My daughter and her husband and two of their three sons and I went on a charter fishing trip with…read moreCaptain Justin Ravenel today. The very adept captain grew up in the Greater Edisto area and has had a passion for fishing his entire life. He knows the ins and outs of fishing around Edisto. Each of my two grandsons caught a pretty large Bonnethead Shark. The oldest caught another smaller Bonnethead. The middle grand son caught an impressive sized Ladyfish. Captain Justin took a picture of the unusually large Ladyfish to share with the other fishing captains in the area. It was a three hour fishing trip with four rather nice fish. The good captain provides the bait and baits each member of the fishing parties hooks. He also unhooks the fish! Captain Justin has a great personality and he likes people. He has a 24 foot boat equipped with a 150 hp. outboard engine. Overall it was a satisfying trip and I strongly recommend the services of Ravenel Fishing Charters.

I had family in town and wanted to take them to Morris Island. I contemplated a lot of companies,…read morebut am so glad I chose this one! Captain Gresh was very personable and incredibly knowledgeable-he's a 7th gen local, so he truly knows his stuff and has grown up on this water. Taking a private charter was a great experience. We ended up having the whole island to ourselves! Morris island itself is so wonderful, and we also saw dolphins, oyster beds, and blue crabs. Learning about the history of the island (as well as Gresh's connection to the island and family history) was really neat. We were worried about weather, but Gresh was very easy to stay in contact with throughout the morning before our tour.

Our concierge at the Courtyard by Marriott Historic District recommended a private tour that would…read moreknock our socks off to a beach that is only accessible at low tide and gets us as close was one can get on land to the historic Morris Island lighthouse. We met Gresh, the operator, at a dock outside of Charleston and he took us by motorboat through estuaries that were lined with live oyster beds and teeming with wildlife like brown pelicans and other birds. We actually saw a pod of bottle nosed dolphins playing near the boat! Spectacular. Gresh anchored off of the beach, which was prominently featured in the movie "Glory" as the battle site at which over 1000 black Union troops perished (and are buried there!). My kids and I walked the entire beach without encountering another soul on a brilliantly sunny and beautiful afternoon. We found lots of pretty shells and sand dollars to take home. Gresh was great - his family has been there for generations, he clearly loves the area and cares deeply for its environmental integrity and is a terrific tour guide. Do not miss this experience - we will remember it for the rest of our lives. It went all too quickly!

I tried very hard to avoid the ocean on our latest trip to Edisto Beach, Edisto Island, S.C. I'm…read morejust too old now and I probably couldn't rescue anyone. The tide was coming in fast today and the surf was rough. Those waves were gigantic! I got knocked down and cut a flip; head over tail three times. At any rate, the weather was hot, the sky was beautiful Carolina blue, and the water was warm. What more could a person ask for? Nice beach day!

We happened to have a great day on the water for some excellent fishing. I didn't have any…read moreexpectations since I'm not a seasoned fisherman. I think this might have been my first fishing expedition and I would do it again. I suggest getting there early enough to get situated. What I didn't know was you could bring backpacks and flexible coolers which are stored inside the boat area. Most people brought sandwiches and snacks for the journey. They also have a concession stand inside which serves food, snacks, soft drinks and beer. The prices are reasonable. Even the $85 for the 5.5 hour excursion seemed very reasonable as well. They provide all the equipment and bait. You just need to bring your skills or possibly patience. The crew helps to show you how to fish and takes care of anything you may catch and want to bring back. They do the fileting as well as packing of the fish. For my group, we just wanted to hang out and enjoy the open seas. Most of us caught something, but nothing worth keeping. All catch and release. We start out going through the tributaries towards Calibogue Sound towards Daufuskie Island. There are some artificial reefs we were able to anchor near. The Captain knows where most of the fish are. Some folks on our excursion caught some decent size fish which they were keeping. I caught a Croaker, but tossed it back. A family with small children had some sea sickness so it's important to bring Dramamine or buy some on the ship. My take it--- if you're a first time or casual fisherman, this is for you. if you're more of a professional, get a charter.

