Sweet Charleston
I admit my biggest weakness is cake! Chocolate with vanilla icing, vanilla on vanilla, but above all, Coconut Cake. When we heard about the Coconut Cake in Charleston, we knew we had to have it. Our adventure brought us more than cake. As it turned out, Charleston is a great City to explore even if you have just one day. Our quest for cake offered much more than a great dessert to bring home to our families… it was a much-needed getaway from stressors of daily life, bonding time with a girlfriend and an overall re-charge of the spirit.
We began our journey in Newark. We decided to hire car service… a luxury that can be considered for quick getaways because you’re saving so much on hotel stays. Fortunately for us, there coincidentally was an event (free) at Newark Airport that night that we were able to take advantage of…. A new Polaris Lounge was due to open and they were offering a sneak peek. It’s a good idea to watch for events by googling upcoming events in your area or checking your credit card for exclusive events. Many credit cards offer cardholders unique opportunities. This happened to have been offered through MileagePlus credit card. In any case, the hotel we chose offered a free shuttle to and from the airport. We enjoyed a beautiful evening…. Free food, free drinks and the honor of being one of the first to check out the lounge. We returned to our hotel after the event to get ready for our early morning flight the
next day…. 7:30 AM to arrive in Charleston at 9:30.
We woke up early to catch the shuttle to Newark for our Direct flight on United Airlines. It was a very smooth flight, well…. Except for the restless child. We did arrive early so all was good. Upon landing we used our Lyft app to call a ride. If you haven’t used Lyft, I highly recommend it. Lyft is available in the U.S. but if travelling abroad, Uber is also an option. Both are very reliable… and REASONABLE. We took the Lyft to the Magnolia Gardens and Plantation…. Selected as one of “America’s Most Beautiful Gardens” by Travel & Leisure Magazine.
And THAT it was! You definitely get a feel for the South with the Magnolia, Willow trees (my personal favorite), Boone Hall, etc…. not to mention historical facts along the way. You almost feel like you have been there… many lives before. We took a leisurely stroll around the gardens, happened across an alligator, and decided to head on to our next destination, Folly Beach. We called Lyft and within minuges we were on our way….
Our driver was amazing…. Joshua…. Happily shared all the insider tip he had about Charleston. As we expressed our happiness with Lyft, he shared there is also a boat that operates much the same way as “Lyft” that will transport you to different parts of Charleston. If you download the HOBA app, you can request a ride in the same way. It is a bit more expensive, but invaluable information just the same. The beach we were headed to (Folly Beach), he defined as a party area…. Great food with live music and a crowd that likes to have fun. He recommended we try Rita’s Seaside Grille. As for quieter beaches, he recommended Sullivan’s
or Isle of Palms for something more lowkey. Since our itinerary included Folly Beach, we decided to make the best of it… even though we were not much for the ‘party’ scene. We ate at Rita’s, as recommended, and were not sorry we did. The food was out of this world. Oh, and the drink…. AMAZING! We opted for the Key Lime Martini. Need I say Wow! I understand why it is a party scene because it took much effort to resist a second…. The food was equally amazing. You would not think that a chopped salad and chicken fingers would be extraordinary but let me tell you, they were!!!! I can’t wait to return. We resisted more, visited the beach and decided it was time to move on to the Peninsula Grill where we had a
reservation…. And an order for a whole coconut cake to bring home….
We summoned Lyft… about a 4 minute wait…. To take us to the market… right across from the Peninsula Grill. We surprisingly had PLENTY of time to walk around, explore the area and shop. We picked up a few souvenirs for loved ones and waited for our dinner reservation
at the Peninsula Grill. If you haven’t been, do yourself a favor and go! The food, service, ambiance, are well worth the visit. The coconut cake is everything and more that you hear about through the Web….. and precisely what drove me back to Charleston…. Light… not too sweet… just a little piece of heaven. We had a leisure meal. I opted for chicken that was served with something I don’t normally like… grits. Being familiar with this restaurant, I thought it was worth the risk. So glad I took the risk. Not only do I now LOVE grits… but crave
them. Honestly, this restaurant is amazing… for not only the meal but the dessert.
We ordered a cake to go and were on our way….
We gathered our Coconut Cake, requested Lyft and were on our way to Amtrak (yes… merely 12 hours later… to take us back to NY). We arrived in Amtrak (cake in tow) with plenty of time to relax. I was told you could travel for 3 days with the famous coconut cake so we had this
covered! We boarded the train with no issues (unfortunately the airline would have complicated this process) and were on our way. The train was set to depart 9:17 PM and arrive in NYP at 11:00 AM the next day. It was somewhat of a bumpy ride but I was surprised at how refreshed I felt come 8:00 AM considering we did not book bedding accommodations on Amtrak. Not to mention I was a bit concerned the cake would get messy during the process. We arrived in NYP feeling somewhat revitalized… and arrived home with a cake that was very strategically packaged and tasting as good as if you had it in the restaurant. Yes…. I experienced this cake a year prior which is what drove me back to Charleston. There was nothing lost in the transit and what was gained was an amazing adventure that actually cost less than shipping for that cake. Follow your passion…..
