So, your kids are learning from home this fall. Make it fun with some exciting field trip opportunities along the South Carolina coast. That’s right. What’s keeping you in the house? Take school on-the-road with educational opportunities that offer hands-on, real-life adventures for your family.
A Tale of Two Forts
Let’s start with history. The outside grounds of both Fort Moutrie and Fort Sumter have re-opened and offer the perfect places to learn some of America’s history. After all, the first shot of the Civil War was fired at Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. Fort Moutrie dates to the time of the Revolutionary War and was built to protect Charleston. Spoiler Alert: The Fort and Charleston fell to the British in 1782, near the close of the Revolution but America won the war. While the museum at Fort Moutrie remains closed as of August 2020, the Liberty Square Visitor Education Center is open with limited capacity.
See the Light
Lighthouses also offer a glimpse into the area’s history as well as a seafaring lesson. The Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse is a distinctive landmark. Though not open for tours, it is easily visible from the road. That is also the case with the Morris Island Lighthouse, which is offshore though visible from the beach. Click here for more history of the lighthouse, which was built in 1767, destroyed during the Civil War, then rebuilt in 1876.
Celebrating Gullah-Geechee Culture
For a different look at the culture and history of the region, take a ride along the Gullah-Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, a federal National Heritage Area that stretches from Wilmington, N.C. to south of Savannah, Ga. The Corridor recognizes the unique culture and significance of the Gullah-Geechee people who have resided in the coastal areas and sea islands of the Carolinas for hundreds of years and are descendants of enslaved Africans.
Visit the Caw Caw Interpretive Center in Ravenel in West Charleston County, once part of several rice plantations. The Center, open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., offers interpretive displays, as well as environmental and social studies programs. There are also six miles of trails with exhibits.
Restaurants along the way showcase the traditional food of the Gullah Geechee community. Stop in for a taste at Ravenel Fresh Seafood, H&R Sweetshop in Mount Pleasant, Simply Seafood on Johns Island and several spots in Charleston. After all, eating can be educational, too.
By Air and By Sea
Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum and the USS Yorktown in Mount Pleasant is basically its own campus with a plethora of hands-on activities sure to stimulate your student. From history to aviation to marine science to space missions, this museum has a lot of everything. The Museum is home to three historic ships, a submarine, 28 aircraft and the three-acre Vietnam Experience. Get more information on all the site has to offer.
Back to Nature
If your kid is interested in marine life and the great outdoors, you are definitely in luck. The South Carolina coast is home to an array of wildlife that live in its distinctive ecological systems. Book a Dolphin Encounter, a Pluff Mud Kayaking Tour or Tidal Trip and Dip at Kiawah Island Resort.
Tidal Trails also offers guided nature tours, as does Barrier Island Eco Tours. Both offer a chance to get closer to dolphins, observe the abundant birdlife and learn new skills.
Book Your Stay in One of Our Charleston Coast Vacation Rentals
Of course, a stay in one of these coastal communities puts your home-school headquarters smack dab in the middle of everything. Venture out from a family home like Atlantic Beach at the Village at Turtle Beach community, with five-bedrooms/five baths and a front porch. Another three-bedroom property, 4411 Windswept on Kiawah Island, puts your family in the heart of East Beach, near Night Heron Park and a beach boardwalk.