As the Wife’s birthday approached, we deliberated on what to do for the event.  We had talked about going to Charleston, SC several times, but had never quite made it down.  I had plenty of extra hotel points, so we booked a handful of free nights at a Comfort Inn, and took a long weekend.  We had heard great things about the city; the history, the people, the restaurants, the ambiance.

Charleston exceeded our expectations.

Ok, maybe the hotel didn’t exceed our expectations.  I noticed the carpets needed to be vacuumed.  The closet was larger than the bathroom.  I noticed things under the sheets that were… crunchy.  In hindsight, perhaps I should have splurged and paid for a nicer hotel.  Live and learn, I suppose.

Otherwise, though, Charleston exceeded our expectations.  We went to Sullivan’s Island, and enjoyed an afternoon beverage near the beach.

Our friends from the Virginia Tech Alumni Association (my alma mater) did their part to keep things beautiful.

We found a butterfly on the road.  I felt compelled to take a picture.

Aside from Sullivan’s Island, we bumped around the historic downtown area.  It was gorgeous.  The architecture was awesome, and we did our best to get some good pictures.

I believe this is the “Charleston Row” after which our neighborhood is designed.

The market located off East Bay Street, bustling with vendors.

The U.S. Customs House, just outside of the pier where cruise ships come in.  It’s a fantastic building, at least from the outside.  There were also plenty of picturesque steeples.

It’s a gorgeous city that I would encourage anyone to go visit.  There is plenty to do, and I somehow doubt we have even scratched the surface of it all.  I can’t wait to go back.

Stay tuned for restaurant reviews.  The food was a great as the sights.  A special thanks to Kath and Diana for their activity recommendations.