Taking a trip just for yourself
During my late summer/early fall three months stay in Charleston last year, I knew I wanted to take at least one quintessentially Lowcountry road trip just for myself. I’m used to traveling by myself, but consciously doing a one night stay at a beautiful hotel is still something different. It has something celebratory and indulgent and since the Lowcountry is my dream place, I had the time to really take it all in and stop wherever I wanted to without anyone having an agenda as well.
Since I also had a lot to think about during that time, it felt great to lean into the stillness and just sit/drive/walk with me and my thoughts. Taking a weekend or two to three days just for yourself and going to a place you always wanted to is actually very good selfcare and sometimes the best way to listen and to find out what you really already knew deep inside. It also has something incredibly freeing and confidence boosting and I always caught myself thinking, I’m so proud that I’m here and that I did this just for me. Getting out of your usual surroundings and not having input from anyone creates so much space and you’ll come back from that trip not only with wonderful memories and sights, but also refreshed and at peace with yourself.
But of course I also mainly did this trip, because I wanted to see and enjoy the Lowcountry. Find and photograph as many oak trees with Spanish moss as I can and indulge in the beauty of the Southern architecture and landscape. Beaufort was an obvious choice for my destination since it’s only a 1,5 hour drive from Charleston and one of the most beautiful small cities in the Lowcountry. I actually didn’t just drove right there, but made a small detour to Edisto Island to see even more. Just the drive is already so stunning that I made various stops along the way and had the longest rows of cars behind me, because I was driving so slow to take it all in. But it’s so enjoyable to take your time on a road trip and have some spontaneous discoveries.
The Rhett House Inn - A Lowcountry Boutique Hotel
One of my greatest passions is finding and visiting small boutique hotels with charm and well designed interiors. Especially those, where every room has its own look and story. I can dwell on which room to choose for hours and feel so excited to see it in person after booking it. During my research for Beaufort I discovered the Rhett House Inn. For a quintessentially Lowcountry accommodation it truly ticket all the boxes. Beautiful antique interiors, a two story porch and the grounds are framed by oak trees overflowing with Southern charm.
These kind of places give you a feeling of home with the added touch of a luxurious stay. Since it’s also quite small I was having the upper porch to myself all evening. It’s my biggest dream to have my own porch one day, so this moment of just enjoying the mild late summer air and the Southern sights while working on my needlepointing was perfection. Since I took that trip alone and as a vegetarian am not a big fan of the Southern kitchen, I actually decided to just get Thai take out and rather enjoy this beautiful porch and absolutely loved it. You do you – that’s the great thing about a trip just for yourself!
I was staying in Room 4, which was huge and probably way to indulgent, but I fell in love with the blue decor and especially that little antique dressing table. And it was right where the upper porch was, so I had the wonderful short way out there. If you have a vision for your trip, just do it and live that dream.
Beaufort's Historic District
After arriving to Beaufort in the afternoon I took the longest walk through the Historic District, which was right where the Rhett House Inn was. I can’t even express with words how beautiful the oak trees and houses were and think these pictures speak for themselves. Even though it’s always different to see it in person. There’s just no architecture I love more than the Southern one and those houses were obviously some of the most beautiful old ones with wide porches and magnificent gardens. I actually took two big rounds since I wanted to see the waterfront street (Bay Street) a second time during sunset. While the sun was slowly setting over the marshes everything turned golden and the Spanish moss was glowing.
Take that trip for yourself wherever that might be. And if it’s Beaufort and you love the Lowcountry as much as I do, stay at the Rhett House Inn and take in the divine views of the architecture and marshes on a long walk through the Historic District. The beauty and the slow pace will do wonders to your soul.
