Best Jewelry Store in Folly Beach, SC

Like most people, when I go on vacation with my family, I like to take a break from work. Hence, why there aren’t in-depth posts here on the blog about most of our travels. When we’re away, I don’t want the pressure of recording all the details or feeling like I need to check out certain things to report back; on vacation, I generally like to go with the flow and relax. I’ve written about some of our shorter closer-to-home trips, but the bigger ones I usually just share through Instagram posts (if interested, check out Idaho, Asheville, Mexico, Croatia, Barcelona, Maine, Vermont, California, Nicaragua).

This is my rambling way of explaining why this post about our Spring Break trip to South Carolina — specifically Folly Beach and Charleston — is mostly scenes and quick tips, less of a thorough guide. But sometimes, that’s all you need — inspo for a destination, a starting point for planning, and a few ideas for activities.

So, the quick gist of our trip: We spent three nights in Folly Beach, three nights in Charleston (and one in NC on the way down to break up the eight-hour drive). At the last minute, my friend Margaret and her family decided to meet us there, so we spent a lot of time with them (though stayed in separate places since we’d already booked when they decided to join). Our crews always have a great time together and similar traveling sensibilities (very important when traveling with others). She also posted about the trip in her Designer’s Guide to Charleston SC (she’s an architect and interior design extraordinaire), which includes details that this post doesn’t, so be sure to check it out for even more travel inspiration!

FOLLY BEACH

This actually wasn’t our first Spring Break getaway to the area, though last time we stayed in Charleston and Isle of Palms. During that trip, we took a drive south to Folly and decided that next time we would stay there. Both are great in their own ways, but Folly has a more laid-back surf vibe and more of a town, plus there is excellent fossil hunting! We found a rental through Airbnb that was perfect — just the right size for our family, an easy walk to the beach, and surrounded by leafy trees.

Part of the reason we went to SC for Spring Break was better chances for warmer temps than more northern beaches, and that was a good call, because the weather was fantastic. Sunny and high 70s made for very pleasant days on the beach, and the water wasn’t too cold for swimming.

We ate most of our meals out, but had breakfast and snacks at the house. There are a bunch of good restaurants and places to get a bite in town, most of them casual and fun. Our favorite easily Chico Feo, with delicious tacos, sandwiches, bowls, and drinks. For snacks and stuff at the house, Bert’s Market had everything we needed and then some. It’s not a huge grocery store, but they also have take out sandwiches and other freshly made fare, plus it’s open 24 hours. And non-food related, but I must mention the great massage I had at Folly Beach Medispa.

Before we headed to Charleston after we left our digs in Folly, we went to see Morris Island Lighthouse. You can’t actually go in or even get up close to it, but we walked to a small beach to get a view. However, the path leading to the beach may have been the highlight, the stretch of asphalt covered with colorful graffiti. The walk should have been quick, but we kept stopping to check out the art beneath our feet.

CHARLESTON

Okay, I’ll be straight up: This part of our trip was really a lot of eating and drinking and walking around. We’d been to the city before and had done a lot of touristy stuff — Fort Sumter and tours of historic places, etc. — and we didn’t feel the need to repeat them. So, besides the guys taking a water taxi to the Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum (while Margaret, Sasha, and I shopped on King Street), we really mostly ate, drank, strolled, and just enjoyed hanging out with everyone. Here’s a recap of that in pictures.

Have you been to Folly Beach or Charleston? What are some of your favorite things to do and places to go there?

FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCBD) – The future of short-term rentals on Folly Beach are still up in the air after a long discussion from city leaders Wednesday night.

Folly Beach Mayor Tim Goodwin says city leaders need to decide if there should be a cap on the number of rental properties are allowed as 41% percent of the beach is short-term rentals.

“I said to the council folks, this is a time for you to decide what you want it to look like. Do you want 80% residential and 20% rentals? This is where this is at,” says Mayor Goodwin.

Some city council members say looking at the best outcome for residents needs to be taken into consideration as well.

“We need livability and we have to control that. There needs to be a balance between short-term rentals and permanent residents,” says Folly Beach City Councilmember Billy Grooms.

Some people who live around town say new policies need to be in place.

“We’re never going to get rid of short-term rentals and that’s fine, but let’s just make them a little better for everybody,” says Mary Hadley, who lives on Folly Beach.

Hadley has lived on Folly Beach since 2014 and also works for a short-term rental company. She says she has short-term rentals in front and behind her house that are frequently rented out.

