Every year my family and I travel to Folly Beach, South Carolina. For a long time, Folly was a well-hidden secret where the beaches weren’t too crowded on the weekends. The secret has slipped out, and more people are coming to see what the barrier island known as the “Edge of America” has to offer.

On our first night in, we order pizza from Woody’s. Woody’s is always busy with a small interior and deck seating, and each table has honey to put on your pizza. After a full day of swimming and lounging on the beach, we have our obligatory pasta night.

We spend most of our time in Folly enjoying the 6-mile stretch of beach, making the trek from the Morris Island Lighthouse to the park at the opposite end. The water is always warm and the waves are often big enough to surf.

The beach is always exciting, with frequent dolphin sightings. They often swim along the coastline to feed or hang out in the water around the lighthouse.

We head into town to get breakfast from our favorite spot, Lost Dog Café. Dogs are welcome in the restaurant, and the walls are lined with customers’ framed dog photos.

We managed to find a little piece of home in Folly, too. Loggerheads Beach Grill, named for the loggerhead turtles native to the area, is a landing spot for Philadelphia Eagles fans. The owner is a fan of the Birds, and the restaurant is filled with Philly gear.

On rainy days we make the trip into Charleston. We explore the shops on King Street and buy from the vendors at the Charleston City Market. We always make a stop into Savannah’s Candy Kitchen or River Street Sweets candy store and try the praline samples.

There are a wide range of things to do in Charleston, from the aquarium to the market. Even walking the streets to admire the charming architecture or along The Battery to enjoy the scenic view of the water is an event in Charleston.

The last few days of our trip we try to soak up as much of Folly as we can before the week ends and summer is over.

Folly has gone through quite a few changes since we first started vacationing there almost 20 years ago, but the lastin, laid-back attitude and Southern charm have us returning every year.

— Caroline Craig, administrative & advertising coordinator