Anything going on in IOP in late August?

My husband and I will be visiting IOP the last weekend of August for our first wedding anniversary. This will be his first time in the area and it will be my first time since 2000.

We will be staying at the Holiday Inn Express. I haven%26#39;t stayed there since 2000 so I%26#39;m hoping it will still be a suitable place to stay. I have checked out the most recent reviews...some good, some not so flattering. Any news regarding the condition of the hotel?

We plan to spend most of the time of the beach and would like to go to some nice places for dinner that are near the hotel (anything from walking distance on the island to 20 minute drive). Any places that have good food but aren%26#39;t overated and overpriced...especially a good seafood place?

Anything going on in IOP in late August?

Hi, I live on IOP. The restaurants along the beach, near your hotel are fine, but nothing special. I would suggest driving to Sullivan%26#39;s Island (5 min by car) for better restaurants. High Thyme is EXCELLENT, one of my favorites in all of Charleston. Station 22 is also very good. In Mt. Pleasant (on Coleman Blvd.) J. Bistro is very good. So is Water%26#39;s Edge, which is right on Shem Creek and has a great view of the creek and shrimp boats. Make a reservation and request by the water. All of these restaurants have entrees in the $14 to $22 range. This is pretty much the going rate for the better, upscale restaurants. You can also find much more expensive restaurants, but all of these are very good and reasonably priced.

Of course, downtown would be about a 20-25 min drive (depending on traffic) and there are tons of excellent restaurants there, but it is not necessary to go downtown for good food unless you choose to.