Wild Dunes Resort - August 2010
Isle of Palms, SC
Unfortunately, I didn't write too much about this trip after it happened. Greg and I had a rough summer and this trip was fun and eventful but was really a way for us to refresh our minds and get back to being ourselves.
We drove from Boston stopping at some of our favorite places:Lone Star Barbecue & Mercantile 2212 State Park Road, Santee, SC
Pee Dee State Farmers 2513 West Lucas Street, Florence, SC 29501
We stayed at the Wild Dunes Resort on Isle of Palms, SC. Here is the review I wrote at the time
We truly enjoyed our stay at Wild Dunes however a few adjustments could make this hotel 5 stars!
The Good:
- Amazing Beach; powder soft sand, 80 degree water, wide beach that goes on for miles. Great for seashell hunting especially sanddollars in the A.M.
- Great location; Isle of palms is beautiful, convenient to Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, and Sullivans Island.
- Nice Hotel rooms; roomy, well laid out, and clean
- Yummy Restaurants; The Lettered Olive was good both buffet and a la carte, Deli great for breakfast, Sand Bar good fish tacos.
The Bad:
- Front Desk Staff; very inexperienced (with one exception - there was one woman working who was always having to help out everyone else), couldn't problem solve, and understaffed. For instance our reservation was in two parts because we booked an extra night. I called and had it noted that we would like to be able to stay in the same room and not check out and check back in. The gentleman helping us overlooked the notes and my questions until finally he gave me our cards and I wouldn't give up about the next days reservations he first told me "check back in the a.m. to see if you would need to be checking out or not" this was unacceptable and finally he agreed to speak to a manager but he would have to call me at a later time with an answer. A while later he called and told us we were all set and just needed to pick up our additional paperwork. He then explained that the other staff showed him how to adjust our reservation in the system.
- Staffing; almost everyone in the restaurants and the bars seemed to be hard workers however they were always understaffed. For instance at the beach they have 40 or so "beach units" (umbrellas and chairs for rent) those that rent the units get beach bar service. For 40 units they had 1 waitress handling all requests. The poor girl would go up the beach taking orders, down the beach taking orders, back up to the bar, and repeat.
- Service; It always seemed that we were waiting on the staff members to help us whether at the beach, bars, restaurants, concierge, etc. We travel often at resorts, cruises, etc. and have never had to wait as long as we did for staff to assist us. The only area that always ran smoothly was the valet and bell service.
We drove from Boston stopping at some of our favorite places:Lone Star Barbecue & Mercantile 2212 State Park Road, Santee, SC
Pee Dee State Farmers 2513 West Lucas Street, Florence, SC 29501
We stayed at the Wild Dunes Resort on Isle of Palms, SC. Here is the review I wrote at the time
We truly enjoyed our stay at Wild Dunes however a few adjustments could make this hotel 5 stars!
The Good:
- Amazing Beach; powder soft sand, 80 degree water, wide beach that goes on for miles. Great for seashell hunting especially sanddollars in the A.M.
- Great location; Isle of palms is beautiful, convenient to Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, and Sullivans Island.
- Nice Hotel rooms; roomy, well laid out, and clean
- Yummy Restaurants; The Lettered Olive was good both buffet and a la carte, Deli great for breakfast, Sand Bar good fish tacos.
The Bad:
- Front Desk Staff; very inexperienced (with one exception - there was one woman working who was always having to help out everyone else), couldn't problem solve, and understaffed. For instance our reservation was in two parts because we booked an extra night. I called and had it noted that we would like to be able to stay in the same room and not check out and check back in. The gentleman helping us overlooked the notes and my questions until finally he gave me our cards and I wouldn't give up about the next days reservations he first told me "check back in the a.m. to see if you would need to be checking out or not" this was unacceptable and finally he agreed to speak to a manager but he would have to call me at a later time with an answer. A while later he called and told us we were all set and just needed to pick up our additional paperwork. He then explained that the other staff showed him how to adjust our reservation in the system.
