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If you follow Meg on social media you know she and her husband and just spent the last six weeks working remotely on Seabrook Island, a serene oceanfront community in South Carolina located only 40 minutes from downtown Charleston. She’s giving us the scoop on all things Seabrook as well as some ideas for nearby things to do, day trips and an easy overnight to pair with this area.

My husband actually introduced me to the area as he was already familiar with larger Kiawah Island, made world famous by it’s 5 championship golf courses including The Ocean Course which will host the 2021 PGA Championship in May this coming year. 

Being a first time visitor to South Carolina, I was not sure what to expect out of this extended stay and have to say it’s a place I will return to every year with my family and friends for so many reasons! 

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION….

If you’re living on the east coast and are not planning on traveling by plane anytime soon, the Carolina barrier islands are a 11 hour drive from NYC which can be driven in one day. A very simple route over 650 miles on Interstate 95.

The last 20 mile drive to Seabrook Island felt like we had arrived in a southern oasis, an unfamiliarly beautiful part of the country to explore. We were in ‘Low Country’ as the locals call it. Low Country is a term coined to include the counties in South Carolina that are below the fall line (or the ancient sea coast).The area is teeming filled with ancient oak trees covered in spanish moss swaying in the wind & oyster bed marshlands for as far as the eye can see. 

To access Seabrook Island you need to be a resident or guest of the private community. We obtained our parking permit & amenities card (more to come on that later) and made our way to our home away from home for the months of November & December. 

Arriving at our condo, we could not ask for a better location. Our living room gave access to a private deck overlooking sand dunes teeming with wildlife finally giving way to the Atlantic Ocean. 

Within a 2 to 10 minute walk from our doorstep we could be walking on the beach, teeing off at one of the islands golf courses, or having lunch at Pelicans Nest the oceanfront bar & restaurant at the Beach Club. 

PALMS TREES GOT MY HEART AT EASE

While I enjoy the changing seasons of living in the northeast, walking my dog in flip flops in November and December can’t be beat! Coastal South Carolina is a year round vacation destination, low season being the heat of the summer months from June through August. The other nine months of the year temperatures are warm with a seabreeze and even cool under the tropical canopy of oak & many varieties of palm tree. 

Renting beach cruisers from Alligator Bike was a great idea to explore every inch of the 3.5 mile wide island. The Speed Limit in Seabrook is 15 MPH so I felt very safe driving on the roads admiring the beautiful homes, landscape & wildlife. Hitting the timing of my ride just right would offer incredible memories of the sun setting over the beach & marshlands. 

MOTHER NATURE’S PARADISE

Living on the beach you start to learn the daily tide schedules and beach walks become a daily adventure offering a different display of mother nature’s creatures thriving in their natural habitat each time. During low tide I would be able to spot dozens of bottlenose dolphins feeding off the underwater sandbanks. Another technique these animals have learned to use to feed here is called strand feeding where they actually swim up onto the sand to eat, something only seen in very few places in the world. It wasn’t turtle nesting season however I saw turtle patrol officers &  the signs for visitors educating on their lifecycle displayed everywhere. 

On a trail ride booked through the community’s equestrian center I learned that the island is home to many endangered specifics like the Piebald deer, a brown and white speckled species and over 80 species of birds migrating in at different times throughout the year. 

ADVENTURES GALORE

With our island amenities card we had access to a plethora of recreational activities for the whole family to enjoy.

1. Racquet Sports: 15 professionally maintained clay courts available year round.
2. Equestrian Center: pastures and 42 stalls for monthly boarding, 3 miles of trail riding or beach rides offered.
3. Beach Club: Outdoor pool, Beach chairs with outdoor bar and restaurant
4. Dining Options: Palmetto Room for formal nights as well as Bohicket Lounge and Seaview Terrace for a relax atmosphere
5. The Lake House: State of the art fitness center with indoor and outdoor pools & weekly fitness class schedules
6. Camp Seabrook: for the kiddos with weekly camp sessions during the summer

Between the islands of Seabrook and Kiawah sits Bohicket Marina where we enjoyed live music every night of the week at The Salty Dog Cafe! One memorable day when we had visitors we also decided to charter a fishing trip out into the creek where we caught tons of trout and to our surprise Mike battled a shark and won! It will go down as his greatest fishing tale in history.

Off island activities were also plentiful and during our stay we visited many in the local area including Angel Oak, one of the oldest living oak trees in the country estimated to be over 400 years old. A few more destinations checked off my bucket list was shopping in the French Quarter in downtown Charleston, a 45 minute drive away as well as spending the afternoon strolling through Forsyth Park and Wormsloe Historic Site in Savannah Georgia on our way back home from Sea Island, another private beachfront community near St. Simons Island Georgia. (I will write a whole separate post on Sea Island!)

GOLF YOUR HEART OUT

Finally, the reason we made the trip to begin with was because of the incredible seaside golf available within a 20 mile radius at the 9 different courses. Believe it or not, I didn’t bring my own clubs down to South Carolina because I am not a big golfer to begin with but these breathtaking courses had me envious and I vowed to take lessons to be able to get out there next year.

One of our most memorable days was meeting my husband and brother in law for sunset cocktails at The Ryder Cup Bar located on the 18th hole of the Ocean Course after they finished their round. What an experience.