Hello beautiful people! It’s been a while. Life is a little different these days. I’ve been unmotivated to go outside for any extra curricular activities. It’s scary out there and stressful. However, after being in the house for a month straight. We decided to go downtown. Charleston has begun to reopen restaurants for outdoor dining only. We grabbed dinner at Pearlz Oyster Bar. I don’t actually eat oysters, but they have great shrimp tacos and calamari. All employees wore masks and the tables were more than six feet apart. I felt really safe. The streets were also empty, compared to how it would normally look this time of year.
Shrimp taco @pearlzoysterbar
Calamari with sriracha pickled cabbage, cilantro lime aioli @PearlzOysterbar
After dinner, we took a walk around Waterfront Park. It was also very empty. I have to say that I absolutely loved it. My daughter captured really cute photos!
Hello beautiful people! I love the freakin weekend, but I love the end of it the more. Charleston is the perfect place to experience delicious brunches, rooftop drinks, and scenic strolls. These are a few of my favorite hotspots.
This is by far the most esthetically pleasing restaurant in Downtown Charleston. It’s housed in an old church on N. Market Street with a modern touch. Including, the light fixtures, seating, and the words painted on the vaulted ceilings.
It is a little on the pricey side for those on a tighter budget. You can easily spend $200 on dinner for two. So it’s best to go for lunch on weekdays and/or brunch on Sunday. The menu offers some of the same at a dished at a reduced price. Plus, the carafes of mimosa are $15 on Sunday. Hooray!
This is one of my favorite hot spots mostly for the panoramic view of the city. However, they have delicious food and drinks as well. This a great location to come after brunch for an adult beverage or two. It’s great for a group of friends or couples. I wouldn’t suggest bringing children. It has more of an adult ambiance. It’s moderately priced by Charleston standards. Which would be about an average of $40 per person.
This picturesque palm tree lined park. Is perfect for walking off those shrimp and grits on a Sunday afternoon stroll. The park overlooks the Cooper River and Charleston Harbor. Where there are frequent dolphin sitings. The famous Pineapple Fountain is located in the park as well.
The 3 locations named above are all within blocks of each other. All off of Bay Street in Downtown Charleston.
Hello beautiful people! I recently made a trip to San Francisco with my daughter. We were only there for the weekend. So, we squeezed in all we could.
Upon landing and gathering our belongings. We caught the train downtown and checked into the charming Hotel Whitcomb. It was built in the early 20th century, and used as a substitute city hall. After the 1906 earthquake significantly destroyed parts of the city. There’s even a jail in the basement to this day. I didn’t know any of this information prior to check-in. However, I decided to do research after. Due to the creepy vibes I was getting in the hallways. There were many reviews that claimed the hotel was haunted. Previous guest wrote about their belongings falling or moving in the middle of the night. Also, seeing apparitions in their room. Luckily, I didn’t experience any of those occurrences. It was a lovely stay. Though, the rooms could’ve been bigger.
One of the advantages of living on the east coast. Is when visiting the west coast I’m an early bird. I wake up around 5 am, get coffee, and once the sun rises it’s time to explore the city.
The first morning we walked to a popular cajun brunch restaurant, Brenda’s French Soul Food. There was a bit of a wait. However, once we were seated the service was lovely and the food was decent.
After brunch, I wanted to do a little shopping. There was a mall within a half a mile from the restaurant. So, we decided to go on foot. As we made our way down a side street. It became sketchy. It was littered with the homeless for blocks. No one bothered us. However, I did see a man bathing himself from a fire hydrant. At that point it was a full moon. The experience made me uncomfortable and sad. The disparity between the rich and the poor in cities like this are heart rinching and disgraceful. Especially, when it represents itself as a place of love and acceptance for all.
Day two started with coffee at a cute cafe across from my hotel. Then, we headed to The Museum of Ice Cream SF. There’s also a location in NYC. It was my girly girl wet dream. With pink everything, unicorns, a sprinkle pool, and lots of frozen treats. Every room has a different theme where you’re offered ice cream confections. We happened to go during the holiday season so the decor was on another level. The tickets were about $40 per person. I thought it was worth it. We had a great time and captures awesome pics!
Last, but not least. The reason we went to San Francisco was for my daughter to see The Golden Gate Bridge. It was an $8 Uber pool ride and about ten minutes from the hotel. It’s truly an American modern marvel. There’s nothing like seeing my kid’s face filled amazement. We also took in Alcatraz Island and just the beautiful skyline of the city.
This was my second trip to San Fran, and the first for my daughter. With that said, I kept the activities easy and quick. On my previous trip, I explored a lot more. My highlights were definitely Fisherman’s Warfs with sea lions. Ashbury neighborhood with hippie and Full House vibes. My favorite was definitely Castro District. It is a community dedicated to the LGBTIA and allies.
Previous trip to Fisherman’s award
Castro District
Castro District
Harvey Milk Site
I was thrilled to rediscover the city. People are genuinely nice without an agenda. Unlike other parts of California. There’s also no shortage of activities and views. In my opinions, it’s one of the most beautiful major cities in America. 🙂
This is a familiar story for a girl like me. I loved this black bardot jacquard crop top by LPA on Revovle.com. Which was paired with the matching cropped pant. But of course. The pants were sold out in my size. Now, I had to go on an online journey to find something to pair with it. Going with a simple black could be a big fail, because of the texture and sheen of top. It could potentially make the top appear faded or washed out. So, I sought out the other colors in the top. Gold and a berry color. I ended up purchasing the gold pleated skirt from SHEIN.com. Not only did the skirt add flair. It made the colors on top really pop.
Special thanks to my photographer and friend Kelly Pyle @pbkpix. Also my beautiful and often used back drop Dowtown Charleston.
The Deviant Diva 