Travel Guide: Charleston Part 2

Hello, I hope you enjoy this old post from 2015! For my always updated Charleston recommendations, head to my official Charleston Travel Guide!

Last week, I shared part 1 of my Charleston travel guide. It detailed all my must-go places to eat and drink in the city. Today, I’m sharing the rest of my scoop on Charleston with my Travel Guide: Charleston Part 2. Today’s post is all about where to shop, where to stay, and what to do in the Holy City.

There are a handful of wonderful places to rest your head that range from charming boutique hotels to a large hotel with a full spa and pool. I’ve stayed in all the hotels I recommend and have had great experiences at all of them! The main shopping drag in Charleston is King Street. You can easily spend a whole day moseying up and down King and window shopping. When you’re not shopping, you’ll see I’ve suggested plenty of activities to do! You’ll also want to dress the part in Charleston by shopping my looks from my trip to Charleston last month. You’ll want a fun, flirty dress and some classic stripes too.

Shop:

Hampden: my absolute favorite boutique in Charleston and one of my favorite boutiques in general. Hampden carries lines including Loeffler Randall, Tibi, Equipment, and more. The girls who work there are dolls too!
Cynthia Rowley: along with Hampden, Cynthia Rowley is the other shopping destination I stop at first upon arriving in Charleston! There are only a few Cynthia Rowley stores in the country so it is a real treat to have one in Charleston! I die for her designs and really gravitate toward her dresses.
Palm Avenue: the go-to shop in Charleston for Lilly Pulitzer. I always find current Lilly dresses and tops here.
Lily: a lovely little jewelry, stationary, and gift store. They carry jewelry that the owner has found in markets in Paris. I have a few earrings from here that are among my favorite pairs I own.
Shirtini: this shop is just what it sounds like… a shop specializing in shirts. They specialize in classic white button-downs for women but have a few pops of color in the store too.
Peyton William: beautiful one-of-a-kind jewelry made with gorgeous colored stones. Peyton William has a bangle like bracelet with a clasp that is perfect for people like me who have tiny wrists.
Acquisitions: a beautiful and classic interior design store.
Celadon: another fabulous home store with gorgeous furniture + pillows and other great accessories.
Vineyard Vines: I don’t have a Vineyard Vines store in LA so I love popping in and feeling instantly transported to the beaches of the Northeast.
Indigo & Cotton: a wonderful shop for guys. Their button-downs are perfection. I find myself wanting to buy them for all my male friends!
Candlefish: simply put, this is the best candle store I’ve ever been to. They do super fun candle making classes also!
Chains on King Street: J.Crew, Calypso St. Barth, Kate Spade, Madewell, & Anthropologie

Items from my Charleston packing list: jewelry on my Jonathan Adler zebra tray, panama hat (similar, similar), blue and white stripe dress (similar, similar), daisy perfume, and sunnies

Sipping wine during a candle making class at Candlefish

Shopping for pretty purses at Hampden

Peyton William is truly the most gorgeous store with the most gorgeous jewlery

Do:

Carriage Tour: the best way to see Charleston. I recommend doing a carriage tour on your first day in Charleston to help you get a lay of the land, learn some of the history of the city, and see beautiful parts of town you might have missed otherwise. My carriage tour guide company of choice is Palmetto Carriage Tours.
Historical home tours – the best house tours are the Edmondston-Alston House, the Calhoun Mansion, and the Nathaniel Russell House.
Tour a Plantation like the gorgeous Boone Hall.
Ravenel Bridge: a 6-mile walk back and forth on the walking/biking path on the side of the bridge is a great way to get a little exercise outdoors and to walk off some of the amazing food you’ve been eating! The views are pretty gorgeous too!
Sailing or fishing: I love going out for the day to go sailing or fishing with my family and friends. Charleston is on the water so why not take advantage of it! Fish for redfish or sail and sunbathe in the summer.
Paddle boarding: paddle boarding is a favorite water activity of mine so I love renting a board at Shem Creek and going out for a few hours on a pretty day.
Walk along Rainbow Row and The Battery
Peruse the historical City Market for sweetgrass baskets
Browse the farmer’s Market in Marior Square on Saturday mornings (April-November)

Sailing with my siblings

Stay:

Charleston Place: the premier hotel in Charleston complete with a great bar, full-scale spa, and rooftop pool.
Zero George: traditional yet contemporary are the vibes you’ll get at this boutique hotel. It’s composed of five historical residential buildings and they offer amazing cooking classes!
Vendue Inn: an art filled boutique hotel with a great rooftop bar.
The Governor’s House: this bed and breakfast is the former house of the youngest signer of the Declaration. The house oozes with character and has a wonderful porch for guest to relax on.