TL;DR

• Stay
  • Charleston Kiawah Island/Andell Inn, 300 Farm Lake View Rd, Kiawah Island, SC 29455
    • Don’t be fooled by the fact that this place is a Residence Inn – it is quite possibly the best Residence Inn you’ll find anywhere in the world, with amenities befitting a much fancier hotel chain.
  • My brother-in-law’s house
    • When visiting family, it’s always easier to stay with the fam!
• Eat/Drink
  • The Porch Bar at the Andell Inn
    • Great for an afternoon snack or some cocktails – especially when it’s hot and sticky outside and all you want is a cool cocktail to relax with on the comfy outdoor couches.
  • Whaley’s, 2801 Myrtle Street, Edisto Beach, SC 29438
    • We did a combo of two (shrimp and flounder) which comes with a crab cake. Can’t really go wrong here as it’s likely fried, delicious, and satisfying.
  • Estuary Beans & Barley, 3538 Meek’s Farm Rd, Johns Island, SC 29455
    • A great brewery to go to with friends – the outdoor area is a bit tough with kids, but just step inside for that air-conditioned glory, and life is just dandy.
  • Low Tide Brewing, 2863 Maybank Hwy, Johns Island, SC 29455
    • Low Tide represents the kind of brewery I really like. Smells like hops and it’s humid – and the beer is damned good. Also, it’s right next door to Wild Olive, which makes picking up dinner super easy. I also love their swag here.
  • Wild Olive Restaurant, 2867 Maybank Hwy, Johns Island, SC 29455
    • Where to go for outstanding Italian in Charleston – we took it to go and it was still just insanely delicious.
  • Little Jack’s Tavern, 710 King St, Charleston, SC 29403
    • If you’re waiting for a table at Leon’s, swing over here for a tasty cocktail.
  • Leon’s Oyster Shop, 698 King St, Charleston, SC 29403
    • Come here for lunch and you won’t regret it. The fried chicken, the char-grilled oysters, hush puppies.
  • Carmella’s Cafe & Dessert Bar, 198 E Bay St STE 100, Charleston, SC 29401
    • That epic birthday cake down below? It’s from Carmella’s. And ohmilord it was fantastic.
  • Rodney Scott’s BBQ, 1011 King St, Charleston, SC 29403
    • WHOA.
    • Could I just leave one word here and have it be enough? Maybe. But why would I do that? Get a three-meat combo and god help you if one of those three is not the chicken. “Chicken? It’s so basic,” you might be thinking. Well shut your mouth and go order the chicken – then thank me afterward.
  • 82 Queen, 82 Queen St, Charleston, SC 29401
    • Date night at this Charleston classic featured shrimp and grits – excellent!
  • Donut Connection, 134 St James Ave suite 8, Goose Creek, SC 29445
    • A random stop by – good donuts!
  • THE CLUB CHS, Charleston Airport, 5500 International Blvd, North Charleston, SC 29418
    • A great place to grab a quick meal and drink before boarding your flight!
• See/Do
  • Saltwater pool at the Andell Inn
    • The kids really enjoyed the swimming at this hotel!
  • Edisto Beach
    • More full of college frat bros than I would have liked, but a nice beach nonetheless. Just look for any public beach access point for parking.
  • Freshfield’s Village, 165 Village Green Ln, Kiawah Island, SC 29455
    • Where you can go for eats, groceries, and some high end shopping.
  • Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, 3550 Ashley River Rd, Charleston, SC 29414
    • When I visited in 2012, it was a stunning place. When I visited this time, I found it equally majestic and something the kids really enjoyed!
  • The Dog Park at Wannamaker County Park, 8888 University Blvd., North Charleston, SC 29406
    • A place not just for dogs – also great for kids to play on a hot day!

Trip Background

40. It’s a big number – even moreso when you’re celebrating a 40th birthday.

Yes, I turned 40 – and when my wife had (months earlier) asked me how I wanted to celebrate, I wasn’t quite sure. But I realized we hadn’t been to Charleston since 2016 and my brother-in-law and his fiancée had moved there a few months before. So we booked our tickets, found an awesome hotel, and set off for a few days of good lowcountry eating, sweltering southern humidity, and celebrations. 

