Spring Break trip to South Carolina.........

[FinanceDude]

April 10th-19th is my kid's Spring Break time. We are looking to roadtrip to SC to see my uncle and aunt then. He lives in Greenville. Is mid April a good time to go? We are planning to go see Charleston and drive part of the Blue Ridge and Smokey Mountain trails.........

 

[CuppaJoe]

Sounds wonderful, FD, we took a similar trip one June while living in your neck of the woods. Smokies are beautiful and it is a nice drive; April would be a terrific time to get away after the long winter; June was a little too warm for my taste.

 

[FUEGO]

Yes, Mid-April will probably bring you the most moderate weather in the mtns and in coastal SC. That time of year plus October are usually rather moderate in the mountain and coastal areas of NC and SC (of course it may get chilly at night in the mtns at that time of year). Expect rather cold water in the ocean in Charleston at that time of year (if you plan any water activities). At least hurricanes won't be an issue hopefully.

 

[FinanceDude]

Yes, Mid-April will probably bring you the most moderate weather in the mtns and in coastal SC. That time of year plus October are usually rather moderate in the mountain and coastal areas of NC and SC (of course it may get chilly at night in the mtns at that time of year). Expect rather cold water in the ocean in Charleston at that time of year (if you plan any water activities). At least hurricanes won't be an issue hopefully.

No swimming in the ocean planned, but ya never know.......

 

[Sarah in SC]

That is the superior time to be in Charleston, FD. Be sure to get your reservations in early. The flowers and such are magnificent!

Also, if you are planning your route and can take Hwy 17 South from Myrtle Beach, you should try to stop at Brookgreen Gardens near Pawleys Island--it will be stunning that time of year and is seriously the best thing to see in our whole state! Here's a couple of pictures I took in April two years ago there. It is a huge property with statuary and elaborate gardens plus a huge wildlife area sure to please the kids. It is really unbelievably beautiful.

Let me know what days you are in Charleston and we'll see about going out in the boat for a harbor ride. You can swim, but it'll be cold!

 

[FUEGO]

No swimming in the ocean planned, but ya never know.......

It would be like a nice brisk polar bear swim in mid April.

 

[FinanceDude]

That is the superior time to be in Charleston, FD. Be sure to get your reservations in early. The flowers and such are magnificent!

We are driving, and staying with my aunt and uncle. What reservations do I need??

Also, if you are planning your route and can take Hwy 17 South from Myrtle Beach, you should try to stop at Brookgreen Gardens near Pawleys Island--it will be stunning that time of year and is seriously the best thing to see in our whole state! Here's a couple of pictures I took in April two years ago there. It is a huge property with statuary and elaborate gardens plus a huge wildlife area sure to please the kids. It is really unbelievably beautiful.

Looks nice......

L

et me know what days you are in Charleston and we'll see about going out in the boat for a harbor ride. You can swim, but it'll be cold!

Ever swim in lake Michigan? Only about 2 months out of the year is the water over 50 degrees........

 

[Sarah in SC]

If I were staying with family that long, I'd have plenty of reservations!
I really just meant if you had a special restaurant you want to get into downtown, that you should call them ahead since that is primo tourista season.
Yeah, come on and swim then, we'll think you are a Canadian!

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

i'll be on the Blue Ridge Parkway (U.S. National Park Service) in about 10 days. doing the sections i missed last year. then doing Shenandoah National Park - Driving Skyline Drive (U.S. National Park Service) before heading up to jersey/nyc.

newfound gap road through the great smoky mountains from gatlinburg to cherokee is like driving through the quintessential enchanted forest, really beautiful. near cherokee you can pick up the blue ridge section that i'll be doing this year. the views will take your breath away. they are so big that they don't even fit in the camera. my last time though it was so cloudy up top that i had to come back down as i couldn't see a thing. was very fun driving through clouds but it got tiring. that southern section has the highest elevations on the entire parkway, i think rising to about 7k feet. yer gonna love it.

ps. allow for time when driving there. what looks like just 40 miles on a map is a lot longer at slow speeds on very windy roads with frequent stops to take in the views.

 

[TromboneAl]

It would be like a nice brisk polar bear swim in mid April.

And good prep for the wet T-shirt contest.

 

[youbet]

April 10th-19th is my kid's Spring Break time. We are looking to roadtrip to SC to see my uncle and aunt then.

We did a similar trip last spring...... Hit Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia. We wanted to catch a lot of Appalacian music and we were very successful. Weather was great too.

About the only negative was that the pollen count was through the roof. At times, all those pretty blooming plants, bushes and tress were giving off pollen in such volume you could actually see clouds of it blowing around. I used a lot of Astelin and Claritin!