What A Fun Excursion
What an amazing treat to attend a program sponsored by the Historic Charleston Foundation and featuring Nathalie Dupree, deemed the “Queen of Southern Cuisine” by Southern Living Magazine.
Since we are foodies and moved to South Carolina last year, we thought we could learn a lot about the area and cuisine by attending the event. What a delightful personality Nathalie is with so many colorful stories. We can only hope to be as vivacious and charming as she is as we evolve in our lives.
Supporting The Historic Charleston Foundation
The Historic Charleston Foundation was founded in 1947 and is in the historic Captain James Missroon House, c. 1808. The foundation focuses on protecting the integrity of the architectural, historic and cultural heritage of Charleston, South Carolina. Nathalie drew a full house and my understanding is that the event contributes to the foundation’s work. This whole trip was a win-win!
One Of Our Favorite Topics – Southern Cuisine
Needless to say, I was thrilled to get to meet Nathalie and to hear her various stories about her long and prestigious career. She has authored over 14 books and co-wrote “Mastering The Art Of Southern Cooking”. This incredible book is filled with every Southern recipe you could imagine. I was able to get a copy and had Nathalie sign it for me. We will be cooking recipes in this book for many years to come…the book has over 700 pages and I definitely got a workout carrying it to my car after the program ended.
Charleston – What’s Not To Love
Charleston happens to be one of our favorite cities filled with historic homes, beautiful parks, great eateries and friendly residents. As I parked my car near the river a nice local man stopped to guide me as I parallel parked (I am a bit challenged in this area). He had just finished his morning walk with his newspaper and was heading home when he kindly assisted me with my parking. As he was walking in the same direction, we walked together and talked a bit about the area. This is what we LOVE about living in the South — friendly and kind people live here.
Now, on to the exploration. It has been a couple of years since we visited Charleston, so we wanted to initially just drive around to get our bearings. A great way to get an overview of the historic area is to take a carriage ride. The last time we were in the area, we hired a carriage just for the hubs and me and really enjoyed the experience.
The Historic City Market is always a fun place to visit, Meeting Street, King Street and just driving through some of the neighborhoods is just so enjoyable.
Summer Getaway Plans To Come
Since we are planning a short getaway this summer, we wanted to check out some hotels to determine where we would like to stay to maximize our experience. Then, we wanted to decide if we would stay in the historic city center or stay across the bridge in Mount Pleasant.
I think staying in town would be best for us, as we can park the car and see everything mostly on foot.
A Secret Garden Visit
As we were planning this exploration trip, we consulted with Conde Nast Traveler and checked blogs that feature things to do in Charleston. One item that caught my attention was Mrs. Whaley’s Garden. It is in the middle of a residential area on Church Street and is touted as the most visited private garden in the country.
As you enter the garden through the iron gate you can see the various garden rooms filled with flowering shrubs, annuals and perennials. When you visit it is requested that you place $10 in the mail slot of the house to support the maintenance of the garden.
This is such a special place and a perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Next time, we will bring a small picnic and will stay a while to enjoy the tranquility.
Across The Bridge To Mount Pleasant
Now, on to Mount Pleasant. The drive over the bridge is spectacular and our destination is just a few miles away. We wanted to visit the Old Village District. What a charming place full of live oaks, historic homes and a charming downtown area. The small boutiques and The Post House are so unique and charming. I hear that the restaurant at The Post House is amazing and requires booking reservations far in advance of your visit. We definitely will make arrangements to dine here when we visit this summer.
Obviously, we had limited time to explore, but we did get a good idea of where we want to stay and some of the areas we will visit.
So, where do you plan to travel this summer? It seems that more and more people are deciding to take a trip for the first time since the pandemic hit all of us. Enjoy your summer and take the time to do something memorable.
My name is Kim and my passion is surrounding myself, family, and friends in a life of luxury. Each week, I’ll share with you new tips and recipes to create a luxurious life .