ISLE OF PALMS COUNTY PARK - MT. PLEASANT, SC

One of the first beaches we explored, after we moved to Charleston, was The Isle of Palms.  We parked in the County Park Facility, which was very nice.  The park offered palm tree lined paved sidewalks (as opposed to gravel at other places we have visited), showers and changing areas, picnic areas with grills, and a beachfront children's playground.  They also offered umbrella and chair rentals.  We rented an umbrella for $10, which includes beach set-up. 

We picked our spot, got our gear set-up and kicked back to enjoy a beautiful evening.  We were lucky enough to be there while the South Carolina Aquarium was releasing sea turtles back in the Atlantic.  The kids really enjoyed this.  The turtles had been rescued and cared for at the Aquarium before their release back into the wild.  There were a lot of people who came out to watch the turtle release, and it was really fun to be apart of. 

After the turtle release, a lot of the crowd cleared out, and we enjoyed a really nice evening ocean side.  The kids had fun playing in the surf, and building sand castles.  We typically head out to the beaches early, but we found on this trip that going later in the day, was less crowded, and more relaxing. 

If you are interested in learning more about the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue Program, visit their link below.
http://scaquarium.org/STR/default.html