Quick Getaway to Charleston, SC

Everything you've heard about Charleston, SC is absolutely true! I'd be really surprised to hear if you hadn't learned anything about this charming city yet because it's pretty popular. The Holy City entertains nearly 4 million visitors on an annual basis. Good thing it's large enough to accommodate all those who choose to travel to Charleston, SC; it is the second-largest city in South Carolina!

This town offers all sorts of different experiences depending on what appeals to you. Trust me, you won't run out of things to do in this bustling town no matter what you're into. While a weekend getaway is sufficient to explore some of the highlights of Charleston, SC, it's not nearly enough time to experience everything they have to offer from the amazing local restaurants found around every corner, to the museums, churches, and other architectural delights to see throughout the town.

WHEN TO GO

The question really should be, “When is there NOT a good time to go”, because you can visit Charleston during any season and be pleasantly surprised by what you can discover. Late fall had lovely weather during the day with crisp, cool nights after the sun went down. A far cry from the dead heat of summer I experienced when visiting last year in August. The only way I'd tell you to go during the summer is if you planned on spending most of your time at a Charleston, SC beach! Otherwise, you'll be going from one air conditioned store to another for a reprieve from the heat—I speak from experience.

WHERE TO SLEEP

My most recent trip to Charleston mid-November included accommodations that were a whole lot different from what I experienced previously. Mainly, because this trip wasn't planned by me (I'm cheap). Cody was the one who made all the arrangements this time around, which is a little out of the ordinary for us because I'm typically the planner. I was downright shocked when we were pulling into a hotel that was right in the heart of downtown Charleston! 

And not just any hotel either, we would be staying at the CHARLESTON PLACE, which, from what I could tell on the outside, was as posh as it gets! We were greeted by valets and ushered in by bellhops. I didn't know what to do with myself. I was floored. All I could keep thinking in my head was, “How much did he have to pay for this place?!" haha But he wouldn't divulge that information no matter how many times I asked.

[RELATED ARTICLE] 20 Reasons Why I Love Charleston, SC { link }

After I got over the initial shock of how fancy this hotel was that we would be staying at, I was railroaded yet again by how beautiful our room was. Seriously, I don't get to stay in places like this normally, so I'm easily impressed. We even had a balcony that overlooked the courtyard below that gave us a nice little view of a small portion of the city. The bathroom was ridiculously luxurious, too, with marble tiles on the floor and bathtub walls. It was almost like stepping into a magazine. I felt so spoiled. Aside from how amazing this place was, the staff was also super friendly, courteous, and always asking how they could help make our stay more pleasant. A girl could certainly get used to that sort of treatment, for sure.

WHERE TO EAT

One of the main reasons we love Charleston so much is due to the fabulous restaurants that can be found without even really looking very hard. We had some terrific food during our last trip, and we were very much looking forward to revisiting some of our favorite restaurants as well as try a few new ones while we were there.

When it came to breakfast we were quite lost on where to go, so we basically stumbled around until we found something that tickled our fancy. After stopping in to check out the menu at several different places, we settled on breakfast at a place called TOAST. I think that one of the major reasons people eat at Toast is because they are home of the bottomless mimosa. Truth be told, that was probably the deciding factor of why we were eating there! Haha Although I have no complaints whatsoever about the food I ate. The “Eggs Meeting Street” was pretty delicious! It had a fried green tomato topped with a crab cake, poached egg and Lowcountry remoulade sauce, served with home fries. I ordered it because it sounded so weird, and I just had to get a taste. The tangyness of the flavors in this dish may not appeal to everyone, but I thought it was very good!

[RELATED ARTICLE] 5 Great Restaurants in Charleston, SC { link }

Based on a recommendation someone gave on the WW Facebook page, we found out about a fairly new restaurant in Charleston called HUSK. This restaurant was named 2011 Best New Restaurant in American by Bon Appetit Magazine. So, what's all the hype about? Well, Husk has decided to do things a little differently than the typical restaurants you'll come across, not just in Charleston, but anywhere, really. The menu at this restaurant changes daily, and they take being a locavore to a whole new level with their commitment to only serving ingredients procured from the South.

