Beaches, Charleston

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NOt that Charleston is famed for its beaches, they do have some on the no9rth and south ends of the city. Some are not that popular for out ofstate tourists, and some look like they need to be "spiffed up". I think a fair number look dreary and drab looking, and the sand is grey color.

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away." Here is an example of one of those moments - Sunrise Over Folly Beach Travelogue or check out the You Tube Video of the Sunrise here (sorry You Tube took off the music).

We took this photo above as we walked down Folly Beach after watching the sunset. There was a band called NeedToBreathe putting together a video and they were obviously on a break when I took this shot on the beach. We stayed around for a little while watching them film the video, but if you have ever seen a video or film shoot there is a lot of down time so after we took a couple of pictures and some video we left to go have breakfast.

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Folly beach is about ten miles south of historic Charleston. It's a good getaway if you want to supplement your historic sightseeing with some beach culture. The beach is accompanied by a town that has restaurants, bars and souvenir shops. Some parts of the beach, mainly around the pier, are packed with people, but if you walk a little bit farther the crowd thins out significantly.

Do Sunset on Isle of Palms...it was so peaceful and just a few folks on the beach. We went down about 5pm as the crowds were leaving and stayed until 9pm (nightfall) It was gorgeous and peaceful. We spent the next morning sunrise....watching the sun come up on Sullivan's Island. It was great. Wonderful views and great place to walk the beach. Not very many shells though!!! But it was great!!!

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You won't find many tourists here. They all seem to go to Folly Beach on James Island. Isle of Palms is in Mt. Pleasant about 20 minutes from downtown Charleston. This is my favorite beach because it's never crowded, it's clean and beautiful. I think the best thing about the beaches here though is that in the summer the water is warm. Nothing worse than going to the beach and freezing your butt off in the water. It's free to park, but in the summer allow extra time to find a spot.

DIRECTIONS
From I-526: Head East toward Mt. Pleasant and take the Georgetown Exit, Hwy 17. Continue straight at the light, crossing Hwy 17 onto Hungry Neck Boulevard. Pass through two stoplights and at the third, turn right onto Highway 517, the Isle of Palms Connector. This will take you to the island

From Hwy 17 North or South: Turn east at Highway 517, the Isle of Palms Connector. Take the Connector over the Intracoastal Waterway onto Isle of Palms

On the Island: Take a left on Palm Blvd. and follow it as it turns to the right. Park where you see walkways to the beach.

Folly Beach is about twenty minutes away from Charleston, past Johns Island and James Island. There is a public pier as soon as you come to the island, which is great for fishing and pictures. There is also Folly Beach County Park, which is a nice place to go if you don't want hotels or houses in your way when you visit the beach. This beach is my favorite.

Isle of Palms is located just past Sullivan's Island, to the north of Charleston. Isle of Palms is normally a crowded beach, and there are a lot of hotels, bars, and restaurants. This is a good place to go at night if you're looking for some fun.

Sullivan's Island is home to Fort Moultrie, and the Sullivan's Island Lighthouse. The beach area is mostly residential, but the island is worth visiting to see the old forts. The Sullivan's Island Lighthouse is controlled by the Coast Gaurd, and isn't open to the public, but you can get fairly close to it. It was built in 1962 to replace the Old Charleston Lighthouse. Fort Moultrie is open to the public.

Visit the Isle of Palms and Sullivans Island. Very cruisy on the weekends. Hang out downtown, visit the markets, and see the mansions on the Battery. If you an get a trip on the harbour as well ,it is highly recommended.