Kiawah Island
I think I have mentioned that we went on a trip, but if I didn't...we went on a trip over the February break! We had planned sometime last fall to join our friends in South Carolina. They invited us to stay at their parents' house on Kiawah Island which is an island about 25 miles away from Charleston. With a place to stay big enough for our family and our love of Charleston, we couldn't pass this opportunity up!
We were worried that we were going to have a hard time separating our mind from what was going on at home (we had just moved, our house was full of boxes, the kids were about to start at a new school). However, this was not a problem in the least. Kiawah Island is a world away from our normal life and it couldn't have been a better respite. Our time there was everything we needed and more.
This first post is just island life. We spent some time in the city, but there was plenty to do on the island and it was so beautiful we never felt like we were missing out!
Squad. You bet we got lots of stares (and a lot of smiles, especially in the south) walking around the airport with our posse. They were SO good. When your youngest 4.5, traveling is a million times easier.
It was almost midnight EST and the kids had spent the day in airplanes. They were excited to be at our destination, but there was a lot of pent up energy that came out at baggage claim.
The first morning we were there (well, after we went to the grocery store to buy breakfast and other goods for the week), we hit the beach! There are boardwalks everywhere giving you beach access. We rented bikes for the week and that was the best investment of the week! We used them everyday, multiple times a day!
It was pretty windy on the way back, so we went inland to ride home. 6 miles later, the kids were exhausted! Fortunately, the first day was the worst weather of the week and so we didn't have to fight the wind the rest of the week.
We also did a sunset ride which was spectacular!
To get to the beach we crossed this bridge to get across a pond.
At every pond that had access to the water was this sign that accurately warned us of the presence and danger of alligators.
It was at that bridge that we saw them the most. Some close, some far. Some basking in the sun, some after some food! It was crazy!
The view was wonderfully distracting though!
It was one of these mornings that we saw an alligator swim under us!
Mansions on the beach. Every single one of them!
We also saw turtles and all sorts of birds. I even got to see an alligator try to catch a bird and the bird make its getaway under the water!
If we weren't on the beach, we were biking the many trails that connected the island. It was so lush. This was the biggest surprise. It reminded us of Kauai a little. It was humid (bearable in the winter!) which was the perfect environment for the palm trees that were an under layer to the oaks that were dripping with spanish moss. It was really gorgeous!
When we got home from our morning excursion, it was around 8-8:30 am and at the beginning of the week the kids were still sound asleep. We had slow mornings out on the screen porch and it was wonderful!
When we stayed on the island, we went for more bike rides!
We played ultimate frisbee with the kids.
Or we went to the beach!
When we were done with the beach, the kids could go into 1 of 3 bathrooms that had both a tub and shower. There was no waiting to clean up with cold, naked, sandy kids squished into one bathroom. It was so nice!
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