Weekend in Beaufort, SC

9 April 2015

As most of you know, John is the travel planning guru in our family. He does most of the legwork on our trips, as I prefer to be surprised when I show up to our destination! So when he suggested Beaufort, SC when we needed a one-night stay close to Bluffton two years ago, I was game, but didn’t really know what was in store. I think it’s fair to say that we were both blown away by this quiet Southern town – it captured us in a way few other places have. We’ve been eager to return ever since, and this past weekend, we got the chance to!

spanish-moss

Beaufort is not Charleston or Savannah – it’s much smaller than both. I think I love it because it seems like a place people lead normal lives – but in a beautiful, idyllic way! The streets are quiet and draped in Spanish moss. The houses are absolutely gorgeous but have people puttering in the lawns or sitting on their front porches. When we ate dinner in the bar of a local restaurant one night, it seemed like everyone knew each other. For any Hart of Dixie fans out there, Beaufort really reminds me of Bluebell – except with slightly weaker accents :)

city-loft-balcony

Like last time, we stayed at City Loft Hotel, and continue to be huge fans of the way the owners have transformed an outdated roadside motel into a chic boutique motel! You can read my much more thorough review of CLH here.

striped-porch-ceiling

After checking in, we immediately hopped on City Loft’s complimentary cruisers and pedaled toward the Point, the beautiful historic district right next to downtown. I was in my happy place – there are few activities I enjoy more than biking or walking around an old neighborhood with John at my side. We even chatted up a few of the residents!

spanish-moss-and-oaks

the-notebook-mansion

beaufort-the-point

I could go on and on…

spanish-moss-streets

beaufort-neighborhood

cruiser-bike

…but I will stop there! Aside from biking, we also ate some delicious food. We had lunch in Bluffton, which is between Savannah and Beaufort, at The Cottage. It was good; any place that serves free pimento cheese to start is a-okay in my book. Dinner was at Breakwater Restaurant, right next to CLH. We ate at the bar (celebrating after Duke’s Final Four win!) and I think it was the best meal of our trip. Highly recommended! Finally, we had Easter brunch at Wren. Charming decor and yummy food. We didn’t make it to my store crush, Lowcountry Produce, for a meal, but I couldn’t resist popping in for a quick visit!

the-cottage-bluffton

Easter was celebrated at First Baptist Beaufort. I will admit I lingered on the front steps after the service, trying to soak in the conversations of the locals around me, imagining what their lives were like! Hopefully that’s not too creepy :)

first-baptist-beaufort

easter-flower-cross

We are now engaged in an active campaign to get John’s parents to retire in Beaufort, at least for the winter. Fingers crossed!

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April 9, 2015 7:39 am

Wow, the houses are BEAUTIFUL there. Jaw dropping!

April 9, 2015 10:05 am

One of my friends just moved to Beaufort, so it’s so fun seeing your pictures! I’ve always visited Charleston, but Beaufort is quickly becoming a must-see thanks to your photos. It looks like you enjoyed a wonderful stay.

April 10, 2015 12:32 pm

I’ve always dreamed of going to Charleston, but now Beaufort is on my list! I loved seeing your pictures! X

April 11, 2015 9:32 am

How Jolly! I feel much better about my life knowing that I’m not the only Hart of Dixie fan out there.. the acting/storyline is awful more often than not, but it has a charm that keeps bringing me back! Haha!

April 13, 2015 9:45 am

What an enchanting town! I love the Spanich moss and would love to travel to the South of the US some day to see these places for myself. In the meantime, I am enjoying your posts :-)

April 15, 2015 8:39 am

I’ve only been to Beaufort, NC (also gorgeous), and Beaufort, SC is on my travel bucket list! I have a huge thing for Spanish moss, and it’s such a dreamy, quaint, charming town. I’ll be in Charleston in August.. a visit here is possible!

Rachel
April 16, 2015 9:36 pm

Oh yay! I’m so glad our little town still held its charm for y’all! And the accents are softer because so many of us came from other places!

So funny to see y’all enjoying the same things we love. A bike ride around The Point is one of our favorite ways to spend a calm weekend afternoon when we’re lucky enough to get those. And Breakwater is one of our favorite restaurants. Next time y’all will have to hit up Old Bull Tavern! Maybe we’ll bump into each other next time :)