While it’s true, most travelers flock to beaches in the summer, there are still plenty of fun activities to do at the beach when the fall arrives. With its year round mild temperatures, Charleston SC’s beaches can still be sunny and warm well into November or even December. The water is still warm from the summer months, the sunrises over the Atlantic are just as breathtaking, there are far less people than in the busy summer season, and all of this combined makes for an abundance of fall fun in the sun on Charleston’s beaches. And, with the current desire for many to practice social distancing, the fall might be the best time to visit. It also makes it a great time of year to play beach volleyball or sand soccer and to go on a nice jog or walk along the beach without being super hot. Get out your beach chair, bring out the sand toys and enjoy the warm sun while you have the beach to yourself.

In the past, autumn beachgoers found that they love staying at the beach during the fall as typically, after Labor Day, the kids are back in school and everyone is back to business. While many school systems have returned to students attending school in the classroom, there are some areas where families now have a chance to extend remote working and distance learning into the fall months. Not only is it less crowded during this season, but it gives you a chance to discover new attractions that you might have missed when going in the summer.

Some favorite beach activities and attractions for families to enjoy while staying at Folly Beach SC during the autumn months include:

• Watch a sunrise
• relax with a book on the sand
• Have a Coke and a hotdog at Bert’s Market
• Enjoy the fresh catch of the day at the local Folly Beach restaurants
• Take surfing lessons, or rent a kayak or paddleboard
• Venture to the northeast end of Folly Beach to see the historical Morris Island Lighthouse
• Grab a pole and spend an afternoon fishing off the iconic Folly Beach Pier
• Enjoy Brunch at The Lost Dog Cafe or Rita’s Seaside Grille
• Shop along Center Street and take home a one-of-a-kind souvenir

You can still lounge on the beach as long as the weather is good, but you may want to include more sightseeing activities on your itinerary. Because of Charleston’s rich and varied history, including the role it played in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, there are a myriad of historic sites to visit, not to mention its reputation as a top culinary destination.  Some of the Southeasts best restaurants are located in downtown Charleston, including Husk, Fig, The Ordinary, and Halls Chophouse.

One of the top reasons to enjoy visiting the beach in the fall is that you can experience the destination like a local. Hang out on the beach enjoying slightly cooler temperatures without crowds, try some of the popular local restaurants with little to no wait. You can also enjoy off season specials on activities like sunset sails, dolphin cruises and standup paddle boards.

After all, there’s never a bad time to go to the beach!

Let us help you plan your fall getaway to Folly Beach! With our dedicated Concierge team you’ll enjoy all the same great amenities offered within the Luxury Simplified Retreats portfolio plus exceptional service, impeccable cleanliness and all the conveniences of an everyday home. And, should you need any recommendations during your stay, our team is happy to provide suggestions for restaurants or answer any questions so you don’t have to worry about anything – except for packing the sunscreen. Start planning your trip today by booking one of our luxury Folly Beach rentals! 

In these days filled with stresses and challenges we haven’t often seen before, it’s good to get away with your family and set your mind free for a while. If that can be achieved without endless airport delays, Homeland Security checks, and traffic congestion then that is the makings of a very good vacation. While a two-hour drive south down Hwy. 17 from Charleston gets you to Savannah or northbound up Hwy. 17 to Myrtle Beach, for those who are looking for an luxury vacation experience, Palmetto Bluff is an unforgettable destination just 90 minutes down Hwy. 17 from Charleston. This lowcountry getaway drips southern charm, hospitality and cuisine. Charlestonians, like many along the southern seaboard, have their favorite getaway places. In the heat of the summer it’s often a family vacation to the cooler locales of Cashiers or Highlands in the NC mountains, but in the fall many feel there is no better place to be than “The Bluff,” located in Bluffton SC. (more…)

With travel plans in flux, and travelers everywhere facing disruptions from the worldwide spread of the coronavirus, many are looking for ways to still enjoy the springtime weather and feel like tourists. Although restaurants across the country are prohibiting dining in, public spaces are closed, and popular annual spring events are postponed, there’s still plenty of ways to enjoy Charleston, SC. (more…)

