Charleston – Page 2

A few weeks ago, our kids were playing in the waves and having the time of their lives. I remember thinking and telling Judd, “This is where we’re supposed to be! This our place!” He said back, “I know! We actually did it.” #allthetears We have officially lived in Charleston for over a year so, I think it’s time to finally write about how we feel about living in the South…the good and the bad!!

Just a little back story in case you haven’t been reading my blog for very long. I was born and raised in Ohio where my husband was also raised. We are high school sweethearts but our goal has always been to move south because we wanted to escape the long Ohio winters and be closer to the beach! In 2018, we finally had the opportunity and we jumped at it! Were we nervous? YES! Did we question this decision? YES, a million times! Are there things that were hard for us to adjust to in the South or things we’d change? Absolutely! But overall, it was worth it…here is everything we’ve learned.

The Good

There are SOOO many reasons why we love the South and it trumps all the reasons we don’t “LOVE”.

The Beaches

Need I say more? We are surrounded by beautiful beaches! Need I say more? Our plan is actually to move closer to the beach before the kiddos start school.

Weather

Besides July-August, the temperature here is perfect!!

Southern Hospitality

The people in Ohio are great but southern hospitality is huge here and everyone is helpful and very friendly!!

The Food

Oh, the food! Some of the best seafood in the world + southern cooking = perfection

The City

Charleston, I just love you! You have everything we need to be entertained.

Family Friendly

It’s a great place to raise a family! There is so much to do here and the people are wonderful!!

This is from July 2017, we had just moved to Charleston! Isn’t it crazy how much Camden and Ella have changed?

Job Situation

Another reason why this town is great for us, is they have an Air Force Base. I spent 10 years working as a civilian for the Air Force in Ohio and when my kids go back to school, I plan to go back! Not every city has a base so I’m very thankful we have one here!

The Bad

The Cost

Overall the cost of living in Ohio (I’m using this because this is where we’re from and what we’re used to) compared to South Carolina is very different. The house prices are a little more, our car insurance is almost 3x what it was, our grocery bill is more than double, and basically everything is a LOT more expensive.

We Miss Our Family and Friends

We’re pretty blessed to have parents that are retired so we get to see them a lot but we really wish they’d move down here or buy a second place. It’s hard not having much help with the kids. My aunt and uncle (JoeJoe and Sassy) also visit once or twice a year which really helps feel connected with family.

No Help

This goes along with our family not living here. Raising twin toddlers without any help isn’t easy, we definitely miss out on things because of this.

Traffic

Traffic in Charleston is horrendous! We knew this before moving here but it’s part of living in a popular city that people want to live in and vacation to.

The Grass

Ok, I know this sounds crazy but we grew up with green and soft grass in Ohio. South Carolina grass is just crunchy!

Basically, we love it here and are blessed to call Charleston home!

Y’all, I am so blessed to call Charleston home, not only is it absolutely beautiful but there is so much to do! Now that we’ve finally gotten settled in our new home, we’ve had a lot of time to explore Charleston with our kiddos! I decided to share the Top 10 Things to Do in Charleston with Toddlers! Whether you live in Charleston or are coming for vacation, there is a lot to do in this city with toddlers! Here are my Top 10…

South Carolina Aquarium– We had the best day spent here! The South Carolina Aquarium is beautiful and has a ton of exhibits for all ages. Camden and Ella loved looking at all the “fishies”. They even have several areas where you can touch the stingrays and starfish. We went behind the scenes and learned about how they manage the day to day operations, it was absolutely incredible how they take care of everything. The staff was so kind, patient, and informative. I can’t say enough good things.
Rolly Pollies of Summerville– This place is SO fun! We’ve been here twice so far and participated in the Bumblebees and Butterflies combo class and loved it! The class consists of singing, dancing, climbing, and gymnastics. The staff was so patient with all of the kids and every kid that I saw loved it! Not only is this place great for kids, it’s great for parents to get out of the house and interact with other parents! They also have open gym time, a preschool, parent’s night out, and many other special events. We will be signing our kiddos up for more classes in the future.
Outslide In– This is a new AMAZING 7,000 square foot indoor play place in the Citadel Mall. Camden and Ella had an absolute blast here! They even cried when we had to leave. They designed this place perfectly, it features a giant play structure with 4 slides, 3 party rooms, a toddler area, and a mini city for imagination play! They even have a cafe with WIFI and lounge that serves coffee, snacks, beer, and wine. My kids loved every part. Trust me, your kids will LOVE this place! I have to mention how clean it was! I was amazed. I usually cringe at play places but it was SPOTLESS! I can’t wait to go back.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens– Talk about one of the prettiest places, I’ve ever seen! We took the kids in their stroller and walked around for a few hours. We all loved it, there is so much to see. We took the Rice Field Boat Tour and saw a bunch of HUGE alligators, did the self-guided tour around the Swamp Garden- talk about beautiful, and just walked around the rest of the plantation. This is definitely a place we will be taking our family to when they visit.
Palmetto Carriage Ride– We took a carriage ride in downtown Charleston one evening and then got dinner afterwards, talk about the perfect evening! The carriage ride was so fun. Camden and Ella were completely entertained by the horses and looking at everything from the carriage and Judd and I got an informative and entertaining tour of Charleston. We will be encouraging all of our family and friends who visit to take a carriage ride, it was so fun for all ages!
Isle of Palms County Park– Both Camden and Ella LOVE the beach and this beach is very child friendly. They have parking, playground, bathrooms, food/drinks, and even a playground. Depending on the time of the year, you can also rent umbrellas and chairs. Plus, can’t ever go wrong with the beach, right?
Explore Downtown Charleston– This is MY FAVORITE thing to do in Charleston. I could walk the streets of Charleston for hours and hours. There are markets, shops, restaurants, parks, beautiful houses, paths along the water… you name it, we have it! We love to drive here to just walk around all the beautiful streets, shop, as well as eat seafood! Camden and Ella specifically love Waterfront Park, there is so much to see and there is a fountain they love to play at and there are also swings in the park. You can’t go wrong with visiting downtown Charleston!
Folly Beach County Park– This is probably my favorite beach in Charleston! It’s beautiful and has such a fun vibe. We park at the park because there are bathrooms but parking is easy to find up and down the beach. There are also umbrellas and chairs to rent depending on the season.
Historic Downtown Summerville– I love that I can call Summerville our home, it has such personality! The downtown is the absolute cutest! We love taking the kiddos “downtown” to walk around, visit the market on Saturday morning, or try a new place to eat.
Gahagan Park’s Plantation Playground– Talk about a fun playground for all ages in Summerville! There is so much to do and a lot of the park is in the shade- score! There are also tons of places to sit and they have restrooms right there.