Travel Photo Friday: Charleston

I found this image when I was going through photos a few days ago. It was from our trip to Charleston last April. It's not the typical image that comes to mind when one thinks of Charleston (frilly, southern homes, waterfront parks, azaleas, etc) but it is actually a good way to examine how we like to travel as a family. A nice reminder about why that weekend trip was so enjoyable for all of us.

Here's what usually happens. When we decide to take a trip, I immediately start to do research. I start gobbling up websites, checking out library books (fiction,non-fiction, and childrens books), and talking to others who have been there before. I usually love this stage of information gathering. Adam doesn't and that's a good thing. I sometimes get bogged down in all of the details: the desire to find the "perfect" family accommodations, the best kid friendly spots, etc.When I stay up too late reading travel reviews, he calmly walks me to bed and reminds me that things will be good,even if they aren't "perfect". And he's right.

I was becoming increasingly frustrated because I couldn't get a hotel reservation for that particular weekend. I had read that the visitor's center provided a room finding service (hotels update them with daily cancellations and availability). Adam suggested that we just take a chance and head to Charleston without a reservation in hopes of finding one through the visitor's center (we were within driving distance so we could have just turned the day into a long day trip). I reluctantly agreed (had this image in my head of a long weekend escape, not just a day trip). We got lucky. When we arrived, we headed straight to the visitor's center and got one of the last available rooms in the historic district. We checked in, parked our van, and spent the next two days exploring by foot and trolley.

Once I do all of my initial research, I usually make a list of things that sound appealing but I don't make a formal itinerary. It just never works for us. Our first day in Charleston is a good example of our preference for soaking up a new place by wandering. It was a beautiful, sunny day. We headed out of the hotel with the idea of having lunch at the Farmer's Market which we had passed on our hunt for the visitor's center. On our walk we discovered King Street which was filled with interesting shops. We had a great lunch at the Farmer's Market complete with kids activities, live Bluegrass music, very tasty, fresh food, and a lively crowd of locals. Feeling energized and revived from our time at the Market, we headed back onto King Street. Hit it a local art supply store, checked out a nice independent book store, admired the cupcake shop across the street, and saw a flyer advertising a local performance that evening of "Frog and Toad". We noted the theatre was within walking distance of our hotel and decided to try the evening show. Headed back to the hotel. Camille took a nap while Adam and Noah toured The Yorktown. We grabbed a quick dinner at a pita place before heading down the street to see the show. And ended the day with some gelato from the shop next to our hotel.

We didn't do any of the typical tourist things that had been highlighted in the books or at the visitor's center (except for the Yorktown). We didn't eat at any of the spectacular restaurants in town. We didn't even make it to the Children's Museum which was across the street from our hotel. We didn't take any of the typical tourist photos (got plenty the next day). Instead we watched our children run and dance with other little ones at the Market, we enjoyed wandering, and we took note of what we saw up and down King Street. Turns out it was the perfect way to enjoy Charleston.