Just go! I was on the fence with the mixed reviews but frame your thinking correctly and you'll be…read morehappy. We had a fun time, saw some dolphins too and as far as I could tell everyone caught a few fish! We got to keep our croaker and whiting to eat at home, the others we tossed back. You may get sick. There's medicine on board and the crew is super attentive with cold wet towels, which is super revitalizing believe it or not. The crew is moving nonstop to help everyone but they're always chill and patient.

Located in Beaufort, SC, the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park is quite possibly one of…read morethe smallest historical parks under the jurisdiction of the National Parks Service. It's said to be spread out over 3 distinct sites in Beaufort County, but the main visitor center is housed in a single small brick building (formerly a firehouse) with several exhibits and is free of charge to visit. It's supposed to be open daily, but may be closed at random during a government shutdown, as was the case when I stopped by for a quick visit. Since it was closed, I only got to admire the brick exterior and a few placards placed out front. As I was already visiting Beaufort on a day trip, I wasn't overly disappointed, but may have been if I had made a trip from out of town to visit only to find it closed. If you are interested in history of the reconstruction era and find yourself in this part of South Carolina north of Savannah and Hilton Head, this small historic park might be worth a quick stop.

What an interesting national park and museum! Very detailed exhibits on the reconstruction era and…read morea very cool gift shop. This is one of 3 reconstruction park locations - the other 2 are in close proximity to Beaufort. We also took a 1 hour tour with Park Ranger Emma who is extremely knowledgeable on the Reconstruction era and how Beaufort was somewhat of an "Experiment " on reconstruction.

Fun day shark fishing! good service & good fishing stories! Everything was provided, we just showed…read moreup.

Took a trip on the Honey B this past weekend and it was AWESOME! The crew worked their a@#es off…read moreand had lines out for all of the trip and then some. I've been on tons of charters and these guys definitely know how to do it. Hats off to Matt and his first mate on the Honey B.

The Washout is the best place in the Charleston area and perhaps all of South Carolina to surf. It…read moreoffers probably the most consistent break in the state, and because of such plays host regularly to several surf competitions including the Wahine Classic and the Governor's Cup. Even if you aren't a surfer, the Washout is a fun place to observe and soak up the atmosphere. Because there is such a draw, parking can be a challenge.

The Washout itself deserves five stars, but I take one away due to the parking situation now. I…read moregrew up going here as a laid back surf spot and now it seems to be a pain, and I usually go elsewhere on the beach now. The machine only takes $1, $5, or $10 in cash and does not return any change. The rate is $3 an hour and you then get a ticket to place in your dash. I did actually learn from an out of towner that there is an app that can be downloaded called Passport Parking. It offers a discounted rate, but is still $2.50 an hour. I think the rate is a deterrent IMO, but I guess the city of Folly Beach has to generate revenue somehow. At high tide, there is not a lot of beach area, but after the renourishments, there is some beach at least. Do not climb across the rocks! Use the crosswalks instead and save the sea oats...the few that still exist. Also, do not litter! There are trash receptacles scattered along the beach, usually at crosswalks, but pack your stuff in and out like an adult. This location is locally named for the strong currents and the fact that the narrow land has actually been washed out. After Hurricane Hugo, a lot of effort went into re-creating the road and beach that exists today. It was completely washed through to the River with a drop off of probably 20-30 feet where the road should have been. The name was used way prior to Hugo, but that event just embodies the vulnerability of the area and the potential impact of the wonderful surf/waves that we all love. Pura Vida!

Captain Barry did a great job on this charter. He communicated info about the charter in advance…read more He is very personable and has an easy manner, sharing info as we sailed along. Super nice guy and host. From the porpoise to the monkeys on the island, views of nature and scenery were excellent. Our three amigos felt we got excellent value from the cruise. Thank you Capt'n Barry!