Not me!

I don't think there's anything wrong with changing one's screenname, but isn't it against the rules to use both screennames at the same time?

Especially to agree with yourself? ;)

sue woo: I absolutely agree with you too. My husband wants to rent for at least 2 winters before we buy anything else. It'll give us time to really look around and decide where we want to be. Thanks again, everyone, for your help. I really appreciate it.

How could Bowsprit/EmilyPost NOT agree with herself? ;)

Kathleen

What are the restaurants and the wildlife like on Seabrook?

We are heading for our third visit to Edisto this October and the house we rent is just epic in terms of our needs.

However, eating out on Edisto is a little less than epic, a little well below average.

We may have a rethink next year.

We have a plethora of places to eat in Litchfield but have come to the conclusion that the best seafood dinner is bought at the seafood market and cooked at home!! Of course, ours is only a week at at time--you may be there longer. Good restaurants are always welcome!!

Dickie,

I'll list some...
Restaurants just outside Seabrook's gate are Amy's Place Steakhouse (new), Red's, Fischer's (good burgers and beer), and soon to open LoKal (the new restaurant opening in August, with Crave's great cook). I think Crave's on Betsy Kerrison Highway, one mile away, might stay open too, but not sure.

In Freshfields village, between Seabrook and Kiawah is Hege's, King Street Grille, La Tela's Pizzeria, and Java Java. There are a few more.

On Kiawah at the Sanctuary are Ocean Room, Jasmine Porch (great Sunday buffet) and Loggerhead Grill. Then further into the island Atlantic Room Tomasso's and Cherrywood BBQ. You can go into Kiawah to the restaurants, by simply stating at the gate that that is where you are heading.

Then (and some of my favorites) on Maybank Highway are Fat Hen, Wild Olive Sweeney's (new and very good) and Maria's.
When we go into West Ashley we like Al Di La, Taste of Thai, and Mustard Seed.

There are more, but those are the one's we like.

Wildlife on Seabrook. Well crossing through our yard on a daily basis are deer, and then occasionally a bobcat, or fox. We always see woodpeckers: pileated, red bellied (or red headed-not sure)and another type. Clearly, this is not my area of expertise.

You mention Botany Bay near Edisto. That is a really wonderful place, and it is just across the water, the Edisto River if you had a boat!

Maybe another thread if you want more info on Seabrook.

When my wife asked where we might spend winters if our son and his family decided to leave Richmond, "Charleston" was the first thing to pop out of my mouth.

Among our criteria are physical beauty, the ability to walk on a sidewalk to restaurants and to pick up a newspaper and a carton of milk, artistic and musical life, a walkable public library, a local educational institution, Trader Joe's, a low church Episcopal parish, and a moderate winter climate.

Dislike planned "communities", golf-focused developments, poisonous snakes, non-public beaches. We had a condo in Naples, FL, for about five years and wintered there for a couple of years before that. It scored high for everything except needing to drive.

Thanks Kathleen

The problem has always been distances without a boat. If we had a boat we could investigate all the sea islands relatively quickly. Cleary, by car the road system results in a long journey between islands.

This year we will definitely take trip to Seabrook to investigate for the future.

Seabrook looks interesting...I will look forward to your comments, Dickie. I hope to visit myself en route to Florida in December.

More or less, keeping this very vague, what are price for small waterfront homes at Seabrook?

Are there small ones?!! lol

Oh, sorry...guess not small on the water...similar situation in many places,,

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p171417

Is where we stay on the next island which is Edisto. Edisto is beautiful and packed with wildlife, however it isn't as "civilised" as the more upmarket Kiawah and Seabrook.

There are many 3 beds on the waterfront and many of the houses are nowhere near as expensive as other sea front locations such as Cape Cod.

$2000 a week should easily get you a small place.

Sullivans seems to be the most expensive island, maybe because it is so close to Charleston. We struggled a find small places and most were well over $5000 a week.

Thanks! Would love to learn some basic info on each island....which ones cater to retirees and which to families with children, which are most "fancy," which have (important in my case) good year-round swimming pools, etc etc.

I have stayed at Palmetto Bluff, outside Bluffton. While the facilities and the accommodations are first-rate, so is the price! Is there anything outside Charleston that might mirror the feeling of that community, perhaps at a slightly lower price level?

http://www.palmettobluff.com/realestate.aspx

The good citizens of Sullivans are happy that there are few rentals there and are trying to keep it that way.

ekscrunchy, I don't think any of the islands cater to a particular demographic. All have year round residents. Folly is a little funkier than IOP. I have friends who have a big beachfront home on IOP that they live in during winter and rent out for megabucks in summer. I have no idea about heated pools.

You could call Island Realty on IOP. They rent the Sea Cabins, small condos beachfront on IOP. There's a pool there, and it might be heated in winter. You could also look at Wild Dunes on IOP and ask if their community pool is heated in winter.

Dickie and Ekscrunchy,

Below I’ve listed a couple of links for more information on Seabrook Island. Both links are great websites for Seabrook Island.

First link is http://www.discoverseabrook.com/

Dickie, under this link, under Amenties, other amenties drop down to -other things to do. There you’ll find kayak rental places so that you can kayak over to Botany Bay if you choose. The Edisto River sometimes has a strong current, so consult the tides chart. The villas on that beach/river I know have rentals for sure. Ages ago before we moved here, we stayed a few times in them. Another good set of villas/condos for access to kayak marshes would be the ones near the crabbing dock. Those marshes meander out to Captain Sam’s inlet.

Ekscrunchy, on this same link under Amenities, other amenities, under health fitness and aquatics, you’ll find info on the swimming pools. There are villas close to that facility. They are the closet to Freshfields Village and Bohicket Marina, but almost the furthest villas from the beach.

In this same link, under rental search you’ll find many rental listings.

Another link is http://townofseabrookisland.org/

Under this link, under Stay, you’ll find rental information for many agencies including VRBO and info on all the birds and wildlife on the island.

When you visit, I suggest you go through one of the real estate agencies that are listed on either of the websites and check out where on the island you’d like to stay.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the links to the rental agents on IOP. Is there a strong year round population there or does it empty out during the winter months?

Since some of you seem very familiar w/ Charleston ... I'm doing some research for a friend getting married mid-december. They want to go someplace w/in the US that isn't as cold as NY where they can relax, do some sightseeing, good restaurants, etc.

I love Charleston but have never been there in winter. Would it be a good honeymoon place for a couple in their 50's? They are both relatively untraveled & they didn't want the caribbean. I personally think Charleston is very romantic. They'd be honeymooning like the 17th of dec for about a week.

I also thought of New Orleans. Doing some research for them.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

I think it would be a lovely choice. Temps could be cold, but will probably be moderate - and much warmer than NY. If that aren't planning to swim in the ocean, it would be great.

I think it would perfect. We spent Christmas week in Charleston and had a wonderful time and the weather was lovely.