Palms watering hole is The Dinghy, right across the street from where they stay at the Oceanview Condominiums on Front Beach. She knows the bartender, Shannon, from their days attending Dorman High School in their hometown. Talk about a small state! The Coopers don’t go anywhere without Milo. When they get close enough to Isle of Palms and start picking up a scent of pluff mud, Milo will start relaxing. He’s almost 5 years old and took his first walk on the beach when visiting Isle of Palms for the first time. The IslandVibesIOP.com 26 Vacation Vibes Memories make for the best souvenirs Editor’s Note: “Vacation Vibes” is a new travel column that features island guests and their adventures on the slice of paradise that we call Isle of Palms. TRAVEL he Cooper family: Davis, Alice, Mike, Brad and Goldendoodle Milo are from Spartanburg and truly enjoy coming to the Isle of Palms. You can hear it in their voice when they talk about the island. When asked what they like the most about the Isle of Palms, they didn’t respond with walks on the beach or the beautiful sunrises and sunsets. The Coopers said it’s the friendliness of the locals. Although they first were introduced to Isle of Palms when the family would visit Alice’s brother in the late 1970s, they began vacationing on the island when their youngest Brad started attending College of Charleston. They immediately took to the laid-back atmosphere that surrounds Isle of Palms. Alice shared that her favorite Isle of Chilling with the Coopers By Bill Macchio Running wild with the Unicorns By Zach Giroux arry Holt from Asheville, North Carolina, has been a seasoned vacationer on Isle of Palms since the mid-1970s, before Wild Dunes and the IOP Connector were even a thought. Holt and his merry band of travel companions called the “Unicorns” like to frolic around and indulge in everything that IOP has to offer. As a memento, the group made t-shirts embossed with a unicorn that read “Still crazy after all these years.” Holt’s recipe for the perfect vacation is simple: good weather, plus good food, equals good times. There’s no strict itinerary and no two years are the same, depending on the season, but there’s always a reason to visit. However, the one key ingredient to any of Holt’s tropical getaways to IOP begins and ends with Carroll Realty. Not only are they a trustful trip advisor with rights to some of the most sought-after rentals on the island, he considers them a longtime friend as they’ve seen the real estate company grow throughout generations of the family business. “Carroll Realty has been outstanding in dealing with us and we’ve had outstanding accommodations,” Holt shared. Over the past 40 years, the only time Holt and his crew took a hiatus was during COVID. Not even Hurricane Hugo’s devastation could deter them from vacationing the following year. Similar to a local, Holt has watched IOP transform from a once sleepy little beach town to a bustling city by the sea. There are aspects he prefers from both time periods, but admits that he wouldn’t change how things have progressed. “Isle of Palms, to some extent, is a well-known secret to Asheville people,” Holt said. “Once you come you’re going to be hooked.” Although Holt and his gang are no longer gallivanting around the island like they used to, he’s more than satisfied soaking up the sunshine with his grandchildren. Last month, Holt scattered his wife’s ashes on the beach as well as members of the Unicorns who have passed over time. “I’m not a religious person but (IOP) is probably as close to heaven as I’m going to get,” Holt added. “It’s a place where we honor, respect and memorialize loved ones we’ve lost. It’s a very, very special place to us.” Coopers feel the island is a very dog-friendly island and so does Milo, which is one of the reasons they keep coming back. The Coopers always ask their vacation rental company IOP Escapes to book them. They know that IOP Escapes will always find them the best dog-friendly vacation rental possible whenever they book their next Isle of Palms getaway. Oceanview Condominiums 6-45th Ave Photo Provided by Carroll Realty. Photo Provided by IOP Escapes. L T
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