Charleston/Kiawah advice
 

I'm planning a 4 day trip to Charleston/Kiawah Island in July. There will be 4 adults and 2 toddlers. What should we do? We love local flavor -- food and other. We want to spend a lot of time at the beach but also seeing the sights. Since we only have 4 days, I'd probably stay away from museum/aquarium events unless something is exceptionally great -- or we need to find some mid day a/c. What are some good food finds? When we went to the carribean we found the best meal was not the $30 a plate, reservations required restaurant but the $5 outdoor barbeque! Also I'm looking for kid friendly, though, maybe we'd do one "special" night out each if you have any suggestions for that. Are there other areas we should check out that aren't too far of a drive? I've read to expect it to be sticky hot and bring bug spray. I don't mind the heat and can deal with bugs, but do need to watch the little ones.

I'd spend my days at the beaches and wait to travel to town until the evenings.

July will be very very hot, humid, and sticky. Heck, I'm south of Charleston and it's miserable now.

Bring plenty of sunscreen and apply it often. Don't forget the tops of your feet and ears. For any baldies or thinning hair, apply lots of sunscreen. You've never seen anyone in pain until their head peels from sunburn.

Hyman's for fried seafood, Poogan's Porch for downhome cooking, T-Bones and Sticky Fingers for kids favorites and SNOB or Penninsula Grill for adults only.

Take a carriage ride and shop in King Street.

Contact Sara Ragsdale for the best hands down tourguide of Charleston at [email protected].

How about checking out the Hunley while you are there?

The Charleston Aquarium is spectacular.

As for not wanting to do musuems, the Charleston proper is a museum.

"very very hot"? "miserable"? Hum. I've been reading some posts on this site that keep bring up how hot it is. I am looking at this as a vacation not sticky weather conditioning. Charleston sounded like a quaint shady area to wander about so I don't want to be stuck inside with the a/c cranked up. Now heat doesn't normally bother me too much. I'd rather have the windows down in the car than the a/c on. Its 80? and the a/c in the house is not turned on (yet). How does this area compare to Florida? I've been to areas of Florida (both east and gulf coasts) in July and I've got to say it was pretty stinkin' hot, but a quick tippy toe across the sand and the water felt great. We recently went to the Keys where it was in the mid 80s and very sunny everyday. We'd spend the mornings strolling around and by 10 or so, when it'd get too hot for walking about, we'd head to the pool until it cooled down enough to venture out again. We also had our 1 year old with us and, while it was bearable, we did have to watch the heat and sun a bit. We will have a 6 month old, 12 month and 2 year old.

Oh, and all your suggestions sound great! Thanks... I'm just wondering about the heat now.

Our weather is the exact same as Floridas weather in June, July, and August.

It's hot. It is humid and it is sticky now.

Last night at 10PM my outdoor thermometer was showing the air temp to be 87 degrees.

The humidity is what makes it so hot. You must heed the heat indices. Charlestons average daily high in July is 91 degrees. With the humidity the heat index will be well over 100 degrees.

I'm not trying to scare you off but just to let you know what you are in for.

Since everyone blasts their AC to arctic levels, bring a cotton sweater or sweatshirt for restaurants and such.

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Home > Local Forecast > Averages and Records for Charleston, SC



