Charelston Archives - 2 Cats and Chloe

A Charleston Must: Morris Island!

August 14, 2014 by Susan 1 Comment

Remember that time, last week, when my mom and sister randomly decided they were going to road trip down to Charleston and they called, begging me to join them? Willingly opting to spend 7ish hours in the car with your mom and sister can be a tough decision… so after a little pondering I agreed to join them, but on these three conditions:

1. Chloe could come along.

2. While glamping, there would be AC in the camper. {read about that hotness here.}

3. We had to go to Morris Island with Captain Howie of Adventure Harbor Tours.

Honestly, I was going to go one way or another. I just needed a few items to leverage. Who in their right mind would turn down a trip to Charleston, South Carolina anyway?

I immediately booked our morning on Morris Island with Adventure Harbor Tours. In doing more research, I also realized that this was the only beach in the Charleston area that allows dogs to run around, foot loose and fancy free. SOLD!

My mom was quite enamored with the awesome pontoon boat we rode out to the island. She said numerous times that she had boat envy and that the pontoon ride was her favorite part of our entire mini-vacay. {My family has a slight obsession with boats and campers… It’s the closest we will ever get to being pirates. And I’m okay with that.}

We spent about 2ish hours on Morris Island. Personally, I could’ve stayed all day and been a happy girl. Chloe {the border collie} on the other hand, who is used to swimming in our freshwater river, she learned REAL QUICK that she couldn’t drink sea water. Somewhere on that island is a buried treasure {or two} that no one really wants to find.

Speaking of treasures - if you like seashells {heck, even if you don’t} you will like what you find on Morris Island. I found two Sand Dollars, a Whelk, several sharks teeth, and a trillion other shells. The last time I went {three years prior} we found a giant shark’s tooth and even some starfish {that were alive so we didn’t keep them!}

Below is the pictures we took 3 years ago after I “we” found this huge shark’s tooth on Morris Island. We still fight over who actually found the tooth and who is it’s rightful owner. I guess, since we are married now… what’s mine is yours?! Ha!

We got to enjoy a cool view of the Charleston Harbor, Fort Sumter, and the Charleston Bridge. Being on a boat just does my soul good. It really was a wonderful morning! I’m not sure where I went wrong in life but I’m pretty positive I should’ve found a career that allowed me to spend my days on the water!

By no means was this a sponsored post. I just want each and every one of you to know that the next time you are in Charleston, in addition to oooh-ing and ahhh-ing over the gorgeous homes and southern flair, you need to visit Morris Island with Captain Howie of Adventure Harbor Tours. I promise you will have such a great time. And if you happen to be traveling with your k9 companion - you will both thoroughly enjoy running and playing on a practically deserted beach.

Before we could wrap up our adventure, Chloe had to snag a picture with Captain Howie. Considering this was her first vacation ever, this dog did it right! Thanks again to Adventure Harbor Tours for yet another memorable trip to Morris Island! {Oh, and when you book your tour with them, be sure to tell him Chloe sent you!}

PS. Please don’t forget! You don’t have to be jealous of my vacation - you can win your own! It’s not too late for you to enter to win an AWESOME #SummerofGo Vacation from my past post sponsor Tommy Bahama! I would really love to win this myself… But if I don’t win, I would love for a 2 cats & chloe reader to win it! What are you waiting for?? Go get your pretty little pirate booty entered y’all!

Mini Vacation: Road Trip to Charleston, SC

August 12, 2014 by Susan 6 Comments

Y’all! You are going to be so absolutely disappointed in me. I survived my glamping trip in Charleston… but apparently when I travel, and consistently have a dog leash in my hand, I don’t take many pictures. I was just going through my camera and realized I have almost zero awesome pictures to share with you. Why? Honestly, I spent the entire couple of days saying “Chloe, stay! Chloe, come! Chloe, behave! Chloe, do you need water? Chloe, come here! Chloe, I’m so sorry I didn’t realize your feet were burning on the sidewalk!!” Seriously, I don’t know how mom bloggers do it all! One week away on vacation with my border collie and the entire blog basically implodes! With that being said, how about I summarize our trip and show you a few of the few pictures from our not-so-glamourous-glamping trip to Charleston, SC.

We left, spur of the moment, on Tuesday. The drive to Charleston should have only taken 7ish hours. I believe it took us 10ish? We arrived in the dark and had to wake up the park ranger to find our campsite. Then we set up camp at 11:30PM. And then the camper started smoking, the power went out and the promised air conditioning vanished. We were left in the tin can camper, practically suffocating all night long. Only fools go camping in Charleston, mid-August. It was HOT. Chloe took it like a champ.

Wednesday was an early start. It was the day I was really looking forward to. Michael and I have done Charleston a few years prior, so I knew that we needed to take Chloe out to Morris Island. {It’s no big deal, but I’m so obsessed with Morris Island that I will be sharing more on this adventure later this week in it’s own blog post!} I’ve decided that spending Wednesday mornings on a practically deserted beach is the way I want to spend the rest of my life. Even if I have to bring my laptop and paperwork with me. Quiet Wednesdays on the beach = the best mornings ever.

