HOME SICK FOR FOLLY BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA

I'm a water baby.  I like a jump through a mud puddle, a walk in the rain, a long swim in a lake, but I love the ocean.  I have never been too particular about which ocean.  Pacific, Atlantic or Indian... none of that ever mattered until I planted my beach chair at Folly Beach.  A small beach town of roughly 2600 people.  It sits at the southern end of Charleston.  To get to Folly you have to drive hwy 171 or Folly Beach road.  There's a draw bridge that you cross.  For the first few miles the marshes flow out to either side of the road as the city starts to disappear.  Usually this is where I get my first sniff of the salt air and my stress starts to leave me.

  
I love the sand.  Gritty and warm against my feet during the day, cool and soothing as I walk through the dampness at night. There's an old distinguished pier that reminds you of that older male relative that took you fishing when you were a child, steady, calm and patient.  Crashing of the waves against the pier, sooths my soul, watching the water race back into itself only to reach back toward me almost as gleeful as I feel.  The smell of the salt air, briny and heavy assaulting my lungs and healing my sorrows.

This beach is home.  It calls to me the way no other really has.  It is peaceful in the spring, rough and wild in the fall & winter and in the summer it is hot, salty and packed with people enjoying it as much as I do.  The State Park area is well maintained and most everything is within walking distance.  Wal-mart and a grocery store are both a short drive back up the main road. Dining wise Folly has a surprising mix of local hangouts and slightly more upscale, but let's be honest this is beach living, it's not 5 star and it's not uppity.  Probably another reason I love it.  You can get at good steak and catch a nice breeze as you sit sipping a drink at Locklear's Beach City Grill.

I highly recommend Folly as a weekend getaway or even a weeklong stay during the season or not.  There's a few hotels in Folly Beach including the Holiday Inn.  It sits right on the beach.  All the rooms face the ocean!  Rooms range from $100-225 a night for 1-2 people depending on the time of the year. The Season is April to September.  The best way to experience Folly is to rent a house or condo on the beach.  This beautiful house was $1500/wk during the off season, 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.

What a fun time to be right on the shore, cook, watch tv, play games, sunbath and go to sleep hearing the waves crashing. Folly truly has the edge of the world feel.  That small bit of sand and it's just you, your family and friends of your choosing.

If I have a few days to myself, this is where I want to take my chair, a good book, an umbrella and camp when I have the choice.

This last pic is of my late grandmother.  She'd never seen the Atlantic Ocean.  Thinking of Folly makes me miss her too.