Pass on Nashville. Forget Brooklyn. Say “later” to Charlottesville. Charleston is your best bet for a weekend escape. Just an hour’s flight from D.C. (with daily directs on major airlines ranging from Southwest and Jet Blue to American and United), you can head south and be on the beach or at the shops by noon – making it even easier to access than Dewey Beach DC Refined

It’s tempting to linger outside the triple-paned façade of The Darling Oyster Bar, especially once the sun dips and the spacious seafood hall glows from within. A wide display case tempts passersby with oysters, lobster tails, shrimp, crab claws, and whole fish, all nestled in gleaming ice crystals and labeled with handwritten cards specifying from whence they came. Charleston Mag

There's a wealth of opportunities for imbibing in Charleston, but where to find the latest and greatest? Here's an updated Cocktail Heatmap of places to visit for a drink as soon as happy hour hits. While this map focuses on restaurants and bars that have opened within the past year, we've also included some older establishments undergoing a new heatwave thanks to recent changes to their cocktail menus. Eater Charleston