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While we were successful at the Gaming Resort (breaking even is about as good as it gets for us), we knew that an early morning would be needed to stay on course. Our next destination, Charleston, South Carolina, was several hours away and would take up a large portion of our day. With that being said, an alarm was set for 5am, and we were back on route 95 south by 5:30am.

Charleston, South Carolina

The Hotel that Never Was

Having never been to Charleston, I was assuming the city was like all the pictures. Horse drawn carriages, historic bars and restaurants, a beautiful ocean front. In reality, that is true in the actual town, but not 5 miles away from there. My wife and I pulled up to a hotel that was essentially next to a sketchy strip mall, and realized that there was probably a reason this hotel was $70 when the rest of our trip pretty much tripled that. We decided to pivot and book our stay at this place called the Ansonborough.

The Ansonborough, Historic South Carolina Landmark

This mistake had become a blessing in disguise. This building had a mansion-esque feel to it (which I would not really know how to quantify) and was very eye-catching. When we arrived, the front desk informed us that this hotel was actually a prize from a card game in the 1700’s. Whether that was true or not, I am not sure, but it still is cool to think about. When we checked in, we received a poker chip. This chip was not only symbolic of the alleged victory, but also worth one free drink at the hotel bar.

Horses and Beer

The streets of historic Charleston, South Carolina were flooded with, well, horses and beer. You could pay to take a tour of the city in a carriage pulled by horses, which seems like a cool thing to do if you wanted to see all of the hot spots. We stopped at a bar called Henry’s, which is the oldest bar in the entire state of South Carolina.

After managing to have a drink or two, we began wandering around the markets and craft stands throughout the town. We then decided it was time to head down to our seafood dinner reservation at Fleet Landing.

Fleet Landing: A Great Night on the Charleston Harbor

I am not a big seafood person, but when on the coast sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. This place, right on the water was the perfect embodiement of what I now envision Charleston as Seafood towers, Flounder Pounder Pilsners, and a great view of the ocean certainly left a lasting impression.

I really love that can that this beer came in, if I ever go down there again I think I may have to give it another try. The food was delicious, and my wife demanded calamari fingers. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do.

After wandering through the parks near historic downtown Charleston for a while, we decided to pack it in for the night. An early morning trek to Atlanta, Georgia was just hours away.

To the Keys and Back: Thousands of Miles and Memories Part 1 – The Sports Buss Daily