As some of you know, our youngest daughter Sarah and her family have moved to Columbia, South Carolina! We are so excited to have them back in the states and only 3 hours away!

They moved into their new home last week and we went for a few days to help them unpack boxes and get settled. With three daughters, we’re getting really good at the ins and outs of moving!

As I was looking for a place to stay while in Columbia, I stumbled on The Chesnut Cottage Inn and immediately knew it would be the perfect place for us to land in the evening after long days of moving furniture and unpacking and…I was right! I fell in love with this charming bed and breakfast immediately!

The inn, owned by Ken and Christal Doyle, is located in historic downtown Columbia and is in close proximity to fabulous restaurants and sightseeing! Ken and Crystal welcomed us as if we were family and it felt like coming home!

The inn was built in 1850 and was the wartime home of Mary Boykin Chesnut and General James Chesnut. It has been preserved beautifully and is extremely comfortable with spacious rooms and cozy, comfortable beds. Christal and Ken “blend timeless aesthetics with modern comfort” and they do it beautifully!

The elegant room pictured above is the Mary Boykin Chesnut Suite. We stayed in the room across the hall, The Garden Suite and loved it! For some reason, I didn’t get a picture of our room, but you can be sure we’ll be back and I’ll have many opportunities to take pictures!

Pictured above is a sitting area across from the table where breakfast is served. I’m not much of a breakfast eater, but Garrick thoroughly enjoyed his breakfast each morning.

While I didn’t have breakfast, I did have the most wonderful glass of freshly squeezed orange juice with basil and the coffee was just how I like it…hot, strong but not too strong and freshly made. In my opinion, the small details make all the difference and the small details are covered at The Chesnut Cottage Inn!

This beautiful, ornate chandelier hangs in the gracious entrance to the inn and suits the house as it had been there all along! Great care has been taken to furnish the house with period furniture that maintains the integrity of the interiors.

Across the street is the original South Carolina governor’s mansion and to the left is the Woodrow Wilson Museum which is on our list to see next time we visit!

I’m hoping that when we return, we have more time to enjoy the beautiful back garden gazebo at the inn and sit on the front porch with a book and relax!

I couldn’t be happier that we found The Chesnut Cottage Inn and it will be our home away from home each time we visit Columbia!

I have much more exploring to do as we get to know this historic Southern city so be on the lookout for a travel guide coming soon!