is to be
nearly perfect i think
as many who have come before me have said, its one of those places you visit and can easily see yourself living.
southern {check}
clean {check}
beach {check}
great restaurants {check}
things to do {check}
shopping {check}
inspiring architecture {check - well at least its the icing on the top of my cake}
you can go
HERE to see other aspects of our four day charleston vacation
i would highly recommend the following
we stayed at the Francis Marion Hotel, circa 1924. {as in the hotel was built then, that is not the year we transplanted ourselves into. duh, but English is a funny language and you have to watch your transition placement. uck, ok no more grammar....}
as usual, my camera was either a)around my neck or b)close by my side in my purse
at all times. resulting in a myriad of pictures.
what was amazing to me was how safe, clean, and populated downtown Charleston is. it reminded me a lot of my hometown, Mobile AL, to an extent: Mobile is working its tail off to return the streets of our downtown to this state, and they really are doing a wonderful job. we just have a little ways to go and Charleston showed me the potential of the beautiful southern city i call home.
Charleston was founded in the marshes of South Carolina by English settlers in 1670. the settlers built their houses and managed the city planning in the way with which they were familiar: narrow lots close together. businesses on the first floor and residences above. if i remember correctly, the reason for this was because the homeowners were taxed on the area of the street front their homes occupied. {please correct me if im wrong}
most of the houses had one or two story piazzas, or porches, to catch the sea breezes.
hate that this picture is blurry, bc it sure was purdy, and resembled many of the historic homes in downtown Mobile
after the devastating earthquake of 1886, earthquake bolts were used to stabilize the houses that survived. cables were placed between floors and tightened with bolts on the outside of the house to help pull the weakened walls back together.
this house is an example of legit earthquake bolts
this house is not.
much of the new construction in the historic districts of charleston still implements these earthquake bolts, however theirs are more for aesthetics and not function.
you see this everywhere in architecture and design - new construction made to look old, or weathered, or {in other words} full of character. personally, im all for the old charm. but if you cant get the real thing, fake it!
- use reclaimed wood from abandoned or condemned buildings for wood flooring
- reuse old wooden doors
- antiques
- revisit classical styles of construction, proportions, symmetry
- raised ceilings
- tall windows
- lotsa fireplaces
- stick with classical hardware finishes, like polished nickel or brass or even cast iron
- picture molding
- and if you are really ambitious, try some detailed trim work, as shown below
- and if you have photoshop and a lot of time on your hands {or just some time spent poorly}, just edit the heck out of a picture and it will look like it was taken way back in the 19th century :)
i think i could have walked around with my camera for a week and not fallen tired of taking pictures. how can so much inspiration exist in one small-ish city? the details had my mind spinning
this is a terrible picture, but i loved this side entrance stairwell detail at the
wickliffe house {the location of the wedding that made this entire vacation possible}
palmettos {the state's official tree} lined nearly every street
appreciation of the city's rich heritage was found everywhere...
love this lantern
and there were plenty of gorgeous front doors
i think this house was my favorite
there were some larger lots and houses located in south battery, presenting breathtaking porches and construction
i made a quick stop by this store
but only stayed for a couple brief minutes, just long enough to wipe the drool off my chin, as one certain chillin' of mine was seriously needing him a nap
rickshaws are the preferred mode of transportation, if you are a tourist, as they can get you places twice as fast as a cab {but they also happen to be twice as expensive!}. {i still would highly recommend it!}
for the locals, however, bicycles seemed to be the vehicle of choice. every single post or meter or bench had a bicycle locked to it.
i think i could have spent another four days in charleston and still not see enough. we had a blast visiting with immediate and extended family {as always!} and i personally enjoyed four days of my husband all to myself.
some of my favorite times were the little moments we spent as our family of three
so, moral of the story:
- take the time to spend "all to yourself" moments with your immediate family - its rejuvenating
- visit charleston, sc
- take the time to discover/learn about/appreciate your country/state/city's rich heritage - it can really open your eyes and inspire ...