” I forgot how to breathe for a mere second or two when upon our entrance I was greeted by streets lined with Colonial style homes and corners taken up by massive Cathedrals rising from the ground and piercing the sky like the finger of God himself ”
Valentines Day 2016 happened to fall on a Sunday this year. A Sunday in which I worked and also a Sunday in which Tom’s family scheduled a trip to the Dominican Republic for a much needed escape from the cold. With our schedules against us, we decided that our Valentines Day would be on Tuesday, February 9th. Why? Well, because Cherub (one of Tom’s favorite band and now one of mine) was playing in Charleston, South Carolina! And this called for a road trip! Short lived, the trip would only be 24 hours but well worth it. To be honest, I was ready to get out of town and have a change of scenery.
Monday night after class, I came home to a huge Tri-Colored bouquet of Dwarf Roses in the kitchen. The girl in me squealed for the long anticipated moment of receiving flowers from a boy and ended up waking the sleeping giant in the next room who was trying to catch up on sleep for the long road trip the next morning. I bypassed wiping off my lipstick and kissed him a million times. Valentines Day was getting off to a great start.
***BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ*** I reach over to shut off my alarm. How was it 4:30 am already? I roll over and stared at the spinning blades of the fan. I was not ready to emerge from the comforts of the sheets but knowing myself, I knew I needed as much time to get ready so we could leave right on schedule. While I was putting on my face and blow drying my curls out, Tom was working on breakfast. Once the smell of sausage and hash browns reached the bathroom I quickly wrapped up my morning routine so I could eat whatever was producing those delicious flavors in the air.
We managed to get out of Orlando by 7 am and hit the road with a full tank and snackie-poos (a mango peach smoothie and banana for me and chocolate doughnuts for Tom). I slept most of the way while he drove. To pass the time when I was awake we listened to Bob’s Burgers, New Girl and Gangsta Rap. Tyga and Lil Wayne being my go-to’s.
1 pm and 43 degrees out, we finally reach the city. As the road before us descended from the bridge, I forgot how to breathe for a mere second or two when upon our entrance I was greeted by streets lined with Colonial style homes and corners taken up by massive Cathedrals rising from the ground and piercing the sky like the finger of God himself. Along the bay, yachts were docked taking a break from the cold waters and finding refuge along the shore line. This city had so much to offer involving the outdoors, but with the cold weather it definitely limited our adventurous choices.
After finding a parking garage off King Street, we headed briskly toward a French Restaurant that we previously researched as the choice for our lunch destination; Gaulart & Maliclet Fast & French Inc. We found the last two cozy seats along the small bar counter and immediately grabbed menus. We were ready for food. After reviewing the long list of options we both chose one of the lunch specials. I settled on toasted rye with pate and blue cheese, tomato bisque and the French house white wine. Tom chose a croissant pizza accompanied with soup and the white wine as well. For dessert, the waiter insisted on a warm cherry tart topped with vanilla bean ice-cream. Needless to say, my sweet tooth got the best of me.
Trying to decide what to do till the concert at 9 pm and also strategically choosing activities that kept us indoors and out of the weather proved to be a bit challenging. The museums were under renovation and all the tours were out-doors. In desperation for warmth, we decided to brewery hop. First stop was Palmetto Brewery.
We got there right as they were opening at 3pm and were surprised that there were already guests seated at the bar. We started with one beer flight of four brews, found a quiet wooden table facing the brewery, and started a very intense game of checkers. Three games and two flights later, I claimed victory for 1 game while Tom won 2. During the beginning of the last game, he ended up blocking me from making any moves and automatically won! He called it mere chance, but I’ve internally made the assumption that he’s a closet pro Checker Game player but he’ll never admit it.
Next Brewery, The Revelry, was about 5 minutes away. Rumor had it that they had a couple sour beers on tap. We sat at the open aired bar and huddled close as the temperature outside was significantly dropping. We ended up with 1 flight there due to the small selections and no sour beers. With that being said, my picky palette only found one I enjoyed. Unashamed, I also ordered a glass of wine. However, Tom seemed to like all of them.
5:30 pm and finally dinner time, we head toward The Macintosh for our 6pm reservation. This was also a restaurant that we previously researched. It was conveniently located near the brewery which allowed us ample time to find parking. Which we definitely took advantage of. Yelp set a standard for this restaurant and it without doubt was met. The room was dimly lit and the decor was simplistic and refined. Being already a bit tipsy, I unfortunately didn’t take advantage of some of their finer entrees. Instead, I was craving a burger and fries but I will say, it was one of the best burger patties I’ve ever sinked my teeth into. Tom chose a tender piece of Rich Pork Shoulder that he was willing to let me try. One bite, and it just melted in my mouth.
After dinner, we headed to the sister lounge upstairs where we found a comfy spot on a tufted leather couch and I enjoyed a Chocolate Martini. Legs stretched across each other as we enjoyed the ambiance, time passed slowly and uninterrupted. We played a couple rounds of trivia before we headed toward Music Farm. It was almost 9 pm and Cherub was awaiting our arrival.
Doors had opened at 8pm, so once we entered the rustic venue there were already quite a few young people settled in. I grabbed my last drink for the night from the bar in the back ( a classic rum and coke) and we claimed two spots in the crowd near the stage. Two opening artists played till about 11pm. The first one did remixes on current hip hop songs and the second had a similar techno vibe to Cherub. The crowd grew impatient and we all started asking for Cherub around 10:45pm. Upon Cherub’s entrance at 11pm, the crowd went wild! Their set ran till about 1 am and popular songs such as “Freaky Me, Freaky You” and “Doses and Mimosas” played along with “Heartbreaker” and the sweet song “Monogamy”. I was blown away by their talent and vocals. It’s so different hearing a band live versus through head phones on your iPhone. The sounds were so raw in person. Being my first official concert, I was impressed and well pleased. This wouldn’t’ be the last.
The night came to a quick close as we rushed toward the cooper about a quarter mile away. It was 32 out and I was eager to get back to Florida.
This trip might have been short but I enjoyed every bit of it. My favorite moments were the small ones. Walking down the street and hearing each other shiver, watching my breath in the air, my legs draped across his on a leather couch, and the small whispers of lyrics in my ear with his hands on my hips during the concert.
Sam xx
