00 (when they open) on Tuesday.  It was seriously one of the best meals I've ever had and all it was was fried chicken, fried okra (the first fried okra I've had since I moved up here), cole slaw (which I didn't eat- not a fan), and corn bread.  So the meal was basically all shades of brown, which usually grosses me out, but it's awesome when it's that good.  We were thoroughly pleased with ourselves.

And that was pretty much our trip!  I'm now convinced that I need to live in a house with a piazza some day.  How could life ever be bad when you have a porch that runs the width of the house with your own private courtyard and beautiful weather?  Piazzas are officially going on my list of wants for my future dream house.