Towards the end of the coldest days of winter in February, we always start jonesing for the heat of summer and there is no place that makes you think of heat more than a city like Charleston, South Carolina. The heat and humidity there in the months of June, July, and August can make Virginia’s summer feel cool and breezy.
When you’re tired of winter’s coats, layers, and blues and just want a warm sun to take them all away, it’s easy to forget that the heat has its drawbacks, too. It can bring out the feistiness in all of us, especially when you’re crammed next to your brother or sister in a packed car. Summertime heat combined with a bump on the road and a touch from a sibling can make you want to hurt somebody with a swift return kick or punch.
On road trips when I was young, I marked time and space inside the car not really caring much to name the scenery, the towns passing by, or the states I was crossing through. I was mostly making sure my older sister didn’t cross over the invisible dividing line between us in the back seat. Who cared about state boundaries when my own personal boundaries were at stake? I defended the border with glares, sighs, and shoves.
These days I reign over the passenger seat like a Queen, another small kingdom I’ve acquired as I’ve aged.
Now, as an adult, I look at my kids in various states of sleep and sprawl in the backseat when we travel, and I’m glad I’m not back there. As I sit on my leather throne in front of them, I stretch my legs and poke the air around me with my elbows, acknowledging the space with satisfaction.
Over the years, Chris and I have piled up miles and miles of road like an asphalt treasure for our kids believing in the power of travel as something that opens our minds and helps us see beyond our own small kingdoms. Anytime we take a road trip, we almost always make stops along the way to our big destination. Rarely do we just blaze across the map refusing to stop over somewhere to explore something.
We make time for the in-between places like Charleston, South Carolina on the way to or from Florida. On the map, Charleston looks like a coastal city and it is, but it feels more regal than a beach city like Virginia Beach. It feels like an old southern aristocrat, sure of its place in the world and comfortable with its nuances, complexities, and charm. Charleston doesn’t need you to visit like Virginia Beach does, but it rolls out the red carpet and hospitality for you anyway.
The first time we visited Charleston the kids were in elementary school and we stuck to the typical touristy spots. We spent time at Fort Sumter and the old market and drove around The Battery checking out the beautiful houses. We also decided to drive a few miles outside of historical Charleston to take the kids to the beach and to visit an old plantation. It’s always important to us to show as many perspectives as possible about a place and its history to our children. We want them to know how lots of different people live and lived in any given location. We want them to find joy and sometimes discomfort, anger, and disbelief in discovering stories and traditions. We often read up on places prior to our arrival stoking their curiosities before ever setting out to explore.
One of the greatest learning experiences in traveling is reading about something from a book then seeing it with your own eyes. It’s amazing how different a place can be when you experience it versus reading about it. Charleston is one of those sites that just has so much more character in person than on the pages of a book. There is a feeling, an air, and a spirit to Charleston. One of the many ways you can fully experience it is through its food.
During our most recent trip to Charleston we visited Cru Cafe, a restaurant on Pinckney Street that serves “some of the best gourmet comfort food in the Lowcountry.” That’s what their website said when Emma found it and every single word of it was true. You can eat inside or outside at this wonderful example of 18th century Charleston architecture. We were lucky enough to get a seat on the porch and once we sat down for a two hour meal, we never wanted to leave. Sweet tea, thick macaroni and cheese, just picked salads, and specialized hamburgers for lunch made our visit one to savor and remember.
After our wonderful lunch, we wanted to see more of Charleston and its distinctive homes again. To get a little more inside knowledge about them, we took a guided tour in an old horse driven carriage. We walked towards the place of departure and could easily find it without directions. All we had to do was follow the smell of horsesh**. Wow! At 90 degrees in the summer, horses and humidity can create quite the combination.
Our horse and driver seemed to be in pain along the old streets and we regretted our decision after about 10 minutes. We literally melted in the blazing sun and couldn’t wait for the tour to end. When we saw our horse being hitched up for the next ride upon our return, all of us wanted to cut his reins and ride off with him to a distant beach.
Following a much needed late afternoon nap, Chris and Emma headed downtown to hop on a haunted trolley tour of Charleston. After just missing their ride in a hearse in Savannah, Georgia they were determined to see some spirits in Chucktown. They secured their seats and the trolley took them to several old “haunted” houses around the city. Unfortunately, there were many more ghost stories than ghosts and much more heat than air. You would think when the sun goes down in Charleston there would be some relief, but strangely enough, it didn’t seem to change. The heat somehow felt captured in the city only to be released in the wee hours of the next morning.
The next time we visit Charleston, our goal is to check it out during the spring or the fall. Our niece is set to move there this year and we can’t wait to see all that she will discover in the Holy City. Charleston, we will see you again real soon!