I woke up to the sun tapping on my window. Grabbing my coffee and sand dollar (a tradition they have there) I stepped outside into the early morning air where I was greeted by a lone rabbit on the beach’s edge and pelicans skimming the water. Fort Sumter’s flag was not yet flying. I made my wish, tossed the sand dollar into the lapping water and so ended my stay at The Cottages (Charleston Harbor).
But let’s start at the beginning. Nestled in a corner of Patriot’s Point in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina are ten adorable cottages, a pool and quaint Tommy Bahamas style clubhouse called The Cottages of Charleston Harbor. The smell of jasmine and the sky blue bicycles lined up on the porch welcomed me in. The pitcher of lemonade and plate of cookies were the perfect introduction to the best couple of days of restoring and renewing my soul. Not that that was my original plan, mind you, but once I saw the screened in porch with a hammock overlooking the water, my original plans went right out those plantation shuttered windows.
My sightseeing weekend quickly became my Zen weekend. So much has already been written about all there is to do in Charleston but where does one go to rejuvenate? Look no further because I have found it. Of course, there is plenty to do in downtown Charleston in the way of sightseeing or eating, or you can paddle board/kayak on Shem Creek and even take a quick jaunt to the quaint town of Georgetown for lunch but sometimes we just need to stop all the madness and relax.
It won’t matter what season you decide to unwind. Each cottage has two bedrooms and three bathrooms, a full kitchen and living room with a fireplace. During the cool months, you can curl up in the hammock with a blanket or sit by the fireplace in the comfy club chair. In the warmer months, you can lie by the pool or sit in one of the Adirondack chairs on their little beach, watch the boats go by and marvel at the beautiful moon hovering over downtown Charleston at night.
My two days were spent doing just that. Each morning I would walk the few steps to the clubhouse and have an awesome complimentary breakfast by the pool or bring it to my room and eat on the porch and reflect. It was the perfect time to write in my journal and catch up on some much needed rest. I would spend hours in my hammock reading and meditating, walking the trail by the cottages getting lost in the quietness or ride my bike to the snow cone stand down the street. By the time I left, I felt like a new person both inside and out.
I would encourage anyone looking for a place to totally unwind, a girl’s weekend (there is a Woodhouse Day Spa close by) or a destination wedding, The Cottages on Charleston Harbor is someplace you seriously need to consider. On their brochure it says, “The Escape You Deserve” and no truer words were spoken.
Debbie Martinez is a Miami Dade resident and Travel Editor for The Florida Villager. She can be reached at debbiemartinez1@mac.com.