Fun, free and historical things to do with kids in downtown Beaufort

There is plenty of fun and free things do with your kids while visiting historic and picturesque Beaufort.

Playgrounds
For starter there are 2 playgrounds one on the Waterfront Park and one off of Pigeon Landing (located left off Boundary Street and opposite waterfront area). This playground opened just 2 years ago, has brand new facilities (restrooms, picnic tables, water fountains, and stations) and excellent age appropriate equipment. There is something for everyone from babies to older kids and even large swings for adults (parents need to have some fun too). :-) It’s twice as large as the playground at Waterfront Park, a lot less crowded and dogs are allowed in the park as longs as they are on leash. A great thing with this playground is the large oak trees that provide shade throughout the day.
One extra perk is the chance to see fighter jets flying by every now and then which seems quite popular with boys. While in the area you can drive to the end of Pigeon Landing to reach the boat docking and boardwalk. It's very peaceful and the view of the marshes and Beaufort river is incredible.

The playground at the Waterfront Park is better known and quite popular with tourists. Location, location, location! Main attraction for kids is watching fishermen showing their skills on the dock in front of the playground. When I visited with my daughter 2 weeks ago we saw a guy catching 3 baby-sharks in less than an hour! All the children were mesmerized. Another kid-popular activity is balancing over the raised boardwalks weaving through the park. In case you get hungry there are several restaurants and cafes only few yards away.

Ice Cream Parlor and Tin Men
After all the jumping and hopping at the playground you should take the kids to the Southern Sweets Ice Cream Parlor. It’s located downtown in Old Bay Marketplace (across the clock). Besides delicious and reasonably priced ice-cream you can get very good and hearty lunch: made-to-order yummy hot-dogs (8 styles to choose from at $3 each), and a variety of gourmet sandwiches, salads and soups. Most lunch items are around $6. They also carry a kids menu with the usual suspects for around $2. I had the Old Bay Dog (with sauerkraut), a cheese toast sandwich and one ice-cream all for about $8.

Who knew that window shopping can be fun for little ones? Where it is…at least in Beaufort…it wasn’t voted one of America’s Best Small Arts Town for nothing! On our way to the Vernier House museum (2 blocks down from the ice-cream parlor) my 4 years old daughter stopped many times to admire the art on display and point out whatever raised her interests. She loved the wine bottle holders made of tin representing all sorts of funny characters. She definitely liked this better than all the museums we’ve visited that day.

Beaufort Must See Museums: Vernier House and the Arsenal
The Vernier House museum – headquarters for the Union troupes during the Civil War - is the only historic house in Beaufort open to public on a regular basis: Monday to Saturday from 9 AM to 4 PM. Admission is $6 for adults and $3 for students. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the Marquis de Lafayette visited the house in 1825.

The Arsenal, located at 713 Craven St., is one of the most significant historical sites in Beaufort. It was completed in 1798 to create a militia and to build a laboratory for making explosives. Currently is home to the Beaufort museum. Made out of brick and tabby and featuring a Gothic design with crenellated parapets the Arsenal has a very distinctive architecture. Hours of operations are 10 AM to 5 PM. The museum is officially closed on Wednesday and Sunday. However, I went there on a Tuesday and it was closed, so better to call ahead just to make sure: (843)-525-7077. Admission for adults and children over 6 is $3.

Scenic boat tour over Beaufort River
This is a great outdoor attraction the whole family can enjoy.
It’s very relaxing and you get up-close and personal to the beautiful Lowcountry marshes and Sea Islands wildlife. There are two boat tour opportunities: one from Beaufort Marina (located at the end of the waterfront park) and one from Port Royal Landing marina, operated by River Safari. If you go to Port Royal read this post to learn about all the fun things you can do there.

More family attractions around Beaufort:
The Lighthouse at the Hunting Island State Park, the Old Sheldon Church Ruins and Graveyard. On St. Helena Island: visit Penn Center and Bailey Museum and the Chapel of Ease (beware of Land’s End light and ghost sighting!)

Happy family vacation in Beaufort South Carolina!

Funny Encounters in Myrtle Beach, Darlington and Lancaster

What's a road trip without some funny encounters? In our recent family weekend getaways at the South Carolina beaches and on the pitoresque backcountry roads we saw some funny signs and pets worth shouting about:

Ocean Creek Resort in Myrtle Beach close to Barefoot Landing and Alligator Adventure - beautiful all inclusive private resort...we had a great time during the Easter weekend. Our 3 years old loved splashing around at the kiddie pool and the hot Southern style morning breakfast was terrific. I liked the intimate private beach and little canal (took some awesome sunset photos and videos) and the fact the hotel had free high-speed wireless throughout the complex.

They should probably revisit their signage...don't be fooled by it, the staff was very professional and there is 24 hour security patrolling all around the premises (in golf carts :-).

Isle of Palms: Family Fun, Happy Vacation, Peace and Romance

"Serenity Now!"Leave your worries behind and come free your mind, body and spirit at peaceful Isle of Palms beach.
You can walk barefoot, walk your dog, lose yourself gazing at the blue ocean waters, swim, run, bicycle, collect shells, surf, run the kite, play volleyball, or just take a well-deserved nap...the possibilities for fun are endless and best of all FREE! Now that's something worth shouting about!

Tips to know before you go

1. You can park for free at the Isle of Palms County Park and walk the half mile to the beach. There is a super-cool playground for kids to have fun and burn a lot of energy (the mini zip line is a winner); also there are restrooms, showers and changing rooms

2. If you don't want to walk there is metered parking available downtown between 10 and 14th streets. You need to pay during beach season from mid-March to early October. However after 6:00 PM parking is free! You can also park on the streets or a special designated parking lot. See more info about beach access and parking here.

3. Once you're done with the beach, if you want to rinse the sand off skip the showers by the restrooms; they are always crowded and it gets mushy on the ground pretty quick. I always used the shower by the volleyball court one block down.

4. Boys and girls get a great kick with the little body surf boards. They don't need to go far into the water so you can keep a close eye on them as they have fun. There are several shops on the island to rent beach equipment. Of course you can use the regular surf boards as well.

5. Best places to hunt for shells and other marine treasures is at the ends of the island, or at least as far away as possible from downtown. Bird watching enthusiasts go to the southern end of the island (shorter walk).

6. There are several places to eat on the island, including 2 restaurants featuring incredible ocean views (that's reflected in the price). My favorite thing to do is get ice-cream from the little shop close to the restroom area. It's cheap, cool and is a good enough bribe to keep my 3 years old in check.

7. If you plan to bicycle or come with the stroller be mindful of the tide calendar (published daily in the newspaper or given at the hotel). The water can get very high eating into most of the beach.

8. Dogs are welcome year-round but must be on leash except early morning from 5 to 8 AM. This is not that much enforced I've seen plenty cutie pooches running around freely.

9. For more educational activities take the short drive to nearby Fort Moultrie (free admission) the historic state park where the state Palmetto Tree symbol was born and we may also have coined the phrase "We beat the pants off them"

Where
Directions to Isle of Palms Beach: From Hwy 17 N in Mt. Pleasant take the IOP connector (turn right at Bank of America) all the way till the end.

Once you're in town you can turn left to get to the Isle of Palms County Park, Marina and the road leading towards Wild Dunes golf resort. You can turn right to reach "downtown", metered parking and most of the shops and restaurants. There are about 50 public beach access points on Isle of Palms.