With the summer heat at its high point, keep your cool with day trips to fun, family-friendly indoor activities while visiting the coast.
There’s no place cooler than South Carolina Aquarium, where visitors can rub noses with sharks and turtles at the two-story, 385,000-gallon Great Ocean Tank. Kids can touch stingrays and starfish in the petting tank and explore larger-than-life sculptures and interactive exhibits with “Monsters: From Micro to Mega” throughout the facility.
The H.L. Hunley Museum in Charleston, open on the weekends, allows visitors to see the world’s first combat submarine along with artifacts found onboard during the excavation of the vessel. The museum allows a fascinating look at a submarine that, by all accounts, should have disintegrated. A simulated sub enables visitors to experience what it would have been like to be on board.
While in Charleston, visit the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry. The museum is open for “Playdates” on Thursday through Sunday (online reservations required for specific timed entry). Kids can create masterpieces in the Art Room, express themselves in Speak Loud! Studio or perform scientific feats in the Air Everywhere exhibit. Or climb aboard the Pirate Ship for an interactive activity that takes your child’s imagination to the high seas. There is even an infant and toddler play space.
Evade zombies, experience Area 52, evacuate a dinosaur island, or save passengers aboard a hijacked subway at Elite Escape Games in Mount Pleasant. Participants use their wits to unlock secrets and break free. Teams must work together, so interactive games are excellent for making memories and experiencing a fun adventure.
What can be more relaxed than a game at The Alley in Charleston? After all, Travel & Leisure magazine called one of America’s coolest bowling alleys, though it’s much more. It’s a one-stop shop for bowling, retro arcade games, food and drink, and TVs for watching the big game.
While the ships on display at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum are not air-conditioned, some areas have AC - including the movie hall on the main deck, flight deck, and the Vietnam camp area.
Of course, you can always beat the heat playing board games or watching a movie in your well-appointed Isle of Palms vacation rental. Our spacious three-bedroom 23 Beach Club Villa provides plenty of room to relax with family and friends. Our four-bedroom 48 Pelican Bay property offers an open and bright floor plan in a home that sits on a quiet cul-de-sac.
Create an exceptional beach vacation any time of year with a visit to the South Carolina coast.