Hello from sunny Kiawah Island, South Carolina! I’m forgoing this week’s Things I’m Loving Friday roundup in favor of a peek into our Babymoon so far because pretty much everything I have on my list of Friday Favorites this week centers around our just-the-two-of-us getaway.
We’re planning to head into Charleston today to explore and check out some of your recommended hot spots so, as always, thank you for your recommendations!
Our Babymoon plans came together FAST thanks to my mom who was kind enough to offer to watch Chase during a time that coincided well for Ryan to take off work. When we realized we had the opportunity to get away as a couple, Ryan and I were so excited and began asking friends for vacation recommendations. Planning something so last minute doesn’t come without some obstacles but we quickly decided on Kiawah Island since it sounded like the perfect mix of activity and relaxation.
Wednesday
We left for the island around lunchtime on Wednesday and the drive from Charlotte was a breeze. We lucked out with no traffic and commented a number of times on how even the drive to Kiawah Island felt special because we could just relax and talk and not multitask as we tried to entertain a toddler. (We also commented on the fact that our roles of Mom and Dad have completely infiltrated our brains because we were both tempted to point out every school bus, digger truck and construction crane we saw on our drive.)
Before we arrived on the island, we took the advice of one of Ryan’s coworkers and made a pit-stop to see Angel Oak Tree, a giant, historic tree thought to be more than 400 years old.
The tree is located on Johns Island just outside of Charleston and right on the way to Kiawah Island so it was an easy stop and a great place to hop out and stretch our legs before we continued on.
We arrived at our hotel on Kiawah Island a little after 4 p.m. and immediately loved the feel of the whole island. The salty sea air, gorgeous beaches and miles of marshland made the island feel like an oasis and we knew immediately we picked a great place for our Babymoon!
We checked into The Sanctuary Hotel at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, a resort that includes the hotel along with rental villas and stunning private homes, and were greeted by incredibly friendly faces who called us by name and clearly wanted to make our stay feel extra special.
When Ryan and I decided on Kiawah Island for our Babymoon, a friend highly recommended The Sanctuary Hotel to me and I reached out to the resort to mention our very last-minute plans. I was absolutely thrilled and very, very grateful when they provided some wonderful recommendations on things to do in the area and kindly offered to host us during our stay on the island. (Full disclosure: We received a complimentary room at The Sanctuary Hotel but I was not compensated for this blog post.) Our room was bright, clean and comfortable with a southern flare.
Our first official activity of our Babymoon was without a doubt our most luxurious and included his and hers massages at The Sanctuary Spa. I’ve been dying for a prenatal massage and Ryan was on board for a little pampering so we booked his and hers massages before dinner. I cannot remember the last time I had a massage and I soaked up every minute as Natasha expertly worked on the tension in my lower back, hips and feet. There is something about foot massages when I am pregnant that feel unreal and I told Natasha the prenatal massage was worth it for the foot massage alone!
It was heavenly!
Once our massages were done, Ryan and I changed back into our casual clothes and headed out to dinner. A couple of you recommended checking out Freshfields Village during our stay so we headed over to the charming village to walk around and grab a bite to eat for dinner. Tacos called to us, so we ended up ordering an assortment of tacos from Cantina 76 and they were all fantastic!
After dinner, we couldn’t resist grabbing dessert from Beaches & Cream before heading up to our room to crash. The ice cream at Beaches & Cream was so creamy but had an almost whipped texture and Ryan and I immediately agreed we’ll pay this adorable little shop a visit again before our Babymoon ends!
Thursday
Our first full day on Kiawah Island began bright and early since Ryan and I are both pretty terrible about sleeping in. Despite our best efforts, we were up at 7 a.m. and since my nausea doesn’t let me chill in bed for more than 10 minutes before breakfast these days, we quickly changed into comfy clothes and took advantage of the breakfast buffet at Jasmine Porch. Can every day begin with thick-cut French toast and an omelet, please!?
After breakfast, we decided to rent some bikes to explore Kiawah Island via the miles and miles of shady paved bike paths and hard-packed sandy beaches.
The weather was perfect – low 70s and sunny – and we had so much fun climbing the lookout tower, searching for gators, pedaling in and out of the shallow surf, gawking at the stunning beachfront homes and exploring together.
We biked around 7 miles before breaking for lunch at The Ryder Cup Bar, a beautiful restaurant overlooking the final hole of The Ocean Course golf course.
A great meal and a great view!
After lunch, we biked back to our hotel and quickly changed into our bathing suits.
We were craving some chill time by the pool and lounged in the sun for a few hours before heading back to our room. I wanted to begin writing this blog post and Ryan had some emails to attend to, so we showered and then worked for a bit before we put our computers away and changed for dinner at The Ocean Room.
Dress: Leith via Nordstrom (not maternity – I just ordered a size up and it’s currently 40% off and available in black and white, too!) / Shoes: Charles David via RueLaLa
I actually put on heels for what I’m pretty sure was the first time this pregnancy and it was admittedly fun to get a little dressed up since I feel like I am living in leggings and sneakers these days.
Our dinner reservations were on the earlier side which was perfect because The Ocean Room did a wonderful job of extending our dining experience and making our date night feel extra special. (Thank you guys for this restaurant recommendation, too!) Ryan and I often claim to be the fastest eaters in the land (Chase did NOT inherit this trait from us), so it felt amazing to truly relax through dinner and enjoy our meal as our courses were spaced out over a couple of hours.
The food was absolutely fantastic and everything from my lobster bisque appetizer to my octopus and stuffed pasta entree was fresh and flavorful.
Though we were quite full by the end of our meal, when our waiter recommended the restaurant’s signature chocolate brownie dome dish to us, we couldn’t resist and polished off every last bite of the indulgent crisp chocolate dome that was filled with homemade ice cream, brownies, pecans, brandied cherries and topped with hot butterscotch.
Before heading to bed for the evening, we made sure to call to check in with my mom and Chase (okay, so this was actually the second time we talked to them yesterday because we cannot help ourselves) and hearing Chase’s little voice filled my heart right up. Motherhood in a nutshell: Craving a moment away from the responsibilities of motherhood and then missing your child like crazy the entire time your gone.
Friday
We have two days left of our Babymoon (well more like 1 1/2) and I’m currently wrapping up this blog post while inhaling a breakfast sandwich before we hop into the car and drive north to Charleston. We have a walking tour booked and hope to hit up some of the restaurants you guys recommended to us for lunch and dinner today. I’ll be sure to recap the final days of our trip on the blog next week!
Hope you all have the best weekend and thanks so much for stopping by PBF today!
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