Two weeks ago, Lane and I had the opportunity to scratch an item off of our bucket lists… We were able to go to Augusta National for the Masters. It was beyond incredible. Even if you don’t like golf, there’s something to be said about being at this magical place during such a renowned sports event.
Before we made it to Augusta, we spent some time in Charleston and Columbia. We were shown around by such great hosts, Amy and Aaron Dupree, and are sooo thankful for their hospitality. They are expecting their fourth child and so it was really great to not only be the only pregnant girl, but also getting Amy’s advice and input was wonderful.
Charleston was such a great town. There’s so much history and charm…and food. So much great food. When we arrived, we walked from our hotel and were told to go to Market Pavilion for drinks and appetizers on their rooftop patio. Even though it was kind of rainy, we enjoyed seeing the city and being on vacation. Afterwards, we walked around Charleston and Aaron was a great tour guide! (PS. This became the start of the sausage feet!)
Just one of the many beautiful churches in Charleston.
Who knew a whole store devoted to moon pies existed!?
Precious street in downtown Charleston.
I loved all the history and architecture. I felt like I was stepping back in time.
That evening, we started our food filled trip with a visit to FIG.
It’s kind of an unassuming little restaurant in an older corner building in Charleston. It was not pretentious at all, yet the food was unbelievable. The wait staff was so friendly and knowledgeable. They made us feel like regulars, but at the same time providing 5 star service. We had the most amazing gnocchi as an appetizer. I could have had a giant plate of it for my entree and been perfectly happy for the night. But we didn’t stop there. Amy and I both had the flounder, which was so light and delicate and Lane and Aaron had the soft shell crab. All were ridiculously good. Amy and I also had a fancy mocktail made with “drinking vinegars”. It was so tasty. I am craving one now. For dessert I had a salted chocolate and caramel mousse-type dessert. It could have fallen on the floor and I would have liked the floor clean. I’m salivating just thinking of it. mmmm. Oh how the thought of a good meal makes this fat girl so happy!
The next morning we woke up and headed to our brunch reservations at Husk.
Aaron called three months ahead for this reservation! Husk was recently voted America’s Best New Restaurant, so we certainly were excited about the meal ahead of us! The waiter kind of gave us the side eye when we ordered 3 appetizers (including a cheeseburger!) just for the four of us, but was beyond impressed when we downed them all!
Our appetizers included a cheeseburger (which is apparently the chef’s favorite menu item), black pepper biscuits and jowl gravy, and crispy pig ear lettuce wraps. All were beyond delicious. We continued our gluttony by ordering four entrees, which were all glorious and eaten entirely!
Outside of Husk after our gluttonous meal.
After that meal, there was no way we were going to be able to walk our way around Charleston, so we hopped on a horse drawn carriage tour!
Ike was our tour guide. He did a great job! His driver, Mike, however, had the personality of a brick, but it made for some fun commentary from us heathens in the back row! This tour was a great way to see a lot of Charleston in a little bit of time.
Rainbow Row
The bridge to Charleston
Perfection
Alright, I realize this post is getting a little long, so I’ll skip ahead to the pièce de résistance…First I do have to give a huge shout out to Amy’s family. Every Sunday night they have their entire family and even some neighbors over for “Sunday Night Dinner”. They welcomed us into their home and we are beyond grateful!
The Masters
Augusta National is everything you’ve heard about it and more. The grounds are impeccable, it seems like there are 3 workers/volunteers for every guest and it’s every bit as charming in person as it seems on TV. Even though we only had tickets to Monday’s practice round, we didn’t want to miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity. (Although now we’re trying to figure out how to make it an annual trip!) Once you step on the property, the air feels a little different. It’s an air of greatness. We first got there and walked around a bit, but the two preggos needed to sit. So, we are now the proud owners of a Masters emblazoned camping chair!
Amy and I posted up at Amen Corner and the boys were able to walk around. It was great to talk with Amy about babies and life and really get to know her. The guys would bring back water and pimento cheese sandwiches, which was glorious. Around noon, we picked up and moved locations to the 16th hole and watched the players skip balls over the water. It was really fun and relaxing. We were able to get up close and personal with several players, which was fun. Lane told me that if I lifted up my shirt to expose my pregnant belly and asked Miguel Angel Jimenez to sign it, he would immediately buy my the new purse I’ve been wanting. While it was tempting, I am afraid I would have gotten kicked out of Augusta National!
We are so, so thankful that we had this opportunity before baby Wright came. I felt great for the entire trip (minus some wicked cankles after a day at the Masters and a day of flying) and we really enjoyed the time spent together.
Hopefully one day we’ll take Wright back and he’ll appreciate it (and appreciate me carrying his large body around a golf course!!).
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