Mini Honeymoon in Charleston (Where to Eat & Drink, DOLPHINS, Amtrak Sle...

I have to say we really needed this break, right after the wedding and opening my store in Baltimore, Maryland a week after. We had a drink on the beach at South Point the night before and ironed out some of the last details. Some of the planning involved trying to go somewhere close enough to drive together (we love road trips) and bring back some good memories. Last year when we drove all the way down the East Coast, one of our favorite cities was Charleston South Carolina. We always wanted to spend more time together there and had a great mini honeymoon there!



So we got a good deal on a rental car (Ford Flex), and started the drive! We crossed through D.C. on the way and stopped at this greasy spoon 'Silver Diner' that we used to go to when he picked me up from the bus station on my trips down to see him when we were dating long distance. In those days he was in College Park Maryland and I was in Manhattan, four hours away. I used to love coming to this restaurant and playing on the little booth jukebox. What a nice throwback. 'Hey Jude' by the Beatles was my favorite.  I had some chicken soup, and he had a burger.



A little further, we found ourselves in the Outer Banks of North Carolina along the beaches. There was a rest stop Mark looked up, where we could sleep under the stars in the back of the car. When we woke up, we got to sit and see the sunrise along the beach together. It was like we were the only people in the world.



One fast food joint I'd never tried before is Bojangles, but the crisp on everything was amazing! I'm so glad we stopped here for breakfast to try the cajun chicken filet biscuits! Most giant hash browns ever, as well. The ride was sweetened by some Seagrams pre-made cocktails from one of the many gas stations and stops we stopped at for snacks and the restroom.



The first place we stopped in Charleston was the Angel Oak Tree, oldest living organism on the East Coast and maybe the largest? It was so beautiful and grand.



The Vendue Hotel was really nice and gave us a happy honeymoon card, snacks and bottle of champagne. The concierge was really helpful and nice. Dropped off our rental car and started to explore the city. There were a lot of memories from our original trip that made us want to retrace our steps. Pineapple Fountain, a local boutique called Indigo, and walking by the water were first.



We ate all the food. Low country boil at an out of the way spot on the water. Incredible Fried Chicken at Magnolia's Restaurant, Callie's Hot Little Biscuit & a tea, drinks at SNOB - 'Front Porch Thyme' is really good, and gelato at Carmella's.



The trip back was enjoyable and relaxing on the Amtrak Sleeper commuter train car. It was another throwback nostalgic activity and a bucket list item for sure. Though small, we were comfortable in the twin bed compartment, and had a great breakfast for free in the dining car that morning.

Surprises at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (DAY 2 pt1)

DAY 2 of our East Coast Road Trip is split up because of just how much happened when we hit the Carolina's. (DAY 1 on Williamsburg, Virginia Beach, and Wilmington here)



The rain was coming down really hard, the morning we set off for Myrtle Beach. This city is on South Carolina’s Atlantic coast, and the hub of the Grand Strand, a 60-mile string of beaches. The plan had been to get toes wet at the water's edge, but the downpour and a slight burn from Virginia Beach the day before discouraged us. Went to Wal-Mart to get some sunscreen and snacks, and I researched from last minute indoor activities.







Black Biker Week was going on, as it happens, every year over Memorial Weekend at Myrtle Beach. It was the coolest thing to see all the bikers and their motorcycles. I remember seeing the event on an episode of Eastbound and Down, and it was something we also hadn't planned but were really happy to be unwitting spectators.

There was an area on Celebrity Circle that had a bunch of cute shops. The rain had stopped a bit we were able to feed fishes from a boardwalk. I'll never forget, relaxing in one of the deck chairs under a shop awning, watching the rain. Everything smells more clearly when it's wet, and the all the colors around you look richer, more saturated.

Wandered into a Laser Maze Challenge. This was probably more for children, but made us feel like Catherine Zeta Jones in Entrapment. And we beat the Expert Level- twice! There was also a connected Mirror Maze, that was really fun. They give you gloves when you go in, because you keep your arms out to check which pathways are real, and which are the mirrored halls.

Grabbed lunch at a big restaurant by the water called the Sea Captain's House, mostly because it had a big parking lot across the street and you could walk from the dining area to the water. Pleasantly surprised to try she-crab soup for the first time there; it was really good.



Went back to another boardwalk and shops area but this time to see some tigers!

The best possible last minute thing ever - the T.I.G.E.R.S. Preservation Station at Myrtle Beach Safari. The first time slots start at 5:00 pm, so we hit up a magic store across from the entrance (saw a 'Zoltar Speak's machine, just like they have at Coney Island and the Tom Hanks movie, Big). When the time finally came- we were so excited. The admission goes to funding preservation efforts- and the monkeys, wolf cub, and two-month-old tiger were so amazing to hold and touch. I still can't believe we had that once-in-a-lifetime experience, and it was my favorite part of our time at Myrtle Beach.

And then it was off to Charleston for the evening.