You might not realize this, but there’s no way to get to the magical place that is Folly Beach without wandering through James Island. For those of us who live in the area, this fact is met with plenty of alternate routes and preparation. For folks on vacation, well, unless they’re reading this article, we pity them.
In the cooler months, getting to the beach is typically no problem. You can shoot straight down Folly Road, even if it happens to be peak sun hours. However, we don’t recommend rush hour, so if you want to enjoy the darkening, chilly beach of the winter season, wait a little later! It’s actually a good idea to enjoy the beach in the winter—it’s quieter, less crowded and easier to reach.
But those of us who love a good beach day are not going to stay away during the spring and summer months. So if you are loading up the car to make that journey, we have a few tips.
First, the time of day you leave matters, particularly if you’re coming from deeper in James Island. I live beside the connector, closer to downtown than to the beach, so I like to plan. The best thing to do is to leave in the morning, the earlier the better. This way you’ll beat the college crowd and the throngs of young people who are just getting out of bed around lunchtime to sweat out their hangovers on the sand.
If you don’t wake up early enough or you don’t get the family together quickly enough to leave early, then wait until the later afternoon, when everyone has had enough sun and goes home to shower. This way you can enjoy the later hours on the beach, and even stay on Folly for dinner and drinks without facing a lot of traffic.
We suggest that you take an alternate route, besides straight on Folly Road, in the peak months. One that we like to use is traveling down Fort Johnson, then Secessionville, then finally turning left onto Battery Island Road before hitting Folly. That way, you’ve nixed a lot of local traffic. If you’re on the other side of the island, we suggest traveling up Riverland Drive and getting out on Sol Legare.
Don’t forget to pack your car properly so you don’t have to make a bunch of stops before Folly Beach. If you do forget snacks and food, stop at the Piggly Wiggly before you hit the beach (right around the area we’re describing as your route). They have everything you could need at the Pig, including coolers and chairs.
If you get all the way to the beach and you still need something, stop at the Red & White store (also known as Bert’s Market), on the East side, for basic conveniences like beverages and ice.
Remember, the more you plan your day at the beach, the less hassle you’ll encounter before you find yourself lounging happily on the sand! Don’t forget the SPF, and have fun.