- Staffing; almost everyone in the restaurants and the bars seemed to be hard workers however they were always understaffed. For instance at the beach they have 40 or so "beach units" (umbrellas and chairs for rent) those that rent the units get beach bar service. For 40 units they had 1 waitress handling all requests. The poor girl would go up the beach taking orders, down the beach taking orders, back up to the bar, and repeat.
- Service; It always seemed that we were waiting on the staff members to help us whether at the beach, bars, restaurants, concierge, etc. We travel often at resorts, cruises, etc. and have never had to wait as long as we did for staff to assist us. The only area that always ran smoothly was the valet and bell service.
French Quarter Inn
166 Church Street Charleston, SC 29401
Greg and I ventured on up to Charleston, SC. Just like the rest of the trip it began to downpour when we all got into our cars and headed north. We decided to try the scenic route taking US17. I'm sure normally it's a beautiful drive however we weren't able to see much nor really stop as the rain was horrible.
We arrived in Charleston just as the rain was slowing down so we decided to head right over to lunch. This was our second visit to Poogans Porch. We had no trouble getting seated during the busy lunch hours. The staff was friendly and welcoming. We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch of fried green tomatoes, spinach salad with friend shrimp, and the oyster po'boy.
It had been a tough debate for us in regards to a hotel. We kept going back and forth between the Harbourview Inn, French Quarter Inn, and Market Pavilion. We finally decided to stay at the French Quarter Inn and we are happy that we did so.
We were a little to early for check in but the staff helped us with our luggage and took down our information so we would be able to come back to the hotel and just pick up our keys. After walking around and shopping for a bit we headed back to the hotel. When we walked into the hotel the valet informed us that our luggage was already waiting for us in our room. Then the front desk staff handed us our keys and told us a little about our room. We were not offered the champagne and lady fingers at check in - I believe because it was 15 min. before 3 p.m. (I have a feeling they are very set to their schedule). However, the service at French Quarter Inn still can't be beat. We entered our room and realized we had been upgraded to a Business Suite. Our room had a large bathroom, King size bed, armour, small table and chairs, computer desk with a computer, and an oversize balcony. We loved it!! The hotel offers guests refreshments throughout the day. On the 1st floor you can get hot and/or cold coffee and tea plus sweets. One the other floors there is a hot tea and coffee station. In the evenings the hotel sets up a wine and cheese reception. We had our breakfast delivered to our room and it was delicious. We ordered coffee, fresh fruit, and pastries (chocolate croissants, apple fritter, croissants).
During our stay in Charleston we visited the Art District, the Historic District, the Shopping District, and the waterfront. Don't forget to shop at the City Market. Quick tip - visit the market on multiple days. The artisans do work different days so the merchandise changes. We weren't aware of this and so we missed out on purchasing art from a favorite vendor of ours (we assumed she was no longer there). On a previous trip we had stayed out on the Isle of Palms and enjoyed the beach and Charleston. With this trip we wanted to focus on the city itself and really find all the gems.
Here are a few reviews of where we ate:
High Cotton Maverick Bar & Grill: The restaurant was just a quick walk from our hotel and upon entering we only had a minute wait (we did have a reservation). The attire is business casual and the atmosphere was cozy. We dined on the Pea Shoot and Arugula Salad, I had the vegetable plate (normally I wouldn't have been happy with a mixing of sides for a vegetarian option but this was beyond tasty), and my husband enjoyed the swordfish. During dinner we also got a show. Someone set fire to one of the barrels on E Bay Street, and one of the city workers did put it out but not before the fire department had been called. Definitely made for an interesting dinner.
Gin Joint: Went to The Gin Joint for a pre-dinner drink. We loved the atmosphere, the staff, and of course the drinks. I enjoyed a Julep No 1 and my husband enjoyed Bittered Holland Sling.
