Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Edisto Island-notes from brief visit

Last weekend I spent three nights in a rented beach house on Edisto Island, SC. It was very pleasant so I’d like to share these notes in case anyone wishes to plan a similar trip.

The cast of characters included my DH (dear husband) and our friends, Mr. and Mrs. B. Mrs. B had bid on and won the stay at this house at a charity auction. They were nice enough to invite us to join them. Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. B!

Edisto Island is a tiny place along the southern coast of South Carolina. While there are plenty of houses and apartments available for rent, it is largely undeveloped commercially. They claim they have no traffic lights and no hotels and they are proud to tell you so.

Our visit was the weekend after Labor Day and it was not in the least bit crowded. I expect that their high season would be in July/August, and a local warned us by saying that sometimes in the summer the island has run out of potable water!

We drove from Atlanta, taking I75 to Macon, I16 toward Savannah, and I95 toward Charleston. We finally left the interstate at US 17, picking up state road 174 to our destination.

The leisurely trip took about 5.5 hours from Atlanta. That included a brief stop for an unmemorable lunch and a bit of a slow-down as we passed an enormous cavalcade of motorcycles. These bikes had an escort from the Duluth GA police department and there must have been 300 of them on the road toward Savannah. When I got home I did a search via Google but never could figure out if it was a club or a tour or a procession, or what. But it was quite a sight, whoever they were.

Closer to our destination, we stopped at a roadside market on 174 called Kings. We bought some veggies as we were in charge of dinner that night and I had left my homemade coleslaw at home in the fridge. The selection looked pretty good and of course they had other things to tempt. I bought a loaf of zucchini bread (delish), some peaches (disappointing) and some squash to grill up later.

Our home for the weekend was in a small complex called The Retreat. It was about a block off the beach and the climb up two flights of steps to our unit was rewarded by an ocean view. In fact, I saw porpoises from the little deck. Pretty great.

The property is managed by a company called Atwood Realty. It was clean, comfortable and well appointed.

Mr. B had brought the ingredients for Mai Tai’s—they were outstanding –and Mrs. B had brought a spread of cheese and fruit for appetizers. DH grilled the pork chops that we had brought from home (brining in the cooler for the past six hours) and I roasted the veggies and some sweet potatoes in the oven. A feast!

Later that evening Mrs. B and I walked over to beach—the stars were out, it was quiet and beautiful.

On Sunday, we spent a few hours exploring the island by car. Mr. B, in particular, was looking for likely crabbing spots. We enjoyed the views of the low country marsh land we discovered and we walked out on “The Point” where a narrow bit of land divides marsh and ocean. Saw lots and lots of porpoises out there. They never fail to thrill me.

That evening we dined at the Sunset Grill—as the name suggests, it is a lovely place at sunset—their menu offers crab cakes, fried or broiled seafood platters, shrimp, pretty much what you would expect. Entrees are $15 to $18.

Pretty crowded for an off-season Sunday night, I bet they get slammed in the summer months. Their full bar overlooks the marina and after dinner we enjoyed watching a white heron catch his dinner from the dock.

Next day the crabbers went out. I begged off citing my fear of extreme sun exposure. Instead, I rented a bike from Island Bikes and Outfitters. $15.75 for a day (full 24 hours) and discounted if you rent for longer periods.

If you care for cycling this is a great place for it. Very flat, miles and miles of bike paths, little traffic, and a canopy of shade where the limbs of oak trees stretch over the road. The highlight was coming across a great blue heron just off the road, fishing in a shady stream; he did not seem at all concerned by my proximity.

That evening Mr. and Mrs. B grilled the burgers and steamed the fresh-caught crabs, which they graciously shared with me even though I did none of the work. They were superb. The crabs, that is. But a lot of work, even when I did not have to catch, clean or cook them.

Next day we had to pack up and leave our temporary home—check-out time is unconscionably early, 10:00 am. Ugh. Packing up was no real problem however and we dropped off the house keys on our way off the island.

We decided to rendezvous in Beaufort SC for lunch. The drive from Edisto to Beaufort was a lovely hour and a half through the low country. We passed tiny white churches with tiny old cemeteries and sagging but picturesque frame houses. I like spotting odd, hand painted advertisements. Two of my favorites were “Deer Corn $5 a bag” and “WORMS AND RABBITS.”

Beaufort is beautiful and I will make another trip there some day soon, I hope. Very historic, founded in 1711, and picturesque. They have a lovely waterfront you can stroll and we selected a restaurant with a terrace overlooking the waterfront park. Kathleen’s looks very ordinary inside but the terrace and its view were fine. Good iced tea—remember, it will be brought to you sweet unless you ask otherwise. The menu was sandwiches and salads, DH liked his fried oysters and Mrs. B particularly liked her calabash shrimp. The sandwiches were about $10.

After lunch we took a short stroll along Bay Street, peered into a few shops, and enjoyed the architecture. Not long after we returned to our cars and headed back to Atlanta. The stop in Beaufort was originally an afterthought. Although our visit was far too brief I am happy we visited. I look forward to returning.

In all, this was a lovely trip. Laid back, scenic, and a good time with good friends.