Charlie

Virgin Folly

Admit it – you love the boat. Sure, you always get a kick out of seeing the latest message written on the side, but really, you just love what the boat has come to mean: welcome back.

Everybody has their own Folly story; that’s what makes it so crazy, quirky, and utterly irresistible.

Cut to the alcohol ban. What now? Truth be told, when we recently visited Folly, we didn’t see any frowns or heads hung low. What we saw were people everywhere having fun: surfing, fishing, soaking up the sun.

There are as many different ways to love Folly Beach as there are people on it. The dude snacking on the orange at Bert’s Market might be on his way over to McKevlin’s to check out the latest shortboards, mid-ranges, and longboards. The gorgeous gal near the Folly Beach Fishing Pier might be soaking up the sun while waiting for her kiteboarding lesson. That flock of bicyclists? They’re pedaling all the way from one end of the island to the other and back again, loving it all the way.

Life on the island is so effortless. All you really need is a spot of sunscreen and some clean, fresh water to keep you hydrated. You’re good to go, whatever your favorite way to spend the day.

For a visitor, a day at Folly might be lunch at Lost Dog Café, a pop in to Mr. John’s Beach Store, a Tideline Tour to check out the marshes, dolphins, and Morris Island, and maybe an oyster roast to wrap up the day (as long as the month ends in “r”). For locals, there’s fishing, Woody’s pizza, sandwiches at The Drop In, sunset watching at The Sandbar or Sunset Cay, Friday night dock parties at Crosby’s and much, much more.

Probably our favorite story about what makes Folly so decidedly different comes from a CofC adjunct professor who has lived here 30 years. He tells us that the best part of the day is going to the Post Office to pick up his mail. Umm…huh? Reason: the people.

“Folly is such a social experience,” he says. Even his nicknames for Folly folks charm us: Yoga Dave, Purple Paula, Big Head, the list goes on.

That’s the kind of feels-like-home community that does you good. And maybe that’s why we feel better every time we walk down Center Street, enraptured by the murals and easy vibe all around.

So relax. It’s Folly. And it turns out, there’s a lot more to Folly than booze.

Story and photos by: Jason A. Zwiker