Day 1 (July 12, 2022)

We had a friend drive us to O’Hare International Airport and like nearly all of our trips, ours began at the Admirals Club in Terminal 3 (Concourse H/K). The reason I have my Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard Credit Card (note: I get a referral bonus if you click this and get approved!) is that it comes with Admirals Club access – and despite the high cost ($450 a year), the lounge access is more than worth it. Especially because this Admirals Club has a kids’ room that allows the kids to run around, that is located just a hop, skip, and a jump from the bar and the food areas.

The flight to Charleston was easy, especially when T-Mobile phone plan subscribers get free wifi on the flight. We got to our rental car with no problems and had the use of a Kia Sorento for our trip. We sped off to pick up some groceries before we got to the hotel. One of the pleasant surprises was finding the bag of scones we brought with us (our friend who drove us is a baker) and that made for a tasty road snack.

We arrived at the Charleston Kiawah Island/Andell Inn and I was totally blown away. Keep in mind – this property is a Residence Inn, which is on the “Longer Stays” (aka bare bones/no frills) end of the Marriott Bonvoy properties spectrum. A quick walk around the common areas revealed a very high-class hotel, with intimate features and just outstanding service – from the Saltwater pool to the Porch Bar where we spent the afternoon swimming and snacking, respectively.

Day 2 (July 13, 2022) – My birthday!

Happy birthdaaaaaay toooooo meeeeeee!

My 40th began with breakfast on the Porch Bar and after leisurely dining, we packed up and set off for Edisto Beach. While Caitlin took Cooper into the water, Clementine and I lounged on a beach blanket with a book and some snacks and enjoyed a very leisurely (albeit blustery) hour.

At this point, we realized this beach trip would have been better with some items we’d failed to bring:

• Car Mirror: If you have infants who sit in a rear-facing car seat, it helps to have a mirror on their seat headrest so you can look back and see how they’re doing or if they’re sleeping. As a result of this trip, we have since brought a mirror on all trips in which we are driving.
• Heavy things to weigh the blanket down: This could be as simple as bringing sandwich bags to fill with sand to act as weights. We got around this by putting the stroller on the blanket, but it’s a good reminder to think through things you *might* need at the beach.

After an hour and a half or so, we were starting to get hungry so we decided to drive to Whaley’s for lunch. We did a combo of two (shrimp and flounder) which comes with a crab cake. Can’t really go wrong here as it’s likely fried, delicious, and satisfying.

Once we were full, we got back in the car and drove the roughly 75-minute drive back to the hotel (which only takes that long because it’s a long circuitous route back to Kiawah).

That evening, we decided to take a walk around Freshfield’s Village where we got ice cream at Ben and Jerry’s, found some charming signage and businesses (aka “The world is your oyster” sign), and then picked up some snacks before going back to the hotel.

Day 3 (July 14, 2022)

Breakfast was a real pancake day for these kiddos. Clemmie doesn’t have the teeth for it quite yet but that hasn’t stopped her from being an active meal participant. I’d also like to note the jazz trio that was playing in the great room next door – classy touch!

The rest of the morning was spent at the pool, as one would expect with both of our kids who are clearly water babies.

Afterward, we drove with the kids to Johns Island to grab beers at Estuary Beans & Barley with my brother-in-law, who had moved to Charleston for his post-medical school residency. The outdoor seating area was a bit tough with kids, but we relocated inside for our beer tastings and suddenly all of those concerns about the South Carolina summer evaporated!

We later drove to Low Tide Brewing. Low Tide represents the kind of brewery I really like. Smells like hops and it’s humid – and the beer is damned good. We picked up some super fun swag (free stickers, also some awesome swim shirts) and before we headed home to the hotel, we stopped at Wild Olive. It’s literally next door so placing a takeout order was easy, and this was some of the best Italian I’ve ever had.

We returned to the hotel and to my surprise, there was live music in the hotel lobby. I’m a sucker for live music and this only reinforced what a lovely hotel this was.

Day 4 (July 15, 2022)

Our last breakfast at the hotel featured an alligator (stuffed, of course) and these super comfortable chairs that I hope to have for my home dining room one of these days. We drove to my brother-in-law (CJ) and his fiancée (Daosamay)’s home in North Charleston to drop off all of our gear, and then once we were ready, we drove down into Charleston for food.

