Charleston's Battery and Rooftop Cocktails

After our beautiful morning adventure, downtown Charleston was calling. We parked along the battery and walked the wall of the harbor, gazing at all the beautiful homes along the water. At East Bay, we continued the river path, viewing Fort Sumter off on the horizon and the mansions hovering over us in the opposite direction. This city is just so pretty. As we strolled into the core of the city, a rooftop bar was a must stop.

The Vendue Inn was full of people enjoying this much anticipated springtime weather. What a spot for a light lunch and cocktail. We enjoyed the glimpse of harbor through the adjacent rooftops as we sipped our drinks. The idea was to hit several of these little gems, dotted across this lovely area.

A quick change of venue brought us to the upscale Market Pavilion with the most amazing view. Sitting at the corner of Market and East Bay, this was prime location and the rooftop pool between the bar and umbrella tables made for one of the most interesting hotel outdoor recreational areas I've seen. Finding a more perfect spot for an afternoon cocktail than this would be a challenge. We lingered here awhile before heading down Market and through one of their infamous straw market pavilion shops.

Coming out of the other side of the shops was, you guessed it, another rooftop to visit at the Crab Shack. A much more laid back spot was this, as it featured food more than cocktails. But, they were very accommodating in aiding our Cocktail Crawl. And, another drink here finished our lazy afternoon rooftop hopping before we headed down to the waterfront park.

An open swing and dolphin dancing made for the perfect start of sunset. The famous pineapple fountain found us posing for the camera (Cindy's favorite downtown landmark) and the walk back through the park and beautiful homes was spectacular. The two worlds of our morning and afternoon were the ideal way to taste this area.

Our evening ahead was spent in the gracious home of Cindy's sister, Susie and her husband, Matt. As fitting as a visit to Charleston can be. We toured their beautiful home and had the good fortune of being included in a most delicious dinner prepared by home chef, Matt. His Asian inspired ribs were amazing and were accompanied by the best stuffed potato I've ever eaten (mine included). Turns out, this menu even made print in the local paper, that's how special we were!

We had a wonderful evening and reluctantly left after several hours of fun and food. The two of them were perfect hosts and very excited about our little adventure. As avid travelers, they were encouraging and a tad envious of our bold endeavor. Wishing us luck and safe travels, they sent us on our way, promising to follow our journey. An extra special thanks to them for a most enjoyable time!

As it was already getting late, the forwarding time of the clocks only adding to the lateness of the hour, we called it quits for the day. And, what a day we'd had. Sleep beckoned as another full day was on the horizon. What fun!!