Before summer is over.

It already feels like summer skipped out of town a couple weeks ago and we've been enjoying very mild temperatures with just a bit of a crisp in the air. And I'm loving it. But.... I never blogged about a special part of our summertime. So before it officially becomes fall I'm taking you back to South Carolina for one last fleeting taste of summer.

The whole excuse behind our trip to South Carolina this past August was for T.J. to attend an orthopedic conference on Kiawah Island. So after our week in the upstate we rented a car and drove to the low country just the two of us. We decided when we got married that we need to protect our limited vacation days and always make sure it includes time for us to reconnect as a couple. Our excitement for a real beach weekend together grew with each palmetto tree we passed. Of course we had to stop for a late lunch along the way....

And as we got closer to our destination we stopped again to grab more sunscreen and some breakfast fixings for our villa and we also had to check out the prettiest tree in the world, the Angel Oak.
Finally we were driving through a tunnel of Spanish moss and pulling through the gates at Kiawah Island. Kiawah is a private beach community so unless you're staying on the property or have a tee time at one of the golf courses you can't get on the island which makes it feel super fancy but also protects this little slice of heaven from hooligans. It's super family friendly, quiet, and utterly relaxing and within about five seconds of being there we were committing to coming back every summer thereafter.

We checked in to our villa then decided to check out The Sanctuary Hotel where T.J.'s conference would be taking place, aka the prettiest, most luxurious hotel I have ever been inside. Jaw dropped and wide eyed we meandered past the pool and then I hurriedly slipped off my sandals and ran to the surf. 

Our next stop was to rent beach cruisers for the weekend.It is the perfect way to get around the island and we rode around a bit before dark so we could get our bearings and take note of the best alligator hang outs. Still full from our lunch we opted to skip dinner and go straight to the ice cream parlor. We enjoyed our melting cones in Adirondack chairs with a symphony of cicadas serenading us.
 
The next morning T.J. left early for his conference and I hopped on my bike and headed down to the beach. I walked up and down the shoreline and called my folks and tried not to brag too much about the view with sparkling waves washing over my feet. Not too long after my old college roommate, who lives in Charleston, arrived to spend the day with us and T.J. came and met us for lunch at the poolside restaurant.  The rest of the day was spent on the beach catching up on each others' lives and working on going back to Washington with some semblance of a tan.

We parted with plans to see each other the next day as well, then T.J. and I freshened up and drove into Charleston to meet his med school buddy/groomsmen and his girl friend for rooftop cocktails followed by dinner at Cannon Green.
The next day T.J. played hooky from the conference seminars (this conference really just seemed like an excuse for all these overworked doctors to get away with their families) and we hit up the pool for most of the day. We enjoyed pina coladas and fish tacos and played on the water slides like we were kids and I only had to nag T.J. about reapplying sunscreen a couple times. We moved to the beach later in the day and played bocce ball and enjoyed the salty breeze. That night we went casual. We didn't bother with showering off the sand and sunscreen before we headed to Red's Ice House for some fried shrimp and our last waterside sunset in South Carolina.
T.J. and I are already planning to go back to Kiawah next summer and the summer after that...and you get the picture. I dream about us taking little ones here for family vacations, and it being our beach spot that we go to year after year. It was a perfect end to our vacation and we left feeling totally refreshed and totally reminded of why no matter where we live, or how far we roam, South Carolina will always feel like home.

Comments

  1. I enjoyed your post, as always!!

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  2. Kiawah is such an awesome family vacation spot. I grew up going there every summer but it wasn't until this winter when we went for our baby moon, that I ever experienced The Sanctuary. It was incredible! Glad you all got in a little vacation before the summer ends!

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  3. What a fun summer!! Sounds like the perfect amount of travel and adventure. Rooftop cocktails sound amazing, and that picture makes it LOOK amazing, too! Love your dress!

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