After pouring over their menu, and not being able to decide on what I wanted, I decided to ask our server what she recommended. Actually, I asked her what was the best-looking dish they had today, which elicited an interesting look, rightly so. I ended up going with her suggestion, which was the Monte Cristo. It included VA Lamb BBQ, TN Buttermilk Cheddar, fried egg, Surry Sausage, and Potato Hash. I've grown accustomed to seeing a plate piled with a number of different ingredients, so to have this lovely plate presented to me in such a simple fashion was really out of the ordinary. It doesn't look like much, but looks are certainly deceiving in this instance, because the food was fabulous! I can't wait to go back and eat at this restaurant the next time we're in town!

Aside from our eating exploits and the time spent at the amazing hotel, there wasn't much time left to do anything else, really. A weekend in Charleston, SC isn't near enough time to explore everything this multi-faceted city has to offer. However, you'll definitely want an excuse to come back and discover more!

If you'd like to find out more about Charleston, SC, here is a link to the visitor's website.

If you're looking for things to do in Charleston, SC, I have included some links in this post to related articles from my past trip that could be useful (look for the red text above). I would have included some here, but the post was getting entirely too long! Another thing missing from this post is the "bonus surprise news" I promised to share, which I fully intend on doing, but I'm going to save it for Thursday because it deserves more than just a blurb!

Question: Have you ever been to Charleston, SC? 
What's your favorite thing about this city? 

Sharing is Caring :D
Tweet 
 

4 Great Boone Restaurants | Foodie Friday

If you've been following Wayfaring Wanderer for any period of time, you know that I have a slight (ok, BIG) obsession when it comes to food. Not only that, but I'm also pretty crazy about taking pictures of the food that I consume when I'm eating out. Yeah, I can cause a scene at times, but I'm used to being “that guy” by now. It comes with the territory of being a photographer.

Due to my penchant for taking pictures of and eating food, I decided to have a weekly feature here on Wayfaring Wanderer called Foodie Friday! I've been doing it off and on for a while now, but I'm ready to make it something that I do every week without fail.

FOOD SPOTTING FANATIC

There's no shortage of food photos laying around on my hard drive, and I'm always going out to eat it seems, so I have plenty of food pictures to share with you. Many of my food photos don't make it to the Wayfaring Wanderer Facebook page or my blog, though. Instead I share them on a website called Foodspotting most of the time.

Foodspotting is a fairly new website that is quickly growing where you share food recommendations. It's centered around photos, which I really enjoy perusing when I am so inclined. It's like a social network for Foodies, basically. You can follow people, leave comments, etc. They have an app, too, which makes it easy to upload spottings on-the-go.

For Foodie Friday's I don't always plan to share my Foodspotting photos. It's possible that I may review a restaurant(s) or offer food photography tips. I'll try to keep things interesting! This week, however, I will be sharing some of my most recent spots that have been posted on my Foodspotting profile.

What I'm sharing today are local restaurants here in Boone, NC. We've got some great places to eat in this town. And, although I've been here for over 6 years now, there are still places that I have yet to try! With that being said, here are some of the places I have dined at most recently:

COYOTE KITCHEN

Mojave Boat: coconut rice, red beans, blackened chorizo sausage, grilled jalapenos, roasted corn, caramelized onions, mushrooms, and broiled jack cheese topped with jalapeno cream cheese and scallions.

This place is one of the Boone restaurants that I love, but don't eat at often enough. You see, it's not located downtown. It's off the main strip, which is why I don't always think about eating there. When I do, though, I catch myself wondering why I don't have lunch/dinner there more often! They have an extensive menu, which is awesome, but also makes it difficult to decide on what you want to eat. I typically go for the “Boats” or burgers, and I've yet to try anything that I didn't thoroughly enjoy.

