Surfs Up! This is the Folly Beach pier in SC from June 2019- plus surf school!
Folly is known for its long waves and… surf lessons @islasurf! Whats your favorite Beach? Vist our FB page, Like it, enter to win $100 gift certificate to Watermans in Southend? Beach cams below!
We have two large coastlines to choose from, the beautiful Outer Banks to the north, to Kiawah Island in the south, barrier islands that form the East Coast of NC and SC.
These beaches range from popular favorites like Myrtle Beach and Wrightsville Beach, to the smaller, rustic Bald Head Island, or Kiawah. Lets take a look .
Nags Head to Ocacroke is the back bone of the Outter Banks. Not shown in the norht is popular Duck, Corrolla and First in Flight Kitty Hawk.
I’ve been to all of these with my family, they are all beautiful in their way- some you’ll find on a 10 or 20 best beaches of the world list.
We love the Outter Banks- for peace and privacy, if you love a desolate wind swept beach, this is the place. But we have only visited the Outter Banks twice since moving to Charlotte. Why? Because it is such a long drive, 7+ hours, with no especially good roads. We went three summers in a row while living in Washington DC-when kids were young, it was about a 5 hour drive. This was the first “warm water” beach south of DC and the Maryland Beaches we had grown up with.
We were in Wrightsville Beach over Memorial Day- we love Wilmington and the waterfront, the beach here is crowded, parking a nusiance. Just a little to the South, you come to Bald Head island and Oak Island. We saw turtles hatch on Bald Head! 
Looking a bit further south, we get to South Carolina, home to our favorite beaches. Everyone knows Myrtle Beach- my Mom first took me there as a young teenager. Good times for sure, but then it got developed, and overdeveloped, and over crowded. We stopped going in the 1990’s.
Charleston is our current favorite with popular Isle of Palms to the north, and Folly Beach to the south. We tend to alternate here, renting larger houses through Air B n B or VRBO, and never have had a bad time. Charleston is a real city, with a great vibe. Everything from art museums and the famous Spoletto Art Festival, the city is dripping in history, and it is home to many of the best restauarants in the South. If you want to stay in Charleston, grab one of the many bed and breakfasts the city is known for.
Further south is Hilton Head, great for the tennis travellers, and folks who like to watch tennis. Flat, wide beaches, this is the warmest water in the Carolinas. Bath water in August , the beach is wide and the sand is hard- people ride bikes on it. It’s never felt too crowded. Also- it’s a short hop to Savannah. World class food and bed and breakfasts here.
Often we avoid crowds and save a bit of money going before public shools get out, (early June) and just after they are back in (early Spetmeber). In sum, it is hard to go wrong at a Carolinas Beach. Choose your vacation, make your reservation, and get going.
Now for a few beach cams- even if you can only be there in your mind!
A few Charlotte Home Searches
