Lowkey Low Country Getaway
It’s a simple drive, Raleigh to Isle of Palms, but is not what I would describe as scenic until you hit the final miles driving around Charleston. And when you hit those final miles and cross bodies of water and marshes on bridges that feel like a vacation welcome mat rolled out for you…the calming sense of being on the coast washes over everyone in the car. It’s the reward for surviving 4+ hours on I-95 & I-26 to finally reach your destination. Rising over the South Carolina marsh, the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge spanning the Cooper River, proudly welcomes weary travelers to the low country in a way that is fitting only for Charleston receptions. The kids know going over a large bridge at the coast means you’re almost there…and they were right. The excitement was barely contained from the second row of our X7 late on this Monday afternoon. I thought those car seats may come unbuckled before the rubber actually rolled into Isle of Palms town limits. We pulled into 3 39th Avenue and felt the vacation begin, well, kind of. Time to unpack, let the kids get their energy out and get their dinner in the oven - the typical evening mad dash. Throw in the fact we are at a new place, new house, with grandparents and the excitement was bursting through the windows. Night one wrapped up with snoozing toddlers, groceries stocked, and delicious greasy burgers from Five Guys in Mt. Pleasant.
Tuesday morning marked our first full day. We stayed in a rental home that was found by Taylor’s mom, and it was quite a nice home that was very spacious. The main floor featured two bedrooms, living area, large kitchen, and dining area plus sliding glass doors leading out to a modest porch. The second floor contained the master bedroom with a private porch, two more secondary bedrooms with an ensuite, and a laundry room. Up to the third floor and we find three single beds, a full bathroom, and a tv/game area leading out to a private balcony. Ok, breakfast consisting of bacon and chocolate chip pancakes has everyone ready to experience the day. Only one thing really filled the itinerary - the Charleston Aquarium. After quick drive over the bridge and hunt for parking, we unloaded and walked up to the aquarium situated on the waterfront. Upon walking up to the main entrance, after going through ticketing, you come to the star attraction - a huge stingray touch tank. Our son ate this up with his Papou by his side and did not want to leave. Following a thorough soaking we made our way inside and through the exhibits, ending with a live reptile show where both kids bravely “handled” the snakes out on display. Aquarium - done. Now, we need food. We made our way down to Fleet Landing and settled in for a late lunch. Everyone had a great meal….except for Taylor’s mom (known around here as YiaYia). The restaurant was not overly busy for the time of day, however, service was certainly slow. On top of that, they brought her three cold cups of coffee in a row. One, sure, we get it. But THREE?!? That was a bit insane, especially considering the size of the crowd. A lengthy lunch wrapped up and we headed back across the bridge to Isle of Palms. Ready to rest up and take on the next day.
Wednesday morning the kids were up and begging to get in the pool. Unfortunately, the water was still quite a bit chilly and pollen dominated the surface of the water. Still, stubborn as they can be, the kids got in ankle deep water and played in the pool until we could convince them to go to the beach. Once we hit the sand there was nowhere else they wanted to be. They found the ocean to be exactly the playground they were seeking, albeit featuring a rather chilly shoreline. One thing I forgot about IOP is how wide open the beaches are. Granted, it was not overly crowded along the beach, but we had TONS of elbow room. We easily could have brought chairs, planted ourselves, and let the kids play for hours. But, the water was still pretty cold, and they were shivering shortly after deciding to venture into the breakers. We retreated to the house to clean everyone up for the evening and get ready for dinner. Once the kids were in bed, we rolled out the board games. A family favorite, Taboo, was the first to be unboxed. This always turns into an instant classic (mainly because the men typically win) but is full of great made up words in order to get the points needed. The final score was, yet again, a lot to a little. If you’ve never played Taboo with your in-laws (or anyone for that matter) then you’re really missing out. Vacations would not be the same if we skip Taboo, it has become that much of a staple. I truly cannot wait until our kids are old enough to join in and see just how competitive everyone in the family actually is.
Thursday found us up early heading to check out the Isle of Palms shops to get our obligatory souvenirs and watch someone get arrested in the parking lot (not joking). Then, it was a quick drive down to Sullivan’s Island for lunch at Poe’s Tavern. This may have been the highlight meal of the trip. We arrived right after they opened and were immediately seated before a crowd began to grow. The food, the staff, the atmosphere, all were top notch. We will gladly frequent Poe’s on our future trips to the area. The afternoon found us on the beach for an extended period. Today the kids were hunting sea shells, building sand castles, and wading into the ocean until they turned blue. The beach was a little busier thanks to some very warm temps. Even with a larger crowd, the elbow room was aplenty. We ventured back home right before dinner, got everyone cleaned up and sand washed from all of the toys. Dinner tonight was prepared by YiaYia, just like she did the night before, while we were all out on the beach. We wrapped up Thursday night with a rousing rendition of Scategories and called it an evening and a successful week down at IOP. We packed and headed out around lunch on Friday in order to make it back for a ballet performance in Raleigh. It’s always tough to watch the ocean fade in your rear view, but this time it felt even more difficult to see the blue disappear. This was a great week with tremendous memories. We left knowing that IOP will be a beach destination for our family for years and years to come.
