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entirely-erika · 7 years

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Food plays a large role in why we decided to travel to Charleston, but the signs of the city were a close second. One of the best ways, both for your health and wallet, to get around and see these amazing landmarks and views is by foot. If you follow me on

If you follow me on INSTAGRAM you know that it was raining for about half of our trip. Thankfully, we were able to catch a movie and make the best of it. After a day or so, the sun decided to come out and we were able to do some sightseeing.

[bctt tweet=”Charleston, SC – Your guide, what to see and what to skip” username=”entirely_erika”]

Related Post: CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA TRAVEL GUIDE PART ONE: WHERE TO EAT

Rainbow Row

These buildings are a thing of beauty. They were hard to photograph because of Charleston’s narrow sidewalks and the other tourists in the area, but I was able to capture the photos below. If you have a chance to get over to East Bay Street, you will not regret it! Easy Bay Street is also near the Waterfront Park with the “Pineapple Fountain” pictured next.

Check out more about the historic Rainbow Row HERE and HERE.

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Waterfront Park

The sky finally cleared and we were able to walk all around Charleston. I am telling you, even if you do not have much time, you NEED to take the time to walk up and down this waterfront or just sit and people watch. Listen to the sounds of birds, strangers, and their overly friendly squirrels.

Check out more about Charleston’s Waterfront Park HERE and HERE.

We first stumbled upon the gorgeous Pineapple fountain and, as other bloggers mentioned when I was researching, it was filled with kids…running and playing and yelling. I was able to snap this quick picture while they were rolling and crawling in the fountain’s bottom. This is a fair warning if you want planning to take majestic photos…go during the “golden hour” either in the morning before the kiddies are awake or afternoon when they are out to eat.

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Overall, this is one of those places that would be nice with a cup of coffee, reading a book, or something calming. We really weren’t worried about that at the moment, so Steven just sat while I snapped a few photos. It was nice to visit, but if I go back I most likely wouldn’t use my precious time visiting this area again. It was pretty but nothing was really there.

Angel Oak

Absolutely breathtaking. It is hard to think that on the backside of this enormous tree is a small-town gas station and other homes alongside the highway. The road to get there was a long, dirt road. One word of advice, parking was limited, but not impossible so be patient and you may have to walk a little ways. I believe the reason for no dedicated parking is due to the limited time people stay and there not being any sort of guide, you simply walk around the tree. We only stayed for about 10 minutes to take photos and then we got on down the road to Magnolia Plantation.

I believe the lack of parking is due to how quickly you see and leave this beauty. We only stayed for about 10 minutes to take photos and then we got on down the road to Magnolia Plantation.

I say all of this to say, I HIGHLY recommend this being a stop either into or out of Charleston. Yet again, this is a place like the Waterfront Park in that there isn’t much there that would change after you have visited it once. Again, I wouldn’t visit on my next trip to Charleston but if this is your first visit, you will love it!

Find more about this natural wonder HERE and HERE.

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Charleston City Market

This place was bustling from open to close. I would best describe these buildings as a historical flea market…literally. There were some selling authentically made items and artwork and others who weren’t. I couldn’t take photos out of respect for the artists, sorry!

This would also be a great time for your to get your hot little biscuit from Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit if you were not able to make it over to King Street. They have an almost identical (other that it not being super tiny) shop serving equally as delicious biscuits.

We stopped here the last time we quickly ate and ran in 2015 and it really hasn’t changed much. Running theme here – I wouldn’t invest much time here during our next visit.

Check out more about the Charleston City Market HERE and HERE.

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King Street

My oh, my… Steven and I literally walked miles and miles exploring this neverending street. I was so hyper-focused on taking photos that I hardly noticed the amazing shopping that is available in this area. This street is for all of you fashionistas out there with money to spend!

I personally stay on the basic neutrals and frugal side of the clothing spectrum, so the Louis Vuitton store wasn’t really a blip on my radar.

Starbucks on the other hand…we made daily trips. Caffeine > High Fashion. Sorry, not sorry, fashion bloggers.

Other than fashion, there were so many things to take photos of…. Explore King Street vicariously through my photos below!

Check out more about King Street’s amazing shopping and other info HERE and HERE.

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Unitarian Church of Charleston Cemetery

Steven and I stumbled upon this gem. We were, again, looking for one of the many Starbucks on King Street when the lush path lured us in. We weren’t quite sure where we were going, there was relly no guide, but we read cemetery and hoped for the creepiest thing we could find. We were pleasantly surprised at what we found. It was too beautiful not to take photos.

Interested in knowing more about this historical cemetery? Find out more HERE and HERE.

