Second Sunday in Downtown Charleston

I can’t help myself from starting this post by saying I can’t believe I get to live near such a beautiful, charming, and historic city like Charleston, SC. I had always seen pictures of the picturesque houses down the streets and alleys, and had admired the architecture of the buildings and churches. Admittedly, Curtis and I aren’t big into doing things in downtown areas and being surrounded by people, but we thoroughly enjoyed our 5 hours spent wandering the historic district of our new hometown and are looking forward to going back for more.

We decided to take a bus down on a Sunday afternoon – we weren’t sure how busy it would be and what the parking situation would be like, so we figured this was the safest option. It worked well, but the ride was over an hour so next time we’ll probably just drive. There are multiple parking garages, spots along the streets, and our friends advised us that there’s free parking around White Point Gardens at the end of the peninsula. There are also free trolleys in the downtown area that can give you a lift – we didn’t take advantage of this today, but maybe next time!

We learned that on the second Sunday of every month, they close King Street to all traffic and it turns into a real happenin’ place! There was live music by street performers, food trucks, and people all around. About every other person had their dog with them, so if we do this again we’re definitely bringing Charlotte. We didn’t buy anything, but it was fun to see a monthly event that goes on in our city. We headed South on King Street a ways, then went East to visit the Waterfront Park.

There wasn’t a street in the entire area that I did not enjoy strolling down. You can’t really go wrong if you enjoy old architecture, brightly colored houses, iron-wrought fences, high steeples, and plants of all kinds everywhere. After leaving King Street, there were significantly less people and we enjoyed walking in the quiet through alleys and neighborhood streets. Following Bay Street all the way down to White Point Gardens was one of my favorite parts – with beautiful architecture on the right, and the beautiful blue bay to the left. Curtis loved finding the historical signs scattered around, standing on the sidewalks, attached to old houses, and on statues and memorials, giving us the chance to learn more about the area. We followed some letterbox clues that led us back up the way we came, zigzagging through streets and ending down an alley. It was a tad bit awkward when people followed us down said alley where the box was hiding – but we pretended that I was doing a photo shoot of Curtis and they passed us and continued on. 🙂

Another box brought us to the City Hall courtyard near the Four Corners of Law. After enjoying more memorials and historical markers there, we started making our way back to the bus station. We knew we couldn’t end our day downtown without trying out the local cuisine that others from all over had raved about. However, while everyone says food in Charleston is amazing, we didn’t have any specific recommendations, so we stopped and asked a local for suggestions and he told us to check out Jestine’s Kitchen. Located on the corner of Meeting and Wentworth, this restaurant had the exact Southern flavor we were looking for – sweet tea included. 😉 We had a lot of fried fish and it was all filling and delicious. Fun fact, this place was featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives!

After that, we called it a day and took the long bus ride back to our car. We loved our day downtown and can’t wait to go back. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t go and look up a few houses we saw for sale… 😉

One last thing that I find really special about Charleston: This city has been through so much – wars, fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods, all of which brought destruction – but it is continually rebuilt and restored and is still beautiful in every way. I think that’s a beautiful picture of what every Christian’s life should be like. There’s this quote I like a lot that goes “Don’t let your struggles become your identity.” The “struggles” or disasters or whatever that have taken place here are part of the history that makes this place special, but that isn’t what you see when you walk around this beautiful city. I know it’s kind of a silly analogy to pull from this, but I want my life to be like Charleston. Sure, difficult times come, but I don’t want the negative parts to be what defines me. I want what God does through that to be what people see, because “He makes everything beautiful in its time”!

To see more pictures from downtown Charleston, visit savingtimeinabottleimages.tumblr.com. Oh, and in case you’re wondering why I haven’t been posting, don’t think for a second it’s because I have nothing to write about. I really just can’t keep up with us. Come back next week for more about our Southern living! 🙂