 |
| Old Customs House |
A couple of days after returning from
camping, Kaleb and I went back east to spend Fourth of July week at the family beach house. The last time we saw one of Kaleb's family members was his brother back in
February 2020.
Due to the pandemic, we had five Hyatt free night certificates piled up (both of us having the
World of Hyatt credit card), so we decided to redeem them for a side trip before arriving in Baltimore. Originally, we had booked five nights in Washington, D.C., but the museums we were most interested in were not open yet. We decided to do three nights in Charleston, SC and two nights in Savannah, GA, having never visited those cities before.
To get from home to the airport, we rented a car one-way from the local Hertz, as it would be cheaper than parking the car in the airport garage for the 18 days that we'd be gone. We'd rent a car again upon our return. Uber was also an option, but it was nice to have control over our schedule since drivers can sometimes be unavailable or delayed.
Our flight to Charleston was booked using Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards points. It would be the first time using Kaleb's 2020-2021
Companion Pass (second ticket would be free plus taxes), which he earned back in April 2020, totaling 14 months of lost opportunity due to the pandemic. It expires December 31, 2021, and I don't anticipate Southwest extending the expiration like it did for 2019-2020 Companion Pass holders, so we intend to utilize it to the fullest.
Amtrak coach train tickets from Charleston to Savannah cost $15/pp, paid for by using Real Time Rewards from the
US Bank Altitude Reserve credit card. Another option would have been to rent a car to drive the 100 miles between the two cities, but due to the pandemic, rental cars in popular tourist areas were scarce and I didn't want to risk not getting one.
Uber rideshare would get us to and from airports and hotels, covered by
American Express Platinum Uber credits and US Bank Real Time Rewards. City exploration would be done by foot, as Charleston and Savannah are very walkable.
Cash price for two nights in a king room at the
Andaz Savannah was almost $600, another worthy Hyatt free night certificate redemption.
We would fly Southwest from Savannah to Baltimore using points and the companion pass. Normally, we would rent a car, but due to the shortage, Kaleb's dad would pick us up.
Let us begin...
It had been almost 18 months since Kaleb and I had traveled by air. The last flight was from Las Vegas for
New Year's 2020. It was like "home sweet home" when we got to the airport, since we had spent so much time in them the past few years. Masks were required inside the terminal and on the plane, unless you were actively eating and drinking. Everything looked the same, though the
Escape Lounge remained closed due to the pandemic. (reopened August 6 as of this writing) I did notice a new Lego vending machine:
We were in the "B" boarding group; since Kaleb had the
Southwest Priority credit card offering four free upgraded A1-A15 boarding positions per year, we used one on the connecting flight to Dallas in hopes of getting one of the coveted
2-seaters in the exit row - success! Beverage service was limited to four choices: Coke, Diet Coke, 7UP, and water. You could also ask for coffee or tea, even though it wasn't on the menu that the flight attendants were displaying.
 |
| spinach enchiladas |
At the airport in Charleston, there was clear signage directing travelers to the rideshare pick-up area. Our Uber driver wore a mask and was efficient in getting us to the hotel.
The
Hyatt House Charleston/Historic District was located on the outskirts of downtown. It was at most a 40-minute walk to get to various attractions. The studio king room had a kitchenette, living area separated by a divider with a TV that swiveled between the two sections, and large shower.
We headed out onto happening King Street. Mask-wearing was pretty much non-existent. Restaurants put tables and chairs onto the sidewalk so it was quite congested. Music was booming from plenty of venues, especially from the
Republic Garden nightclub courtyard. Unsurprisingly, there were many bachelor/bachelorette groups walking around.
After scoping out the restaurants on the street, Kaleb and I decided to step into
FishBowl for some sushi. It was tiny, with counter service provided by the chef, and only one other couple seated. The food was decent. While preparing our meal, the chef asked where we were from, then jokingly remarked why we weren't partaking in Southern fried food. After a long plane ride, we didn't think it was a good idea!
 |
| sushi and steamed bun |
For dessert, we hopped next door to
Republic Ice Cream for some satisfying mint chip and swirl custard. There was a
Jeni's a few blocks away (awesome ice cream, also sold in pints at Whole Foods), but the line was snaking down the sidewalk.