MELANIE'S

Spicy Pinto Breakfast: spicy pinto beans with chorizo, tomato, feta,, homefries, topped with two scrambled eggs. {Instagram Pic}

Hands down, Melanie's is one of my most favorite restaurants in Boone! It's the place where I take all of my out-of-town friends who come to visit, it's a must! One of the problems, for me at least, is that I usually get the same thing every time I eat there, the soysage, egg, and cheese biscuit with an order of homefries. I changed that pattern this last time I was there and decided to veer from my normal breakfast. I went for the special this time! When they brought this beast of a plate to my table, everyone in the restaurant (and I mean EVERYONE) stopped to stare at the plate, mouths wide open while simultaneously gasping. Right then, I thought, “This was a good choice.” And, o, lordy, was it! I couldn't bring myself to clean the plate, but I tried my best :D

MELLOW MUSHROOM

Cheesy Bread: a loaf of french bread basted with garlic butter, sprinkled with italian seasoning and baked. Served with marinara sauce. {Instagram Pic}

The new Mellow Mushroom that recently reopened here in Boone is bigger and better than the old one. It's quickly become one of my favorite places to go in town. Yes, they are always busy, but for a very good reason. The food is phenomenal, and the service is always top-notch. We love everyone in that place. The people are so friendly! Dinner and drinks there can turn into a 2-hr affair, especially if we get seats at the beautiful bar that Cody had a hand in crafting. It's impossible to pass up an order of cheesy bread anytime we go because it's just so dang good! 

[Related Story] The New and Improved Mellow Mushroom

CRAVE

Baked Brie: pastry wrapped, apple, toasted almond, caramel with croustini. {Instagram Pic}

This restaurant has been in business for quite a while, and I've been meaning to have dinner there at some point. However, I only made it there recently. I met up with a new friend, Courtney from Yoga G33k, and we sampled a couple of items from the menu while enjoying some cocktails at the bar. It's mainly a tapas restaurant, though, and only has a small bar area. The vibe in that place is very different from a lot of the other places you will visit in Boone. It has more of a metropolitan feel in contrast to the more rustic places you will find around town. The night that we visited was pretty quiet, but we enjoyed ourselves, the cocktails and food we had, too. I'd definitely like to go back and try more of their menu!

Well, that's all I have to share for this edition of Foodie Friday! I hope you enjoyed getting a glimpse of these Boone, NC restaurants. Maybe down the line I could offer more extensive reviews of the restaurants, so that you can see more. As if I need another excuse to eat out ;)

How often do you usually eat out during the week?

Thank you for visiting Wayfaring Wanderer for Foodie Friday! I hope you'll come back next week to see what I've got cooking up. Also, in case you weren't aware, I'm hosting a giveaway for the adventurous! Here's a link to get the details: {LINK} 

Like it? Share it! Please :D 
Tweet

Fitness Fashion with a Twist | YMX Clothing Giveaway

This past week I had the opportunity to take a hike on one of my most favorite trails around Boone, the Boone Fork Trail. It's a 5-mile loop that starts right off the Blue Ridge Parkway. I'm a big fan of this hike because of the varied terrain and scenery that can be experienced along the way. It's like being on several different trails when you're really just on one. However, that's another post for a different time. Read on...

I was recently contacted by a representative from the YMX by Yellowman Clothing Company about testing & reviewing a piece of their performance wear. Once I received the item, I decided that the best way for me to test its mettle was to wear it on my favorite 5-mile hike, the Boone Fork Trail, to see how well it held up. This is my way of telling you this is a sponsored post, and that I was given this shirt so I could write a review. However, the views and opinions within are my own.

MY FIRST IMPRESSION

When I was initially contacted by the company, I, of course, checked out their website and found other reviews to see what they were all about, and to determine if it would be worth my time despite the fact that I would get a complimentary shirt out of the deal. I mean, I don't want to do it just to do it. I want to make sure that it's a company that I can stand behind, you know.

What I found was that they started out making clothing with tattoo designs on them before jumping into the sports wear arena. I can't say that the vivid prints and detailed artwork would be something that I'd typically purchase on my own had I been shopping for a long-sleeved shirt, but I do think the designs are very eye catching and beautiful. I got to choose between 3 different styles, and I went with the one that had the most black in it, naturally.

