Tips for Making the Most of Your Vacation

Fun in the sun, the warm sand, and the ocean breeze are all waiting for you here on Isle of Palms. When you're ready to take your next vacation, it's important to make the most of it and enjoy the time away from work, school, and your daily life. We've gathered some tips on making your next stay the best one yet, and this week we're going to share them with you!

Here are five tips on how to make the most of your vacation:

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• Plan ahead (but leave a little wiggle room!)

Don't wait until you get on the Island to figure out what you want to do! Many activities and services will sell out quickly, so booking things like parasailing and jet ski excursions, and even beach chair and umbrella rentals, are great to reserve in advance. If you know for sure that you won't be on the beach every day, take this into account if you do decide to rent beach chairs so that you don't reserve for the entire week (this will save you money!)

Planning ahead also comes into play when figuring out timing! Check-in to our rental properties begins at 4:00 PM, so make sure you take this into account when you're scheduling your drive or flights. If you do plan on being here before you check in to your rental, plan out some activities or places to see while you're waiting! There are plenty of things to see in Downtown Charleston or Mount Pleasant like shopping along King St. (Downtown) or in Towne Centre (Mount P.) or exploring the historic streets of Charleston with a guided tour. No need to sit in the hot car waiting around when there's beauty at every corner!

• Scout out a new restaurant to try!

Speaking of planning ahead, find a restaurant on the Islands or in the surrounding area that you've never tried before. If you find yourself with spare time when you get here, or you just want to plan a night out, Charleston's cuisine is iconic, and there are plenty of local restaurants that are all delicious! If it's a restaurant that takes reservations, go ahead and make one (even if you think you might not need it!) This way, you're guaranteed to get a table without the wait. With larger groups, this is a must!

Some of our favorite local spots are The Co-Op (Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island,) The Obstinate Daughter (Sullivan's Island,) and Long Island Cafe (Isle of Palms)!

• Research your rental!

Did you know that you can learn pretty much anything about your rental on our website? Factors like car capacity, bedroom arrangements, how far it is from the beach, even the type of coffee maker in the kitchen can all be found within the property's specific page on our site! Even if there isn't something written in the description that you're looking for, you can walk around the house virtually to get the answers! Most of our properties feature a Matterport walkthrough of the property. This way you can know where certain rooms are in perspective of each other, where the laundry room is, and get a better idea of the actual floorplan of your rental property!

If the home or condo you're renting has additional perks for renters like baby equipment, beach chairs, or even kayaks--you'll find this information in the property description as well! If amenities like this are things you know you'll need but are not included in the description, you'll want to go ahead and reserve these rentals through our Preferred Vendors so you know you'll be covered. 

• Capture the memories!

So much of vacation these days is about how it looks on social media. Instead of seeing your vacation through the lens on your phone, try a more traditional approach! Before you arrive, get everyone in your group a disposable camera, then get them developed after you get home! This way, you can experience the trip all over again through each person's eyes and worry less about what people online see. This is a fun way to still have photos from the trip while enjoying the moment and making new memories together as a group.

• Remember to relax!

Most importantly above all of these tips is to remember to relax! The main purpose of a vacation is to get away from the stress of work and school, so make sure you leave those aspects behind! As hard as it can be, try to separate yourself from the emails and assignments back home. We are sure that the tips we've given you will put you one step closer to a stress-free vacation, and let you live in the moment during your time on the Island. If there's a way that we can help make your stay even easier, make sure you get in touch with our Guest Services team and let us know how we can help!