I have always wanted to visit the Charleston area (I’m a big Southern Charm fan!). Although we didn’t make it this time to the city sights (that’ll come in a future post), we did get to take a quick trip to one of the beach towns on the Charleston barrier islands: Isle of Palms.
Isle of Palms is likely the most family-friendly of all of the nearby beaches (i.e. Folly Beach, Kiawah Beach). There’s a variety of beachfront condos and hotels, as well as the Isle of Palms County Park, which has ample parking and public access to the beach. Prior to our check-in, we parked at the County Park and went onto the beach. The waves were not as strong as some of the other beach towns on the North and South Carolina coast, which pleased my youngest child. The water was super warm as well for ocean water: 83 degrees. Isle of Palms County Park also has concessions, changing rooms, and a public bathroom, which is a definite plus.
We spent most of the next day on the beach, boogie boarding, swimming, and jumping waves. It was a lot less crowded at the Palms beach area than it was at the county park. The Isle of Palms Beach Chair Company will come and set up a spot for you and your group right along the water…but be sure to call early, as hotel guests and beachcombers will be up early to grab the best spots!
On our way back to Charlotte, we passed an unexpected site: Fort Moultrie National Park, located on Sullivan’s Island. Though we didn’t get to go into the park due to the heavy rain, it seemed like a great piece of history to explore, and the brick fort was impressive.
Stay tuned for more road trips within the Charlotte area!
We stayed at The Palms Oceanfront Hotel, which had direct beach access, clean rooms, outdoor showers, and a lobby area which served complimentary breakfast in the mornings (and, while we were there, a sitting area to watch the World Cup games throughout the day!). There was limited parking onsite, but hotel guests were able to park at a nearby municipal lot free of cost.
There were ample restaurants, souvenir shops, and an ice cream stand all within walking distance of the hotel. There was also a grocery store (Harris Teeter!), coffee shops (including Starbucks), and other conveniences within a ten-to-fifteen-minute drive. One bar/restaurant, Coconut Joe’s, was next door to our hotel and seemed to be a popular night spot; the line to get in stretched down the street!
For dinner, we headed over to Acme Lowcountry Kitchen, which was just a five-minute walk from our hotel. The food was excellent and reasonably priced, including some delicious drinks (Cherry Limeade) and great seafood (I had the shrimp and grits). We also tried fried green tomatoes, a Lowcountry delicacy, which did not disappoint!
