June is here! I’m not a Summer weather person, but with Summer comes the opportunity to travel—though, this year, our plans looked a little different thanks to the new family member on the way! Normally our family spends some time in Türkiye over the summer, but my very pregnant self couldn’t travel that far out. Also, we actually were planning a pretty big Europe trip for this Summer before we found out about the baby. Then, we considered going up to Canada instead, but my doctor didn’t feel comfortable with me going only a month out from my due date.
Still, as you can see, we were able to get out of the house for a babymoon! We went to some of our favorite cities along the Southern Coast: Charleston, St. Simons Island, St. Augustine, and St. Petersburg. We spent plenty of time at the beach—my husband and son love the ocean—but this time, I couldn’t swim with them. I couldn’t fit into my swimsuit, haha! Still, I enjoyed watching them take a dip in the water and walking along the sandy shore.
I still like to stay active and keep my body moving during the day, usually in the form of a morning walk. I’ve mentioned before how a morning walk is always better with beautiful views, and this trip was no different. Every city was gorgeous, but Charleston is one of my favorites to walk around because of its colorful old buildings. I wake up—and sometimes, my husband and son do, too—early enough to see the streets while everyone else sleeps, and also to avoid the intense heat!
Whenever we travel, I like to stay at hotels in historic buildings or areas if possible. I find the vintage architecture so beautiful and relaxing, and you get to experience the character of each individual city.
In Charleston, we stayed at the HarbourView Inn, which is conveniently located right in downtown Charleston! True to its name, it is close to the water and has a clear view of the harbor and ocean.
St. Simons Island, off the coast of Georgia, is a location we consider an underrated gem. We stayed at Ocean Lodge, which has been one of our favorite resorts for its European style and great service. However, this time we were disappointed by the service! Normally it’s much better, but our experience this time was not as good.
Thankfully, our hotel in St. Augustine was much better. The Casa Monica Resort is conveniently located like the one in Charleston, and furthermore, the building was built in 1888! The historic charm definitely shines through in this one.
The last, and perhaps the best, was the Vinoy in St. Petersburg. The building is a lovely shade of pink, with arches overlooking an ocean view. The food here was delicious, and they even have a cafe with coffee and pastries (which we loved).
Where we stayed:
HarbourView Inn (Charleston)
Ocean Lodge (St. Simons Island)
Casa Monica (St. Augustine)
Vinoy (St. Petersburg)
As always, we ate so much good food on our travels, from dinner to pastries and sweets. It’s difficult to narrow it down, but here were our favorites for every city:
Wild Olive — Our Charleston go-to (some of you may recognize I’ve mentioned it before!), and we’ve tried nearly every pasta on the menu here! We were so full, which usually happens here.
Georgia Sea Grill — In St. Simons. Make sure to get a reservation! The service is always great, and we love the live piano. Everything is delicious, but our favorite was the crab hush puppies and the crème brûlée, so make sure to leave room for dessert!
Lotus Noodle Bar (pictured) — A small, intimate location in St. Augustine. I loved how we could watch them prepare the ramen, and even the chef came around to see if everyone liked the food (which we did!)
Paciugo (pictured) — A gelato place in St. Petersburg with an extensive list of flavors. We stopped here many times, we couldn’t resist! I loved the fruity flavors like the strawberry and coconut mango. My husband’s favorite, as always, was the pistachio.
Pia’s Trattoria (pictured) — This Italian restaurant in St. Petersburg is great for its calamari and live music, but especially its atmosphere. It feels cozy and effortlessly Italian!
Our go-to dinner spots:
Wild Olive
Georgia Sea Grill
Pia’s Trattoria
All in all, a tasty trip indeed.
I hope you all enjoy the summer season and get some time to travel! Though, whenever plans change, you can always bring a taste of vacation into your home kitchen. I’m grateful I was able to savor a bit of time away before the baby arrives. Now that I’m back from vacation, I’m feeling refreshed and back to baseline, so to speak!
Until next time,
