I started my last morning in Charleston with a notification that my flight home had been delayed by a few hours (thank you, snow). And the usual admonition to get to the airport on time in case anything changes. I decided to follow the advice, which meant I had just a few hours to get in some more steps around Charleston before heading to the airport.
I opted to skip going out for sunrise this morning, and instead enjoyed the sunrise view from my room. There wasn’t a whole lot of “interest” in the sky, so I didn’t feel like I missed too much. I caught up on some college gymnastics while I waited to head downstairs for breakfast.
Mills House hotel has been a perfect home base for these three days in Charleston. It is just a few blocks from the City Market area heading north and the Historic District heading south. I was able to stop back there on my walks since it’s right in the middle of everything. While I didn’t love the couch-in-front-of-the-window setup, I loved everything else about the room and the hotel in general. The lobby area has several couches adorned with pillows having southern sayings on them, such as, “Hey, Y’all” and “Bless Your Heart”. Despite having only one working elevator during my visit, I never waited long to use it. When I arrived on Friday night, I had a package of Byrd’s peach cookies and a complimentary reusable water bottle waiting for me in my room. It was a great stay, and I would definitely stay there again on a return visit to Charleston.
Which brings me to this morning’s breakfast. Given my not-so-great track record for food this weekend (except for Indaco, which was amazing), I decided to just eat at the hotel restaurant, Iron Rose, for breakfast today. Especially after I saw Tres Leches French Toast on the menu. I mean, with the words “tres leches” and “French toast” in the name, how can you go wrong? Well, “Tres Leches French Toast” is a bit of a misnomer. “Baked French Toast” would be my suggestion, as there was nothing about it that tasted even remotely tres leches-y. It was good, with salted caramel and pecans, just not what I had pictured based on the name.
I knew I needed to get in one last walk around Charleston before heading home, so I headed off with a vague plan of where I wanted to go. It was cold – just 30 degrees – so I bundled up in my winter coat again. I wandered down a few streets I had been down before, looking for new and interesting photo spots. It didn’t take long for me to realize I was too cold to go much further, so I headed to the Waterfront Park with its iconic pineapple fountain one last time before going back to my hotel to pack up and head to the airport.
Charleston is one of my favorite cities to visit. It has all the charm you would expect from the south, mixed with history and easy walkability. I don’t know when I’ll be back, but I’m sure it will be on my travel list again soon!
Traveling with Laura 