weather/activity questions

we%26#39;re planning a trip to charleston in the beginning of august, we will have two small boys (6 and 4) with us. i%26#39;m was hoping to get some input on the following questions:

1. what will the weather be like in early august? (mainly i need to know if it will still be warm enough to go to the beach!)

2. are there any beach areas that would be good places for my guys to find ';treasures';; i.e. shells, sand dollars, etc?

3. what other activities are around that younger kids might be interested in?

thanks!

weather/activity questions

The weather will be extremely hot and sultry. Even the breezes off the water will probably be warm. The ocean water will be warm. The sun will be very strong, so please be extremely careful in using sunscreen.

How many shells are on the beach sort of depends on what%26#39;s been going on out to sea. If there has been a storm in the ocean, it may churn things up and throw more shells on shore.

Otherwise, the best time to look for shells is at low tide, especially early in the morning. Beachwalker Park, on Kiawah, is a very good beach for young children and has nice restroom facilities and a snack bar. We find a fair number of fossil sand dollars, as well as other shells.

weather/activity questions

1. As the first poster said, yes, it will be very hot. Probably 90%26#39;s in early August. You can generally swim comfortably in the ocean here until sometime in October. Keep an eye on the weather channel for tropical storm/hurricane forcasts before you come. That is typically when it begins to heat up.

2. Many. Beachwalker park is my favorite as well, but it kind of depends on where you are staying. It is on Kiawah Island and can be a pretty good drive depending on your location. Isle of Palms would be my next choice, but more people go there so not as many shells to collect unless you go really early.

3. SC Aquarium. Boys will love it. There is an interactive section where they can actually touch some sea creatures with assistance. Across the streee in the park they are constructing a tall ship by hand like it was done years ago. Very interesting.

Fort Sumter might be fun for them. The fort is okay, but a short tour. The boat ride out is where younger kids will usually have the most fun. Many times dolphins will tag along and jump across the bow.

Much of what to do depends on where you are staying. I would suggest Cypress Gardens since you can take a boat tour through the swamp (boys will like), but it is between Moncks Corner and Goose Creek, so may be a drive for you.

Several waterparks of course.

New Hotel Dunes Village Myrtle Beach

This hotel was scheduled to open in May and then in July and now they have said it will be open in August. I am a little worried about making a reservation because no one there can tell me about any progress they are making.

Has anyone seen or heard anything about this new resort? It is on 5300 N. Ocean Blvd.

New Hotel Dunes Village Myrtle Beach

Road by it last week and not sure if it was open. Other good options very close by are Forest Dunes, Southwind, and Sea Island.

New Hotel Dunes Village Myrtle Beach

Can you tell me anything about Sea Island Resort? I am going in August with my family. Is it kid friendly?

Sea Island looks to be very kid friendly...nice pool area, great beach, and just up the beach from the Dunes Village...I%26#39;m thinking that that project isnt planned on finishing until summer or 2007, they have alot to do there, but looks great in the pics. You may have gotten the opening date for the Sea Island mixed up in there as they arent that far from each other and under contruction at the same time.

:)

Hi,

Maybe I should clarify:

I wanted to make a reservation at Dunes Village but when I spoke to someone on the phone they said they couldn%26#39;t guarantee that they would be open in time for August. So then someone suggested that Sea Island was also nice and I should try to make a reservation there.

I called Sea Island and made a reservation, but there are no pictures of anything on their website. I was a little worried that they might not be kid friendly. The reservationist told me they were finished with construction and the pools and water slides and outside was finished. Is there more construction going on there?

We are taking my mother-in-law with us also and she jsut lost her husband and I want this trip to be as nice as possible for her so that is why I am asking a lot of questions. Can you help?

Ok...yep, the construction is complete on the Sea Island, and they have been open for almost 2 weeks now. I had taken some pics right before they opened, that if you want, I can email them to you. Nothing of the inside, but I did do a walk thru the lobby and restaurant, and it is really nice. The hotel staff were more than accomodating (as they were before they renovated the property). I really think that you will enjoy your stay here, and the beach, IMO, is one of the best in the area. And by August I would think that all the landscaping will have time to mature, and the place will be really plush and green!

For a great beach experience, when you get there, check with the lifeguard out front of the hotel to secure beach chairs and a nice beach umbrella....its a nice touch, and for the time you spend on the beach, it really makes things comfortable....and not alot of $$

If you need anything else, just let me know!

:)

Thank you so much for the information on Sea Island I really appreciate it. If you have pictures I would love to see them.

I do have some pics (I should get by there and shoot some more now that they have opened!) that were taken at the beginning of May, about 2 weeks before they opened, I%26#39;d be more than happy to email them to you....seems the link I have posted does not load for everyone.

