Best beaches and other visitor questions.... (Charleston, Mount Pleasant: hotels, rooftop, restaurants)

[brattpowered]

I am visiting a friend in Charleston next month and would like to make the best of the short time I'm there. I'm looking for the best beaches to go to (preferably one for quiet relaxation and one for fun/boardwalk type stuff), the best streets to travel to get a feel for the city and take photos, and some can't miss-restaurants. They can be both hole in the wall places or nice places, but they should be quintessentially Charleston. Maybe a cheap, low-country cuisine place?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[beachme]

Sullivans Island Beach for quiet relaxation and there are some good restaurants also. Like Poes Tavern, Station 22. We don't really have a "FUN" board walk..but there is a SMALL strip of shopping restaurants on IOP. It's a nice beach also. I don't care for Folly Beach but other love it. Parking is a nightmare. for me I leave in Mount Pleasant ( beach is 10 minutes away)so why drive 1 hour to go to Folly.
Have a nice visit! Also if you go downtown try "Fleet Landing Restaurant" on the Harbor and great food.

[DJShymansky]

Also recommend the Mustard Seed in Mt. Pleasant.

[GoBuckeyes]

I also think IOP and Sullivan's is way better than Folly Beach. We made the hour drive with traffic a few weekends ago. Spent most of the time in gridlock traffic, dodging all the tourists.
I really want to try Mustard Seed, but I need to ditch the kids. As a newbie, I've really like Vickery's. Nice scenery, affordable menu, and kid friendly at appropriate times, but has a nice happy hour if you don't have children.

[brattpowered]

Thanks for the replies so far!

Are there any good Low-Country seafood places around? (Preferably inexpensive ones)

[frame_overo]

We like Isle of Palms although the place was PACKED yesterday making it less fun IMO. Kiawah Island is relaxing and not as busy but $7.00 to get in which is pretty steep IMO. I don't like the fact that the beaches are dog friendly here (we're from up north) as I have enough to worry about with two toddlers at the beach without the added hassle of dogs running around.

[Oscar31]

Isle of palms is crowded if you're parking in the designated public parking area. Drive down a few streets and you can park for free off the street. You will have plenty of secluded space to relax and enjoy your time without being right on top of other beach goers. Folly beach is nice too, and parking is plentiful and free if you drive down a bit further from the "center" of the town and park off street. Kiawah was just rated one of the top ten beaches in the nation; I have been wanting to take a weekend drive to check it out, but haven't yet. I believe parking is about $7.

[GoBuckeyes]

We bought the County Park Pass when we moved here. I believe it runs about $50 for a sticker in one of your cars. It gets you into all the Charleston County Parks free for a year. That includes IOP, Folly, and Kiawah. Several trips to the beach and it pays for itself. It's also nice if you have visitors. You can send them in your car to the beach and they save $7 in parking. I'm told it's nice to have during the holidays when James Island County Park does a "Festival of Lights".

[emilybh]

Originally Posted by beachme

Sullivans Island Beach for quiet relaxation and there are some good restaurants also. Like Poes Tavern, Station 22. We don't really have a "FUN" board walk..but there is a SMALL strip of shopping restaurants on IOP. It's a nice beach also. I don't care for Folly Beach but other love it. Parking is a nightmare. for me I leave in Mount Pleasant ( beach is 10 minutes away)so why drive 1 hour to go to Folly.
Have a nice visit! Also if you go downtown try "Fleet Landing Restaurant" on the Harbor and great food.

I would go to Fleet Landing for the view and maybe a drink but NOT for the food. I had terrible she-crab soup there that tasted like chalk.Also it is VERY NOISY. Better yet, go to the Charleston Marina Resort on Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant if you want a panoramic view of the harbor and also want to sit outside and eat lunch or dinner. I imagine the dining room inside has gorgeous views as well but I've only been there for lunch and ate outside. There you'll be able to see all the ships coming and going close up as they appear to come really close to the shore as they pass by and you can look across to James Island and Ft Sumpter as well as see the Battery.

There is supposedly a rooftop place or two on Vendue Range that I would think would have great views and hopefully good food that I haven't been to yet. I'd check that out as well. California Dreamin on the other side of the Ashley River has nice views of the City Marina and the downtown/Lockwood Drive area and the Ashley River but the food is really mediocre. Same goes for the rooftop restaurant at the round Holiday Inn on that side. I would think some of the newer tall hotels like the Marriott downtown would have rooftop restaurants with nice views (and better food than the Holiday Inn has).

[TPS1029]

If you're in the Mt. Pleasant area, you should check out Red's Icehouse. It's a great bar/restaraunt. Very good food and a great atmosphere. Outside eating on a creek where you can watch the dolphins swim. It's also pretty cheap. Our favorite place by far!