(For full disclosure, this trip was made pre-COVID in 2019. We are currently at home, dreaming and planning for future travel after the pandemic becomes history. Now is the perfect time to remember past adventures. We are so grateful for the places we have experienced!)
Are the charms of Charleston´s people, history, and cuisine lost when summer rains set in? Do showers and storms mean that a trip becomes a wash-out? We found the answer to be “no way” during a short, three-day visit.
With seemingly never ending rain, indoor dining was a must during this trip. The Five Loaves Cafe had a local, homegrown feel. A unique, culinary message handwritten on each tabletop greeted us while the relaxed ambiance and friendly staff invited us to stay a while.
The creamy, shrimp gnocchi and steamed mussels immediately transported us to coastal dining with fresh seafood.
A few drizzly, damp walks rewarded us with up close views of this city’s masterpiece homes. Although they can be imposing, they remain friendly and welcoming with their balconies and gardens. Each one displays its own personality and hints at the stories that have played out within its walls.
We escaped a deluge of rain one day during the inside tour of the spectacular Nathaniel Russell House. The staircase is amazing! Their website can say it better than we can…”The home’s graceful, free-flying, three-story staircase is an architectural marvel with each cantilevered step supporting the one above and below it.”
Who in their right mind orders beets on a pizza? Turns out, if you take the beet plunge at Dal’s Pizza you’ll be rewarded. Their Beetnik with mozzarella and goat cheese, bacon, golden beets and rosemary removed all childhood fears of beets!
With a break in the rain, we drove to nearby Tybee Island for lunch at The Crab Shack. This dock-side patio, including cool mist from the overhanging trees, provides the perfect spot to enjoy a low country boil of shrimp, crab, corn, potatoes and sausage.
Magnolia Plantation opened its gardens to visitors in 1870, making it the oldest public garden in the US. The designers created a magical space by fully incorporating the swamp into the gardens and successfully resisting any attempt to tame the natural setting. This was a place we didn’t mind to return to for a repeat visit.
We weren’t able to eat at Basil, but we loved the sign at night!
Paella n Pie 