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I love how the cemetery is free to grow however it likes. The daily visitors keep a well-worn path, but the natural beauty is still there. Of all the photos taken during our time in Charleston, the gravestone photos on the very bottom row are my absolute favorites.

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Magnolia Plantation

There are many plantations in the Charleston area and we did extensive research on them to see which we might like best. Magnolia Plantation, obviously, won out and we plan to revisit the next time we are in the area. It was hot in June so we did not get to spend as much time as we would have liked walking the groups and the gardens.

Once we arrived, we bought our tickets to enter and for a tour of the main house. Then both said, “Now what do we do to until our tour time?”. We quickly figured it out, check it out below.

Find out everything you need to know and more HERE and HERE.

How gorgeous is this house?! Those huge trees block its real beauty. I would move into this amazing house ASAP!

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Once you walk in, you can go left to the Orientation Theatre, right to the bathrooms and Peacock cafè or straight to the petting zoo. My advice to you is to check out the theatre first. It is air conditioned and there is a video playing, on loop, answering a lot of questions about the grounds before you go on any walking tours.

Next, we went to the petting zoo. Y’all… I was in random animal heaven! Most of these animals are native to Georgia or just an animal found on a farm. You can buy pellets to feed the animals or just have fun petting them. My favorite animals were the peacock and goats just roaming around the entire zoo.

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DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER PLACES WE

SHOULD VISIT ON OUR NEXT TRIP TO CHARLESTON?

DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT MY GUIDE

TO DINING IN CHARLESTON: PART 1

Charleston, South Carolina Travel Guide Part Two: What to see. Food plays a large role in why we decided to travel to Charleston, but the signs of the city were a close second.

#advice #budget #charleston #choice #choose #frugal #help #opinion #photo #pinterest #tips #travel

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entirely-erika · 7 years

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Y’all…Charleston did not disappoint. It tried to, by raining almost EVERY DAY we were there, but little did she know we can make and rainy day a sunny one! The drive from Georgia {Athens area} was a breeze. We left around 6:00 am and arrived around 10:30, pretty good time!

One tip, if you are coming from our area, bring toll money! Luckily, Steven is always prepared so we were good. The tolls are between $1.50-$1.75 EACH! We were stopped by two toll roads. Make sure to check your route or have change on hand when you make the drive! There is nothing worse than having to turn around to find cash!

Once we arrived, we could not check into our condo until 3:30 so we had to dillie-dallie around Charleston. Torture, right? Ha! We decided to scope out the French Quarter by car and scratch off one of our restaurants off our list.

In this first installment, I will give you the ins and outs of where to we chose to eat and the outcomes. Remember these are all my husband and my opinions, given to you without any compensation or reimbursements from the restaurants.

In my previous post, where we planned what we would be doing, I told you, my husband, was at an obsessive point of using Yelp. You can check that post out {HERE}. Along with Yelp, we also checked to see if there were any restaurants in Charleston that were visited by Guy Fieri…boy were there, check those out {HERE}!

We always find it fun to see if this guy knows what he is talking about when we travel. Our fist stop and only restaurant on his list was delicious! Guy got it right this time!

Early Bird Diner

This was one of Guy’s picks and I am glad we decided to stop here on the way in! As you can see from the picture, there isn’t much to this place. Real talk, one thing I was not fond of when pulling up was finding a parking spot.

There are minimal “normal” spots and you MAY have to dig deep and remember how to use those parallel parking skills. They also have a very narrow area to pass through in the back to get to the other side of the parking area, I drive a 4-Runner and there were some close calls coming around the building due to others parking all willie-nillie.

But, don’t get me wrong, we didn’t have to look for over 5 minutes, I was just impatient and wanted to eat after our 4-hour car ride.

Upon pulling up, the sign made me laugh and sing {this song} in my head. I jumped out and took this picture…please pause to look at the gorgeous sky in the background. That sight didn’t last long. :[

It took a good 30 minutes to be seated. There were a few larger parties who were already seated {and wouldn’t leave even though they were done eating…instead decided to yell and laugh in this semi-tiny restaurant} and we were hangrily patiently waiting while giving the place a look over.

When waiting, patiently, I loved how many different characters were also waiting. There were businessmen; moms with their babies; teens with blue hair and tattoos; older couples drinking gallons of coffee; and many more varieties all there for delicious foods.

Entertainment area: kids books, coloring books, crayons, and toys. They also have adult literature for that possibly long wait…but only about 3 chairs to sit while you wait. This and the bathroom {YES, I SAID ONE BATHROOM} are points needing to be addressed…but that has nothing to do with the deliciousness that was on our plates.

