hy do so many travelers choose the Isle of Palms for their vacation destination? According to Kathy Murphy and her college friends, the choice was easy. “We wanted a beautiful, warm beach and we narrowed our choices down until we settled on Isle of Palms. We ended up getting so much more than we ever anticipated. Every single interaction, every single day was absolutely perfect.” Traveling from the Boston area, Murphy was gifted with the responsibility of planning her friends’ trip to the island. Murphy explained, “We have been friends for over 40 years. We are turning 60 this year so we decided it was time for our ‘Sally O’Malley’ trip.” Complete with t-shirts adorned with “bend and kick and stretch,” the ladies collectively decided their trip to the Isle of Palms was a 10 out of 10. Murphy and her friends met over aree and Buddy Price first tried vacationing in North Myrtle Beach before their son suggested giving Carroll Realty a try on the Isle of Palms. That was 10 years ago and they’ve not wavered on that happy decision since. “We’ve made friends with the people at Carroll (Realty),” explained Maree. “Angie knows what we like and she always puts us somewhere perfect for our family of 14.” A multi-level house with an open floor plan is important to the Prices as is a view of the ocean. Maree added tenderly, “First generation gets the first floor while the second and third generations take the upper levels. We’ve earned the first floor!” Married for 57 years, Maree and Buddy still enjoy walking to the pier and travel to the island not only for 27 IslandVibesIOP.com TRAVEL The Prices are Always Right Girls Just Wanna Have Fun W M their annual family vacation but also another two or three times a year for a relaxing getaway. Gathering on our beautiful island every summer, usually in June or July, is a beloved tradition for the entire Price family. Traveling from Columbia, Lexington, Mount Pleasant and Blythewood, South Carolina, as well as Matthews, North Carolina, and Alabaster, Alabama, the Prices certainly have their choice of many nearby travel destinations. So, why the Isle of Palms? “We are beach people! We are not fancy,” said Maree. “We love the friendly nature of the people on the Isle of Palms. Everyone passes by and says ‘hello’ or asks how you’re doing. It’s just such a lovely, friendly place.” Maree continued, “We love everything about this island. There is so much to do here and anything there isn’t can be found right over the bridge. A movie theater, bookstore, shopping, restaurants; anything you like, need or want is close by.” On the list of important features for the Prices is an open space for gathering and building puzzles and family game nights. They are now at the point where the chore of cooking is shared and everyone takes a turn grilling or otherwise preparing dinner. Maree said, “We always make time for dinner at Acme Lowcountry Kitchen. Table for 14, please! Reservations there are a must for our family and the Acme never disappoints.” They have made one recent adjustment to vacation plans, according to Maree. “Our youngest great grandson is 12. Our travel schedule now takes into account his baseball schedule. We are thankful to accommodate the changes in scheduling as long as we can all be together.” Maree described one of the best celebrations with her large family being last summer for Buddy’s 75th birthday. “Everyone wore blue; I don’t know why we chose the color blue, but we did. Everyone gathered on the lawn and each held one letter on paper spelling out ‘Happy Birthday,’ just randomly, not assigned. Then everyone said something that they love about Buddy, beginning with that letter. It was such fun and we still reminisce about that special occasion, and we look forward to many more to come.” 40 years ago at the University of New Hampshire. All but one of the ladies still lives in the Boston area, with one of the friends residing in California. One of the many choices the ladies entertained was California wine country, but ultimately, these precious friends decided on our beautiful island so they could put their bags down and enjoy one another. Catching up was a top priority so the number one “must do” was to sit in a circle on the beach until the sun went down. The ladies have spent much time together on the beach in Maine and for this trip were looking for somewhere warm and friendly. According to Murphy, the Isle of Palms proved to be both. “We wanted to explore when we had the wish to explore but also wanted to be able to spend time in place if that’s what we chose to do,” explained Murphy. She continued, “Charleston Coast Vacations by Dunes Properties concierge Fran had everything laid out when we arrived at the house so the girls walked in to a bunch of fun treats. The house had a pool, hot tub, ping pong table and breathtaking ocean views. Everything was absolutely perfect!” Some of the ladies ventured out to the rec center to play pickleball, which proved to be a venture beyond compare, due to the friendly nature of everyone they encountered. “We think people are friendly where we are from, but the Isle of Palms and the entire surrounding Charleston area is like entering an entirely different dimension,” said Murphy. “We never heard anyone so much as honk a horn! The bagger at the grocery store hugged me!” Murphy went on to note that the one “negative” experience for her trip was a broken ice machine in the rental property, which was promptly repaired after bagged ice was delivered. “Never have I had such amazing customer service,” stated Murphy. “This trip was 100% amazing and perfect from start to finish. We are already planning our next trip. We can’t wait to come back!” Memories make for the best souvenirs By Laura Fogarty VacationVibesonIOP.com
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjcyNTM1