I will never forget our first vacation to Kiawah Island, South Carolina. I was talking about getting away that summer with some women in my playgroup. Our girls were four at the time, and I was looking for suggestions for a trip. My friend mentioned how wonderful their vacation was to Kiawah the year before. She recommended we consider a holiday there as it was perfect for young families. After some research about the resort, I decided to make a reservation.
We flew to Charleston, South Carolina with our four-year-old twins and rented a car for the short trip to the island. We planned to hit the beach, swim in the pool, play some golf and tennis, and try and get some alone time as a couple. We knew it was a tall order, but ultimately, we hoped to get some rest and relaxation and make some great family memories.
The resort was everything we dreamed about and actually a lot more. The beach was wide and flat, and the ocean was warm. The waves were gentle, so it was perfect for the girls to splash around in the water. During low tide, huge pools were left behind on the beach near the water’s edge, teeming with marine life. The girls would wade into the water and watch tiny fish swim around their ankles. It made for an entertaining afternoon. We found some intricate shells and enjoyed walking along the sand, trying to find the perfect additions to our collection. We took a short drive to Bohicket Marina and loved watching the boats come in while licking our ice cream on the dock. That trip made such an impression on us that we decided to return. The next visit, we loved our experience so much, we purchased a small villa so that we could always have a home away from home.
We returned over and over again, enjoying the wonders of nature combined with the beautiful facilities. Kiawah’s developers had always tried to balance the nature sanctuary with tourism, so it allowed visitors to marvel at the wildlife and also respect their habitats. We would bike around the island and notice an alligator sunning itself on the edge of a pond. Or, climb up a tower on the marsh and observe the various birds that made their home among the verdant grasses. We made sure to follow the rules about the sea turtles nests and respect the space of the dolphins as they hunted for food in the inlet. As time went on and our girls started growing up, we opted to sell our special place to allow for visits to other destinations. And while it seemed like the right decision at the time, we always longed to go back.
17 years later, we still adore Kiawah Island. We went back in the summer of 2017, and when we thought about where we wanted to go this summer, we all agreed that we wanted to go back to Kiawah. The island is changing and growing and developing, but some things still remain the same. The air always smells just the way we remember it, a mix of flowers, salt, and earth. The She Crab soup is still perfectly creamy with that delicious hint of sherry. The sunset over the marsh is just as stunning today with its mixture of orange, pink, and purple as it was the first time, we saw it. The alligators are still coexisting with humans on the golf course and always get the right of way. And, the beach is still as wide, and the water is still as warm and gentle as it was when the girls were four.
Kiawah is our home away from home. While we have traveled abroad and spent time out west and in New England, we keep coming back to this beautiful barrier island that captured our hearts so many years ago. I hope that someday, I will splash in the tidal pools with the next generation of my family as our lives continue to evolve and grow and change over time.
Jeanine Consoli Travels 