They proudly hung their Guy Fieri sign {above the kitchen door}, as they should, signifying that they were indeed visited by this frosty haired food connoisseur. As you can see, this place loves to stick a sticker on something and promote local artists. Loving the arts myself, I found this to be an awesome and eclectic, way to decorate this space.

The art on the walls were from many mediums. The most predominant were graphic/comic style prints, followed secondly by good ol’ acrylic on canvas.

This place has some interesting hours. Make note!

Since we got there at 10:45, we were kind of at the turnover time from breakfast to lunch. Steven decided to get the meatloaf sandwich with a side of sausage. We started this trip pretty strong with our Ketogenic ways, skipping the bread on this one. As you will see when this post gets going, we slowly lost our Keto way and planned to start fresh when we returned home.

I got the blackened chicken sandwich with collard greens. This came with bacon, avocado, and chipotle mayo.

Check out Early Bird Diner’s social medias and other’s reviews:

Early Bird Diner Website

Facebook

Trip Advisor

Yelp!

Blossom

This was Steven’s favorite restaurant, hands down. I enjoyed this restaurant as well, but I was still in the Keto mindset. I feel that when we travel back to Charleston, there are a few other things on the menu I will try.

The overall feel is very laid back but with a sophisticated feel. When you first walk in, you are greeted by a host who can find your reservations {which are highly recommended during peak hours} or seat you at their beautifully designed restaurant.

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Once we sat down, these pretty little flowers greeted us. I love that they matched my newly-dyed hair, ha! Another added touch was with the menus and the black acrylic backer they were attached to, keeping it classy! The architecture was also superb!

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We started off with the “Holy City Sampler” appetizer. This AWESOME dish consisted of pimiento cheese, boiled peanut hummus, flatbread to scoop them up with. It also came with deviled eggs and pickled okra {yum!}. I believe the stars on this plate were the okra and the pimento cheese. I would totally get this dish again.

I decided to stay on the Keto wagon and got the grilled chicken caesar salad with possibly the best dressing I have ever had! I did not eat the croutons, but they were interesting…they were baby cornbread cubes!

Steven is more of a seafood lover than I and got the grilled sea scallops, accompanied by wild caught shrimp in creamy white grits with mushrooms, spinach, lobster butter. This was his favorite meal of the entire trip, it was a little pricey but we will return!

Check Blossom’s social media and other’s reviews:

Blossom Website

Facebook

Trip Advisor

Yelp!

Page’s Okra Grill

This was my favorite restaurant but, like most of the places, we ate it was not in walking distance from our condo. We had to take a quick drive across the Ravenel Bridge…please note the overcast sky.

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Once we arrived at Page’s Okra Grill, it began to sprinkle and thankfully they have a great covered porch to wait and eat, when the weather is better. They also had a fun adirondack chair for a photo opportunity, there were a ton of people jumping off and on so I could only snap this quick photo.

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Once we sat down, we were greeted by an awesome waiter, Alban! He was very attentive and knew his stuff about the menu. After he took our order, he spun around, made a joke {one of many} and sped off to put our order in. While we were waiting, we noticed the music and how awesome it was as well. They played Jimmy Eat World, Semisonic, Nine Days, and some other 90’s and 00’s alternative rock bands. We were constantly singing and tapping our feet. While the atmosphere was great, the food was even better.

The menus here in Charleston always need extra flair. That was no different, even though this restaurant was not as “fancy” as Blossom, they added a nice touch to the ambiance. Okay, on to the part you really care about…the food described clockwise.

Steven couldn’t resist the shrimp, crab and bacon chowder with the toasted cracker. After this appetizer, he decided to trick his body and up his carb intake and indulge in the chicken and waffles with delicious honey butter. I have to admit that had a nibble. I am not sure if it is because I have not had sweets in a month or so, but this was one of the best waffles I have ever eaten.

Next, I built my own burger. Now, with the Keto lifestyle, I have eaten a ton of burgers and I can say this was the best burger I have ever eaten. Their menu states their burgers are “a blend of ground chuck, brisket & rib-eye steak, ground fresh daily in-house & cooked to order”. I added all the Keto-friendly toppings they had to offer: pepper jack cheese, bacon, grilled mushrooms, jalapenos, and avocado. I was in Keto paradise!

Check Page’s Okra Grill social media and other’s reviews:

Page’s Okra Grill Website

Facebook

Trip Advisor

Yelp!

Fleet Landing

Y’all…we literally walked through the storm to eat at this place. In that walk, we came to the conclusion that when you visit on a rainy day/week, you need to pack a small umbrella. The sidewalks of Charleston are extremely narrow and when you have tons of people trying to pass each other, it is like a game of chicken. We were bobbing and weaving to get around people and jumping in and out of puddles.