Monthly Average | Daily Average


Daily Averages for Charleston, SC July

Day Sunrise Sunset Avg. High Avg. Low Mean Record High Record Low
1 6:15 AM 8:32 PM 90?F 71?F 81?F 100?F (1970) 62?F (1964)
2 6:16 AM 8:32 PM 90?F 71?F 81?F 101?F (1931) 62?F (1975)
3 6:16 AM 8:32 PM 90?F 71?F 81?F 97?F (1933) 64?F (1952)
4 6:17 AM 8:32 PM 91?F 72?F 81?F 98?F (1993) 61?F (1933)
5 6:17 AM 8:32 PM 91?F 72?F 81?F 100?F (1993) 58?F (1952)
6 6:18 AM 8:32 PM 91?F 72?F 81?F 100?F (1990) 63?F (1964)
7 6:18 AM 8:31 PM 91?F 72?F 81?F 99?F (1931) 60?F (1964)
8 6:19 AM 8:31 PM 91?F 72?F 81?F 100?F (1986) 60?F (1951)
9 6:19 AM 8:31 PM 91?F 72?F 81?F 103?F (1986) 59?F (1972)
10 6:20 AM 8:31 PM 91?F 72?F 82?F 100?F (1986) 65?F (1960)
11 6:20 AM 8:30 PM 91?F 72?F 82?F 102?F (1986) 62?F (1963)
12 6:21 AM 8:30 PM 91?F 72?F 82?F 100?F (1986) 62?F (1963)
13 6:21 AM 8:30 PM 91?F 73?F 82?F 101?F (1986) 63?F (1974)
14 6:22 AM 8:29 PM 91?F 73?F 82?F 101?F (1986) 62?F (1974)
15 6:23 AM 8:29 PM 91?F 73?F 82?F 100?F (1932) 66?F (1974)
16 6:23 AM 8:28 PM 91?F 73?F 82?F 100?F (1983) 63?F (1967)
17 6:24 AM 8:28 PM 91?F 73?F 82?F 99?F (1983) 66?F (1967)
18 6:24 AM 8:28 PM 91?F 73?F 82?F 101?F (1986) 68?F (1946)
19 6:25 AM 8:27 PM 91?F 73?F 82?F 104?F (1986) 64?F (1987)
20 6:26 AM 8:26 PM 91?F 73?F 82?F 104?F (1986) 66?F (1987)
21 6:26 AM 8:26 PM 91?F 73?F 82?F 101?F (1977) 64?F (1957)
22 6:27 AM 8:25 PM 91?F 73?F 82?F 101?F (1932) 64?F (1965)
23 6:28 AM 8:25 PM 91?F 73?F 82?F 100?F (1940) 60?F (1966)
24 6:28 AM 8:24 PM 91?F 73?F 82?F 100?F (1952) 66?F (1974)
25 6:29 AM 8:23 PM 91?F 73?F 82?F 98?F (1940) 68?F (1932)
26 6:30 AM 8:23 PM 91?F 73?F 82?F 98?F (1936) 67?F (1959)
27 6:30 AM 8:22 PM 91?F 73?F 82?F 101?F (1936) 68?F (1959)
28 6:31 AM 8:21 PM 91?F 73?F 82?F 101?F (1949) 65?F (1954)
29 6:32 AM 8:21 PM 91?F 73?F 82?F 100?F (1993) 63?F (1954)
30 6:32 AM 8:20 PM 91?F 73?F 82?F 100?F (1999) 65?F (1960)
31 6:33 AM 8:19 PM 91?F 73?F 82?F 101?F (1999) 63?F (1997

Weather, schmether...it's supposed to be hot at the beach.

Definintely do the carraige tour.

Skip fort sumter. Wander around the streets and take in the the sights. A walking tour might also be fun for you.

For restaurants, i say go to chowhound.com and do a search on the Charleston posts. See if you can find someplace to eat Frogmore Stew on Kiawah for your "local color" experience. McCradys is my favorite for downtown Charleston dress-up. Hanks for nice atmosphere, reasonable food, not too fancy.

I have never used bug spray unless I was going hiking in the marshes. On the beach and in Charleston you will not need it.

No kidding about the sweater. When I go out at night at the beach I always wear a very bare sundress or top....then I put a sweater in my purse. The A/C could be ridiculous in your restaurant, OR you might stroll by the water and get chilly from the breeze.

Thanks for the suggestions. Here's what I got so far...

Hyman's for fried seafood
Poogan's Porch for down home cooking
T-Bones and Sticky Fingers for kids favorites
Hanks for nice atmosphere and reasonable food

For fancy:
Penninsula Grill
McCradys

Things to do/not:
Carriage tour
shop in King Street
skip fort Sumter

and bring a sweater.

Anything else? Is there anything right around Kiawah or will we need to drive to Charleston mostly? What about breakfast and of course, ice cream! I've been to Destin/Seaside FL several times and their is THE BEST bakery there! Do the beaches have much (any) shade? Are they too windy for tent shades for the little ones?

Chimiler2, I adore Charleston but would never go for a vacation in July. (The reason they usually cut those hotel rates by mid-June or so is that heat and humidity moving in!) I am in Raleigh, in the same sub-tropical weather belt as Charleston and Savannah. We all get so hot, humid and sticky in July/August/early September....... but if you know that and don't think it would bother you..... I hope you'll have a wonderful trip! And I'd go to Magnolia's for my fancy dinner!:-)

Hi

Another suggestion. DO NOT eat at Hymans(BIG tourist trap) Poogan's Porch is not very good.

Family: The Cur--right across the street from the carriage stables. GREAT for Children.

Sermets great seafood on the corner of King and Society-I think
Rue de John(Sp???) lunch
Great french bakery on Society -Normandy Farms

From Kia. to Charl. there is a good restaurant called Mustard Seed.

For adults look at other
thread I posted earlier.

Yes, it is hot at the beach but great!!!!! I thought that was the purpose.

forget Hymans - glorified Red Lobster; Slightly North of Broad (SNOB) is fantastic - never been w/ kids, but could probably do lunch or early dinner if kids are well-behaved; Hanks is excellent, too - great atmosphere - could do early dinner w/ kids there, too. Good luck! Let me know how it goes - i'm taking 2 kids there in mid-July for the first time (w/ kids, that is)

Now I love Hyman's for fried seafood. Especially the whole baby flounder. My family has been eating there for years.

