We had been fighting
inclement weather throughout this first week of travel in South Carolina. It
rained every day, sometimes a drizzle, sometimes vociferously. Brilliant blue
skies would suddenly be covered by billowing clouds and the rain would come
with such force that we would have to seek shelter. The rain and wind would
cool the area and then the heat would come again, a strong, piercing sun.
We had seen a lot of
Charleston our first three days there and now wanted to see a bit of their
beach communities. Charleston is set on a peninsula at the confluence of the
Ashley and Cooper Rivers. Two islands north and south of the harbor feature
beaches and each have a different feel.
FOLLY
BEACH
Folly Beach is a 6 mile beach
located at the eastern edge of James Island and just north of Kiawah. Several
people told us Folly was a “funky” beach town, more like a surfer community and
the crowded area by the bridge had plenty of bars some with music already
wafting out into the mid-morning air when we arrived. Parking seemed to be an
issue in the center of the island. We drove slowly to the north end and then
the south end, abiding by the many hand painted signs that read: “Slow Down,
It’s Folly.” There were plenty of beach
access points everywhere on the island, all with paid parking. There were also
plenty of others parked on the actual street for free, but we were worried this
was illegal. With later research we found out that you’re able to park on the
street, as long as all tires are off the road. This sounds anal I realize, but
they have a website detailing these and other rules.
Evidently the good
natured laid back atmosphere of Folly Beach had been abused in the past, hence
the rules. Last Fourth of July two bus-loads of college drinkers were
dropped off at the shore town and proceeded to drink heavily and cause some
problems with the local cops. The community then banned drinking on the beach.
So,
given all these restrictions here at Folly Beach it sort of did not sound like
the laid back funky place people described. The center of the beach where the
bridge came in was congested with people vying for spots. We thought it would
be nice walk around town and perhaps get a drink, but all the paid parking lots
seemed filled. So, not wanting to risk a ticket in parking on the street we drove
to Folly Beach County Park on the extreme southern edge of the town and paid
our $8.00. The beach there is worth the drive. Emptier and because of the
no-drinking laws, it was clean and family oriented. The one thing about the
park is they lock the gates at 7 pm. Any car inside afterwards is stuck. We
thought that was odd.
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| FOLLY BEACH COUNTY PARK |
Anyway,
we arrived at low tide and there was a very shallow incline to the water, so
the beach was very wide. It was not crowded, though it was a Friday afternoon.
People were riding bikes on the hard-packed sand; something I had never seen
before. The water was warm. It was a very pleasant time. It is worth a return
visit in the future, but we had to leave in the late afternoon because we had
bigger fish to fry…literally.
BOWENS ISLAND RESTAURANT
Bowens
Island Restaurant has been labeled as one of the best Seafood Dives in America.
When Team VFH was doing its research for places to eat in the Charleston area,
Bowens Island kept coming up as a must place to visit. It has been around since the 40’s
and it keeps getting mentioned by people and websites, although some of the
reviews were less than kind. Some say that Bowens is a shell of what it had
been and not very good. I still say it was worth the visit. Five minutes
outside of Folly Beach and set high up you can enjoy incredible views as you
eat your seafood, or simply read all the graffiti scrawled on the walls. Though
it embraces the ‘dive’ or minimalist approach to things, it’s really not.
There’s a full bar and a very impressive selection of local craft beers on tap.
(I recommend the Coast Hop Art.). Some may not find that appealing and
truthfully the enterprise that is Bowens Island Restaurant was more a façade
than a simple approach to some good simple food.
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| BOWENS ISL REST |
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| BOWENS ISL REST |
To
get into the restaurant you have to climb a long weaving ramp that at 5 pm is
in the full sun and wait in a long line. We were lucky to get there close to
opening so our wait was not that bad and though we heard from others that bug
spray was a vital to survival while waiting the withering sun was more a
problem.
Sadly,
Bowens Island was the place we were most looking forward to eating at and
though the atmosphere was fabulous we were disappointed. Janet says you have to be a fan overeating and fried food to eat here. Bowens is known for
their steamed oysters and Lowcountry boil and only open from 5 till 9 Tuesday
through Saturday. I had the boil, but should have tried their shrimp and grits.
Janet ordered the Big Ol’ Seafood Platter which was deep fried and ponderously heavy. It was all right, but not great. Thankfully we
got there early enough to get seats at the bar, but it’s a large cavernous
building with rows of tables. Screens all around let a cooling breezes through.
The waitstaff emerge from the kitchen shouting out names and they bring the
food to you, but you have to get your condiments and unless you’re at the bar
you have to get your own drinks. As we struggled through the vast amounts of
food given us we watched as the line coming through the door on this Friday
afternoon never dwindled.
BOWENS ISLAND RESTAURANT
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| PLATTER AND BOIL |
SULLIVAN’S
ISLAND
Again, with fleeting
time; we were leaving Charleston the next day; we decided to take a side trip
over to Sullivan’s Island before returning for the evening, just to say we were
there. The history of Sully’s, as called by the locals, is ominous. It was the
point of entry for 40% of the slave trade in North America and it is said that
half of all African Americans today have an ancestor that disembarked here, but
nowhere on the 3-mile island is there a memorial. It is now a wealthy place
with affluent homes. Supposedly the actor Bill Murray keeps a place there and
though we did not get an invite we did drive around and were amazed at some of the
real estate.
There was a strip of inviting
looking restaurants and drinking establishments brimming with patrons along the
main street. We drove first down to the south end of the island to Fort
Moultrie. Fort Moultrie played a major part in the American Revolution and
Civil War and was decommissioned after 171 years of service in 1947 and is now
part of the National Park Service.
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| SULLIVAN'S ISLAND |
Near the fort we found a
small rocky beach and with a number of other people enjoying the view we watched
a huge container ship slip past the twinkling skyline of Charleston. We drove
around the neighborhoods and eventually found a small area of four parking
spots with beach access. It was near a lighthouse. Beneath a lavender sky we
walked to the beach. The waves were small, the water was warm. It was high tide
and the beach was narrow, although I had read it could be very wide at low
tide. Families with small children still flounced in the water.
It was the end of a good
day.
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