I can't answer all of your questions and have only been to Kiawah, though I imagine the beaches will be similar on all three. My family goes to Kiawah when we go to the beach. None of us play golf or tennis; we mainly go for sitting on the beach, relaxing, maybe biking around the island. The beach is really great for kids - lots of sand, not big waves. Water temperature would probably depend on the time of year you go. We went in early June last time and it was plenty warm for me. The sand isn't white like the Gulf of Mexico beaches, but it's great for sandcastles and all that.

Downtown Charleston is about 45 minutes from the island; Savannah would be 2.5 hours or so. Both cities are great to visit - whether they'd be "worthwhile" probably depends on you and your kids. I remember visiting Battery Park when I was a kid and loving it. A carriage tour might be fun for them too. There are several regular posters here who live in or visit Charleston (and Savannah) very often, so they might be more knowledgeable about child-friendly restaurants and that sort of thing.

Basically, I think if you do your research and you're interested in the area, it's unlikely you'll be disappointed. It's a great place for a family beach vacation - a far trip from Massachusetts, but so are the other places you mentioned.

It's a great area to visit. Your beaches are all upscale. Charleston has the aquarium and the Hunley exhibit for at least two kids things. There's the aircraft carrier at Patriot's Point also. SC beaches are all family friendly!!

1. Families visit all three all the time and families live at all three too.

2. You don't have to play golf or tennis to enjoy the area.

3. The beach conditions, waves, etc., depend on the time of year, currents, and of course, the weather.

4. Charleston is very child friendly, I guess. I never really know what that means. The Aquarium and Waterfront Park are fun.

5. Savannah is 100 miles away and well worth a visit.

I can't think of any place like this one to make a comparison. It's a great place to visit. You have the beach and the beautiful city with lots to do.

All three are gated communities. IOP/Wild Dunes is the closest to Charleston, if that matters. When do you plan to visit?

We've been spending a week of our summer in the Charleston area for the past six years now and have fallen head over heels in love with the Lowcountry. We love it because you have wonderful beaches, great shopping and dining, lots of cultural activities, and friendly people all in the same area.

If you want to be close to Charleston, I would choose to rent on Isle of Palms (includes Wild Dunes) or Sullivan's Island. Kiawah and Seabrook are also nice, but a longer drive from the city. Isle of Palms has more rental properties and some small hotels. Sullivan's Island is mostly residential (which is why we love it) and has no hotels.

The beaches are wide and flat, especially at low tide. The sand is darker than Florida, but because it is so packed and smooth, it is great for kids. My nieces (3 &5) love running and playing on the beach. Water temps are great during the summer.

There is plenty to do for children in the area. Besides the Aquarium and the Waterfront Park, which are always popular, you have lots of outdoor activities to choose from. We took a half-day trip with Barrier Island Eco Tours last summer and the kids on the boat seemed to really enjoy it. They offer a variety of trips, so you might take a look at their website. Some of the museums and plantation tours have activities geared more to their younger patrons, so you can look at the websites of the places that interest you and see if they have anything for your children. Of the plantations, Middleton Place would probably be the most captivating for younger ones, because they have animals and demonstrations of plantation life at the time (blacksmithing, etc.) There are also lots of sites like Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie, which are fun for kids to explore. Fort Sumter is fun, because you have the boat ride out there.

There are plenty of good restaurants in the area that are family friendly, both in setting and price. My list of "must return to" restaurants gets longer and longer with each trip to the area and many of them are not the high-end downtown restaurants (although they are wonderful!), because we keep finding great places in Mt. Pleasant and West Ashley and Johns Island.

All in all, we love the area and find it a great way to combine the fun and amenities of a city with the peace and relaxation of a great beach.

I agree with all the above comments on each of the three areas you’re considering for a stay.

I live on Seabrook so I can speak about this Island in greater detail. In comparing Kiawah and Seabrook, I would say that there’s not much of a beach vacation difference, except Kiawah is bigger, has shops and a small market area. In my opinion, Seabrook is quieter and has a more community/residential feel to it. It has a wonderful, extensive fitness center with indoor and outdoor pools in addition to the ocean, of course. All the beaches on both islands are wonderful for biking, walking, sitting, laying out/ playing in the sun.

There’s also a shopping center (Freshfields) located between the two islands with several shops, a large supermarket, and a few great restaurants. It’s easily reached by bicycle, though it’s closer to Seabrook.

There are several good restaurants in the area off the two islands as well (on Johns Island). And there are several places nearby to rent bicycles for the week. Bicycling is safe on both islands (I think Kiawah has more extensive bike paths than Seabrook).

You don’t say when you’re visiting, but in the week of August 6-12, Kiawah is hosting the 2012 PGA Championship Golf Event, so these islands will be crazy with traffic. Unless you’re into golf, I’d avoid the area.

The Fourth of July weekend on Seabrook has several events planned especially for children, in addition to a terrific fireworks display (and maybe Kiawah has the same).

These two islands are a bit farther from Charleston than IOP or Wild Dunes, but it’s an easy drive across Johns and James Islands (45 minutes, tops).

I think that if you want more time in Charleston, you should stay closer, but if you want a quieter beach vacation, then Kiawah or Seabrook is your choice.

kathleen, I had brunch at Fat Hen last Sunday. It was the bomb. I got the duck sausage gratin.

Suewoo, The bomb. Good, right?