Amen Street Raw Bar: We decided to change things up for dinner and cancel our reservations for something more casual. When we were greeted at the restaurant we were told it was a 45 minute wait however we could eat at the bar. The bar was fine for us however the service was a little slower than it should have been. We dined on Mussels (the kitchen apparently ran into some trouble serving these as we waited a half hour) that were delicious. Tuna Carpaccio and two kinds of Oysters.
Our plan was to take two days driving back home however we got a bit antsy and started missing our boys (Bucket - beagle, and Fred - shorkie). So we made the 18 hour trip home in one day. Of course we had to make some of our favorites stops though. We first stopped at the Young Plantations Outlet for some South Carolina Treats. Our second stop was at the Pee Dee State Farmers Market in Florence SC. It's a must to stop here for some Sweet Potatoes, Boiled Peanuts and either Strawberries and Peaches when in season!
After an annoying traffic mess in New Jersey we finally pulled into our driveway at 3 in the morning. We brought a few items into the house and crawled right into bed and couldn't wait to wake up and see our boys (Thanks to "grandma and grandpa" bring them up to us).
We arrived in Charleston just as the rain was slowing down so we decided to head right over to lunch. This was our second visit to Poogans Porch. We had no trouble getting seated during the busy lunch hours. The staff was friendly and welcoming. We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch of fried green tomatoes, spinach salad with friend shrimp, and the oyster po'boy.
It had been a tough debate for us in regards to a hotel. We kept going back and forth between the Harbourview Inn, French Quarter Inn, and Market Pavilion. We finally decided to stay at the French Quarter Inn and we are happy that we did so.
We were a little to early for check in but the staff helped us with our luggage and took down our information so we would be able to come back to the hotel and just pick up our keys. After walking around and shopping for a bit we headed back to the hotel. When we walked into the hotel the valet informed us that our luggage was already waiting for us in our room. Then the front desk staff handed us our keys and told us a little about our room. We were not offered the champagne and lady fingers at check in - I believe because it was 15 min. before 3 p.m. (I have a feeling they are very set to their schedule). However, the service at French Quarter Inn still can't be beat. We entered our room and realized we had been upgraded to a Business Suite. Our room had a large bathroom, King size bed, armour, small table and chairs, computer desk with a computer, and an oversize balcony. We loved it!! The hotel offers guests refreshments throughout the day. On the 1st floor you can get hot and/or cold coffee and tea plus sweets. One the other floors there is a hot tea and coffee station. In the evenings the hotel sets up a wine and cheese reception. We had our breakfast delivered to our room and it was delicious. We ordered coffee, fresh fruit, and pastries (chocolate croissants, apple fritter, croissants).
During our stay in Charleston we visited the Art District, the Historic District, the Shopping District, and the waterfront. Don't forget to shop at the City Market. Quick tip - visit the market on multiple days. The artisans do work different days so the merchandise changes. We weren't aware of this and so we missed out on purchasing art from a favorite vendor of ours (we assumed she was no longer there). On a previous trip we had stayed out on the Isle of Palms and enjoyed the beach and Charleston. With this trip we wanted to focus on the city itself and really find all the gems.
Here are a few reviews of where we ate:
High Cotton Maverick Bar & Grill: The restaurant was just a quick walk from our hotel and upon entering we only had a minute wait (we did have a reservation). The attire is business casual and the atmosphere was cozy. We dined on the Pea Shoot and Arugula Salad, I had the vegetable plate (normally I wouldn't have been happy with a mixing of sides for a vegetarian option but this was beyond tasty), and my husband enjoyed the swordfish. During dinner we also got a show. Someone set fire to one of the barrels on E Bay Street, and one of the city workers did put it out but not before the fire department had been called. Definitely made for an interesting dinner.
Gin Joint: Went to The Gin Joint for a pre-dinner drink. We loved the atmosphere, the staff, and of course the drinks. I enjoyed a Julep No 1 and my husband enjoyed Bittered Holland Sling.