Once we arrived, pretty soaked, we had about a 20-minute wait and took in the views.

As you could tell from the picture, Fleet Landing is right on the water so we were able to see all of the wildlife and the ships passing by. I also love that the inside is nautical and their use of space, because it is on the smaller side, is great.

The photo below shows exactly what our view was like…cloudy but gorgeous! We were on the outside of the restaurant and they were prepared to pull down a shade to keep the rain out.

Keeping all things real, I didn’t really see much on the menu I wanted…other than appetizers. That is not saying you won’t like the menu, that is your call. Steven had his fill of seafood by this time and nothing really jumped out at me…other than these apps.

Once again, the best way to describe the delicious foods is clockwise. The first, and most delicious in my opinion, were the seared blackened shrimp with pimento cheese grits and sweet creamed corn. The shrimp were HUGE and delicious. These grits too y’all were the bomb.com and I will have them again, ha!

Next, I had a simple Fleet Landing’s house salad, but whoa, that creamy pepper parmesan though! One of the best dressings {along with the Blossom’s caesar} I have ever had. Those cheese stick looking things in the top right aren’t what you would expect them to be.

These are actually crispy “steak” calamari sticks with an apricot glaze and spicy red pepper remoulade. Oh, my squid…it didn’t even taste like squid. I highly recommend these if you love calamari or even if you are toying with the idea of trying it. You can tell from the photo that they give you a hefty portion too, we couldn’t even finish them!

Lastly, Steven ordered the pan-fried Carolina lump crab cake with pickled corn relish, red pepper sauce, and crispy fried onions. I have never seen a crabcake with so much crab. I am not a huge eater of crab, but I did take a bite to say I tried it. Steven ate it quickly, so I am assuming it was delicious, ha!

Overall, I am not sure if I would return when we travel back to Charleston. It may have also been that this was not one of the first places we visited so I was not wanting what I could have eaten at the other places.

Check Fleet Landing’s social media and other’s reviews:

Fleet Landing Website

Facebook

Trip Advisor

Yelp!

Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit

This is possibly the smallest restaurant I have ever been inside but whoa, big taste. You might me saying to yourself, “Aren’t all biscuits the same?”. Um, no.

When we were walking down King Street {tons of pictures below} we walked right past this little shop. I wish they had an actual sign that sticks out from the building to alert people looking for this gem.

When you first walk in, you might be sticking out the door or becoming best friends with the person in front and behind you. It was packed like sardines y’all! They are smart and made all things white to help make the room feel larger.

Once we looked over the menu, we decided to eat brunch here to fuel our walk all over the city. Buh bye staying under 20g of carbs…we needed fuel.

While waiting, I took a ton of photos and Steven sipped on his many liquids. I have to warn you the wait was pretty long, but it was well worth it!

Okay, so the left picture shows what we really went to get…sausage, egg, and pimento cheese biscuit. They were absolutely delicious. If you know me, you know I love a good Golden Pantry biscuit and that is what this made me think of. All of their ingredients are fresh and made to order, that is why it takes a good minute to get these “hot little biscuits”.

The little biscuits to the right were a little sampler to taste some of the other flavors. We decided upon the black pepper bacon filled biscuit, plain and cinnamon filled {this was my personal fave}.

One of the best things is that these little biscuits are also available in Atlanta…closer to me than Charleston. One hour and 15 minutes from my house to be exact! That is a lot better than 4 hours!

Check Callie’s Hot Little Biscuits social media and other’s reviews:

Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit Website

Facebook

Trip Advisor

Yelp!

Hominy Grill

This was not a restaurant that was on our original list, but we threw Keto to the wind by this time and were resetting our bodies. We decided to splurge a little and hit this place on the way out of Charleston.

The parking situation was limited, on a Friday at 11am…that shows you how popular it is. Thankfully, we are not a large party so we were sat fairly quickly…this place was packed!

I absolutely love the decor, simple and clean. They had flowers on the table were great, a running theme here in Charleston. The building {shown in the top left } is only on the lower floor, the second and third floor are apartments.One flaw was that there was no guest wifi, most places had this. While it wouldn’t make me not ever go back, it would have made it easier for me to take more IG storied and pretty much give them free advertisements!

One flaw was no guest wifi, most restaurants in the area had this. While it wouldn’t prevent me from going back, it would have made it easier for me to take more IG storied and pretty much give them free advertisements!

Look at all of these people! This was about 1/3 of the people in the entire restaurant, we were packed like sardines!

