1 Family; 4 Itineraries: Beach? Town? - Town? Beach?

I%26#39;m managing a trip for my wife and self and 2 20-something kids - who don%26#39;t do much together. So, often, everyone does their own thing. It seems like a beach condo isolates you from historic Charleston and that a fundamental choice has to be made. Is it better to stay out a Folly or IOP and cruise to town for the sites, dinner, etc? Or day trip it out to the beaches and get an urban condo(late March when the swimming has no particular appeal anyway.) I%26#39;ve carefully reviewed the forum but don%26#39;t have a good feel for the scale of things.

1 Family; 4 Itineraries: Beach? Town? - Town? Beach?

My preference has always been to stay near or in the Historic District. That way everybody is within walking distance of all attractions (except the beach) and they can all go in different directions if they want without needing the car. Whoever wants to go to the beach takes the car. The one time we went and stayed at Folly instead, the weather was bad and we never got to enjoy the beach but spent all the time inland. Another reason I prefer to stay near the Historic District vs. the beach or Mt. Pleasant is that I absolutely hate trying to find a parking space in the lots downtown. They always seem to be completely full and they don%26#39;t post signs to that effect so you end up circling endlessly. If you get there early enough to find an empty space, the parking along the battery is free but it is about a 15 minute walk to downtown.

1 Family; 4 Itineraries: Beach? Town? - Town? Beach?

I do not know how many urban condos there are in the historical area. Someone else may know and can comment better than I. There is so much to do for every interest downtown that I would suggest staying downtown and do afternoon trips to the beach.

The beaches will be very cool and too cold for swimming. A nice walk along the beach is fun but be prepared in case we have a late cool snap.

As CultureHound has said, there are few urban ';condos'; or houses available for vacation rental. In March, downtown is busy with the annual ';Houses and Gardens Tours';, so it is likely that those few will be in use.

If your family wants a lot of entertainment, especially in the evenings, stay at a downtown hotel and take day trips to Folly Beach if you get good weather.

If your family will enjoy outdoor activities other than swimming, and enjoys quiet evenings together, consider Kiawah Island or Seabrook Island. These islands are private resort islands where you can bicycle, kayak, play golf or tennis, and walk the beach. They also have loads of condos, cottages, and houses to rent.

Kiawah and Seabrook are an easy, scenic 40 minute drive into the historic district or to nearby Ashley River Plantations. Parking in downtown public garages is easy, safe, and cheap (by Chicago and New York standards, at least!).

Excuse me! It was SCBlossom, not CultureHound, who made the post about low availability. SCBlossom is correct.

Thanks for the responses. Clearly, the answer is, ';It depends'; and I appreciate knowing the assumptions.

So if it%26#39;s lodging in town, there are few condos and there%26#39;s a house/garden show happening, where to look for a place for 4 adults, 3 beds (preferred 3 bedrooms) and 2 baths. And, oh yeah, the daughter wants a pool?

Any leads on this? Alternative lodging arrangements can be considered %26amp; are preferred. And, by the way, 2+ hotel rooms can get pricey. This family doesn%26#39;t compress into smaller space well.

A couple of other questions for you Flatlanders--with 20 year olds, will you have more than one car? And when you say ';who don%26#39;t do much together'; do you mean your family doesn%26#39;t have the opportunity to spend time together or it%26#39;s ';hard'; to be together.

If you enjoy spending time together, my vote is for the beach. If folks needs to be ';entertained'; then stay close to town. You could check out the Embassy Suites-downtown.

If your set on a vacation home, google ';vacation rental + Charleston';

Hope that helps make the decision even more confusing;-) BTW, do you have your exact travel dates??

Daughter wants at pool? ...

In late March, it is possible to enjoy sitting out around a pool. However, most pools are unheated. Unless we get a series of days with very strong sun, the water will be very cold for swimming. Some private homes at the beaches, and hotels in Charleston, have heated pools. You will want to inquire.

Another consideration ...

If your 20-somethings will be going out on their own in the evening to restaurants, clubs, and bars, you are much better off staying in town. The country roads out to the beaches can be ';dicey';, especially at night. If you stay in town, they will be able to walk most everywhere, or to take taxis.

Thanks, all, again.

We%26#39;ll be there Sat 3/22 - 3/27 - along with the rest of the world; constrained by spring break for daughter.

Daughter likes C%26amp;W %26amp; NASCAR, hates museums; son likes grunge, museums %26amp; sleeping. Daughter wants to be a cop, son worries his sister will carry a gun. These 2 people are from different planets. And wife %26amp; I would be happy to do nothing but bird watch. ';Kids'; think bird watching is goofy. Family togetherness! But they all were happy to have me buy them a vacation - together.

Psychiatrist not coming on trip. Neither is mother in law. This time. :)

OK, now I think I understand what you are looking for.

Check out accommodations on Folly Beach. Folly is more of an old-style beach town, with plenty of restaurants and small shops.

Folly has been compared to Key West, as it was 30 years ago. The atmosphere is younger, and funkier, for your son. Your daughter might enjoy reading the nover ';Folly';, a murder mystery with descriptions of police work, etc., by Bill Noel (available at Amazon.com). At the end of the island is a wonderful county park for nature and bird watching.

Pretty much everything on Folly is walking distance to the beach. You will be only 20 minutes from Charleston.

Maybe I can help ya..I found this neat website for private apt, condo, rooms, ect that you can rent around town. One of them has a hot tub and pool on site in case your wanting that in town. I think staying at the beach is not gonna be great cuz the weather at that time is a bit chilly in the evening. If you do plan on going in late march/early april be prepared for the town to be booked that is the busiest time of year. Heres the link I mentioned and good luck!

http://historiccharlestonbedandbreakfast.com/