Completely off-topic - Charleston SC
Is there anyone here that is very familiar with Charleston, SC, and the beaches in particular? Anyone been to Kiawah Beachwater Park?
Thanks,
Kathy
never been to that park, but am familiar with the beaches...whats your question?
I don't want to draw any attention to the beaches. I like the solitude.
I believe it's beachwalker Park. It's a public beach on the island but not in the resort. There is a day e fee
I visited Isle of Palms, its a fair drive out of Charleston. Its a public & private beaches but I found it pretty low key and laid back during the early summer. Not a whole lot of commercialism out that way.
Another place I visited was Jekyll Island in GA. It is filled with history. Many of the tycoons of the early 1900s spent their summers there. It requires a entrance fee, but it is low on the commercialism. Only a couple chains around there.
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Thanks everyone - I can always count on this site for quick responses!
Solemates - I'm looking for a public beach to have a small wedding (bride, groom, and minister). Short and sweet.
Modiyooch - Solitude, huh? If you can recommend a nice spot, PM me and I promise to keep it a secret! It will be on a weekday in August. All I keep hearing is how crowded everything is during tourist season.
Boagus - You are correct, it's Beachwalker Park. Typo on my part. The minister says that Kiawah Island is very pretty but also pricey. The lady at the parks department told me that we could get married there with no permit needed, only the $7 entrance fee. I just thought this might be less crowded since you have to pay to get in, but maybe not since there are showers and other amenities there.
Buliwyf - I was also looking at Isle of Palms. Low key and less commercialism is good.
We've never been to Charleston but my fiance has to go there for some other business. We've heard it's beautiful. So we're going to take the rest of the week and get married and have a little honeymoon!
Any must-see places or great restaurants?
Thanks!
I will be on Kiawah island for the week starting July 12th so if you way any other info just PM me. A "must see" is the angle oak which is a very arge live oak(reported to be the largest in the area if not the state) it is on the road heading to Kiawah on John's island. The whole area is pricey but when the 80 year old parents say thats were they want the families to meet we all jump to attention and fall into line! Not a bad place for a family reunion.
OK. Our beach of choice is Isle of Palms. Since hurricane Hugo, it has had a facelift and becoming more popular. We had preferred the stucco buildings and less tourist, but there is always growth which is chipping away at the solitude. We go to the beach by day, and the city by night. We typically get lodging in MT Pleasant which is between the two locations and considerably cheaper. I say it's 15 minutes from the beach, but for our honeymoon, we rented a house in IOP a block from the beach. There is a public bathhouse at IOP with outdoor showers. There may be another bathhouse (not sure) at the beach that has lifeguards. I would recommend calling Wild Dunes which is a private resort at the end of the island. They are right on the beach, and may have facilities to rent for a wedding. Enjoy and congrats.
Charleston's a great town. Make sure you guys take a carriage ride in the evening down "Rainbow Row", great honeymoon activity. Also, there are a couple of great restaurants on Meeting Street. Can't remember the names, but can find them when I go there. Go for the bacon wrapped shrimp. YummmmmmmoOriginally Posted by ATRagamuffin
Charleston is beautiful. Been there at least 25 times. Obviously, do not miss the market. Also don't miss the fountain and swings just north of the market. Also dont miss battery park or rainbow row. I would highly suggest the horse carriage tours as well...they do a great job taking you to little known places and give you a lot of neat history. The ferry out to Fort Sumter is neat too. Hands down the best place to stay is Two Meeting Street Inn (http://www.twomeetingstreet.com/ not to be confused with "Meeting Street Inn") but typically you need reservations over a year in advance.
My favorite restaurant in the area is Sully's on Sullivan's Island, hands down. But I think it recently changed owners and may be named something slightly different. Its just a little hole in the wall place but they have the best seafood. Shem Creek also has great seafood, and you can sit and watch the boats come in at sunset.
If you are looking for solitude for a beautiful wedding, try Sullivan's Island. It's right next door to Isle of Palms, yet does not get the attention that Isle of Palms does. There are sections of Sullivans that you won't see anyone out on the beach, even on a Saturday morning.
Another option would be Huntington Beach State Park. Everyone seems to go north to Myrtle Beach, or south to Litchfield, which leaves this area of the beaches relatively private, especially if you are on the outskirts of the State Park rather than directly in the middle. There is not much out past the main walk in Huntington.
