It was the last weekend of my 20’s (9 months ago, haha), and I savored every minute of it. I embraced my birthday this year more than I ever have before. For the first time in my life, I feel like I really recognize myself, like I understand the wild, unconventional woman staring back at me in the mirror each day. I gave up the pressure that comes along with a “milestone” birthday. Instead of focusing on all the things I have yet to experience by this age, I celebrated the fact that I woke up with breath in my lungs and a new decade ahead of me. A new decade means new adventures, new obstacles, new heartbreaks, new failures, and new triumphs. Most of all, it means new breaths to fuel new moments shared with the ones we love. We chose Charleston as our combined celebratory birthday destination, and it was the greatest gift I could have asked for.
The Dewberry Charleston. It’s no surprise to me that Conde Nast Traveler says that “deciding where to stay in Charleston is a no-brainer” when referencing this glorious hotel filled with mid-century mystique and old Charleston charm. The moment you walk in, prepare to have your breath taken away by the brass bar alone, which transports you back in time and beckons you to leave your troubles at the doorstep. There is warmth everywhere inside The Dewberry. In fact, the color scheme reminds me of the hues found within a perfect Old Fashioned, which you can enjoy right there in the Charleston-inspired living room. Speaking of warm and comforting, the hospitality we were shown at The Dewberry was exceptional from start to finish. As I’m writing this, I am truly finding myself at a loss for accurate words to describe just how beautiful our experience was at this extraordinary hotel. Let me show you instead….
When you finally do decide to venture outside of the beauty that surrounds you at The Dewberry, you can call downstairs and arrange for one of their stunning Volvo house vehicles to take you to your favorite nearby Charleston restaurant. For us, that meant being dropped off on King Street in front of Husk Charleston for an early dinner.
As always, Husk was every bit the epicurean adventure that you expect, and both of us almost cried when our plates were empty. If you are looking for the most creative spin on traditional Southern cuisine, featuring the finest farm-to-table recipes paired with bold and intentional flavor combinations, look no further than Husk. All ingredients hail from Southern origin, and there is a science to each and every dish on the menu.
After dessert (when at Husk, you make room for dessert), make sure to head next door for an after-dinner drink from The Bar at Husk. You’ll walk into this re-imagined historic building full of original exposed brick and instantly realize that you’re in one of the most buzzed-about bars in Charleston. It makes perfect sense, because this place is has the feel of an upscale, seriously cool speakeasy sans the hidden door and password.
“I’ll have an Old Fashioned, please,” I said to the master bartender as the nightlife bustled around us. It was perfect, as expected. I savored every single sip as we sat upstairs while Josh made fun of me and my incessant photo-taking. Afterwards, we headed back to our beautiful home for the weekend at The Dewberry, and I had to take photos of the gorgeous lighting (obviously).
Our last morning in Charleston, I treated myself to this insanely delicious birthday breakfast in bed. Technically, it was almost my birthday, and by “treated myself” I mean that I didn’t tell my snoozing husband that I was ordering myself an “it’s almost my birthday” breakfast in bed. Whatever, I’m getting pastries. All of them. Henrietta’s Brasserie at The Dewberry knows the way to my heart. They were perfect and full of ooey-gooey goodness. I mean, look at them!! Did I eat them all? Yes. Yes I did (maybe with the tiniest bit of help from the sleeping dude who suddenly woke up when cheese biscuits were in the room). His birthday was a week earlier so I let him have a bite.
Last stop? Sugar Bakeshop. Oh my goodness. Sugar, indeed. Give me all of the sugar from Sugar in Charleston. It looks like a pastel wonderland full of cupcakes, cake stands, and confectioner’s sugar. I could easily exist in the beauty and deliciousness found inside Sugar! Just realized I used the word “sugar” six times. It’s a good word.
Two perfect cupcakes later, we were heading to The Battery, arguing over how a trip to The Battery was not on the itinerary. I wanted to be spontaneous since it was 75 degrees in February (in Charleston, for crying out loud!) Josh wanted to head home. I won the argument, (obviously), but decided that for our next trip I would schedule in at least 2 hours of “Spontaneous adventuring” during one of the days.
It’s all about compromise, folks.
Charleston, you were the perfect way to celebrate a new chapter. I’ll see you again soon.
THE TRAVELING CANON. 