From Cocktails to Coastlines: Our Ultimate Girls Trip from Charleston to Folly Beach

Hi besties! I am just returning from a long weekend in Charleston (Chucktown!) celebrating my beautiful cousin’s bachelorette. To say we had a blast is an understatement as I’m still recovering days later at work! Charleston is a beautiful city, much like Boston but with a more tropical feel…and the men are sexier (taller)!

My cousin Julia gets married in September, so we headed down south to celebrate. My cousins Caity and Sarah went as well. We had the best of both worlds on the trip spending time in Charleston and time on Folly beach on the ocean. Our Airbnb was in St. James Island, directly between both places which made for a perfect split.

CHS Bound!

I wanted to share our faves and itinerary from the trip for all my readers! We flew in on Thursday—the flight was so easy, especially with my nerves that the Delta plane would blow up. I mean come on the news has been diabolical with plane crashes recently!

When I stepped out of the airport, the instant heat and humidity was insane. That southern summer heat is no joke! Thursday, we grabbed groceries, nooners, and settled in with dinner while we caught up on the beautiful patio.

After dinner, we took the trip to the beach to check it out, and it was so beautiful. We shopped around the honkytonk town of Folly Beach Island and came across this fantastic ice cream truck! Coconut Glen’s Ice Cream is 100% vegan, light, and delicious. We got it two nights it was that good. Check out their website and authentic flavors!

Folly Beach, SC

Friday, we began our day with beach yoga which surprisingly wasn’t absurdly difficult. I had sand in all my nooks and crannies, but it was a chance to stretch my body and enjoy the early beach sun. Our instructor, Raegan, was such a great teacher and so cheerful throughout. I was about as flexible as a wooden board, but Julia loved it, and it was special to share it together. Maybe yoga isn’t so bad! If you’re interested in learning more about Reagan and the yoga, click here.

We showered and got dressed for brunch downtown next! Poogan’s Porch is top rated in USA today as one of the best brunch spots in Charleston…it did not disappoint! Named after a dog that used to frequent the porch back in the 1900s, this spot is also haunted. The owner and even guests in the past have reported seeing the ghosts of the previous house occupants and eerie, unexplained events. If you’re interested in knowing more of the haunted piece, click here.

We ordered red velvet pancakes, chicken and waffles, bloody marys, and tequila baby! When in the south you have to try the chicken and waffles! Poogan’s Porch is located in an old Victorian mansion right near King Street making it a must-go attraction. Their food is incredible, and their drinks are handcrafted cocktails.

We shopped at numerous boutiques on and near King Street on Friday, and the heat was almost unbearable if we didn’t have that A.C! Lots of cute finds at college boutiques, name brand stores, and places we took a chance wandering into. We ran into different stores to escape the intermittent rain showers throughout the afternoon—which felt good.

We then went to the French Quarter, which was my favorite part of Charleston. Rainbow Row, quaint little cobblestone streets, and of course the famous Pineapple Fountain! It was so cute and easily accessible. After getting our tourist photos to document the moment, I tracked us down a fun rooftop to have a beverage at.

The Rooftop at Vendue is a fantastic rooftop bar! Located in a hotel in the French Quarter, they have incredible views, multiple floors, and my favorite…Kettle One Botanical Vodka. Kiss! We had one there and tried to wipe the sweat off ourselves.

Rainbow Row

We did dinner at a place my cousin’s business partner suggested, Lowlands. It had a smaller menu and is a beautiful spot located in another old mansion. The menu had items from seafood to burgers to steak, and had one of the classic Charleston dishes, the grilled tomatoes. We did a bunch of apps including oysters, grilled tomatoes, and the celery salad which was to die for. Julia ordered the biscuits, and they were so good with the spread. The food was delicious, and I’d say this is a must-go if you’re in Charleston.

We then bopped around to another rooftop bar for a few drinks at Eleve, which was a short walk from dinner. We had gotten word from our yoga teacher Reagan, that Henry’s Bar was a fun jazz bar with live music. And you know we had to go! The $20 cover is worth it, and the line moves fast. Every floor had live music and such good vibes. We danced the night away with our new friends!

Saturday I will admit I was hungover…sorry! I can’t do it like I used to! We packed up our beach bags and snacks to head for the beach early, since traffic there can get so bad on weekend mornings. We headed for Folly Beach around 9:30am and only had about 30 minutes of traffic to the beach.

We rotted on the beach, and Caity had the idea of renting chairs and an umbrella to be put out for us—it sounds silly, but it was genius! It was nice to have a spot waiting for us and not to lug chairs around. The Atlantic was so warm and despite being nervous of the sharks, we got right in! The pier has a ton of shops, restaurants, and a lively vibe as well which was fun.

Spending all day in the beach with an 11 UV Index is truly unmatched. Reading, listening to tunes, and just laughing together was so special. We decided to stay at Folly for dinner, however changing in the pier bathrooms was diabolical. It was so dirty…sand everywhere, people’s underwear hanging from the doors, and no rules. I was so skeeved out, but I survived. (without any diseases)

We did dinner…well I should say drinks at Taco Boy’s rooftop near the beach. Here we met our two new besties, Heath and Chris! Heath was a 40-year-old marine veteran who I might be marrying in the future. (Heath—call me!) Chris was younger and very cute as well. We had a ball with these guys and missed a prime opportunity to go on a sunset cruise with them! We got some shopping done after and ice cream from Coconut Glen's again to round out our night.

What. A. Trip. Spending time with my cousins and in the sunshine was so special. I loved South Carolina and will definitely be visiting again soon. Perhaps we’ll make it a yearly trip! Until then…Hawaii on deck next week and so many of my peeps are getting married soon!

Maybe I will be getting married soon too...*insert non-subtle WINK*

-Charty

TLDR:

Best Ice Cream Place: Coconut Glen’s on Folly Beach

Must try Brunch Spot: Poogan’s Porch near King St.

Fantastic Dinner Spot: Lowland’s (try the celery salad and grilled tomatoes!)

Our Favorite Rooftop Bars: Eleve and Rooftop at Vendue

Notable Faves: Beach yoga, a full beach day, and the Folly Beach atmosphere! Super casual, and great nightlife.

Honorable Mentions: Staying on St James Island was a great location directly between Chucktown and the beach, but next time we agreed we’d stay on Folly!

Weather: God it was HOT in July—but it was really nice. The ocean was refreshing despite being warm.

What I wish we did: A ghost tour as there is so much history and hauntings within Charleston. It would’ve been interesting to hear about! I would’ve also loved a second full beach day. (And perhaps more quality time with our new friends)

What I appreciated: The beauty of the city, the history, and the vast differences between Charleston and Folly Beach.

Outfits: All the women in Charleston dress so beautifully and differently! Long dresses, sundresses, two-piece outfits, and more. I packed a lot of patterned summery flowy maxi dresses which were comfortable.

Once we got to Folly Beach, it was much more casual. You could wear a bathing suit cover up and be considered fancy!