Hoping for cooler weather, we headed toward the coast - to visit some family, to check out some interesting places, and - of course, to eat some good seafood.  We stopped on the way in North Charleston to spend some time with Fran's brother, Dan.  He's been staying with son Joey and family while he completed a round of radiation treatment at the Medical University.  That ordeal is finally over and he has now moved back to his place in McClellanville.

Our headquarters for the weekend was Folly Beach, about 20 minutes from downtown Charleston.  Folly is a little barrier island with a long history. The island was inhabited in the early 1600's by an Indian tribe, the Bohickets, who were eventually forced out by the wave of immigrants from Europe.  During the Civil War, it was taken by the Union forces and served as the site from which the Yankees tried to take Charleston.  Fires and hurricanes have taken a toll, but somehow Folly retains its laid-back atmosphere, inviting visitors to relax and enjoy.

For our first history lesson, we stopped at the Fort Lamar Heritage Preserve.  The Preserve is a quiet and peaceful place amidst the suburban sprawl leads up to Folly Beach.  There's a nice self-guided trail through a wonderful forest of live oaks.

Most of the Heritage Preserves (managed by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources) are set aside to protect rare plants or animals or natural wonders, but Fort Lamar is different.  Fort Lamar has been documented as one of the most important Civil War sites in the state.  On June 16, 1862, Confederate forces, outnumbered three to one, defeated Union soldiers in the fierce battle of Secessionville.

No doubt, the Confederate victory can be attributed to Rebel cleverness, but they were greatly aided by the Yankees getting caught in the cotton fields on one side and the salt marsh on the other.  Had the Yanks captured Fort Lamar, they would have flanked the Charleston harbor defenses, forcing the likely abandonment of Charleston by the Confederacy - an event that might have end the war sooner.

Over at Folly Beach, somehow things haven't changed ..... the pier still stands at the end of Center Street.  Back in the 60's, the Folly Beach Pier was known for all sorts of beach music concerts and dances.  Today, the old pier is gone and the main draw is fishing.

On the other side of the island, there's another even newer pier - this one runs out into the Folly River, almost as far as some of the private docks along the way. 

We said hello to a little egret and got a glimpse of the Morris Island Lighthouse off the eastern end of Folly.

We took a stroll down Center Street.  Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church stands guard over the two blocks of restaurants and shops that constitute the entire commercial district.  

We found what we were looking for - the Crab Shack, a place that has been there as long as anyone can remember.  Since it serves the best fried shrimp for miles around, it'll probably be there for a long, long time. 

Well stuffed, it was time for a serious walk on the beach.  And Folly is a fine beach for walking - white sand, great wide beaches, and not many people ... at least at this time of the year.  We walked until the sun set and even the surfers gave up for the night.

Saturday morning, we went looking for the best breakfast in town - and found it at the Lost Dog Cafe.  The house specialty is shrimp and grits, so guess what we ordered - such decadence - fresh shrimp for two meals in a row.  Delicious.  In case you're interested, it's a pet-friendly place - water bowls provided!

Stuffed again, we went down to the northeast end of the island to have a look at the Morris Island Lighthouse, which stands about 300 yards offshore.  The lighthouse - which was built in 1876 - is now completely surrounded by water, but it was once sitting on a good-sized island with numerous buildings around it.

Toward the end of the 1880s, the channel leading to Charleston began to shift, and several jetties were built in order to keep the channel open.  So ... the channel into Charleston was saved, but the changing tidal currents resulting from the jetties caused severe erosion on Morris Island.  The island began to shrink and by 1938, most of the buildings were gone.  Save the Light (www.savethelight.org) is working hard to stabilize the light and preserve this bit of SC history.

Aside from views of the lighthouse, the northeast end of Folly Island is a great place to poke around. 

Sea oats, seashells, pelicans, a boneyard beach of dead trees and a couple of fishermen trying their luck. 

After a picnic lunch, we headed over to Kiawah Island - a barrier island that's been developed from end to end - big houses and golf courses.  Not the type of place we usually hang out, but today it's the location for a baby shower for Ginnie Fowler, the very pregnant wife of Fran's nephew Scott.  It's a nice drive - lots of grand live oaks - and it was a grand shower, with lots of presents in a great big oceanfront house. 

On the way back to Folly Beach, we stopped at a creekside dock to check into the financial possibility of taking home some fresh shrimp.  The prices weren't bad, and it's always fun to poke around the boats and the birds.

And then it was time for dinner at one of the Charleston area's most unique restaurants, the Bowen's Island Restaurant.  It's been said that there's a fine line between a joint and a dump - and Bowen's straddles that line ... on a good day.  To get there, you have to bounce along a rutted dirt lane that leads off Folly Beach Road, drive past a couple of sway-backed mobile homes, through a thicket of palmettos. 

And there it is, in all its glory - an ugly unpainted plywood building up on stilts, overlooking the marsh.  What's more, this is the NEW structure - the old one burned four years ago.  The restaurant was opened in the late 1940's by Jimmy and May Bowen and today is owned by their grandson, Robert Barber.  He grew up here, shucking oysters and peeling shrimp.

We had front row seats on the porch, a nice view of the bait shop, the boat house, the marsh, and the gathering storm on the horizon.    Mr. Barber came out to be sure we were enjoying the food and the ambience.  The decor is hard to describe - let's just say it's unusual - but the shrimp was outstanding.  The roasted oysters are supposed to be even better, so we'll have to come back when they're in season.

That storm we saw on the horizon eventually made its way to Folly Beach, but we enjoyed a quiet evening watching the rain.  By Sunday morning, the sun was back and so were the people.  Time to hit the road.

Next stop was Mount Pleasant, across the Cooper River on the "other" side of Charleston.  Mount Pleasant was founded in 1680 and is well known for its shrimp boats and seafood restaurants.  We settled for a picnic in the park and a walk around the old village - lots of history here!

Last stop was the home of Danny and Mary Wheeler - and three Wheeler grandkids - Frances, Henry and Ada.  Great kids, growing like crazy and full of endless energy.   We enjoyed a short visit and headed back home - to rest.