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FOLLY BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA
The sand: A six-mile barrier island with room for surfers, beachcombers, and shellfish aficionados, 15 minutes south of Charleston
Marine life: Officially, Folly Beach is part of the Charleston metro area, but there's not a smidgen of anything metropolitan here. Communing with nature is more common than commuting to the office, honking is what the birds do, and a board meeting is a bunch of surfers hanging out at the Washout. Newcomers' first stop should be McKevlin's Surf Shop, here since 1965. They'll set you up with a rental and one-hour lesson for $40. Or head straight for Folly Beach County Park, which is quieter than busy Center Street beach, but still has boogie boards, umbrellas, and bikes for rent. Take those wheels to Folly Beach Crab Shack, grab a hammock chair, and munch on buckets of seafood as "traffic" goes by.
The sanctuary: The new Water's Edge Inn, just three blocks from the Atlantic, is shaded by palms trees and has eight rooms with crisp white sheets and flat-screen TVs.
Water's Edge Inn
Tel: 800 738 0884
Doubles from $229
McKevlin's Surf Shop
Tel: 843 588 2247
Folly Beach Crab Shack
Tel: 843 588 3080
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