Our Babymoon in Charleston, SC
Last year my husband and I decided to go on a “babymoon” before the birth of our second child. A babymoon is similar to a honeymoon, but instead you are spending quality time together before the birth of a new baby.
When I researched where to go we looked at cities in the U.S.A. we hadn't traveled to yet. Everyone seemed to be raving about Charleston, South Carolina and the Carolinas had always been on my bucket list.
I was due with our baby boy in May so the latest I was comfortable traveling was the month of March. Not the most ideal time to travel if you’re looking for beach weather in Charleston, but when you’re from the Midwest 60 degrees and sunny is still better than 30’s and gloomy back home!
A few reasons we picked Charleston as our destination:
Food
Fried Green Tomatoes at 82 Queen
My husband and I are big foodies - we love food and one of our favorite things to do together is going out to eat! Charleston has SO many delicious and exceptional restaurants!! Lots of southern cooking that I was excited to try.
Walkable City
Charleston Harbor
90% of the trip was spent walking to everything.The airport is small and easy to navigate. If you find a hotel or airbnb downtown (many to choose from) you’ll find high end shopping, restaurants, sightseeing locations all walkable. The city was one of the cleanest cities I have ever been to and felt very safe.
Sightseeing & History
Antebellum Home on The Battery
Charleston was originally settled in 1670. You’ll find historical landmarks and well preserved antebellum mansions everywhere. They’ve done an incredible job persevering historic buildings while also providing modern elements and tourist destinations. The churches and houses were stunning!
Restaurant Recommendations
Poogan’s Porch - Southern Comfort Food for Brunch! Order the Chicken and Waffles or the Chicken Fried Pork Chop.
82 Queen - Located in the Historic French Quarter. You must try the Fried Green Tomatoes at least once while in Charleston!
Husk - Our favorite spot and best for a date night! From the mocktails, to the desserts, everything looked and tasted delicious.
Tavern & Table - Take a short Uber over the bridge and right off the water on Shem’s Creek! Sit outside and you may catch some dolphins swimming by.
Off Track Ice Cream - Get an ice cream flight.
The Black Door Cafe - Stop in for a blended iced latte!
Date night at Husk
Explore the City
Rainbow Row - A row of pastel-colored historic homes located on East Bay Street, just along the Battery. They are the perfect photo opp!
Pineapple Fountain - It wasn’t operating when we got there but the views nearby on the water were beautiful!
The Battery - is a landmark defensive seawall and promenade in Charleston, South Carolina, famous for its stately antebellum homes. I was amazed at how well persevered these homes are. They were unlike anything I’ve ever seen before and definitely a must see while visiting.
White Point Park & Gardens - This park provides beautiful views of Fort Sumter and of the Charleston Harbor. The flowers and trees were blooming beautifully.
Shopping on King Street - I treated myself to some jewelry at Kendra Scott, spring clothes at Dress Up and some cute outfits and toys for baby boy and our daughter at Under the Almond Trees There are many high end shops there if you’re looking to do some real damage haha!
Charleston City Market - Even if you don’t plan on buying anything you’ll enjoy walking through this open air market to see what local artists create!
Shem Creek Boardwalk - Take a quick Uber over the bridge. They filmed Netflix show Outer Banks here.
USS Yorktown at Patriot’s Point - Home of the USS YORKTOWN aircraft carrier, Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum.
Two things we wish we would have done (that were highly recommended) but didn’t happen due to rain and cold weather:
Unlike back at home in Michigan, the Spring flowers and colors were starting to bloom in Charleston! The camellias were my favorite and I loved seeing palm trees too!
Where to Stay
We stayed at The Restoration Hotel which was a boutique hotel. The room was nice but for what we paid I would have liked to stay somewhere with more amenities. The best part was the coffee shop, The Rise Coffee Bar, inside the hotel and the location. We were close to all the shops on King Street and able to walk to almost all restaurants and sightseeing locations.
Charleston is such a charming city!! I highly recommend it for a babymoon. We will definitely be back!