Charleston SC Archives - There Goes Connie

Most Popular Posts and Favorite Articles from 2017

01/01/2018 By: CCPearsoncomment

Happy New Year, Everyone!

I’ve been looking back over my 104 blog posts from 2017 and thought you might enjoy revisiting some of the most popular ones. Here are the six that received more than 1000 viewers. The first one on this list was seen by 3470 people — a record for me, but not surprising considering the subject. Click on each line to read the post.

Also, in 2017, I had 54 articles published outside my blog about destinations we visited and enjoyed. I’m pretty proud of that fact, considering that it occurred WHILE life was happening at a fast and furious pace — major surgery, selling our home/packing/moving/starting construction on a new house, welcoming a new grandchild, etc.

Places we saw this year were primarily in the Southeast with the notable exceptions of Alaska and Port Townsend, Washington. Here are 10 main places we visited during the year and at least one article about each one. Just click on the links to read them.

Auburn, AL, “Loveliest Village on the Plains.” We were there for Steve’s 45th veterinary school reunion and for a football game showcasing our beloved Auburn Tigers. Here is an article about the Hotel at Auburn University published in Trip101.com.
Cincinnati, Ohio. “Four Ingredients for a Memorial Weekend in Cincinnati” in ShortWeeks-LongWeekends.com.
Shaker Village near Harrodsburg, KY. “Abundant History in the Heart of Kentucky – Harrodsburg/Mercer County” in ShortWeeks-LongWeekends.com.
Lexington, KY. “Lexington KY: Horses, History and Hot Browns” in MilesGeek.com.
Charleston, SC. “Slightly North of Broad – S.N.O.B. – Excellent Charleston Restaurant Without a Hint of Arrogance” in MilesGeek.com.
Alaska – Anchorage, Denali National Park and a cruise from Whittier to Vancouver. “Hotel Captain Cook in the Heart of Anchorage, Alaska” in Trip101.com.
Port Townsend, WA (a couple of hours and a ferry ride from Seattle). “Old Consulate Inn and Port Townsend WA: A Perfect Match” in MilesGeek.com.
Maggie Valley and Waynesville, N.C. “Frogs Leap Public House: Upscale Farm to Fork in North Carolina” in TheYums.com.
Orange Beach, AL for the 2017 World Food Championships. “World Food Championships Bring Food Fight to Orange Beach” in EdibleLowerAlabama.com.
LaGrange, GA. I just returned in mid-December, so I haven’t had my articles published yet, but here’s the blog post that appeared on Christmas Day. “Hills and Dales Estate in LaGrange GA: All Dressed Up for Christmas“

Now 2018 is here, and my travel schedule is quickly filling up. I can’t wait to share many more destinations with you in the coming months.

John Rutledge House Inn: Fabulous Historic Lodging in Charleston

06/05/2017 By: CCPearsoncomment

I wrote about it extensively for Trip101.com in an article you can see here, but I want to continue enticing you to stay at John Rutledge House Inn the next time you visit Charleston. It is quite possibly the most luxurious place we’ve ever stayed. It at least ranks in the Top Five. The rooms are large with wonderful, sleep-inducing beds and modern bathrooms. So, don’t worry about that when you hear that this was originally the home of John Rutledge who was a signer of the Constitution and one of the first five Supreme Court Justices appointed by George Washington. Yes, Rutledge’s former home has been standing for over two centuries, but the present owners have spared no expense to provide exquisite accommodations for their guests. Read more about the inn’s history here.

Front exterior of John Rutledge House Inn.

Large guest room inside the mansion.

The completely modern bathroom.

Breakfast is full of options, as you will read in my article. Time, place and menu can all be selected before sliding into bed and turning off the light the night before. Both the second floor ballroom and the outdoor courtyard are extra-special places to start your day, in my opinion.

Courtyard for breakfast when the weather is nice.

The ballroom where afternoon tea takes place, and it is a location choice for breakfast.

A few of the breakfast choices available every morning.

A lovely afternoon tea is laid out in the ballroom everyday and can be enjoyed right after you check in. Since Charleston is often warm and sultry, iced tea and lemonade is served most of the time, rather than hot tea. And both sweets and savories are available. These are gourmet treats. Not cookies and crackers out of a box, I assure you. The added pampering of a nightly turn-down service with a delicious chocolate on your bed is great way to end the day.

The inn sits on Broad Street, and its parking lot backs up to King Street — THE premier location in Charleston for blocks and blocks of great shops and restaurants. Charleston City Market and other significant historic buildings are within easy walking distance. The neighborhood, with its ornate homes and churches, begs to be explored during a morning or afternoon stroll.

View of St. John the Baptist Cathedral from our guest room window.

Home in the neighborhood near John Rutledge House.

Home in the neighborhood of John Rutledge House.

Home near John Rutledge House.

There are a couple of handicapped-accessible rooms in the Ashley Carriage House between the courtyard and the parking lot, but there are no elevators in any of the buildings, so be aware of that before you arrive. That truly is the only thing that might be considered lacking, but when you remember the inn’s historical significance, it is completely understandable and forgivable. Try this inn. It’s wonderful.

Five Loaves Cafe: Affordable Charleston Area Eatery

05/22/2017 By: CCPearsoncomment

Healthy. Fresh. Locally-Sourced. Sustainable. Colorful. Comfort food. Affordable. Those are all words to describe the menu choices at Five Loaves Cafe with three locations in the Charleston area. 1) In Charleston itself at 43 Cannon Street 2) In Mt. Pleasant on Johnnie Dodds Blvd. and 3) In Summerville at 214 N. Cedar St. We had a great lunch at the Summerville location on the way home from a recent trip to Charleston. It was easily found right off I-26.

Five Loaves Cafe exterior, Summerville, SC

Attractive, quirky lights on the front porch in Summerville.

Five Loaves Cafe was founded in 2003 by Chef/Owner Casey Glowacki, who actually stood on the street corner in front of his first Charleston location offering soup samples to people passing by. Those tasters must have liked that soup. By 2004, Glowacki was joined by Partner/Owner Joe Fischbein, and they have become a very successful team with Glowacki working culinary magic and Fischbein overseeing the service and inner workings.

Eating out in the Charleston area is often a big-ticket item in a vacation budget. At Five Loaves Cafe, you can enjoy a nutritious, well-prepared meal at a great price. And there are numerous vegetarian options, if you are so inclined.

A handy-dandy way to list the daily specials — a roll of brown butcher paper.

Five Loaves Cafe was recently named in an article titled “8 Charleston Restaurants Perfect for When You’re Feeling Ill.” That makes logical sense considering the house made soups that are made fresh each day. Just yesterday, the daily soup specials, for example, were: Minestrone; Chicken tortilla; Asparagus, goat cheese and dill; Potato broccoli and cheddar; Mexican chicken chili with avocado and cilantro and Tomato tarragon with crab meat. Surely there was one on the list to suit pretty much ANYBODY.

The All-Natural Chicken Caesar Salad made the list of “27 Things You Need to Eat in Charleston Before You Die,” according to writer Rachel Labarre. Have you SEEN how many restaurants there are in Charleston? Can you imagine how many mouthwatering menu items could be found in that number of restaurants? It’s quite a compliment to be mentioned in such a category.

The lunch menu offers a 1/2 sandwich/soup or 1/2 sandwich/salad combination, and the sandwiches can be made from any of these breads: sourdough, croissant, multi-grain, rye, baguette or a spinach tortilla.

Check out the photos of the lunch choices enjoyed by the people at my table last week.