Charleston: Biscuits, Donuts and the Aquarium

I took the kids to the aquarium on our last day in Charleston. We stopped at Glazed Gourmet donuts AND Callie's Hot Little Biscuit on our way. I couldn't pass up either. The donuts were delicious and the biscuits were so melt-in-your-mouth amazing. The cinnamon butter filled one was my favorite.

We had been to the aquarium when Amelia was two but I didn't remember much and they had added quite a bit. There was a really cool touch tank outside that overlooked the bay. We saw dolphins swimming out in the bay and got to touch sharks and rays in the tank. There were lots of fun exhibits inside. We met Ben for lunch and got to try one more fantastic Charleston restaurant. We had the most delicious Japanese cabbage pancake with egg from Xiao Bao Biscuit. Ben headed back to work at the hospital and I made the 4 1/2 hour drive home with all the kids, munching on donuts to stay awake.

A fun comparison shot. 2007 and 2016.

Back to Charleston.

The kids had a few days off of school in January and Ben had to be back in Charleston that same week so we took advantage of his hotel and joined him. We arrived in the evening, just in time to walk around the waterfront and historic district and see a beautiful sunset. It was much colder than our visit just a few weeks before. The cold didn't stop Simon and Oliver from playing in the fountains. Simon thought one fountain was just a giant drinking fountain and was laughing hysterically when it would spray him in the face. Everyone was happy to stop at a Belgium waffle shop to warm up with hot chocolate and a hot waffle. We picked up delicious sandwiches from Artisan Meat Share before making our way to the hotel.

Everyone looked up when the church bells started to ring. 

Southern Getaway: Magnolia Gardens

We drove from Savannah to Charleston, stopping at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens on our way. The gardens were so pretty with lovely white bridges throughout and big gorgeous magnolia trees. Blooming camellias were lining the paths. We didn't tour the plantation home but we walked through the little petting zoo and we also walked through the swamp garden and saw some crazy birds and even a few alligators. I can only imagine how beautiful the gardens are in the spring and summer.

We had dinner at Martha Lou's Kitchen in Charleston. It was a fun little dive that I had read about from the Washington Post food critic. It was a tiny place with a friendly vibe and Martha Lou herself was cooking and serving up the food. The fried chicken was delicious and so was the sweet potato pie. A very southern dining experience. After dinner we saw the new Star Wars movie before finally checking into our fun hotel in the historic area of Charleston.

 It doesn't look very pretty, but that chicken was so juicy and yummy.

 Martha Lou frying up some chicken in the kitchen.