We took a walk along the shore at
Folly Beach last weekend. Yes, it was a little chilly. But it was also beautiful.
In South Carolina, it's hardly ever too cold for a stroll on the beach. Even in January, the average high is 57 degrees in
Charleston, and it's not too unusual to have a day with temperatures in the low 70s.
On our walk, we saw others out enjoying the beach, too. Some were walking on the
pier, while others were scouring the sand in search of the perfect shell. There were kites in the air and dogs chasing tennis balls.
We even saw two young boys, shirts off, pants rolled up to their knees, wading in the ocean. (OK, that's a little crazy, since the average ocean temperature in January and February in Charleston is 50 degrees, but the youngsters didn't seem to mind at all.)
Two more great things about the beach in the winter:
* There are no crowds to fight.
* It's easy (and cheap) to find a place to stay. January and February are truly off-season for beach resorts, meaning hotels and condos are sweetening the deals. For example, rooms at the oceanfront
Tides Folly Beach are about half the price in January of what they will be in July.
Further up the coast, a room at the
Marriott Resort and Spa at Grand Dunes in
Myrtle Beach will cost you $130 in January and $310 in July. At Myrtle Beach's oceanfront
Patricia Grande, rooms are going for $49 a night in January, jumping to $145 in July.
Plus, many of the hotels along the coast feature indoor pools -- letting the kids get a taste of what's to come in just a few more months.