Hey friends – happy Valentine’s Day! If you’re looking for something to make, check out this post: Easy & Healthy Valentine’s Day Recipes. Enjoy!
And now, it’s official: Charleston is one of my favorite cities. Especially in winter! Shorts and a tank top running weather in February? Sign me up!
As you guys know, I was lucky enough to spend this past weekend in Charleston with a group of ladies to celebrate my college friend Sarah’s upcoming wedding! It was such a fun weekend. We lucked out with the weather big time – it was sunny and in the 70’s on Saturday and we took full advantage!
Let’s back up to the start of the weekend, though, shall we?
We all arrived on Friday late afternoon/early evening. Once everyone was there, we headed out for a pre-dinner drink and some snacks at a cool spot near our Airbnb called 492 King. It was a little chilly on Friday night (chilly by Charleston standards, anyway – in the low 50’s), but they had an awesome patio with heat lamps, so we took advantage. Sparkling wine all around!
We got some snacks to share, too – whipped feta with pita, some really delicious popcorn, and olives.
We had a late dinner reservation at The Ordinary, so we headed there after our appetizers and drinks. We had to wait a little while for our table, so, more bubbly? Yes, please! We’re here to celebrate. :)
The Ordinary is all about the seafood, so we were, too! We got a bunch of stuff to share – a MASSIVE seafood tower was first on the agenda.
The ceviche was phenomenal and everyone’s favorite, so we got more of that to share, and we also got a whole fish with potatoes and kale for everyone to share. Plus some unpictured Hawaiian rolls with really good salty butter. Everything was delicious and the ambiance was fun, too!
Dessert + the beautiful bride-to-be!
On Saturday, we all slept in a bit and then most of us headed out on a fun group run! I love traveling with other runners, especially when the weather is this nice!
We had the best run – you guys know I love exploring cities by foot and the weather could not have been more perfect for it – so sunny!
We ran down to Battery Park along the waterfront, then ran along the water for a bit taking in the sights and sunshine. Hello, palm trees!
I love this fountain – I remember it from when Matt and I were in Charleston last year around the same time for the Charleston Half Marathon. :)
After exploring Battery Park and some of the nearby neighborhoods, we ended our run closer to our place and grabbed coffee before walking back. I didn’t wear my watch but we covered about 4 miles (with various photo/sightseeing stops, obvi), according to one of the others! :)
After cleaning up back at the house, we rented some bikes for the day at Affordabike right near where we were staying, then biked north about a mile or so to our brunch location of choice: Butcher & Bee! (If you’re in Charleston, I’d definitely recommend renting bikes – it’s nice and flat so very bike friendly!)
Butcher & Bee was a spot I had heard good things about but Matt and I hadn’t made it to when we were here last year (to see where we went on that trip, check out this post: Best Restaurants in Charleston), so I was excited to check it out! There was a bit of a wait (they don’t take reservations) and we were all hungry so we each got a fresh juice and this awesome baked good to share while we waited!
Soon after, we snagged a spot outside – perfect since the weather was so lovely! We got a bunch of small plates to share to start – two each of the kale salad (phenomenal) and the cauliflower (also phenomenal).
For my entrée, I had the Huevos Rancheros! One of my all time favorite brunch items and this one did not disappoint. :)
Yum – if you ever find yourself in Charleston, do yourself a favor and have a meal at Butcher & Bee!
And now, this post is getting a bit out of control long, so I’m going to share the rest of our adventures in part 2 tomorrow! Stay tuned. :)
Have you ever been to Charleston?