I’ve said it before and I will say it again…I keep it real, with my views here at entirelyerika. While I love the aesthetics; the waitstaff was wonderful; the food tasted great… the portions were smaller for the huge price. Can we also talk about how this place was NOT in the immediate downtown Charleston area? You couldn’t walk there like some of the other places with comparable pricing. That should account for slightly lesser pricing…just my opinion.

To give you an example, I ordered the shrimp and grits with sautéed shrimp, scallions, mushrooms & bacon over cheese grits on a plate larger than a tea saucer, but smaller than a regulation dinner plate for $17. Steven ordered the “Charleston Nasty Biscuit” with fried chicken breast, cheddar cheese & sausage gravy for $13.

Now, $30 for two people in Charleston is not terrible, but this biscuit size was comparable to the ones we ate at Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit {CHLB}. Keeping all things real, the biscuit we ate at CHLB were better.

Both tasted great, but I think I can honestly say when we travel back to Charleston, this will not be on our list. Check out what others have said below.

Check Hominy Grill social media and other’s reviews:

Hominy Grill Website

Facebook

Trip Advisor

Yelp!

I hope these recommendations help you plan as you travel to Charleston and eat your way around the city!

Do you have a favorite place to eat? Have you eaten at these places?

[bctt tweet=”Check out @entirely.erika and her favorite restaurants to visit in #Charleston !” username=”entirely_erika”]

CHECK OUT PART TWO: WHAT TO SEE COMING SOON!

Charleston, South Carolina Travel Guide Part One: Where to eat Y'all...Charleston did not disappoint. It tried to, by raining almost EVERY DAY we were there, but little did she know we can make and rainy day a sunny one!

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entirely-erika · 7 years

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My Honest KetoKrate Review - June Edition

My Honest KetoKrate Review – June Edition

I have been living the Ketogenic lifestyle for over two months and have lost, not wanting to be found again, twenty-two pounds! It was not until about two weeks in that I heard about KetoKrate and I am so glad I did! This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to sign up for KetoKrate, you are helping me possibly receive a free KetoKrate next month! All opinions are my own, you know I am…

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#advice #choice #choose #food #help #keto #ketogenic #ketokrate #ketosis #loss #opinion #tips #weight #weight loss

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entirely-erika · 7 years

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entirely-erika · 7 years

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Chocolate and #Keto? Some say no, I say yes! I stay well below 20g of carbs a day, but some days you just need chocolate! I found these at Target for less than $3 per bar! (<>..<>) Off to eat hot wings on this "diet" (ha!) {<>..<>} Check back later to see which I like best! ••• #bloggervibes #livecolorfully #liveauthentic #gablogger #georgiablogger #myunicornlife #livethelittlethings #littlestoriesofmylife #bloggerslife #blogginggals #bloggersgetsocial #bloggerlifestyle #bloggersofinstagram #liveadventurously #livetoinspire #livinggood #alternativewomen #alternativelife #alternativeblog #atlblogger #dailydoseofwhimsy #lovelylife #ketoblogger #ketochallenge #ketotreat #ketotips #ketoblogger #ketochocolate

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entirely-erika · 7 years

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Just found these babies at @aldiusa 😍 @100ketodays they are comparable to the deliciousness of the @rockstarenergy zeros. 👌🏽Taste like liquid skittles. PS We all Keto differently. Please no negative comments. Kthx 😘 . . . . . #bloggervibes #livecolorfully #liveauthentic #gablogger #georgiablogger #myunicornlife #livethelittlethings #littlestoriesofmylife #bloggerslife #blogginggals #bloggersgetsocial #bloggerlifestyle #bloggersofinstagram #liveadventurously #livetoinspire #livinggood #alternativewomen #alternativelife #alternativeblog #atlblogger #dailydoseofwhimsy #lovelylife #ketoblogger #ketodrink #ketotreat #ketotips #ketoenergy #aldifinds #ketoblogger #aldiusa

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entirely-erika · 7 years

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My go to @starbucks drink for all you #ketofriends out there needing a caffeine fix! ••••••• • Cold Brew • SF vanilla • Heavy cream (I ask for extra) • light ice (it's already cold) • ••••••• #bloggervibes #livecolorfully #liveauthentic #gablogger #georgiablogger #myunicornlife #livethelittlethings #littlestoriesofmylife #bloggerslife #blogginggals #bloggersgetsocial #bloggerlifestyle #bloggersofinstagram #liveadventurously #livetoinspire #livinggood #alternativewomen #alternativelife #alternativeblog #atlblogger #dailydoseofwhimsy #lovelylife #ketoblogger #ketodrink #ketostarbucks #ketocoffee #ketotreat #ketotips #basicstarbuckspicture

