Welcome back for the final installment of my Charleston, South Carolina trip recap! (You can read Part 1 and Part 2 here). Parts 1 and 2 of my trip recap covered what we did day by day while we were in Charleston but there was a lot I edited out of those posts, with many leftover pictures. Ultimately, I didn’t want to leave those photos out. So this post, Part 3, is more of an overview of the trip with some final thoughts about Charleston. Enjoy!
I say it every time I write a travel blog but I really do love going to cities that remind me of home. To me, Boston is the most perfect city. I don’t consider cities that remind me of Boston to be boring or less exotic. It’s just the opposite. It reminds me that there are other places all over this country that are just as special, that have contributed something equally unique, but perfectly similar, to our history as a nation.
I love places where there is something to connect with. Where I stand in my own shoes but wonder so vividly about what it was like to live there 20, 50, 100, 300 years prior. Maybe it’s because I’m from the East Coast where things are old. And that kind of history is my sweet spot. Charleston filled me with curiosity about its roots because they are so deep and so fascinating.
Charleston awed me with its architecture, its antebellum homes, its quaint charm. Charleston also totally had me with its walkability. It didn’t just feel like hoofing it to get from point A to point B; it was a true pleasure to stroll everywhere (that’s what you do in the south, you stroll).
But Charleston reminded me of my very favorite places – Boston, Portland, Burlington, Seattle, Vancouver – because it was full of parks and trees, populated with friendly and gracious people, brimming with excellent restaurants, achieving the perfect balance of city and nature, with gusty breezes of salty ocean air, deeply historical, spirited, charming, austere.
I loved Charleston independent of any place else I’ve ever traveled to. I do think, though, where you’ve been informs where you go. Of course we had to go to Charleston. Now I know what I’ve been missing all these years. An abundant city, vaguely European with a Southern Americana twist. I can guarantee you we will be back. Late October maybe, when it feels like Spring as Boston is starting to feel like Winter. Until then, Charleston.
Domestocrat 
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