Sullivan's Island, South Carolina

Legal Disclaimer: I said I would likely post once a month. I lied. (What? I’m a lawyer. It comes with the territory.) It appears I will be writing and posting weekly. I will try my best not to be erratic. I know you hate that.

I’ve been to many places over the past year, and If I don’t speed up, we’ll never get to them all, especially now that I’m overseas at the largest airport hub on this side of the planet. The spousal unit has already booked tickets…

Sullivan’s Island - The Beach

This view greeted me every morning for ten years. With coffee in hand, I planted my feet in the sand and let the waves crash around my knees. In the evenings, with a glass of wine on the deck, my husband and I let the sound of the waves end our day. Our life revolved around the weekends shared with beachgoers, the dread of storms and hurricanes, and most of all, the tides.

“How could you leave this?” you ask.

“Because my job there ended,” I say, “Sometimes a change is in order.”

My next life started with selling the business and the house, and suddenly with the place packed, the car sold, and the kids on their own, it seemed I had nothing but an airplane ticket in my hand. Where did I go? On my “Goodbye America” trip. But those places and the reasons I chose them are for other posts.

But now, let’s talk about the place I just left—the Lowcountry of South Carolina. There are many ways to explore both SI and Charleston. Most people visit the island for the beach and Charleston for its history. I came here to raise a family and ensure my children understood the meaning of being “Southern.” Living on the island was a lifelong dream, so when the opportunity arose, I pounced.

This isn’t a detailed blog post about where to go or what to see near Charleston. It’s simply a fond farewell to both places. I hope you will take the time to explore real life on the island and in the city and not just visit for a quick click at the most Instagrammable places.

Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina

The Ben Sawyer Bridge

Crossing the causeway over the marsh from Mount Pleasant to Sullivan’s Island, you must cross the Ben Sawyer, a swing bridge that brought daily joy and irritation.

The joy? When this bridge opens, you understand small-town living. The drivers in cars around you turn off engines and roll down the windows to enjoy the breeze. While talking to their neighbors, they watch tugboats, sailboats, and long barges pass by. The irritation? I was never on time for a necessary appointment on the other side. During the week, it opens basically whenever—except certain hours—well, you can read for yourself:

“Weekdays: opens upon request except between 7-9 AM and 4-6 PM. Weekends and holidays: opens on the hour from 9 AM to 7 PM, and otherwise upon request. Will not open in high winds.”

When you’re in a hurry, could you remember all that? They should also add the following:

“Nor will it open during the hours above, even if a sailboat has to wait for two hours in a storm. “ (We missed the top of the hour by two minutes.)

The Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse

When I first saw this lighthouse, I thought it was the strangest one I’d ever seen. I mean, I’m no expert, but it’s—square. Over the years, it became my symbol of home. You can see it when crossing the Ravenel Bridge miles away in Charleston and even more miles offshore in the ocean. And when you’re walking the beach, and a storm begins to roll in, it’s your gauge of just how far you roamed and how far you’ll have to run to get home before the rain.

The Stations

The best part of living on an island is having your own private bike path. Unless it is a busy weekend, you will find beachgoers’ cars lined up along one side of the street, a few pedestrians, and a long empty road that calls for a lazy ride on a bike. My favorite thing to do when my spousal unit was traveling and the kids were in school was to bike to the town for breakfast. If you visit the island, remember that the main streets have names (Jasper, Middle, Marshall, etc.), and the short streets (that go to the marsh and the beach) are numbered Stations (as in “Oh, you live at Middle and Station 24.”)

The Town of Sullivan’s Island

It is a tiny Southern town. Remember that and act accordingly. Just because you brought all that beer in your cooler does not mean you’ll get to drink it. If caught on the beach, that’s a very expensive ticket. And Miss Julia will let you know quickly, “young man,” when you and your buddies are out of order.

My favorite places?

The beach at Station 24 (it’s wide) on Sundays (it’s dog day), all the boardwalks to the beach (on a winter weekday, you have a long nature walk all to yourself), Poe’s Tavern (for the burgers and fish tacos), and the Co-op (you’ll have to go and see for yourself).

I’ll leave you with this…

And this…