“It needs to be addressed more. There needs to be more accountability since more Vrbo’s and Airbnb’s have come up,” says Hadley.

Hadley says policies need to be enforced soon because she has seen dangerous rental situations.

“This spring we had over 100 underage high school kids renting the houses across from me. Their parents rent them illegally. It could’ve been an unsafe thing, but it was an unsafe thing,” she says.

Residents say they want what’s best for Folly Beach, but also what’s best for their own lives.

“It’s a beach community, we love it, and realize people want to be here. Let’s see what we can do to make it a livable place for those of us who are full-time,” says Hadley.

Mayor Goodwin says city council plans on having a first reading of the short-term rental ordinance by July or August.

FOLLY BEACH — Fishermen and beach lovers will have to wait at least one more year before they can soak up the views and make record catches from the new Folly Beach Pier.

The replacement project that started in Oct. 2020 is expected to wrap up next spring. Right now the work is on schedule, and county park officials are crossing their fingers in hopes that no unforeseen circumstances arise.

After nearly two decades of operation, the iconic pier closed right before construction on the new piece began because of heavy damage from shipworms. The effort to replace the pier is expected to take 28 months and cost $14 million.

The new pier will look similar to the last one with fishing stations and an architectural diamond at the end. But improvements will include unobstructed views of the ocean, more covered fishing areas and better pedestrian access.

The structure is being built with cement pilings that are stronger, resistant to marine worms and expected to last more than 60 years.

Crews are currently working to construct the new walkway, said Bruce Wright, the pier replacement project manager. Substructure for the end-of-pier diamond head is complete, and the gazebo is being built there.

“The gazebo is the big thing that they’re working on, finishing up on that,” Wright said.

The diamond head will be close to completion once the gazebo is done, except for the addition of electricity and lights.

Parking at the pier is still at half-capacity. Part of the lot is being used as a staging area to hold the contractors’ equipment and supplies. The full parking lot probably won’t reopen until the last part of the replacement project is done, according to Wright.

“We’re just hoping that we have good weather and nothing unexpected or unanticipated (happens) during the remaining construction of driving the piles and doing the construction of the walkway,” Wright said.

If things go as planned, the pier should be ready for the spring 2023 opening.

The first part of the structure reopened to visitors about a year ago, and the Pier 101 Restaurant recently began serving customers again.

While work continues, nostalgia lovers can take advantage of the opportunity to claim a piece of the old pier.

Charleston County is selling slices of the pier’s pilings for $75 each, with proceeds benefiting the parks foundation. The pieces are cylindrical slabs, or cross sections, of the pile. Each piece will vary in diameter and be less than 10 inches thick. Many of them will include distinctive patterns from marine borers.

The Park and Recreation Commission has sold 1,500 pieces of the pier so far. Because of the limited quantity, the initial batches were offered to those who had completed an online interest form, said Sarah Reynolds, spokeswoman for Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission.

Only 5,000 total pieces will be created. Since each one is handcrafted, production will take time. The next batch is anticipated to be completed in the coming weeks, and will be available for purchase to the general public at that time, Reynolds said.

Those who are interested in collecting a piece of the old pier’s pilings should follow the PRC’s social media accounts or join its email list to learn when the pieces will be ready for sale.

Elizabeth Dalton McCauley of Christiansburg, Virginia quietly passed away at Carilion New River Valley Medical Center on June 1, 2022, attended by her children. She was 81 years old. Catherine Elizabeth Dalton, known as Elizabeth to her family and friends, was born in Charleston, South Carolina on May 14, 1941 to Joseph and Catherine Dalton.

Elizabeth and her older sister JoAnne grew up among the pecan trees and coastal waterways of Charleston, often spending their time at Folly Beach to catch crabs and collect sand dollars and shells. She and JoAnne had a close sisterly connection and an enduring friendship. As older adults, she and JoAnne had a standing appointment together at Miss Mary’s Hair Salon near JoAnne’s home in Watkinsville Georgia. Southern ladies through and through.

While working as a data operator for Motorola in Charleston, Elizabeth met Massachusetts-born Roger McCauley, and on January 30, 1965 she and Roger married at St Mary of the Annunciation Catholic Church in Charleston, with Jimmy McCauley serving as best man and JoAnne Dalton Lawhorn serving as matron of honor.

