Activities for College Kids

I%26#39;ve posted questions about Kiawah Island a couple of times in previous months and really appreciate all the responses! We%26#39;re going to Kiawah July 1 - 8 this Summer and are bringing our 19-year-old and 16-year-old sons. It sounds like there are great activities for teens at Night Heron Park, but I wondered if these were mostly for junior high and high school students, or if college-age kids also like them. Are there any other activities that would appeal alot to kids over 18 and give them a chance to meet other kids their age?

The guys plan to go kayaking, and I wondered if anyone can recommend which kayaking acitivity people would recommend for teens, e.g., nature trips, etc. They%26#39;re great swimmers and have gone kayaking once; are lessons still advisable?

We%26#39;d like to go into Charleston for dinner on 1 or 2 nights. Any suggestions for good restaurants that appeal to families and aren%26#39;t too costly? Thanks!

Activities for College Kids

You might want to call Tidal Trails (843) 768-5680 about the kayaking. This is local company - the owner/guide lives on Kiawah. Both the Kiawah Island Property Owners group and the Kiawah Island Club use this company for kayaking. This will give your guys a lot more options to explore with an experienced guide. They can also do ocean kayaking and some longer river paddles.

I don%26#39;t think your sons will need lessons except maybe with the ocean kayaking if they haven%26#39;t done that before. In any case, the guide will be offering pointers on technique. Once they are comfortable with the area and the activity, they can rest kayaks on their own.

Don%26#39;t forget golf and tennis lesssons and clinics. The facilities can set your sons up to play golf and tennis with other young people.

Check with the Kiawah Island Golf Resort to find out if there are special evening events for college age visitors during that week. There probably will be, since July 4th is a BIG week here. Also, be sure to reserve any activities you want well in advance, because there will be lots of other visitors signing up.

Activities for College Kids

I forgot to mention ... The sun here in July is strong. Mid-day can be brutally hot and steamy if you%26#39;re in a kayak, and a life vest, out on the river and creeks. You might want to consider kayaking in the morning or late afternoon. Go swimming in the middle of the day.

Thanks for the info. I%26#39;ll call Tidal Trails about kayaking this coming week. I heard from someone that marsh kayaking is for people 18 yrs. old and over. So I%26#39;m tempted to make a reservation for that, but I wondered if the marshes have alligators. I don%26#39;t care if they%26#39;re friendly alligators---I really want to avoid that!

Thanks also for the reminder about the importance of sunscreen. We%26#39;re going to try that continuous spray Coppertone and see how it works.

Also, Night Heron Park has an activity each night for teens, including bonfires, a teen mixer, etc. Does anyone know about what age group tends to go there? My other son and his friend are 16 years old and wonder if they%26#39;ll be too old for that.

The Night Heron Park activities should be great for 16-year-olds. As with all teen activities, it depends on who else happens to show up on any given night.

It would be very unusual for an alligator to be in the marsh or the river. The alligators like still water and mud. The marshes are tidal, so the water level is constantly changing. Also, the marsh grass and oyster banks don%26#39;t provide the cozy muck that the allligators like. On the marsh and river you will see lots of dolphins, crabs, and an amazing varitety of birds.

You will see alligators in and around lakes, ponds, and interior lagoons. They also bask in the sun on the golf course. The alligators are fascinating, but you should never appproach them, and NEVER feed them. Also, do not sunbathe or picnic on the edge of a pond or lagoon. The alligators mind their own business, but there is no reason to tempt fate! If you want to observe and learn about Kiawah%26#39;s alligators, take the alligator walk offered by the Nature Center.

Finally, be sure to rent bicycles unless you are bringing your own. Kiawah has many miles of safe and scenic bike trails as well as firm, level beach. For our teenagers and their friends, biking around the island has always been the favoriate activity ... freedom and exercise for the kids, without anxiety for the parents.

Have a wonderful time!