We ate at another local place (in West Ashley) that we've heard a lot about recently, the Glass Onion. We went on a Tuesday evening for their "Famous Chicken" dinner. I have to say it was among the very best fried chicken I ever had! And it was probably the only time ever that I had to make dinner reservations for a fried chicken dinner. Ever eat there?

Yes it was fabulous.

I absolutely love Glass Onion. I wish I could get over there more often. I went to Germany for work for 2 months last fall. Just before I left I went to GO and had their delicious sausage. I dreamed about it. In GERMANY!

Belle's Sausage and Pimento Cheese. Yummm We shared this appetizer plate while waiting for our Chicken. I can understand why you dreamed of it. It was spicy and delicious. And that pimento cheese! If not shared, I think one could have this plate as a stand alone dinner.

scm75, This place would be agreeable for children, especially for lunch or an early dinner. Not up scale or fancy.

1. These resorts all have a different flavor, but all are great. Wild Dunes is the busiest, followed by Kiawah, and Seabrook is the quietest (and furthest from city center).

2. While there are lots of golf and tennis, Charleston is not as dependent on these activities as other resort areas are.

3. The beach is hard-packed sand, waves are calm and the ocean is generally warm by East Coast standards. The kind of beach you can easily walk and bike on, yet still build sandcastles in. Surfers should look elsewhere, but I feel comfortable letting my child wade independently.

4. While Chucktown does flaunt its historical nature, there is lots to do with kids. Our favorites are James Island's Splash Zone (http://www.ccprc.com/index.aspx?NID=68), the aquarium, the children's museum, and the Historic Charles Towne Landing.

5. For us, Savannah is just not worth the trip.

6. Charleston defies comparison to other areas. Seeing as how you enjoy DC and Orlando, I think it incorporates the historic and uniqueness factors of both of those destinations. You can mix history, southern dining, and beach time as you choose.

I love the area and agree with all the positive feedback provided by previous posters, as well as the activity suggestions. We love it there. We stayed at IOP on Ocean Blvd., outside of Wild Dunes, but we have older kids, college aged, and we don't golf. With young kids, Wild Dunes is probably a better fit for your family for safety reasons and amenities, such as the pool(s). The area can't be beat with the beautiful beaches and its proximity to Charleston. Personally, I wouldn't make a day trip to Savannah if I were paying to be at the beach and so close to Charleston. JMO.

Kiawah has lots of activities for young children--organized basketball games, arts and crafts, turtle viewing, etc. Bike riding is wonderful. But it isn't as full of activities as Orlando.

Kiawah is not nearly as developed as Sarasota. The buildings are low and not built right up to the beach. (They are behind dunes).

It is a wonderful, relaxing place that I cannot imagine kids your children's ages not loving. We have found great condos to rent on vrbo.com.

I find Savannah interesting, but I can't imagine your children would be too interested in it.

If I were going to do a day trip from Kiawah, I'd go just down the road to the Angel Oak, and the Tea Plantation, where they also make delicious Firefly vodka.

Thanks all for your replies. We're convinced and very much looking forward to visiting in July! I've been looking at rentals on Seabrook Island and saw a few that looked good in Charlestown Place, the Sealoft Villas and Fiddlers Cove Villas. Anyone know anything about these or any of the other areas on Seabrook Island?
Thanks again for all of the advice; I can't wait to put it t use!

scm75,
I’m not a rental expert, just a resident on Seabrook Island. But since I do live here I can at least tell you where the places that you’re considering are located on the island. Of the three, Sealoft Villas are closest to the beach. They’re located across the main street (Seabrook Island Road) that runs the circuit around the island. You could walk to the beach (or bicycle) from these villas by crossing this street, then walking down a boardwalk that heads out to the beach. If you’re carrying a lot of items it might feel like a hike. The other two places are very far from the beach, but relatively close to the community center (for the fitness/workout rooms and the indoor/ outdoor pools). Fiddlers Cove villas overlook a marsh and Charlestown Place overlooks some tennis courts. That depends of course on how your unit is facing. They are both inside the main gate, but the absolute furthest from the beach. They are however closest to the Freshfields shopping center between Kiawah and Seabrook, and a short bicycle ride away.

I don’t know what is most important to you for your rental—proximity to the beach or proximity to the fitness center. If it is the beach, then I would stay closer to it. I’d look at Spinnaker, Pelican Watch, or Atrium Villas. Sealoft Villas are near these.

I’ve been trying to locate an on-line map like the one I give my relatives when they visit, but can’t seem to find one that lists all the streets, the rental group names, the boardwalk accesses, etc. I’ll keep looking.

In the meantime, here are two “official” sites about Seabrook. Each site will hopefully help you sort out where to stay or whom to contact for more specific information.

http://www.discoverseabrook.com/

http://townofseabrookisland.org/

Hope these help.

Kathleen,
Thanks that's very helpful. We're definitely leaning toward Sealoft.

scm75,
Good choice and welcome to the island.
Also, for the kids, there's a Marble Slab Creamery in Freshfields--great for a break in the hot summer afternoons.

scm75, Found a map.
On the "Town of Seabrook Island" website, under stay, under beachwalker rentals, under activities, you will find a pdf map of the island. The Sealoft villas are at the bottom left of the map, after you round the bend on Seabrook Island Road going left to right. They are the nearest green section to the road to the ocean (the green section depicts villas). You can see several boardwalk accesses just across the road.

http://www.beachwalker.com/images/SeabrookMap_2102010.pdf

You'll find your other two choices at the top right, just inside the gates.