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entirely-erika · 7 years

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So true. Live for yourself, don't simply exist for others. . . . . . #bloggervibes #livecolorfully #liveauthentic #gablogger #georgiablogger #myunicornlife #livethelittlethings #littlestoriesofmylife #bloggerslife #blogginggals #bloggersgetsocial #bloggerlifestyle #bloggersofinstagram #liveadventurously #livetoinspire #livinggood #alternativewomen #alternativelife #alternativeblog #atlblogger #dailydoseofwhimsy #lovelylife #dontexist #live #lifelessonswithme #29yearswise #beoriginalbeyou #beyouboo #liveyourlifeforyou #liveyourlifeyourway

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entirely-erika · 7 years

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Oh, Charleston, I have been longing to explore your streets again! Two Summers ago, we made a quick stop to eat as we were coming home from Myrtle Beach and we have been wanting to visit for much longer. Thankfully, we are making this a reality this Summer!

We are going to be staying in Charleston for 92 hours and I cannot wait! Through this post, I will be tentatively planning our trip with follow-up posts recapping what we were actually able to accomplish, reviews of food and much more!

>> where to search for a place to stay in Charleston <<

Through my research, many bloggers suggest staying at hotels in Charleston. I just can’t do the same, my husband and I have not stayed in an actual hotel room since 2012. Since that date, we have been traveling using the two sites listed below. My personal favorite has slowly become Airbnb, but I have more experience with VRBO. We are staying in the French Quarter and steps away from EVERYTHING!

Airbnb

If you are planning a trip, spending over $75 total…which isn’t hard at all, use THIS link to save $40!

I will receive a small compensation if you use the above link through the Airbnb referral code.

We are also going on a trip in July and booked with Airbnb. I cannot express how easy this platform is.

Another perk is all transactions are made within a secured area and there are no other hoops to jump through.

VRBO

This trip was booked through VRBO and it could not have been easier.

This is filled with more agents attempting to rent out properties, as opposed to Airbnb.

OUR CONDO

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I am more of a “fly by the seat of my pants” kinda gal, but I married a planner. We have known about this trip for months now and we just recently started to put it all together. The items below are the ways we planned and what we want to accomplish.

Sources used to plan:

Reddit – /r/Charleston

This is not everyone’s cup of tea, but I personally love Reddit. People here “keep it real” and will tell you all about something you need to know.

Trip Advisor

Most blog posts were redirected back to this central site

Yelp

My husband’s obsession. He used this website to make many planned food choices well before we have even stepped foot outside our home’s door.

There are quite a few (though they start to get repetitive) posts by many bloggers. It was a little overwhelming but I preserved.

>> what we want to see and do in Charleston <<

Charleston Sole Walking Tours ($20)

This is a toss up, we are taking the tour below so this one might not get to this one.

Ghost & Graveyard Tour ($25)

We are extremely excited for this experience! We love all things spooky and creepy, especially if it has to do with history and we all know Charleston is EXTREMELY history rich.

South Carolina Aquarium ($29.95)

I reside around the Atlanta Aquarium so we want to compare if we have enough time.

Bee City Zoo ($9)

Again, the Atlanta Zoo is fairly close and I have frequented it on school field trips, but this zoo is different. I like the fact that it is family run, focuses on conservation of bees, and most animals are able to be pet.

Park Circle Butterfly Garden (Free)

In reading the site, June is not the best time to see the butterflies. If you are wanting to see the butterflies, your target time is Spring. This is not saying do not go, I just wanted to fully disclose what the experts are saying.

Rainbow Row (Free)

The photographer in me is itching to capture these beauties!

King Street (Free, for the most part!)

Cha-ching! This is where all the money is spent. While we plan to spend most of our money on food, this will not stop us from perusing around and window shopping.

Angel Oak (Free)

I cannot wait to snap photos of this amazing work of nature. In a world so fast pace and ready to bulldoze anything in its way, this tree still stands.

Battery Park (Free)

Pictures, pictures everywhere! I am needing new professional headshots and others for my blog. I have a feeling this will be the best area.

Pineapple Fountain (Free)

Iconic and a must see. Also, another possible photo spot.

Charleston City Market (Free)

I have visited this market when we had our super-quick visit a few years back, and we will browse to see if there are any new items/booths. We are steps away from the market and only plan to stay for a little while due to the seemingly “new” items that were there and its feeling of being more like an upscale flea market. If you have never been, I am in no way knocking it! It is an experience.

