Charleston - off the beaten track

I figured we could go in and buy a pastry or something, so I was pleasantly surprised to find myself walking into a small café instead of a store. Saffron is laid out interestingly. If you go in the front door on E. Bay Street, there is a traditional bread/pastry counter, but if you go in the back, you enter into the restaurant side of the building. They flow into one another, though, so either entrance can get you into either side.

The hostess asked us if we would like to sit and eat, so we said okay. She showed us to our seat in the lovely little dining room. The restaurant is very unusually decorated with a lot of Art Deco influences and pictures on the wall. There are unusual little booths and some small tables scattered around. There is also an enormous picture window that fills the whole room with light.

Breakfast was priced very well, especially for the amount of food they offer. There are a variety of different omelettes ($5 to $8) and pancakes ($4 to $6) and a lot of á la carte options, but my roommate and I decided to go all out and both ordered the "Carolina Eye Opener." Even though we could tell it was a lot of food, I still wasn't prepared. There were two eggs (BIG eggs), hash browns or grits, sausage or bacon, and biscuits or toast, all for only $6. You can add two pancakes for a grand total of $7. I recommend getting the grits - they are perfect. If you haven't ever had them (for shame!), try some here. The biscuits were a little unusual, more scones that traditional Southern biscuits, but they were still good. Our waitress was very friendly and attentive. The people next to us were having coffee and she topped them off continuously.

I made sure on the way out to grab a dinner/lunch menu, and it looks great. There is everything from baba ghannouj to shrimp linguine to lamb shank to jamburgers, and their entrées average about $7.50. I will make sure to go back sometime for lunch.

Even if you don't want a meal, stop in and check out their desserts. There was a huge case of the most beautiful cakes and tarts I have ever seen. They also sell benne wafers by the pound ($7/lb), which would make a great gift to bring home. Stop in a take a look - you won't regret it!

The history of the place is evident when you walk in. Small tables are nestled in corners, dimly lit by flickering candles. You almost expect to see an old-time mobster or a politician sneaking a drink after-hours. While the front of the bar is interesting, and is often accented by a single musician, it just gets better as you go back.

Go past the front and you get to the heart of the pub. In the back there are two wonderful walled courtyards. Look up and you can see the spire of St. Phillips Church looming over the skyline. On cool fall and spring nights this is truly heaven on earth. You can smell the sea air, you can hear the water falling from the fountain in the courtyard, and you can get a drink quick - because there is another bar in the back! I recommend the wonderful Battery Sunset Martini.

The Blind Tiger is one of my favorite bars in all of Charleston. It can be a party, it can be a quiet place to meet for friends, or it can be a romantic place to have a drink after dinner. No matter what you are looking for, you can find it here.

At the Clown's Bazaar, you will find some of the most unusual and beautiful handmade objects and art this side of Africa. And a lot of the items come straight from there. This shop is special not only because of the items, but what they mean to the people that make them.

This shop is non-profit (and tax free!) and supports people in third-world countries who make their living with their crafts. The hand-woven baskets support a community of women in Ghana. The Tibetan prayer flags are handmade by monks in Nepal. Every object has a story. And every dollar goes back to the people to help their communities. The items here are unusual, beautiful, and expertly made by people who care about their work.

Drawing inspiration from the furninshings in their properties and the beauty and charm of the city, designers have created pieces that reproduce the feel of antique Charleston. The shop has everything from silverware to cast-iron beds, from reproduction engravings to Carolina tea. This is an excellent place to find an interesting gift or a special souvenir.

No only are you getting something you can't find in every stall in the market, but you are also helping out preservation. The proceeds of the shop go back into the funds of Historic Charleston Foundation, one of the most active and successful preservation groups in the United States.

Charleston is often called the “Holy City” because of the sheer amount of churches in the city. You will turn a corner and find a little colonial structure or an African-American congregation housed in a simple wooden building dating back to the early 19th century; you will look down an alley and see the tall spires of one of the large congregations looming over you. In the city of Charleston, it is simply impossible to avoid seeing churches. The good news is, most of them are open to the public, along with the cemeteries attached, so feel free to pop in a take a look. Of all the churches on the peninsula, my favorite (and the oldest) is St. Michael's Episcopal Church.

Standing in a place of honor at the corner of Meeting and Broad streets, it is almost impossible not to be awed by the sight of the 186-foot stark white steeple towering over the road. The cornerstone for the building was laid in 1752 and the building has stood on that site ever since, making it the oldest church building in the city of Charleston. If the front doors are open, walk in a take a look. The interior is filled with cedar boxed pews, retaining the traditional interior of an English church. If you walk to the front, you will see pew number 43, which is where George Washington sat in 1791 and Robert E. Lee sat 70 years later.

Perhaps the most striking feature of the interior is the pulpit, which climbs out of the middle of the pews. It is the original pulpit and is a typical feature of Episcopal churches, reminding churchgoers of the importance of the sermon. Also make sure to notice the slave galleries (balconies) around three sides of the room. These were originally placed there for the slaves--and all other African-Americans who weren’t allowed to worship alongside of the white members of the congregation. Keep in mind that this church was built at a time when slavery was not only common in the South but expected.

One of my favorite stories about St. Michael’s is the story of the bells in the steeple. They were originally made in England and the sent to Charleston in 1764. When the British evacuated the city near the end of the revolution, they stole the bells and took them back to England with them. After many years of negotiations, they were finally sent back and put back in the steeple. During the Civil War, a cannon ball went through the steeple and cracked some of the bells, which were then sent back to England for repairs. All together, they have crossed the Atlantic Ocean five times--they should write for IgoUgo!

Make sure not to miss the spectacular cemetery behind the church. It is very beautiful and filled with some impressive graves, including two signers of the Declaration of Independence.