Amen Street Raw Bar: We decided to change things up for dinner and cancel our reservations for something more casual. When we were greeted at the restaurant we were told it was a 45 minute wait however we could eat at the bar. The bar was fine for us however the service was a little slower than it should have been. We dined on Mussels (the kitchen apparently ran into some trouble serving these as we waited a half hour) that were delicious. Tuna Carpaccio and two kinds of Oysters.
Our plan was to take two days driving back home however we got a bit antsy and started missing our boys (Bucket - beagle, and Fred - shorkie). So we made the 18 hour trip home in one day. Of course we had to make some of our favorites stops though. We first stopped at the Young Plantations Outlet for some South Carolina Treats. Our second stop was at the Pee Dee State Farmers Market in Florence SC. It's a must to stop here for some Sweet Potatoes, Boiled Peanuts and either Strawberries and Peaches when in season!
After an annoying traffic mess in New Jersey we finally pulled into our driveway at 3 in the morning. We brought a few items into the house and crawled right into bed and couldn't wait to wake up and see our boys (Thanks to "grandma and grandpa" bring them up to us).
Holiday Inn Express
3440 West Radio Dr Florence, South Carolina 29501
When we were planning this road trip we were bringing my 10 year old cousin with us. We knew that, with all of the stops we wanted to make, we would be spending very little time in hotel rooms. With all of that in mind we booked more family friendly, economical, and roomier hotel rooms.
The Holiday Inn Express feels like a newer hotel on the outside and inside. Our check in was average and we were given a room on the 3rd floor. The elevators at the hotel are very slow with the one on the right hand side being the slowest.
We walked into our room and could only turn on one light. As we fumbled around in the dark we realized all the other lights were unplugged. After finding the wall plugs, we had light in the room. Our room was a 2 queen bed, with tv, fridge, table, coffee maker, and large bathroom. The downside to this room was the bathroom wasn't very clean. The toilet seat wasn't washed properly and there was hair left in the shower. Knowing that it was late and there wouldn't be any maid staff at the hotel we just cleaned it ourselves.
Breakfast was included in our rate so the next morning we headed downstairs before leaving. The hotel offers coffee, orange juice, passionfruit juice, eggs, sausages, biscuits and gravy, breads, pancakes, and delicious cinnamon rolls. Breakfast was good except, although the fact people don't have consideration for others made is difficult to enjoy. One family allowed their kids to cough and sneeze all over the place without covering their mouths, another family kept switching tables, and yet another family had a daughter whohad some food out of her mouth while she was eating and then proceeded to leave it on the table. Yuck!
Overall the hotel was acceptable.
The Holiday Inn Express feels like a newer hotel on the outside and inside. Our check in was average and we were given a room on the 3rd floor. The elevators at the hotel are very slow with the one on the right hand side being the slowest.
We walked into our room and could only turn on one light. As we fumbled around in the dark we realized all the other lights were unplugged. After finding the wall plugs, we had light in the room. Our room was a 2 queen bed, with tv, fridge, table, coffee maker, and large bathroom. The downside to this room was the bathroom wasn't very clean. The toilet seat wasn't washed properly and there was hair left in the shower. Knowing that it was late and there wouldn't be any maid staff at the hotel we just cleaned it ourselves.
Breakfast was included in our rate so the next morning we headed downstairs before leaving. The hotel offers coffee, orange juice, passionfruit juice, eggs, sausages, biscuits and gravy, breads, pancakes, and delicious cinnamon rolls. Breakfast was good except, although the fact people don't have consideration for others made is difficult to enjoy. One family allowed their kids to cough and sneeze all over the place without covering their mouths, another family kept switching tables, and yet another family had a daughter whohad some food out of her mouth while she was eating and then proceeded to leave it on the table. Yuck!
Overall the hotel was acceptable.
