{"id":20438,"date":"2019-09-03T13:00:47","date_gmt":"2019-09-03T13:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/?p=20438"},"modified":"2019-09-03T13:02:17","modified_gmt":"2019-09-03T13:02:17","slug":"first-stop-charleston","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/first-stop-charleston\/","title":{"rendered":"First Stop Charleston"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Charleston\"<\/p>\n

So apart from our little Toms Eco Lodge<\/a> trip recently, our main family outing was to the US for a bit of a road trip, first stop Charleston…<\/p>\n

We arrived to what has to be the smallest arrival hall I have yet experienced in the US.\u00a0 It was the middle of the night, and once we had navigated customs, it wasn’t long before we were out in the warm night air searching for the hire car and then on to our hotel for the next couple of days.<\/p>\n

I would definitely recommend The Wyndham Garden City Hotel with its huge rooms, friendly staff and a plunge pool for an over-excited, completely jet-lagged 3-year old to let off a bit of steam in.\u00a0 A stay here also includes breakfast which happens to feature a waffle machine.\u00a0 Whilst probably standard in many a US hotel, this was THE BEST THING EVER for those of us under the age of 20…<\/p>\n

\"Charleston<\/p>\n

As our hotel wasn’t in the Historic District, we had a short drive in every day over the beautiful bridge – but parking is easy and plentiful (during the week at least!).\u00a0 \u00a0We parked next to the Visitor’s Center, worth a visit in itself if you happen to have a miniature train enthusiast with you as it’s currently housed in the Train Museum, and home to the most beautiful old green and red steam locomotive sweetly named “The Best Friend of Charleston”.\u00a0 \u00a0 It’s a good place to start anyway, as you can arrange tickets for many things here and advice on what you might like to see…<\/p>\n

\"Charleston\"<\/p>\n

\"Charleston\"<\/p>\n

\"Charleston\"<\/p>\n

\"Charleston<\/p>\n

We spent the day exploring the extremely well preserved Historic District, taking in the obvious sights such as Rainbow Row, and the French Quarter, but also ducking off the beaten track from time to time to discover quieter things, our favourite of which had to be the a gorgeous old cemetery, quite overgrown and draped in Spanish Moss which meant it was very atmospheric.<\/p>\n

\"Charleston\"<\/p>\n

\"Charleston<\/p>\n

\"Charleston<\/p>\n

Afterwards it was down to the waterfront to cool off in the fountains before the biggest seafood lunch at Fleet Landing.<\/a>\u00a0 This place gets busy, so be prepared for a bit of a wait, but it’s definitely worth it.<\/p>\n

\"Fleet<\/p>\n

\"Fleet<\/p>\n

\"Fleet<\/p>\n

Look out for the hundreds of tiny crabs that live along the river bank whilst you wait.\u00a0 If you like them, the oysters with cocktail sauce are Soooo good here.\u00a0 I can also recommend the shrimp po boy!<\/p>\n

Having eaten enough for the remainder of our time in the US on our first day alone, we decided to take in a bit of Charleston Street Art and walk to the Aquarium…<\/p>\n

\"Charleston<\/p>\n

\"Charleston<\/p>\n

\"Charleston<\/p>\n

\"Charleston<\/p>\n

Charleston far surpassed my expectations, it’s gorgeous and friendly and we would return for the very end of our stay too…<\/p>\n

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