The Charleston Hat Man (Free)

This is one I am intrigued with and need to find and capture. Check back here and on my Instagram to see if we find each other!

>> where we plan to eat in Charleston <<

The following restaurants were carefully selected by my husband (and a bit by me) based on a number of things: overall price, Yelp reviews, distance from our condo, and our taste. We are both currently living the Keto life and that is another factor that plays in the choosing of these restaurants.

Fleet Landing Restaurant and Bar

At this restaurant, a reservation highly suggested and can be completed online.

Blind Tiger

Early Bird Diner

Page’s Okra Grill

Magnolia’s

Coast Bar and Grill

Another restaurant highly suggesting a reservation which can be completed online.

Blossom

Toast

High Cotton

Crave Kitchen

Again, better your chances and reserve a spot online.

Black Tap Coffee

Read more about the Ketogenic lifestyle:

KETO 101: BEGINNERS’ GUIDE TO A KETOGENIC LIFESTYLE

SAVE MONEY & LOSE WEIGHT AT ALDI • KETO FRIENDLY GROCERY LIST

BULLETPROOF COFFEE THAT ISN’T GROSS…I PROMISE!

Now that we have planned all of the logistics, we had to pack for the South’s unpredictable weather. Thankfully, I live in the South so I have an all-season wardrobe available at all times. Check out the packing list {and grab it for FREE below} that I use anytime I travel!

I am planning to pack the following for our excursion:

Poncho, sunglasses, umbrella

2 pairs of shorts, 1 pair of jeans, 2 dresses, 1 skirt, 1 pair leggings

2 tee shirts, 3 dressy shirts

1 pair tennis shoes, 2 pair dressy sandals, 1 pair flip-flops

Essential toiletries, electronics, and other things needed to become beautified ;}

Check out my FREE packing list!

Follow me on BlogLovin’ {HERE}!

Charleston, South Carolina: Planning our 92-hour trip Oh, Charleston, I have been longing to explore your streets again! Two Summers ago, we made a quick stop to eat as we were coming home from Myrtle Beach and we have been wanting to visit for much longer.

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entirely-erika · 7 years

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Let there be cheekbones. Hello little buddies! It's been a while. 🙃 . . . . . . #bloggervibes #livecolorfully #liveauthentic #gablogger #georgiablogger #myunicornlife #livethelittlethings #littlestoriesofmylife #bloggerslife #blogginggals #bloggersgetsocial #bloggerlifestyle #bloggersofinstagram #liveadventurously #livetoinspire #livinggood #alternativewomen #alternativelife #alternativeblog #atlblogger #dailydoseofwhimsy #lovelylife #ketoblogger #ketodiet #ketofood #keto4life #ketogram #hflcdiet #ketolife #selfiefridays

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entirely-erika · 7 years

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Shake it like a Polaroid picture. Shaking out the old school year and dying {figuratively and literally} for Summer. . . . . #bloggervibes #livecolorfully #liveauthentic #gablogger #georgiablogger #myunicornlife #livethelittlethings #littlestoriesofmylife #bloggerslife #blogginggals #bloggersgetsocial #bloggerlifestyle #bloggersofinstagram #liveadventurously #livetoinspire #livinggood #alternativewomen #alternativelife #alternativeblog #atlblogger #dailydoseofwhimsy #lovelylife #purplehaired #purplehairs #bayalage #pastelgothstyle #pulpriothair #colorgoddess #violethairdontcare #althair

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entirely-erika · 7 years

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The only time you will ever see me as a blonde. Bye French fry head, hello purple queen! . . . . . #bloggervibes #livecolorfully #liveauthentic #gablogger #georgiablogger #myunicornlife #livethelittlethings #littlestoriesofmylife #bloggerslife #blogginggals #bloggersgetsocial #bloggerlifestyle #bloggersofinstagram #liveadventurously #livetoinspire #livinggood #alternativewomen #alternativelife #alternativeblog #atlblogger #dailydoseofwhimsy #lovelylife #purplehaired #purplehairs #bayalage #pastelgothstyle #pulpriothair #colorgoddess #violethairdontcare #althair

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entirely-erika · 7 years

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Y'all. 😍 My color goddess did it again. Words cannot express how much love o am feeling for my locks. @tracies_transformations you are a rockstar. . . . . . #bloggervibes #livecolorfully #liveauthentic #gablogger #georgiablogger #myunicornlife #livethelittlethings #littlestoriesofmylife #bloggerslife #blogginggals #bloggersgetsocial #bloggerlifestyle #bloggersofinstagram #liveadventurously #livetoinspire #livinggood #alternativewomen #alternativelife #alternativeblog #atlblogger #dailydoseofwhimsy #lovelylife #purplehaired #purplehairs #bayalage #pastelgothstyle #pulpriothair #colorgoddess #violethairdontcare #althair

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entirely-erika · 7 years

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Let’s be real, most people try Bullet Proof Coffee {BPC} and give it up after one sip. The real heroes are those who hated it and still drank it down like a champ! I must confess that I was one of the wimpy ones who couldn’t even attempt to get past the first sip of the oil slick that is BPC.