***Sweatman's BBQ
1427 Eutaw Rd Holly Hill, SC 29059
We have been fortunate to dine at Sweatman's BBQ on two separate occasions. Each time we visit we go out of our way by at least half an hour. When we are finished we always say it was worth it.
On this trip we went to the take out area on the right side of the house. The staff smiling and as friendly as always took our order. We asked for 2 large pork plates, a sweet tea, and a banana pudding. The large pork plates come with tender bbq pork smothered with a mustard base sauce, pork hash (pork in a tomato based sauce over rice), a fresh pork cracklin (pork rind), a few pickles, coleslaw, and a slice of white bread. The sweet tea happened to be Luzianne tea (a favorite of mine). The banana pudding was good and not overly sweet.
If you happen to be driving along I95 in South Carolina it's worth a stop for country atmosphere and friendly people, and delicious bar-b-que.
On this trip we went to the take out area on the right side of the house. The staff smiling and as friendly as always took our order. We asked for 2 large pork plates, a sweet tea, and a banana pudding. The large pork plates come with tender bbq pork smothered with a mustard base sauce, pork hash (pork in a tomato based sauce over rice), a fresh pork cracklin (pork rind), a few pickles, coleslaw, and a slice of white bread. The sweet tea happened to be Luzianne tea (a favorite of mine). The banana pudding was good and not overly sweet.
If you happen to be driving along I95 in South Carolina it's worth a stop for country atmosphere and friendly people, and delicious bar-b-que.
**** Lone Star Barbecue & Mercantile
2212 State Park Road, Santee, SC
Every road trip south of Massachusetts since 2010
We have visited Lone Star Barbecue several times and have always enjoyed ourselves. This year we went with friends and none of us could come up with one bad comment. The restaurant is good for meat eaters and vegetarians. Lone Star offers several types of meat, lots of hot vegetable dishes, cold salads, and desserts. Don't forget to have the Banana Pudding!
We have visited Lone Star Barbecue several times and have always enjoyed ourselves. This year we went with friends and none of us could come up with one bad comment. The restaurant is good for meat eaters and vegetarians. Lone Star offers several types of meat, lots of hot vegetable dishes, cold salads, and desserts. Don't forget to have the Banana Pudding!
***** Gin Joint182 E Bay St, Charleston, SC 29401-2123
March 2011
Went to The Gin Joint for a pre-dinner drink. We loved the atmosphere, the staff, and of course the drinks. I enjoyed a Julep No 1 and my husband enjoyed Bittered Holland Sling.
Went to The Gin Joint for a pre-dinner drink. We loved the atmosphere, the staff, and of course the drinks. I enjoyed a Julep No 1 and my husband enjoyed Bittered Holland Sling.
***** High Cotton Maverick Bar & Grill199 E Bay St, Charleston, SC 29401-2605
March 2011Both my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our dinner at High Cotton. The restaurant was just a quick walk from our hotel and upon entering we only had a minute wait (we did have a reservation). The attire is business casual and the atmosphere was cozy. We dined on the Pea Shoot and Arugula Salad, I had the vegetable plate (normally I wouldn't have been happy with a mixing of sides for a vegetarian option but this was beyond tasty), and my husband enjoyed the swordfish.
During dinner we also got a show. Someone set fire to one of the barrels on E Bay Street, and one of the city workers did put it out but not before the fire department had been called. Definitely made for an interesting dinner.
During dinner we also got a show. Someone set fire to one of the barrels on E Bay Street, and one of the city workers did put it out but not before the fire department had been called. Definitely made for an interesting dinner.
**** Poogan's Porch72 Queen St, Charleston, SC 29401-2220
March 2011This was our 2nd visit to Poogans Porch. We had no trouble getting seated during the busy lunch hours. The staff was friendly and welcoming.
We enjoyed the Fried Green Tomatoes, spinach salad with friend shrimp, and the oyster po'boy.
We enjoyed the Fried Green Tomatoes, spinach salad with friend shrimp, and the oyster po'boy.