Boathouse in Isle of Palms or on East Bay downtown Charleston is good for fresh seafood and there were lots of kids.

If you're doing a babysitter night you might also enjoy Blossom downtown.

Chimilier2,
don't know how old your kids are, but I found this online:
Pirate Scavenger Hunt at the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon
122 East Bay Street
Charleston SC 29401
727-2165

Open daily 9 am - 5 pm. Families discover pirate lore as they search for clues in the historic district using an easy-to-read treasure map. Young swashbucklers will enjoy a pirate prize and complimentary tour of the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon at the end of the hunt.

On the road to Kiawah Island you'll pass the entrance to Angel Oak, a magnificant HUGE oak tree. I mean, this is a really gigantic oak tree with limbs that branch out and sprawl over all over the ground. I stop by on my way to Seabrook Island each time I go there.

The dirt road entrance, on the right, is easy to miss. Start looking for it soon after you pass a shopping center on the left. It's free, and takes only ten-fifteen minutes to view. There are restrooms, picnic tables, and a small gift shop to purchase local items. Anyone along the way can give you directions. Hope you enjoy it. Kathy

The Boathouse........ my nephew lived in Charleston for awhile, and this was his favorite restaurant! Haven't been there myself (to the Boathouse)....... but every time he goes back to Charleston, that's where he insists on eating.

Kathleen's reference to Angel Oak made me smile and brought back memories. One summer many years ago when my kids were small we vacationed in Charleston and my wife wanted to visit Angel Oak. It truly is "hugh" but we viewed it as a tourist trap much akin to Clark Griswald's desire to see the "World's largest Ball of Twine" in National Lampoon's Summer Vacation movie with Chevy Chase. To this day, my now adult kids joke about Angel Oak every time the topic of vacation comes up.

Consensus is it is hot and VERY HUMID. I hope Litespeed Chick's point of view is going to work for us -- we are going to the beach after all. We live in the Ohio valley. Its hot an humid here in July. Its been in the mid 80s with dew points around 70 and its only June. It's great. I hate cold weather. To me vaction = warm weather, sun, beach and seafood! I've gone up to Michigan in July and its the other extreme. It was mild with no humidity and the water was freezing. You couldn't get in it actually. So we'll see how Charleston is. Thanks for all your advise so far. I am very excited to try some of these suggestions. I may even check out South Carolina's version of "World's largest Ball of Twine".

No one has answered my other post... peaches? Isn't SC known for peaches and BBQ? Is there roadside markets or eateries off I26 between Ashville and Charleston? I'd hate to waste a roadside lunch at McDee's when there's something just around the next exit.

chimiler2, NORTH Carolina is known for BBQ pork, although our neighbors to the South do a darn good job, too. Maybe some of the guys who live closer to Asheville can give you the lowdown on the best BBQ spot over that way..... have a great trip!

You will find produce stands all over the place.

Make sure to try some boiled peanuts with a coca cola.

It's really hot. The weather has been in the mid nineties the past couple of days. I know the heat index is over 100.

Buy a sweetgrass basket. The are made by locals and each one takes about two weeks to make. They will last you forever. My mom has a couple she's had since before I was born. A decent sized one will be about $100.

Thought I would join in on this post. I'm taking my daughter to look at some colleges in the area (just Mom and Daughter) and looking for some "cool, electic" type of restaurant in this area that is definitely not for kids (leaving the other 3 at home). She is very mature and has traveled extensively so I would like something memorable and also, any recommendations as to where to stay in the area? Thanks for your help!

Are you looking in Charleston only or will you be travelling throughout the Southeast?

Chimiler2 appears to have the correct attitute toward beach weather.

I looked at the peaches thread but couldn't think of a peach shed near the interstate. As you come through Spartanburg county on 26, perhaps you could look for signs...Spartanburg county is (or was) the largest peach producing county in the US. (My Mom walks across the street to pick peaches for me so I don't know much about sheds!)

For BBQ, i understand that a place called Sweatman's is the bomb. Check out Chowhound.com , the South board, and search for threads about BBQ. I don't think it's right on I26, but I don't think it's far off...somewhere maybe 45 minutes before you get to Charleston.

And to Maureen...I'd go w/ McCrady's for "cool". In my opinion, many of the restaurants commonly recommended (Magnolia,SNOB,Poogans have menus that are rife w/ trite "southernisms". Please no flaming, just my humble opinion) Or, again, check CHowhound.com for details on going to a hole in the wall called, I think, Bowen's Island for oysters.