The ingredients below are literally the magic potion to get the amazing fats, energy boost, and all other amazing benefits without it feeling and tasting like you are drinking oil!

This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase an item through my blog, I will receive a small monetarily benefit. :]

Read more in my affiliate disclosure above or click HERE!

Things you will need for this magical potion to come out as perfect as mine does on the daily:

Click on any of the links to be taken to Amazon {affiliate} and other sites for great deals!

BlenderBottle Classic Loop Top Shaker Bottle, 28-Ounce Loop Top {$8.99}

This will help evenly distribute the MCT oil and all other liquids that are in this amazing booster drink.

I also enjoy protein drinks and this is an amazing contraption to get all of those grainy bits out of the way.

Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter {$2.89 – $6.99}

This is not a MUST but I am sure you will be a convert once you put this in your shaker. It is crazy creamy and just taste like higher-quality butter. It is a bit pricey but well worth it!

This is also a butter that can be used in all recipes and will make them even more delicious!

SweetLeaf Sweet Drops – Stevia Clear {$14.00-$20.00}

I cannot tell you how amazing these little drops are. I prefer the “Clear” version because it is just sweet, no flavoring other than that. This makes it versatile and able to be used in this coffee and really any other recipe!

There are over 600 servings {or drops} and most recipes call for less than 20 so it will las you a while!

Sports Research Brand – MCT Oil {$27.00}

I use this rather than traditional coconut oil because it is virtually flavorless and is not clumpy. It is far smoother and palatable.

This, along with butter, is one of the main players in the BPC potion. I enjoy this exact product daily in my coffee and it truly has a lesser coconut taste with all the healthy fats and other essentials needed.

This exact brand is one of Amazon’s top sellers using organic coconuts. Non-GMO and gluten free. Paleo and vegan approved.

This bottle is HUGE and this recipe only calls for 1 tablespoon!

Cafè al Fresco – Sugar-Free Vanilla Syrup – 12.7 fl. oz. {$8.00}

I found the bottle pictured at my local Ollie’s Bargain Outlet for 99¢! I know not all of you have an Ollies near, but Amazon has you covered! Again, a little bit of this goes a long way.

Countryside Creamery – Aldi – Heavy Whipping Cream {$1.29}

I cannot express my love for HWC in everything, especially my coffee. When I am in need of something sweet, coffee and HWC are my go to!

This is Aldi’s brand and still my all time favorite. It is inexpensive and high quality.

[bctt tweet=”Whoa, @entirely_erika has a #bulletproofcoffee I actually enjoy! #keto Check it out” via=”no”]

A closer look at each product:

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entirely erika’s easy peasy Bullet Proof Coffee recipe:

430 calories • +42g fat • 0 protein • o carbs • 0g fiber

10 ounces of your favorite coffee

(5 cal, 0g fat, 0g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fiber)

Please remeber that this plays a large part in your coffee’s deliciousness. I personally love Starbuck’s Pike Place.

1 teaspoon (or tablespoon if you need more fat) of Kerrygold butter

(~100 cal, 8g+ of fat, 0g protein, 0g carb, 0g fiber)

1/2 Cup heavy whipping cream

(200 cal, 20g fat, 0g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fiber)

6 SweetLeaf drops

(o cal, 0g fat, 0g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fiber)

3 tablespoons sugar free vanilla syrup

(0 cal, 0g fat, 0g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fiber)

1 tablespoon MCT coconut oil

(125 cal, 14g fat, 0g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fiber)

Directions to concoct this magical drink:

Brew your coffee into the mixer cup and add butter.

This helps it melt a little faster

Mix all ingredients.

Add ice.

Shake it like a polaroid picture or the bartender in any James Bond film, or just until you feel it is totally mixed and no longer an oil slick.

Enjoy!

How simple was that?! I would love to hear how your coffee turned out! Let me know in the comments below. :}

Bullet Proof Coffee that isn’t Gross…I Promise! Let's be real, most people try Bullet Proof Coffee {BPC} and give it up after one sip.

#advice #blogger #budget #choice #choose #food #frugal #help #keto #ketogenic #love #opinion #pinterest #tips

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