Luxury Residences Around the World for the Discerning Traveler
If you constantly travel for work, personal reasons, or pleasure, staying in hotels the world over becomes a way of life. However, even when staying in the very best hotels, even ones that know you and your needs, one can often have a wistful weariness and a subdued desire for the comforts of home. But what if you could have the best of both worlds wherever your travels took you?
This is where THIRDHOME comes in. Started in 2010 as the brainchild of real estate wunderkind Wade Shealy, Shealy tapped into wealthy homeowners around the world who possessed additional homes that were rarely used. To date, this has grown into a gallery of 10,000 properties in 95 countries.
Whether you need two bedrooms because one person needs a workspace or an additional room for a child, or eight bedrooms because you’re traveling with staff, or engaging in an inter-generational trip, chances are there is a THIRDHOME in the location where you’re headed.
Charm in Charleston
Returning from a 12-day overseas work trip, I wanted to stop in Charleston for a few days to catch up with relatives while maintaining privacy and independence. Twelve nights in various hotels in multiple locales made me long for more than a hotel room, a good workspace, parking if I had visitors, all without sacrificing style, comfort, or walkability to downtown. In fact, I was hoping not to have to rent a car at all, and in fact did not.
I got exactly that with THIRDHOME. An electronic entry code was emailed to me the day before my arrival to the residence a half mile from downtown Charleston’s King Street and worked like a charm. It also was quite liberating to be completely keyless. Inside, the heater, lights, and television were already on, as if a magic butler had just swung through. That was much appreciated as it was unseasonably cold – in the low 40’s – on my arrival.
The residence had high ceilings, the hardwood floors gleamed, and the bed and bedding were comfortable. There was a full-size washer and dryer and plenty of thick bath towels. Quartzite counters, stainless appliances, shaker cabinets, and gold fixtures adorned the kitchen. The owner had even left coffee and cookies for me.
A Lovely Kitchen, However No Thank You
Kitchens for me serve several important functions. They house an all-important coffee maker, refrigerate my cream, hold perhaps some salad fixings and normally chill a good bottle or two of bubbles or vino. And of course, a dishwasher for those coffee cups, flutes, and wine stems. While I appreciate the visuals of beautiful kitchen interior designs and decor, its actual utility is completely lost on me. This may also be a personal public service as a recent attempt at a multi-course meal preparation resulted in one very happy dog and a huge tip for a speedy Door Dash delivery man.
Fortunately, Charleston is home to an extremely vibrant food scene. Better yet, downtown Charleston is easily walkable and happily, many fantastic places are within strolling distance of its heart.
At Millers All Day chef Nathan Thurston partnered with farmer Greg Johnsman creating a marvelous Southern comfort brunch-centric restaurant at the top of King Street. With both table service and a dining counter, Thurston and his team prepare fantastic traditional Southern fare, albeit a bit healthier, as not overusing salt, sugar or fat, while utilizing Johnsman’s freshest produce. The result for patrons is a marriage made in heaven.
You must arrive hungry. Also, as portion control is not usually a thing in the South, it will likely be your only meal of the day. Here I had a warm, aromatic cinnamon roll with a large dollop of whipped icing that made me swoon. This was followed by the day’s special – and ultimate comfort food – the ‘Mad Loaded Biscuit,” where tender fried chicken and thinly sliced, pan-fried country ham was topped by scrambled eggs and graced with a mustard velouté and finely chopped vegetables, all within the best buttermilk biscuit this food fanatic has ever tasted. Fair warning now to any future progeny whether male or female: your name shall be Thurston. I promise.
Dining at Well Hung Vineyard & Restaurant one evening, I learned it was born 16 years ago by three women with seriously wry senses of humor. This will cause you on your way out to buy one of their hilarious T-shirts or other merch ensuring your smiling continues.
Well Hung serves traditional Southern items such as shrimp and grits, Jambalaya and fried green tomatoes, but we opted for She-crab bisque and a perfectly prepared Rib-eye and fries. This went well with Well Hung’s Under the Table wine, that’s 85-percent Merlot and 15-percent Syrah. For those with a sweet tooth, the crème brûlée cheesecake was so outstanding, NY’s Junior’s Restaurant should be afraid. Very afraid. Fear not though, if cheesecake isn’t your jam, Well Hung also has an excellent Key Lime pie sourced from neighboring Kermit’s Key Lime Shop.
For a creative fine dining experience, we headed to Zero George, on the “Gold List” recognized by Conde Nast Traveler. In a charming, beautiful restored early 19th century building with a verdant, lit courtyard, we delighted in chef Vinson Petrillo’s tasting menu.
Uniquely, there were two platters of amuse bouches, including mouthwatering foie gras within a waffle cookie, wagyu tartar ‘cigar,’ and sunchoke. Other delights were the black cod and pumpkin gnudi with rutabaga, ending with tres leches.
Plenty at One’s Fingertips
One of the great things about downtown Charleston is that history buffs, architecture aficionados, and those needing retail therapy will all be content. Close to the visitor’s center, The Charleston Museum is a good place to start for a historical overview of the city and region. If traveling with children, they’ll love the huge skeletons of the American buffalo, giant low country crocodile and other unusual species, including the giant ground sloth and the world’s largest flying bird, the extinct Pelagornis. There’s also several species of mammals and birds excellently preserved in skilled taxidermy.
If you’re strolling down King Street you can easily pass an entire day. If you’re feeling peckish, stop at Callie’s, and pick up a house made creme-filled chocolate cookie that causes Oreo great shame. Or if it’s five o’clock anywhere on planet earth, nearby Prohibition Charleston has a mammoth whiskey selection, and its bartenders can also mix a mean martini. If you prefer a yoga twist instead of a lemon twist, Salt Spa & Yoga has several yoga classes daily. You can walk-in for a single class or buy a series for your visit, then have a massage.
Also along King Street there are the usual high-end stores such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton. However, there are plenty of nifty boutiques and specialty shops, such as Tecovas if you have the urge to buy handmade cowboy boots, and designer stores, some with items featuring a southern spin.
To better understand the South’s difficult history, in the Old Slave Mart Museum you can stand in the actual “showroom” where traders’ sold and buyers’ bought American blacks born into slavery. The domestic slave trade continued even as the northern states commenced banning importation of enslaved Africans from the African continent in 1786. In 1807, while Congress ended the importation making it a federal crime, the national slave market only ceased with the Civil War’s end in 1865. Despite its federal criminal status, approximately 250,000 Africans were smuggled into the U.S. between 1808 and 1860.
Those interested in period furnishings will appreciate the Hayward Washington House with some beautiful Mahogany pieces. The property was owned by American Founder Thomas Hayward, Jr., but since shortly after George Washington became our nation’s first president, his name was added after he slept there for a week in May 1791.
At the Gibbs Art Museum, there are portraits by Jeremiah Theus, known for painting gentry in the early 18th century. There are also some interesting pieces in the social realism gallery from the 1930s and 40s.
The Lessons Learned
Regardless of where in the world your travels take you, chances are FIRSTHOME has a luxury home that will meet your needs. If Charleston is on your travel radar, then my advice would be to diet in advance. Happy travels!
Julie L. Kessler is a journalist, attorney, and the author of the award-winning memoir: “Fifty-Fifty, The Clarity of Hindsight.” Her work has appeared in several major publications around the world, including The L.A. Times, The S.F. Examiner, The Asia Times, U.S. News & World Report, The Jerusalem Post, The Vancouver Courier, The Daily Journal and The Honolulu Star-Advertiser, among many others. She can be reached at Julie@VagabondLawyer.com.