What I liked right off the bat once I had the shirt in my hands was how soft and silky the material was. It was also extremely lightweight, which is a huge plus. And I even came to appreciate the artwork more, too, once it was in front of me and not on the computer screen. The burst of color coupled with the detailed graphics made it a showstopper, for sure!

TECHNICAL HIGHLIGHTS

• UV Protection (UPF 50+)
• Wicks away moisture/breathable
• regulates body temperature
• wrinkle/abrasion resistant
• easy stretch/compression
• lightweight

ACTIVEWEAR FOR ANY ACTIVITY

One major benefit to wearing this type of garment is that it's very versatile. Not only is it great for any sport, it's also great for leisurely activities as well. The MadKool fabric made exclusively for YMX, and Yellowman is special in many ways. It's breathable and stretchy, yet it still maintains its shape, which made it super comfortable to wear. This might be TMI, but I perspire quite a bit when I'm being athletic...or sitting still, so I liked the fact that this material wicks away moisture. I was expecting it to be wet in certain places after working up a sweat during my 5-mile hike, but I didn't have that problem with this piece. The shirt managed to stay dry during the entire hike!

After finishing the hike, we made our way to Blowing Rock for dinner. Typically, I'd want to change before heading out for the evening, but I didn't have to with this garment. It's truly one of those pieces that can be worn in any situation, especially if you want to be all stylish while you're doing whatever you're doing. It garnered quite a few glances from people around us. Maybe they thought I looked ridiculous, but I'm pretty sure it was because they thought I looked awesome :D

WEARABLE WORKS OF ART

Fitness fashion isn't something that I think about too often. Most of the time I just throw on whatever without giving much thought to how presentable I might be while I'm doing something athletic. However, I'm sure that many other people put more thought into how fly they look when they're picking out gym clothes to wear for a workout. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I just don't give a hoot. However, what I do appreciate are pieces that are comfortable and functional, not just pretty to look at, and that's exactly what I found with the Flower Clouds Sun Tee from YMX.

While it was different for me to wear something that stands out so much, I did feel as though the shirt lived up to the expectations I had after reading the claims about its performance. I'm happy to have this wearable work of art that I can use when I'm being adventurous or when I'm out running errands. It'll definitely become a staple in my wardrobe!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! 
THE WINNER IS: STACY MACEDA

Looking to add a piece like this to your active apparel collection? 

Well, YMX has generously offered to throw in a giveaway for this sponsored post! 

Wanna win? Keep reading...

THE PRIZE

• A new Flower Clouds Sun Tee from YMX by Yellowman in your size (Retail value $89.00)

TO ENTER THE YMX GIVEAWAY

• To enter, all you need to do is refer a friend to the Wayfaring Wanderer Facebook page.

• Share a link to the WW page on your wall & don't forget to tag WW in the status message you write. Be sure to ask friends to visit & “LIKE” the Wayfaring Wanderer page, so that you can have a chance to win, and let them know that they can enter, too!

THE RULES

• The friend(s) that you refer should write a post on the WW Facebook wall that says [YOUR NAME] sent me, so I know who gets the credit! FYI - I won't count the entry if this part isn't completed.

• For each person you refer to the WW page, you will receive one entry!

• No limit to the amount of entries you can receive :D

• Obviously, this is a shirt for the ladies, but that doesn't mean dudes can't enter, too!

• This giveaway is only open to U.S. residents. Sorry, not my rules :(

• The giveaway will end on DECEMBER 7^th (Midnight EST) and a winner will be announced on the 8^th.

BONUS ENTRIES

• (1-extra entry) “LIKE” the YMX by Yellowman FB page & leave a post on the wall letting them know that Wayfaring Wanderer sent you. (Don't forget to tag WW in the status message or I won't know that you did this)

• (1-extra entry) Tweet about this giveaway. I'm @wayfarinwandrer on twitter. Be sure to tag me in the tweet & include a link to this post so that I know this was completed!

If you have any questions whatsoever,

please feel free to post them in the comments

here or on the FB page. Good luck!

Like it? Share it! Please :D
Tweet