:)

Senior Week Hotels

I am going down to senior week June 16-19th. I am trying to get reservations at the Viking Motel because of how they will accept reservations. The reservation will be in my boyfriends name who is 19 and I will be staying down there and I%26#39;m 17. I was just wondering if there are any other places we can stay that allow 18 and over to have the reservation in their name and people under 18 to stay in the room with parental consent.

I just wanted to know of places that allow it because from what I%26#39;ve heard the Viking Motel is probably not the cleanest. I%26#39;m trying to find something cheaper because we are only staying for the weekend.

Post places you have stayed and places anyone you know has stayed at.

Time is getting tight!

Senior Week Hotels

I just spoke with someone whos kids went for spring break and stayed at mid town motor inn and they were very happy there. 18 year olds were welcome .wwwmidtownmotorinn.com 843-448-6942

Senior Week Hotels

Thanks I just reserved a room there.... Only a $100 down and $85 a night, not bad!

The girl that works with me told me the Pavillion is closed down and I looked at the website and it says the Farewell Season. Is it open for this last year and then it%26#39;s gonna be gone?

That%26#39;s correct....the Pavilion will close after this season. The company that owns it, Burroughs and Chapin, have yet to decide on what their plans are for the property.

:)

Hopefully it will be something good... But we are def. gonna take advantage of the Pavillion while its there. Its odd that everytime my family has been to the beach that we have never been to the Pavillion!

Too be honest, I%26#39;ll hate to see it go, but I think that it has run its time...I can count on my hands the number of times I%26#39;ve been, and I%26#39;ve lived here for a number of years. Would be nice if, with whatever they decide, a piece of the history of the park would be left,say maybe a roller coaster or the carosel...just something.

:)

eye creams

ideal marriage age

Restaurants near Sea Island

Are there any restaurants (fast food or dining room) within walking distance of the new Sea Island (within a mile or so)?

Anyone have any news or info about Sea Island since they%26#39;ve opened?

Restaurants near Sea Island

Martins within Long Bay Resort and River City are walkable. Close by but probably 2 or 3 miles are Carolina Roadhouse,Villa Mare,Cheeseburger in Paradise,Atlanta Bread Co. and Bonefish Grille.

Restaurants near Sea Island

What type of restaurant is River City, and what%26#39;s the price range? Is it a good place to eat? We%26#39;ll be at Sea Island starting Friday night and were looking for places to possibly walk to instead of drive because of the possibility of bike traffic over the weekend (and I%26#39;m assuming safety is not an issue). Thanks for the info.

River City is a burger place, but argueably one of the best there is. They serve salted in-the-shell peanuts and ice cold beer. If memory serves me right, there is probably 20-25 variations of a burger available. Casual and comfortable. Burger platters are about $5-$6. Highly recommended.

PS%26gt; Would love to hear a review on Sea Island after your visit. We%26#39;ve got reservations for August. Thanks.

River City Cafe sounds great and only about a mile away, which will be a nice walk for us. Glad to hear it%26#39;s a good place to eat and not expensive. Thanks for the info.

I%26#39;ll be posting a review of Sea Island when we get back, probably sometime during the first week of June.

Try trip advisor reviews at

tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g54359-d97477-R鈥?/a>

To get to Villa Mare go North on Ocean Blvd. till you get to 79th st. This left turn will take you out to a traffic light and you can very easily get accross 17 . Make a left past the Bank on the corner and Villa Mare is right there.

Also in the same strip mall is Atlanta Bread Co. which serves up a great loaf of soup for lunch. This consists of a small loaf of sourdough bread with the top cut off and the soup put inside.

If you want a quick rundown of whats in the area, here goes:

Go to the right out the front of the hotel to Highland Ave. This will take you to Kings Hwy. To your left before you cross Kings Hwy is KFC, Hardee%26#39;s and Grecian Delight (great little lunch and dinner spot, not expensive at all!). Across the Kings Hwy is the Food Lion (grocery -- good rotiesserie chicken), Kirk%26#39;s Ice Cream (YUM!), Jimmigans (Pub style food), The Bamboo Cafe (Chinese), Pizza Shak. Behind Jimmagans is a really good Italian place, Luigi%26#39;s...they just relocated to this building.

If you walk up Kings Hwy about about 3 blocks there is a tex-mex place called Garcia%26#39;s, and Fosters (pub), another block is Carrabas, and Flamingo Grill and Sunrise Pancake, one more block is Cheeseburger in Paradise, San Franscisco Oven, Marble Slab Ice Cream and BoneFish Grille, one more block is TGI Fridays, The City Bar, Liberty Tap Room and Grille, Pizza Hut, Palms Bistro, Sams Corner, Collectors Cafe, Villa Mare (YUM!), China Dragon (GREAT Chinese food!), Atlanta Bread Company.