The next morning, we went downstairs to partake in Hyatt House's complimentary breakfast buffet. I didn't notice any particular precautions taken for Covid - everything looked as it did before. There were so many people at 9:30am. The kitchen couldn't replenish the eggs fast enough.
After breakfast, it was raining off and on, so we stayed in until the weather cleared. It was somewhat hot and humid as we walked around the Historic District.
 | | Marion Square |
|  | | Charleston City Market |
|
 | | inside the market |
|  | | cobblestones in front of Old Slave Mart museum |
|
|  | | houses on Rainbow Row |
|
 | | shore along Battery St |
|  | | White Point Garden |
|
 | | lots of quaint homes on Meeting St |
|  | | St Michael's Church |
|
We found a place called
Off Track that served rich ice cream made in-house from scratch. The mint chip is the best I've tasted - spearminty, like sweet Moroccan mint tea. Kaleb had the peanut butter and jelly flavor, which was delicious as well.
We explored the city some more until it was time for our 5:30pm reservation at
Anson. I specifically chose this restaurant for its elevated Southern menu. Reservations were available online at
OpenTable. We ended up ordering a bunch of appetizers for dinner, followed by pecan pie. Everything was tasty.
 |
| first people seated (upstairs dining room) |
 | | arugula salad |
|  | | she crab soup |
|
 | | fried calamari special |
|  | | broccolini |
|
 | | shrimp and grits |
|  | | pecan pie a la mode |
|
The next day after breakfast (got some eggs this time), we headed out to
Fort Sumter, where the Civil War started in April 1861. Tickets, which include a ferry ride, were purchased online the night before. The visitor center had exhibits explaining the fort's history, the events leading up to the Civil War and the aftermath. The line for the ferry formed underneath the visitor center. An attendant scanned the tickets on my smartphone.
 | | Fort Sumter visitor center |
|  | | 33-state flag |
|
 | | boarding the ferry |
|  | | ferry interior (outside was full) |
|
The upstairs museum at the back of the fort was air-conditioned, very welcoming on a humid day. Afterwards, we explored the fort's exterior.
After the ferry return ride, we went in search for lunch. Charleston is known for fresh seafood, so we decided on one of the many restaurants near the port:
Oyster House. The wait was short as it was the middle of the afternoon. We indulged in a scrumptious seafood tower as well as oyster shooters and fried oysters.
For dessert, we visited
Off Track again. Too bad the mint chip ice cream was sold out! We ended up having chocolate fudgy brownie and salted chocolate covered pretzel.
Monday was our last day in Charleston. Our train to Savannah was departing at 7:19pm. Plans were to visit the
Old Slave Mart museum, but it was raining all day due to Tropical Storm Danny, so we stayed in. Check-out time was 2pm, thanks to having
Explorist status with Hyatt. After vacating the room, we stored our bags with the front desk, then dashed across the street to
Fuji Sushi (Upper King) for a late lunch.
It was still raining when we finished our meal. We dashed back to the hotel and entertained ourselves with wi-fi until it was time to catch an Uber to the
North Charleston Amtrak station. The station was clean and airy, hardly anyone in it.
 |
| vending machines and microwave |
Our train ended up being delayed for over an hour and half, but at least it arrived. Masks were required inside the station as well as on the train.
We're finally on our way to Savannah, Georgia...stay tuned to hear more!
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Another disclaimer: The intention of this blog was to remind Future Me in full detail about where I went and what I did. I could have made it private, but I frequently get questions from family, friends and internet folks about how I planned things, got deals, etc., so instead of repeating the story over and over, I direct them here. If you are offended by anything I say or do, save yourself the discomfort and kindly click away from my blog. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!
