A family trip to the Charleston, South Carolina area. Our kids have finished their first year of college and my son asked if schedules would work to do a family trip before his summer camp counseling job began. He hadn’t had a trip since summer of 2020 due to school, sports, and summer work and, when prompted, requested a South Carolina beach trip. We’d gone to South Carolina beaches twice before when the kids were much younger, but I was very happy to put something together to get us all on a trip together.
Beach Day 1
Home base for the trip was a condo rental on Isle of Palms, with a nice balcony view of the ocean, frequent pelican fly-bys, and sunrises. We arrived late in the evening and only were able to catch a few moments of daylight. The first full day was a simple beach day to settle in.
The Boone Hall Plantation
After enjoying sunrise with a cup of tea, we drove to Boone Hall for our first exploration. The Plantation is a continuously working farm for over 300 years with only six owners in that time. According to one of the volunteers, the current owner has no heirs and will pass the Plantation into trust with the mission of education for the community. The site features a series of original slave cabins used to present Black history in America exhibits, a short tour of the manor, and a live presentation of Gullah culture. The history seemed fairly presented and we recommend the visit. The tractor tour of the farming operations was interesting and the Fright Night Halloween event seems like it would be a blast.
A Day in Charleston
We went into Charleston for our second outing. It was a simple 45 minute drive and easy parking at the Concord Street garage only two blocks from the famous City Market. We just spent the afternoon walking around the city enjoying the historical architecture.
Left: Looking South on King Street.
Right: The Historic City Market
St. Philip’s Church, Residence on King Street, Residence near White Point Garden.
Rainbow Row
The Pineapple Fountain and Fort Sumter National Monument
Ending the day with sunset at the Isle of Palms Marina
Beach Day 2
Another beach day started off with an amazing sunrise, with the rest of the day being simply books, naps, and walks.
Cypress Gardens
Our final outing was Cypress Gardens, a nature preserve centered around a swamp. The preserve features boat tours and hiking trails from which to explore the area. Since we hadn’t eaten in Charleston on the earlier trip, we swung back into the city for afternoon desserts at Carmella’s. My son had the giant Cookie Crunch Waffle; but, he wasn’t a big fan of how the photo of he and his dessert came out, so not included here. Let’s just say the people at the next table over were looking forward to watching him finish it off!
Beach Day 3
And, appropriately, the final day was another beach & day book-ended by both a wonderful sunrise, a rainbow, and an equally impressive sunset.
