Only have Three Days In Charleston? Here's What To Do, Where To Eat and What To See Before You Leave

It was a whirlwind three days in Charleston with Jackie, and I think it's safe to say we got a good enough taste to leave us coming back for more. Yep, I'm already dreaming about another few days in the Holy City- but don't call it that on account of the many churches in Historic Charleston. You're going to have to book yourself a spot on a historic carriage ride with Palmetto Carriage Works for the real answer to that one. Ooooo- mysteryyyy!
Haha, ok? Ahem... Let's dive in, then, shall we? The challenge: You only have three days in Charleston. What to do? What to see? And most importantly: What to eat? All before you hop on a flight back home. 

First things first, Jackie and I's impromptu trip just so happened to land smack in the middle of one of the busiest times of year in Charleston: The Bridge Run. We ending up slipping out before the run actually started, but hotels filled up fast after we booked our tickets and we couldn't understand why. Turns out it's a huge deal and if you're a serious runner you probably know all about it. If you're not and even the tiniest bit into the sport, you should definitely check it out. 

Since it was our first time in Charleston we had no idea where to stay in the Historic District. But after some digging we found a hotel that we thought was perfect for our three nights. Hilton's Homewood Suites Historic District Charleston. Best decision of our trip. We booked a Queen Size Studio with two queen-sized beds, a living area, bathroom and kitchen. I'm fairly certain it rivaled my apartment in size. Not only did it have a pretty decent free breakfast every morning but every Monday-Thursday they also had a happy hour with free wine, beer and appetizers! 

The two big wins happened when we checked in. One: we found that it was smack dab in the middle of all of the Historic Charleston action (between Meeting and King Street). Two: we landed at 9am and check in wasn't until 4pm but they had a room ready and let us check in when we arrived. Honestly it was such a relief especially after being up since 4am. Other perks: They have a pool and it's family friendly. This would definitely be the place I take my kids if I ever bring them along.
After taking our bags up and sacking out for a bit, we decided we had some time to explore before our DryBar appointments - if you're like us, then a blowout is essential to battle the southern humidity. They're located on King Street. 

I'm going to level with you here: this is a walking town. To get the full experience, you're going to want to walk everywhere to do anything. If you want some form of transportation, skip the car rentals and opt for bike rentals if you can. It saves on all of the related logistics: parking, packing and the like. They have plenty of ride-shares in the area so if you need to give your feet a break, you can order an Uber to take you back to your hotel or next destination.

Where To Eat in Charleston:
What To Order: Banana Cream Pie Doughnut
What To Order: The Buffalo Cauliflower and Fried Chicken Entree.
What To Order: Goat Cheese with Cherries & Salted Peanut Butter with Chocolate Flecks. Dairy Free Picks: Texas Sheet Cake and Cold Brew with Coconut Cream

What To Order: Frosé or an Iced Latte to enjoy on their rooftop porch. 
What To Order: A Baker's Dozen of Callie's Biscuits. I LOVE every.single.one.of.them. 
What To Order: Calabash Fried Shrimp with Blue Cheese Slaw & Pecan Crusted Stuffed French Toast
What To Order: Oysters on the Half Shell, Creole Shrimp and Key Lime Pie (We know how I feel about Key Lime Pie and I was impressed!)
What To Do in Charleston: 
Horse Carriage Ride through the Historic District with Palmetto Carriage Works
The keepers of the city's secrets! They have several different routes you can take so you could go on a few different trips and see totally different parts of historic Charleston. A single leg is about an hour long and well worth the trip.

What To Get: Swedish Massage. It was one of the best, most relaxing massages I've ever had.
Sunset Sail on The Schooner Pride 
Set your sights on Charleston from the water as the sun disappears under the horizon while gliding along in an historic sailboat. I loved our Key West Schooner Pride sunset sail so I thought I would love seeing Charleston- I was right! All of the historic spots and stories, while watching dolphins play around the boat? Definitely a must-do on your trip.
Blues and BBQ Cruise 
Blues, BBQ and a sail on a three-level, two-hour cruise around the Charleston Harbor.
What Else To See in Charleston: 
Pineapple Square

Rainbow Row

Magnolia Plantation

Shopping on King Street