I live in South Carolina. my son is a graduate of the College of Charleston. Isle if Palms is a nice beach there are really no bad restuarants in Charleston You might try the FIG which we have always enjoyed
A beach wedding is a great idea!
I was at a beach house in Murrell's Inlet in late April. A wedding party (from Ohio) had rented the other half of the townhouse. They had the ceremony on the public beach Saturday afternoon. Other than renting the house, they had rented a golf cart for the bride and groom.
I was impressed at what a low-cost wedding option it was. I have three unmarried adult children, and I've always told them not to expect us to fork out big bucks for a few hours of pomp and gluttony.
Speaking as the manager of my boss' beach house...vacation rentals are way down this year. You should be able to get a good deal on a house, if that's what you're looking for.
If not NOW, then WHEN?
ME>GA 2006
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Have a great time, and watch that sun! It is really intense down there. I got the worst sunburn of my life at Folly beach in the 80s. Sun poisoning sucks!
I was married on top of a mountain on the Long Path 19 years ago. Just us, the preacher, and a handful of friends. Good times.
I live in the Charleston area, my favorite beach is on Edisto Island. Figure at least an hour drive from Charleston. Don't know exactly what you are looking for but the State Park (Edisto Island SP) has a secluded picnic shelter that might be nice for your purpose. Of course this is beach season. Contact the SP for availability. Being a beach community, there are rentals, no experience so no reccomendations.
Best Wishes
Lostjohn
Make sure that while you're down there getting married you take the time to see a Graham Whorley (Band) show. Arguably the best musician in Charleston.
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http://www.grahamwhorley.com/
BTW-for those in Charleston, he is playing tonight with Tim Reynolds (Dave Matthews fame) at the Charleston Pour House...
if you stay in iop or sullivans island; try the boathouse at the inlet that connects the two areas.
I run a 15K on Sullivan's Island. It's strange because the island is only about 2 miles long.
I went to iop last friday. I got treated to some really nice waves. You do not typically see waves, so it was a treat.
Shopping: King Street and the Market
Take in the architecture of the churches, home, etc.
Charleston and the beaches do have a lot to offer.
As a native South Carolinian, Williston, S.C. 1946, I would second the recommendations of those who suggested local beaches. Kiawah is sort of exclusive and can be pricey if you stay there, IOP has a great beach and small crowds and their motels are reasonable, Folly is just downright wierd but does have a county park and a Holiday Inn. Edisto, my favorite, Litchfield, and Huntington Beach are probably to far away if you prefer to be close to Charleston. Avoid Myrtle Beach like lyme disease. If you're going to spend your honeymoon in Charleston, stay near the center of town, park your car and walk. All of the best resturants are within walking distance and you will have your pick of fare and price range. Don't miss Hyman's seafood, moderately priced, and check out Poogan's Porch, take money. Once you are full, take a walk, or a carriage ride, through the old residential area south of the Broad. Enjoy.
I was on Kiawah Island in the late 1970's...
Ran a 10-mile footrace on wood trails and on the beach. White sand, but flour-like. If it wasn't dampened, it was very hard to run on. Decent amount of woods then. Not sure if it's changed since then. Too hot a place to be outside in from March-October, though, IMO.
This has been absolutely wonderful! Thanks so much everyone for the great recommendations and the kind words.
We are looking into Sullivans Island. The very helpful lady at the city office is sending us a permission form we have to fill out, but she said the same thing Solemates did that there aren't a lot of people on the beach. No hotels or B&B's either. She said that when she gets married, it will be right there on Sullivans Island.
Marta - my daughter is getting married in two weeks! Hers will be the pomp and gluttony type, but she had been very good at keeping it under control and keeping costs down. That's why we want to slip away and do this quietly and with little fanfare or expense. In fact, we just got my dress at Kohl's on clearance for $18.
Mowgli - When we first started talking about getting married, he asked if there was a place on the AT that was special to me. Too many to count, but we decided on Beauty Spot. But when the Charleston trip came up, it just sounded exciting to me to have a place that would become special to both of us. He's very supportive of my hiking, and will join me on short trips, but the AT is really more my passion.
Boagus - I hiked past the Dover Oak in NY last month. I have a photo of myself standing by it! I'll have to check out the Angel Oak as well.
I need to make lots of notes here . . . carriage rides, fountains, restaurants, great live music, history, architecture, bacon-wrapped shrimp . . . sounds like we are in for a wonderful time!
Thanks again everyone. I'll post some photos when we get back.
Kathy
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