During the early years of their marriage, Roger and Elizabeth lived in Annandale and Reston, Virginia. There they had five children: John Joseph (Amy), Michael Dalton, David Christopher, Catherine Susan, and Charles Andrew (Rebecca). It was in Reston that she and Roger met lifelong friends Bert and Rena Berlin.

The wife of a Foreign Service Officer, Elizabeth raised her family in the United States, England, and Greece, before settling down with her husband in the New River Valley community of Christiansburg. Always active and social, retirement did little to slow them down, and Roger and Elizabeth continued to travel throughout the United States and Ireland.

An ardent admirer of the outdoors, Elizabeth had a remarkable green thumb and an equally impressive garden. When inside, she used what she grew to make homemade dishes for family, neighbors, and guests. She loved literature and history and absorbed at least a novel a week. She read so many books, her online book subscription couldn’t keep up with her pace.

Even with all the travelling, cooking, gardening, reading, and raising kids, Elizabeth made time for her friends, of which she had many. And the dear friends she met along the way, in every place she visited and lived, she made for a lifetime.

In addition to being a wife and mother and friend, Elizabeth was a devoted aunt to Donna, Deena, Wade, Kevin, Melanie, Emily, Taylor, and Joseph. A loving godmother to Donna Lawhorn and Ethan Berlin. And the proud grandmother of Amanda, Kristen, Dalton, and Margaret. Elizabeth was predeceased in life by her husband Roger of Christiansburg, and her sister JoAnne and brother-in-law Donald Lawhorn of Watkinsville, Georgia.

A private service will be held for Elizabeth at her beloved Folly Beach in South Carolina.

FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCIV) — It’s no secret that Folly Beach is quickly becoming one of the most popular places to move to in the Lowcountry. But town officials are worried that overdevelopment will soon take over the identity of the town.

In an effort to stop this overdevelopment, City Council will look Tuesday night to change those zoning requirements to “keep the character” of Center Street, and the surrounding community, intact.

The first set of changes to zoning requirements fall under what city officials call the “Center Street Overlay Zone.”

The changes include having new developments start at ground level instead of elevated, as well as a two-story maximum or 34-foot height cap on new buildings. This requirement includes rooftop bars or seating areas as one of the two levels.

If approved, the rezoning will also prevent any private residential properties from being built on Center Street, something officials say is important to keeping the Center Street area accessible for residents.

“We want to make sure that whatever goes up on those lines, here on our Main Street, kind of fit the character of what is already here. We've seen in the commercial district in general, we've seen some pretty massive, relatively speaking, massive buildings go up around Center Street and we want to make sure that on Center Street, that scale and massing is kept down to match what's here,” City Administrator Aaron Pope said.

In addition to those restrictions, new developments will be encouraged to put public outdoor seating near the sidewalk on Center Street.

But Center Street isn’t the only area Folly officials are looking to rezone. Another rezoning change involves the surrounding residential area of Center Street and downtown commercial district.

The changes could affect some residents' ability to make improvements to their existing properties.

The biggest change involves how much of the landowners can build out to. The new zoning changes in the area will require all properties to have at least 10 feet of space between their building and the street.

Residents and Business owners in the area expressed concern about their ability to develop their homes in a public hearing last week, but overall, many people say it’s a step that needs to be taken.

“From a residential standpoint, I think it's more pleasing and more pleasant to have more room around the properties, more green space and less of the shoulder or to show or canyon effect of the tall buildings,” Folly Beach resident Joe Vandiver said.

In addition to the land space restrictions, the rezoning changes would restrict multi-family complexes from being built in the downtown area.

Pope cites the building of the big complexes near the post office off of Center Street as a prime example of what could turn into overdevelopment, which could run out local businesses.

“With property values going the way they are, it's only a matter of time before the land becomes valuable enough or the land becomes so valuable that in order to get things out of it, you have to build the biggest thing you can or another Hurricane Hugo is going to come through and destroy half the buildings in the commercial district. And when people rebuild, they max out the zoning. We want to make sure the max zoning results in smaller more compatible buildings,” Pope said.

The zoning changes will take place in the surrounding area of center street down to around Bert's Market.

If approved, officials did say any property owners who have concerns of these changes can request a hearing with the board of zoning appeals as some exceptions can be made.

City Council will have the first reading of these rezoning changes at the meeting at 6:30 p.m.

A final decision will not be voted on until the second reading in June.