We spent the rest of our Wednesday trying to revive our power supply in the camper. Because again, let me stress, that only fools camp {without AC} in Charleston, in August. My mom became McGyver, jerry-rigged a few cords, plugs and a rubber band or two - and voila! We had AC! {No lights, but AC.} And that was enough for me. So I busted out my zoodler {I’m still rocking this whole30!} and made zoodle-spaghetti. {Because when you’re hot, nothing cools ya down like making a hot dinner……. Basically we suck at camping in the heat.}

We spent Thursday walking around downtown Charleston. I spent the entire day oooh-ing and ahhh-ing over the glorious southern porches, intricate iron gates, crafting, food and culture. Oh, and taming the wild beast that Chloe turned into. Honestly, the dog did better than most would’ve done. She walked around town on a 98 degree day. She shopped {most shops were great about inviting her in!} She dealt with us when we stopped for lunch and dinner. She was serenaded. She got kicked out of the market. She didn’t freak over meeting the first horse of her life. She even went on a ghost walk with us! We got downtown around 10:30AM and stuck it out, on and off, until 10:30PM. Chloe was a trooper.

*Above - my mom hit it off with the Cats of Charleston girl. So much so that I basically found her selling art for the gal! Also, this is one of the coolest projects ever. She asked if Chloe was local because she wanted her to model in Charleston for her Dogs of Charleston project this winter! We may have to relocate to Charleston… Go give her some love and tell her Chloe sent ya!

So this is where I would be inserting pictures of the stunning homes that I want to recreate here in Virginia. Except, I didn’t take a single one. {So if you want to see one or two pictures from a past trip down to Low Country, you can see them here. Please excuse the horrible blog post formatting… what the heck was I thinking back in 2011?!}

Friday morning we packed up camp and began trucking back home. Again, it should’ve taken 7ish hours. Somehow we stretched our road trip out to 12 freakin hours.

But we all survived.

Thank God.

Thursday I will be sharing my morning on Morris Island with you. It is a must-do when you visit Charleston, so please stay tuned for all those deets.
Have you been to Charleston? Have you vacationed with your dog? Have you survived an enormous amount of time on the road with all the women of your family? I wanna hear about it!

PS. Don’t forget it’s not too late to win your own vacation! Tommy Bahama is giving away a dream vacay! Read more about it here!

While I’m Busy In Charleston

August 7, 2014 by Susan Leave a Comment

Hi Y’all! I’m J and I blog over at Bless Her Heart Y’all. Susan is roughing it in a camper without air conditioning and internet in Charleston, SC and asked me to step in and guest post for her for the day. I was so excited to help out. With 2 Cats And Chloe being one of my favorite blogs, I have some big shoes to fill, but don’t fret….Susan will be back very soon dolls!

I went to Beaufort, South Carolina (picture a mini Charleston) this past weekend to see family, go to the beach, and have a photo session with one of my favorite photographers. It was a nice, quick getaway.

Palm trees and sunshine in South Carolina. Maybe Susan is seeing the same kind of view as we speak!

I also slipped in some shopping in downtown Beaufort, SC. This coastal town has a lot of history, mansions, spanish moss, and southern boutiques! Sign me up! Let me share my shopping outfit with y’all! I am so excited to share because I felt like such a southern belle in it! Ekkkkk!

I had a bunch of fellow shoppers asking about this Loopsway top and skirt while shopping. So let me just tell you! The top is an adorable color of yellow, a very light comfortable fabric, and a cute low back design with an adorable bow. Swoon. Feeling like a southern belle.

How adorable is the back of this top y’all?!?

The white Loopsway skirt is so much fun! I have to start talking about this skirt by saying that after a 4 hour road trip, I found this skirt accidentally crumpled up in the bottom of my bag. I thought I would have to get it steamed before I could even consider wearing it. I tried it on, and the wrinkles were gone. What a great piece to travel with! This skirt is also made of a very comfortable fabric, very stretchy and form fitting, but still incredibly breathable, especially important in the South Carolina heat and humidity y’all.

It’s not Charleston, but it’ll do!

busy in Charleston southern belle mansion white and yellow outfit

I paired my Loopsway pieces with a big white floppy hat (that sun can get sooooo hot by the coast!), some gold bangles, a white flower statement necklace, and a pair of cute, light wedges (oh so comfortable! I need to wear these more often!) that I first wore while being a bridesmaid in my sister’s wedding (check out her blog here!)

busy in Charleston southern belle white and yellow outfit

Yellow Bow Back Blouse: c/o Loopsway, White Scrunchy Skirt: c/o Loopsway, White Floppy Hat: $7.98 at Walmart, White Flower Statement Necklace: $14.99 at Target (last year), Gold Coin Bangle: gift from Suz at 2 Cats and Chloe, Circular Cross Bangle: $4.99 at Versona, Bauble Bar Equestrian Bit Cuff: gift, Gomax Nude Wedges: $56.99

I’m sure that many of you are wondering what the answer is to Susan’s last post, Two Truths and a Lie. Which was she fibbing about sweetie pies? If you guessed #2, you’d be right!
AND….If you are in need of some relaxation (who isn’t?!?), then you may interested to know that August 15th is National Relaxation Day! Whoop whoop! What makes this even cooler is that Tommy Bahama is giving away a vacation during their “Summer of Go” sweepstakes! Want to enter? Enter the Tommy Bahama giveaway here dolls!

A big thanks to Susan for letting me blab on her slice of the blogosphere! If you’d like a little more of me, you can visit my blog Bless Her Heart Y’all, my Instagram, and my Bloglovin accounts, or shoot me an email ([email protected]), I’d love to hear from ya!

Bless Her Heart Y’all! She felt like a southern belle!

Photographer for this post: Jode Kirk

Full Disclosure: Pieces of this outfit were either gifted to me in exchange for this post or I was compensated by said company for my time. But trust me y’all, everything that I post about is all my own, including my thoughts, comments, quirks, and reviews.