mllajoie

I'm planning a summer trip in early June and would love to get some feedback. Our airline tickets are booked so the dates and length of trip are firm but we have flexibility within the week. My current itinerary would be to spend 3 nights in Charleston, 2 nights in St. Simons and 2 nights in Savannah. We are coming from land locked Colorado with our 11 year old daughter so we like the idea of breaking up the trip by spending a few days at the beach. I've done a bit of research and it sounds like St. Simons has a lot of the amenities we are looking for. We like the idea of staying in a location where we could bike to the beach and explore the area during the day. From what I've read, St. Simons has just enough restaurants and activities to keep us occupied for a few days. I'm now exploring some of the beaches in the Charleston area such as Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island. I've eliminated Tybee island based on some feedback I've read on this forum and others. I've also eliminated Folly Beach, I've read that since the beach allows open containers it can get quite a bit rowdy, particularly during the weekend which is when we'd be visiting the coast. We do not mind driving the 3 hours from Charleston to St. Simons if that is the location we want to be in. However, if we could visit the beaches closer to Charleston and get our beach fix it might be a good alternative to driving all the way to St. Simons. I'm not finding many available lodging options on either Sullivans of Isle of Palms for the dates we are looking for. Would it be a good compromise to stay outside of Charleston (maybe Mt. Pleasant) and day trip to the area beaches? Are there public beaches on either Isle of Palms or Sullivans where we could spend an afternoon and rent beach chairs and still be able to walk to restaurant for lunch? .

Thanks for helping me sort out the last details....

Ackislander

My brother lives on St Simons, and we have had the good fortune to visit friends on the Isle of Palms on a number of occasions.

Each has virtues. St Simons is a charming community with tree-lined streets, enough shops and restaurants, and an upscale vibe at [generally] reasonable prices. The beaches are not wide but the water is pleasantly shallow and wave-free.

The Isle of Palms has big, wide white sand Atlantic beaches. I don't think you can drive a car on them, but you can certainly ride a bike. It is pretty easy to get into Charleston if you want to make your base out there.

I like Mount Pleasant a lot. It is very easy to get into the city, and it has easy access to Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island at the cost of a lot of strip mall suburban driving. On the other hand, I suspect it will be easier to find short term lodging than right on the beach.

Both St Simons and Isle of Palms have lots of golf, if that is an interest.

mllajoie

Thank you for this information, your description of each destination is helpful. It sounds like either option would fit our needs.

longhorn55

And just to throw another option out there--Jekyll Island. We like the quiet, low-key ambiance there. There are activities like bicycling, mini-golf, kayaking and even a water park.

Brian_in_Charlotte

Folly Beach no longer allows alcohol on the beach, but as it's not so bike friendly, I probably wouldn't add it back to the list.

Sullivan's is largely residential (there is a cap on rentals) which is why it's difficult to find rentals there.

We love IOP for its wide beaches as mentioned above though I think rental prices have gotten a bit out of control. There are a few restaurants on the island and a few more next door on Sullivan's.

St. Simmons has a good beachy vibe and I love all the trees, but I'm not a fan of the beaches there.

I think IOP is your best bet if you can find a good place to stay.

Ackislander

I didn't put in Jekyll because my 11 year old granddaughter would find it boring. Your mileage might vary. I like it.

mllajoie

I did eliminate Jekyll because it felt like there was more of a "town" we could bike or walk to for dinner in the evening on St. Simons. I did read that the beaches were better on Jekyll and I get the impression the beaches on IOP are the best in the area. I just booked a place on St. Simons through VRBO because I wasn't having luck finding lodging on IOP which meant we'd be day tripping to the beach and I think we'd rather have a true beach town vibe for a few days on St. Simons. We'll keep our expectations low for the beach there, we'll just be happy to see the ocean and spend a few days on the beach. It sounds like we'll love it and I'm sure we'll have a great time. Thanks for all of the feedback.