Well, Slightly North of Broad is a fine dining restaurant that is kid friendly. Or you could just visit for a romantic evening,its one you won't want to miss

We are also vacationing on Kiawah, but the week of August 21st. We live in Richmond, Va, is the weather in Charleston that different from Richmond in August?

Having visited Kiawah every summer for the last 25 years please don't fret about the heat. I started visiting with my family when I was a child and now take my son. Some good suggestions with kids: Hit Charleston in the early morning if you'd like to walk around and see the houses, etc. or the late afternoon. There's a terrific fountain that kids play in every day near the east end of Vendue at the park near the swings. If you bring swimsuits for the kids they can play and cool off for a while before lunch or heading back to the island. The beach also works well if you go when the tots first get up, spend the morning, head back to the room/condo for a late lunch then ours always took naps - leaving a little adult reading/relaxing time. You can hit the beach again in the late afternoon/early evening and avoid the strong midday sun. Picnics on the beach are nice, too. You could pick up sandwiches and all from the Market at East Beach or the General Store.

I loved the first post about Angel Oak. We take our kids there every year for the annual photo 'in' the tree. It's HUGE and as we go to Kiawah every year it's become a tradition to stop.

SNOB has always been accomodating with kids, though I've only taken mine for lunch or an early dinner. We had a couple of the kids share their burger as I don't remember them having a specific children's menu. Every time we've been there with kids they've brought a fruit platter to keep them busy until the food arrived. Close to Kiawah you could try Rosebank Farms Cafe for lunch - it's a boisterous family-friendly place. My mom loves their fried green tomatoes. Dinner is a bit pricey. One note - Chez Fish near Kiawah is not little-kid-friendly.

The Nature Center at Night Heron Park is great for kids to look around - they have lots of live animals there - and naturalists on staff. Most of the nature tours are arranged through the office there. If the adults are taking turns doing something without the kids, any of the kayak tours are great. I really enjoyed the sunrise one on the Kiawah River. You can also rent bikes on the island with child seats. They'll provide you with helmets for the kids. The Aquarium is fantastic...but with only four days I'd use that if there is inclement weather.

The suggestions about restaurants are good ones. I never would have recommended Hyman's before this Easter, but I was conned into going and had a really good meal. Their hush puppies are great. It is 'touristy' and kitchy but we had a good time for a casual meal with 3 kids in tow.

For local cuisine, I'd have shrimp and grits and she-crab soup. I've never had Frogmore stew, though it is local. Jestine's (on King)is a southern diner that serves collard greens, corn bread, etc.

Oh, and peaches...the best I ever had I bought at a farm stand in North Carolina on our way down to SC. We got off 77 north of Lake Norman, went west, then south on the road that borders the lake. It will connect you back up with 77 in Charlotte. The stand/market was near Denver, NC. There are lots in that aread. We bought a peck and enjoyed them the whole time we were on vacation.

This is great. I haven't check this site for the last week and its filled with some great info. Thanks everyone.

Litespeed Chick -- should I take my own bike to rent one? I'm guessing you are a cyclist. Not sure what the roads are like or the if the rental bikes are more than just cruisers. I read that the island has 35 miles of bike trails. I presume they are paved, which is ok. Any off road trails?

dsgmi -- great advise. I like your plan to avoid the mid day sun. We did this when we were down in the Florida Keys and it seemed to work. I'll add your food picks to the list. I'll also see what info I can find on Heron Park. The kids would probably love it.

Over at Kiawah are the beaches at all shaded or pretty much sand dune like? Would one of those tent like sun shades work or would it pick up and blow away after 15 minutes?

Sorry, I can't help much with riding on Kiawah. I've never been on the island, always stay on IOP or Folly.

I would bet it will be like Hilton Head...cruisers for rent on the beach and mountain bikes for rent to ride the paved bike paths(but of course that's pure conjecture). I have never had much luck finding any place to mountain bike in the lowcountry. Too flat, too sandy, to many snakes.

As far as road riding, that's been tough, too. The geography (islands, creeks, etc.) means there are few roads for the number of cars. I'm a little freaked out about traffic. Especially since a racer on the George Hincappie-sponsored cycling team was killed by a truck that just ran over him from behind last month. Below is a link to the local cycling club, if you want to give them a try. They have info on both road and "mountain".

BTW, the chef at McCrady's is a former pro and has Campy tattooed on his thigh.

http://www.coastalcyclists.org/index.htm

The beautiful beaches on Kiawah aren't shady or terribly breezy, but they are great for riding bikes. Once over the dunes, they're wide and flat. Kiawah also has extensive bike trails covering most of the island. In fact, I wish Seabrook Island, next door had such bike trails. Both of these islands get busy with summer traffic which can make bike riding difficult and annoying if you're not on a bike path. Although you can easily rent bikes once there, you may want to bring a bike lock from home.