An Itinerary

As I stated recently I'm headed to the Pacific Northwest for some vacation time in a few weeks. One of the friends I'm going to see has an entire itinerary planned for the day. Seriously, from breakfast to supper. I'm going to go ahead and apologize to all the people who have ever visited me here because I have FAILED you. Ok, not really. You all seem to still love me and keep coming back. I'm going to pretend it's because I'm a great hostess and not because I leave near the beach. So, I've been thinking. If someone did come to visit me in my city because they want to see my city (and not my beach) what would the be the best way to showcase my 'hood. So here are my thoughts. For those of you've who have been, let me know what I missed or what you didn't like about what I did include.

Breakfast -- Hominy Grill -- There are several great places to grab the 1st meal of the day, but I find this place has the best bacon. And really, breakfast is all about the bacon.

Aiken-Rhett House -- This is my favorite of the historic homes. You get an MP3 to guide you through the house and yard which allows you to tour the home at your own pace. It's my favorite of the historic homes I've been able to visit in person thus far.

Follow this up with a drive down to The Battery and then a walk through some more of the historic district using the amazing walking tour book my auntie Susie gave to me.

Lunch -- The options are unlimited. There's Waters Edge if you're feeling like seafood, Jack's Cosmic Dogs if you're feeling like picnic food, Taco Boy if you're feeling like tacos, Sesame if you're feeling like a burger and sweet potato fries, etc. etc. etc.

Now here is where you'll have to make a decision. For the budget concious we'll head toward John's Island to see the Angel Oak . Trust me, this will not make you want to come back to Charleston, but it is the oldest tree East of the Mississippi. The trip will continue on down to Folly Beach where you can witness first hand the devestation that was Hurricane Hugo. With a section of the island completely washed away, you can now walk to the edge of the surf and see the Morris Island Lighthouse as it sits in the middle of the waterway.

For those who want to spend a little more we'll head over to Boone Hall Plantation. From touring the house to walking through the gardens and learning about life on the plantation in the restored brick slave homes, this plantation is one of my favorites.

Supper -- Old Village Post House -- It's not in the heart of downtown, but it is one of my favorite places to dine.

Dessert -- Kaminsky's -- It's the ultimate dessert place. It may not have creme brule (Anson's has the best), but the offerings are amazing. You can get it to go, walk down a few blocks, and walk along the waterfront as you eat it. Hopefully one of the swings will be empty and you can get a nice breeze of the water and enjoy a perfect end to a great day in the Holy City.