Coasting To Carolina

Fifteen Hour Road Trip Well Worth Drive As Area Is Fun For All Ages

Grace, Billy, Michael and Jack Gorman gather round for a photo taken on the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway during their recent family road trip.

After some persuading, my kids and I talked my wife, Florence, into a cross country drive to South Carolina. Our final destination: Isle of Palms, a seven mile long Atlantic barrier island about 20 minutes outside of historic Charleston.

With just a few days before departure, doubts began to surface, and as the main backer of this excursion, the pressure was building. Fifteen hours in a car with four kids? What was I thinking? Isn't this what airplanes are for?

After changing our departure "strategy" numerous times we finally settled on a bright and early 5 a.m. wake up call Saturday morning. To my surprise everyone is in the van and ready to go shortly after 5:30. So far, so good.

The kids are groggy, but excited, and with few cars in sight it is smooth sailing. We hit Indianapolis in about three hours, ahead of schedule. Our goal for day one is Asheville, North Carolina. A mere eight hours to go.

Okay, so 11 hours in a van is no piece of cake but the drive definitely goes smoother than I would have thought. The kids read, watch videos and take annoying each other to an Olympic event level.

Asheville, with numerous universities and colleges within an hour's drive, is known as an eccentric, artsy community. This turns out to be somewhat of an understatement. There are street performers on most corners including a mime, fire jugglers and of course your standard Elvis impersonator. After talking to some locals we settle on Ed Bordeaux's Bayou Bar-B-Que. And the locals were right on again. To no one's surprise the pulled pork, ribs and sides of baked beans and cole slaw are outstanding. Ed's also offers 14 custom sauces. A blue grass band comprised of local college students plays while we eat.

Our stop in Asheville is the perfect opportunity to explore the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway. The Parkway has been in existence for 70 years and has its origins in the Depression-era. The grandeur of this special place is hard to put into words. We spend about 45 minutes touring this spectacular road, which drops us back on I-23 for our final push to Isle of Palms.

Wild Dunes Resort, our final destination, is an expansive resort at the north end of Isle of Palms, whose prime attraction is a spectacular span of beach. The focal point of the resort is the Boardwalk Inn which includes guest rooms, suites and restaurants. The resort is surrounded by homes and villas, many of which are also available for rent.

The resort includes 36 holes of championship golf, 17 tennis courts, a fitness center, spa services, children's program, bicycle rentals as well as an assortment of other activities and excursions.

We have reserved a unit in the Seagrove Villas complex. Our villa has recently been remodeled and is just steps from the beach. It is in a cluster of 10 other villas. The complexes share a pool (that is never crowded) and we are less than 100 yards from the main Boardwalk Inn and all it has to offer. This will come to be extremely important for afternoon ice cream runs.

With beach-going our main mission, the first matter of business is the purchase of boogie boards. The boards are a bargain, given the hours of enjoyment the kids have. Florence and I manage to sneak in a few rides in also. The kids laugh out loud as they ride wave after wave.

Although you can do a pretty good job of it, one can't spend all day lounging on the beach. The kids play tennis, collect sea shells and spend a lot of time swimming in the pool. And with the high tide they ride bikes right on the beach. Be sure to bring your flashlight to hunt crabs at night.

Being only 20 minutes from Charleston is a great chance to explore this historic city. We head to the South Carolina Aquarium which is located on the waterfront. The aquarium includes a three-story tall, 385,000 gallon Great Ocean Tank with over 450 creatures native to the South Carolina area. Be sure to see the scuba divers feed the fish. After, take a tour of the Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center. The Center offers numerous interpretive and visual exhibits that provide a fascinating look at the Civil War and its beginning at Fort Sumter. The Center is also the primary ferry departure if you chose to visit the fort.

Also, not to be missed is the Patriots Point Museum, minutes outside of Charleston. This might be your only chance to tour an aircraft carrier, submarine and battleship all in one day. Go early as most areas of these daunting vessels are not air-conditioned. The tours are self-guided but following the carefully placed arrows is a snap. The main deck of the aircraft carrier, loaded with a variety of aircraft, provides a spectacular view of Charleston Harbor. The kids are amazed by the submarine and its close quarters and find it hard to believe the crew lived on board for months at a time. We tour the ships for about 3 hours.

On our drive back to Isle of Palms we stop at Poe's Tavern on Sullivan's Island. The place is packed but we are able to find a table in the back. Poe's is famous for its hamburgers and my kids are some of the toughest food critics around. They give the cheeseburgers a thumbs up all around. Also, try the soft shell crab sandwich piled high with cole slaw.

On our final day we charter a boat to tour the inter-coastal and marshes. Our main goal: to see some dolphins and we are not disappointed. Our guide, Chris, has lived here for years and knows right where to go for some good dolphin spotting. Chris has each of the kids drive the boat, a powerful speedboat. They don't hold back as we zip between the marshes at about 40 mph. This two hour ride was well worth the price and a huge hit.

A week goes by pretty fast at a resort as comfortable as Wild Dunes. Soon it was time to leave the beach life and begin the fifteen hour drive back to reality.

For further information consult the following websites: www.wildunes.com www.charlestoncvb.com