Each year it seems, we write about a hurricane or growing tropical storm barreling down upon the tranquil shores of Charleston, South Carolina and how, as a team, we deal with both the preparation and the aftermath. As a vacation rental management firm in a popular tourist locale like Charleston, we are accustomed to events which severely impact the tourism & hospitality industries and how they alter travel plans for our guests. This year is different as we are faced with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.  It’s not something any of us either faced or handled before, yet experience with other challenges has led us to create and implement systems that allow us to react quickly to help our current guests and those who have future booked vacations with us.  

We have our vacationers, our staff, our owners, and ourselves to consider, and the safety and well-being of all are critical to us, thus it’s important we look at the overall picture as a whole. News updates are fluid and changing by the hour, as the pandemic expands around the globe and in the United States as well. We will not repeat the health advice out there or seek to downplay the situation, but in general the worry is not so much catching the COVID-19 virus, although for some that can produce a dire outcome, it’s us all catching it at the same time and overwhelming the available medical support services, as we have seen in some of the more populated US cities.

Firstly, we focus on our vacationers. While travel has been restricted and check-ins have been diminished, we have used this time to hold discussions with our cleaning crews, working with them to put new are more extensive cleaning protocols in place. To follow CDC guidelines with an increased focus on possible transmission sources such as sterilizing door handles, light pulls and countertops in addition to our usual good standards.  As we all continue to become keenly aware of methods to reduce transmission, here are additional health and safety measures we’re taking to help keep our guests and employees safe:

• Housekeeping staff has been instructed in cleaning all “high-touch” contact points in all our vacation properties such as doorknobs, locks, thermostats, stair railings etc., and these areas will continue to be thoroughly sanitized with EPA approved sterilization solutions during cleaning and inspection.
• We have worked with our suppliers to make sure that our housekeeping staff in each of our locations are provided with all supplies, including disinfectants, sanitizers and equipment that they will need to follow these heightened cleaning protocols.
• We will continue to ensure that hygiene and cleanliness remain our top priority throughout every facet of our operation.

Our staff go the extra mile for both homeowners and our vacation guests, and our actions have sought to allay their worst fears but provide support and sensible precautions. We continue to remain vigilant and will work closely with local, state and federal authorities for the health and safety of our employees and vendors as well all for our guests. Sources of transmission in our offices have been identified, extra sterilization, sick policies reviewed as have work from home protocols now in place.  Should they need local accommodation it will be provided, as is 24-hour support. 

Our homeowners have their own concerns, both familial and with regard to their investments.  Many have mortgages to pay, and these do not simply evaporate away as vacationers alter travel plans.  So we have sought to keep them informed. Daily meetings are conducted internally to review the situation, and we are in constant communication with staff and guests to keep them updated and to advise them on appropriate measures we are taking. Being transparent and keeping the lines of communication open is key, and so far this is providing the reassurance needed and solid returns. 

We have seen an increase in cancellations as people consider the best strategy for their own personal circumstances. While it may seem counterintuitive, cancellations have been matched by an uptick in bookings as vacationers who are not reliant on air travel seek locations within easy driving distance for when stay at home orders are lifted.  There is a sense that travel with just family or a small group allows for an opportunity to find peace in smaller, less populated destinations – a chance to enjoy ocean breezes and quiet sunsets with just your family around you.  

For ourselves, well that’s a little more complicated. We have a lot of family in the UK, Europe sees this pandemic through a different lens.  The UK, like much of the EU, is preparing for the worst but seek to slow it down to a more manageable extent.  Our family here in SC are with us, spending time in Charleston, Folly Beach or Palmetto Bluff as business and family needs dictate.  We have enough basic supplies but not an unnecessary hoard. Socializing is restricted and meals may have to become a little “inventive.”  

As the South Carolina state motto says, “Prepared in mind and resources”  – so we say, stay well and stay safe.