I have a friend coming to visit this weekend from the cold, snowy trenches of Minneapolis, MN.  We’ve been compiling a list of things to do while she’s in town. This is no easy feat- this list is now three pages long and really it’s just the tip of the proverbial iceberg . We’ve only got three days!  She lived in Charleston for several years so we were able to cut out the obvious.

There is our local Firefly Vodka (tastes just like sweet tea) distillery that does tastings and tours of their home on Wadmalaw Island. We’d love to do a tasting there.  The place to grab the best burger (and veggie burger) in town- The Village Tavern (newly reopened w/consulting Chef Daniel Nurick) in Mt. Pleasant.  Another new jewel in Mt. Pleasant must be visited- Yes Umay Cookies  because, well, cookies are the new cupcake and these won’t make you feel too bad indulging after a workout.   Ashley’s cookies which contain the best ingredients- rich chocolates, sea salt, curry and goji berries.

And we would not be true to ourselves if we didn’t hit some great shopping.  Mary Mojo in Mt. Pleasant offers some swanky boutique brands and we will pay a visit to neighboring The Shoe Fairy.  Great sales and fun places to try things on.  There’s also the Tanger Outlet Mall that keeps getting great, new stores.  We must also do some downtown shopping. Antiquing for a bargain (and if we’re lucky there may be an auction) at Page’s Thieves Market is always a good time even if you leave empty handed.  If we’re lucky, Leigh Magar may be in her downtown studio/shop Magar Hatworks– she is not just a milliner but a true artist whose hats are about to be in a Vogue fashion spread.

And we’ll definitely pop into the Real Estate Studio  indowntown Charleston for the Holy City Handmade event this Friday the 10th. It’s a craft show, trunk show, etc with cocktails!

We plan on visiting historic downtown Summerville and just taking in the cozy little town and burning some calories walking. Where locals used to summer. And of course wander about aimlessly downtown. You never know what you’ll discover.  Sometimes it’s just nice to look up at the buildings you see every other day and notice something new. The architecture in Charleston is amazing. You can walk around and just look at buildings and homes appreciating them or you can walk around and discover shops you never knew were there.

So we’re going to eat and shop our way around town. My friend will surely have to check a bag  and don an elastic waistband for the trip home.