Charleston/Colombia, SC
- Samantha Kate Cleary
- Apr 24, 2021
- 6 min read
Our first trip in the Blue Canoe (besides to Lowe’s Hardware!) was the best experience. Here are some details about things we did and food we ate.
Why Charleston & Colombia?
Every Easter weekend, T and I go on a trip, so we knew we were heading somewhere but had not nailed down the location. One of TC’s coworkers, Matt, mentioned Billy Strings was playing a four-day concert in Colombia, SC on Easter weekend. We knew we had to go as we LOVE Billy! Matt and his girlfriend Nona were also down for a trip to see Billy.
During the pandemic, TC and I had a bet going on who our first concert would be once we were able to go to concerts again. I chose my favorite band, CBDB. TC chose Billy Strings. Out of curiosity, (and the desire to win the bet! 😉) I checked CBDB’s tour dates and found out they were playing in Charleston on Easter weekend! TC and I quickly decided we had to go to both. I mean, we bought a van so we could road trip!
We let Nona and Matt know we were going to go to Charleston first for a concert and then heading to Colombia. They immediately agreed to the adventure! I had not met Nona and Matt before, but I knew if they were willing to drive across the state for a concert adventure, that I was going to like them a lot!!
Thursday in Charleston
TC happened to have someone he needed to meet in Charleston for work. While he went to his meeting, I worked from the van. It was a small look into how life will be on the road full-time. So exciting!
After all business was finished, we went to find where we would be parking for the night. We read on a blog about RV/Van Parking at the City of Charleston Visitor Center Parking Garage (63 Mary St, Charleston, SC 29403). RVs/Vans can park in the deck overnight (5pm-8am) for a small $5 fee. We ended up loving the location, so we paid to keep the van there for our entire stay ($14ish/day). There are bathrooms in the deck, but they were closed because of COVID. The visitor center had great bathrooms that were accessible across the street 8am-5pm. They have an attendant throughout the day, so they were always clean.
Right beside the deck was a great bar. We stopped in for a couple beers on our way to dinner. We could not recommend The Brick enough! It was a fun, homey vibe. Ironically, the bartender was from my very small, one-stoplight hometown in NC! We also met a couple from San Diego that had just visited Raleigh two weeks before and had stopped-in at the museum I work at to play while in town. It was wild to think we were in the same location just two weeks before but hadn't met yet. They are traveling with their kiddos through the US this year. One of the reasons we chose van life, is to meet people and make connections. The couple and the bartender were the first people we met on our first van trip and we were so giddy that we had so many connections with them!
After The Brick, we went to dinner with Matt and Nona at The Darling Oyster Bar. This was my first time meeting Matt and Nona, and we had the best time!! It was just like hanging out with friends we had known our whole lives! The food was delicious, and we had the best service. After dinner, we wandered around Charleston. We were able to find some dueling-pianos to listen to-my favorite! We ended our night back at The Brick for a nightcap (and one last bathroom break 😉) before going our separate ways.
Friday in Charleston
We started day two having the most delicious breakfast at Big Bad Breakfast. So, so good!! If you find yourself in Charleston, you have to go!!
Our day two was spent walking around Charleston. We saw Rainbow Row on our way to The Battery. We also walked through The Markets. We let the roads lead us most of the time. We turned left when we saw something interesting to the left and right when we saw something interesting to the right. It is one of our favorite ways to explore cities. We usually end up seeing the coolest things when we follow our noses. We ended up finding the cutest little park to throw our frisbee around in the afternoon sunshine.
In the late afternoon we met up with Matt and Nona to head to Pour House, Charleston for the CBDB concert. The Pour House in Raleigh is one of the places TC and I frequent the most for concerts. The Pour House Charleston looked completely different! The concert was on the back deck and the fence around the deck had the coolest murals. The show was amazing as usual! I absolutely LOVE CBDB! A couple members of the band even chatted with us after the show. I was starstruck!
TC and I finished the evening at Burwells. We had some Wagu Tri-Tip steak that was amazing! They brought us a 700-degree rock with salt to cook the Wagu pieces on. After dinner, we walked the two miles back to the van. Perfect way to end the day!
Saturday in Charleston
On Saturday morning, while I was on a work call with a client, TC walked to Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit which was just around the corner to get us the most delicious biscuits! I had a chicken biscuit with pimento cheese which was exactly what I had been craving!
I realized the night before, that there were a few places we had not seen the day before that we needed to see. After breakfast we walked to the Pineapple fountain. T dared me to get in, so I took off my boots and got in. It was a brisk 55 outside and MUCH colder in the water, but it made the best memory. After the pineapple fountain, we made the walk down to get the best view of the Cooper River Bridge.
We met Matt and Nona for lunch at Virginia’s on King before heading out of town. Another great food spot! The food on this trip did not disappoint! We had wonderful experiences everywhere we went. On the way to Colombia, we stopped by the Angel Oak Tree 10 miles south of Charleston. It was absolutely gorgeous! It was a bit out of the way, but we were so glad we swung by. We saw a picture of the tree the day before in the market and asked the guy where we it was located.
TC had never been to Charleston before. I had been a few times. The only time as an adult was not a great experience, so I had a little bit of a bad taste in my mouth. Before the trip, I told T that it was a great one-time place to visit, but not worth a repeat. Boy was a wrong!! TC and I had the absolute very, very best time and we cannot wait to go back again! While there, we were already talking about our next visit and all the walking we wanted to do around the town and restaurants we wanted to try. Proof that I chose the perfect adventure partner for me!
Colombia, SC
We got to Colombia with just a little time to spare before the Billy Strings concert. The concert was an absolute blast! It was at the Colombia Speedway. Although a little chilly, the weather was perfect. I loved the pods they had created for each group. I think I ended up being more comfortable and enjoying the music more without people in my bubble.
The next morning, we went looking for a bathroom and could not find one. We went in two gas stations and a McDonald’s before we finally found one. This was our first experience with having trouble finding a bathroom. Post-COVID, it will probably be a little easier.
Overall, the first trip in The Canoe was beyond our wildest dreams! We had to pinch ourselves a couple times to see if it was real life. We have dreamed about van life for so long and cannot believe it is finally happening!! Now back to the grind to see what we can get done before we set sail again!
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