Our intended destination was Leon’s Oyster Shop but there was a wait – so we walked around the area a bit before finding Little Jack’s Tavern just a block away. We had beers and cocktails and if we hadn’t committed to Leon’s famous fried chicken, I would say this place would make a fun lunch/drinks spot.

But the reality is that Leon’s is famous – and its reputation was well earned. The fried chicken, the char-grilled oysters, the hush puppies – all were outstanding. Cooper and Clem didn’t love sitting outside (after all this is July in South Carolina) but the food certainly made all of the adults happy. Also try the Siam Salad which was covered in peanuts, orange, and fried onions and was super tasty.

We spent the remainder of the afternoon walking around downtown Charleston while one or both of the kids napped in the humid heat. We also picked up my birthday cake from Carmella’s Cafe & Dessert Bar – and ohmilord it was fantastic. Describing it here won’t do it justice. Let’s just say you need to go to Carmella’s and buy something for yourself.

Day 5 (July 16, 2022) – Eating Well

The one place I knew was on the docket for this trip was Rodney Scott’s BBQ. If you haven’t yet seen Rodney Scott’s episode on Netflix’s Chef’s Table BBQ, you need to. And once you do, then you’ll have an inkling of why this man is such a famous BBQ master. His family story is quite powerful, but all of this production value doesn’t help you taste the incredible food these folks are putting out there. Get a three-meat combo and god help you if one of those three is not the chicken.

“Chicken? It’s so basic,” you might be thinking.

Well shut your mouth and go order the chicken – then thank me afterward. The video reaction was focused on the pulled pork because that’s where I expected to be impressed. And yes, the pulled pork is good…but try that chicken.

We took our satisfied bellies to Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, a place I had visited in 2012 when I first came to Charleston on my own, and we opted for the tram tour to take the kids around the place. The gardens are beautiful, with majestic white bridges, lush green trees everywhere, and that famous weeping willow that South Carolina is famous for.

That evening, Caitlin and I were fortunate to get a date night out on the town as CJ and Daosamay offered to watch the kids for us. We happily took them up on their offer and headed back down to downtown Charleston for dinner at 82 Queen. A slow-paced, southern meal was just what the doctor ordered. She-crab soup is a must here at this Charleston classic, as are the famed shrimp and grits. After a couple cocktails and some excellent dinner, we walked around downtown for a bit before heading back to my in-laws’ house and the kids.

Day 6 (July 17, 2022)

For our last full day, we opted not to do anything touristy. Instead, I started the morning by driving over to Donut Connection to pick up donuts for the house.

We then rolled over to The Dog Park at Wannamaker County Park to let the kids play at the park (not the dog park haha). On the way home, we stopped at a local market to pick up some seafood, which led to some incredible cooking hijinks on the part of my wife. I swear there was an episode of I Love Lucy that started or ended like this. Please note this video has foul language and lots of fear. Pay special attention to 0:47 and onward for the chaos and the gore.

Anyhoo, Caitlin and Daosamay prepared an incredible dinner of shrimp, crab, chicken, and scallops and I think we all went to bed that night well-fed.

Day 7 (July 18, 2022)

The end of our journey is always a bit bittersweet, especially because we’d eaten so well and spent so much quality time with family. We packed up and drove to Charleston Airport, which is super modern and comfortable these days.

We checked into THE CLUB CHS to grab a quick meal and drink before boarding our flight. Even Mr. Spaceman got his own seat on the flight home.

Cooper took advantage of the flight to grab a quick nap and when we returned, we were picked up by our friend George who house-sat for us and watched our dog while we were gone. George had thoughtfully collaborated with Caitlin to set up this amazing display to celebrate my 40th birthday and I was genuinely touched!

Final Thoughts

Celebrating birthdays both makes you appreciative of the present and thoughtful of the past. I’ve been alive for forty years – which is a lot more than some people. And every time I find myself stressed or worried about something trivial, I think of those who never got the chance to live forty years.

It also made me realize how wonderful my 30s were. From 2012-2022, I graduated from business school, learned how to travel the world, met my now wife, held a series of progressing jobs that have each made me more satisfied than the previous one, have been fortunate to have two beautiful kids, moved across the country, and now I get to travel again (post-pandemic). What a lucky life!