Happy Eating!

:)

I forgot to add my FAVORITE Meixcan place in MB! Just across the street from the Flamingo Grille...called Fiesta Mexicana, great lunch buffet and dinner!

:)

Thanks to everyone who contributes to this site. It really helps to have personal input from those of you who are so familiar with the area. We%26#39;ll be on our way tomorrow and look forward to enjoying our time in Myrtle Beach! Thanks again so much.

Is Savannah worth losing a day in Charleston for?

Hello Everyone,

I have one more question for you all, please.

We are only staying in Charleston for 4 days in early June. On one of those days, we were thinking of driving to Savannah since I%26#39;ve heard it was so close to Charleston.

My question is - is it worth missing one day of Charleston for Savannah - or is Savannah not as nice as Charleston in terms of scenery/things to do?

Thanks, all.

Is Savannah worth losing a day in Charleston for?

Personally, if you only have 4 days...I would stay in Charleston. Savannah is nice but there is so much to do and to see here. It is at least a 2.5 hour drive there - so 5 hours minimum on the road plus the time you would have for seeing things there.

If you were going to be here for an extended stay, yes it would be worth it. Just come back when you have more time.

Is Savannah worth losing a day in Charleston for?

I would say stay in Charleston---there really isn%26#39;t that much difference between the two---and it%26#39;s over a 2 hr. drive to get there--mabe if you have more time and would like to drive to Savannah then by all means go, otherwise stay put and enjoy your stay in beautiful Charleston. Have a good time!!!

Wow! I am sure that this would be a pretty heated debate between the two cities. Of course we all are going to rally for you to stay in Charleston.

Seriously, I think that Charleston is a more beautiful city and we have plenty of sights and tours to keep you busy while you are here. If you do decide to take the trip to Savannah it is about 2 hours away and as the previous poster mentioned that would mean alot of time in the car! So with that said Charleston should get all of the attention this trip! :-))

I agree with the previous posts. It%26#39;s a pretty town, but Charleston has A LOT more to offer - sites to see, restaurants, etc.

Savannah is nice but you need a local to really enjoy it. If you dont know where to go you feel like you are being taken advantage of like the rest of the tourists or you are in the ghetto.

Stay in chucktown.

Now I wont show any biased towards one place or another I have been to both places and returned 4 times now , will be returning this june/july .

Personally I LOVE BOTH PLACES , and would recommend both places also , but with only 4 days I would say stay in Charleston see al the sights , visit all the place . This will give you a great feeling and wanting to return on another visit . Your next trip stay in Savannah that way you get to enjoy the hospitalitie of both places .

Saying that if two hours drive away isnt much that much for you well just drive on the highway 17 right into Savannah .

I found no problem as a tourist to both Charleston or Savannah of being in a tourist trap and I didnt walk into a getto either . I would remind the last poster come to London England , you will then know what a tourist trap really is and also a getto .

Being from Savannah, I would naturally say....';Savannah is worth a lot more than just a day trip.'; I think it%26#39;s much more beautiful than Charleston. I can%26#39;t imagine just skipping through in only a few hours.

It%26#39;s the same thing with people staying in Savannah going to Charleston just for a day. You can%26#39;t do justice to both places. That time spent traveling could be better spent seeing what%26#39;s there.

And personally, if given the magical choice of going to Savannah or seeing Magnolia Plantation or Middleton Place at Charleston, I would pick Magnolia and Middleton and hope that one day I could see Savannah.

Have you thought about going to Beaufort? It would be a shorter day trip if you run out of things to do in Charleston.

What hotel

going to be in MB for the 4th of july with female friends wanted to know which hotel we can stay in close to all the attrations

What hotel

If you want to be close to the Boulevard and the Pavilion I%26#39;d look at either the Dayton House or The Breakers Resort...both within walking distance but far enough away, and yet close enough to restuarants, and Broadway at the Beach. If you didnt want to stay OF I%26#39;d look at the Hampton at Broadway at the Beach...right in the middle of all the things to do there.

:)

Sea Island on SCC

I was watching the South Carolina Channel last night and there was a thing about Momand Pop hotels and the odl SeaIsland was on there. For it to be a older hotel they took great care of it. I also liked the way they had the den thing with the puzzles, books, games, etc for familys on rainy days.

One thing I anit all that crazy about is that they said they was going to try to use most of the furniture in the new hotel. I don%26#39;t think older furniture would fit in that good or less it was recently new.

I just thought this was interesting.

Sea Island on SCC

CBR...

a number of the older furniture pieces look great in the new place...most of the pieces are in the lobby or restaurant.

:)