OCEANFRONT BEACH HOUSE WITH SPECTACULAR OCEAN & SUNRISE VIEWS

We had our first family beach Christmas with our four grown children.
All our children flew or drove in to town. The airport was only 20 to 25 minutes away easy to pick them up.
The layout of this beach house was perfect. The owners were very friendly and helpful.
The house had everything we needed. I was able to cook the best family meals. If we wanted to go into town we all walked. The view every morning was spectacular. I can't say enough about this beach house, it was perfect! Love, love, loved it! We can't wait to come back.

It was during a quiet break in the screen porch conversation at sunset that someone observed how apt the name Pelican Watch really was. A line of five pelicans had just seemingly missed the porch roof by inches. For our extended family a good beachfront porch is essential and this house has an excellent one with the view enhanced by the Folly pier at just the right distance.

In addition to a good porch, this house has an excellent open platform area along it's boardwalk, important for those lucky Folly nights when a star chart becomes an important tool (note to travelers, you can get a star chart in the College of Charleston bookstore on Calhoun not far from Marion Square.) The fans and high ceilings in this house made for a good night's sleep after the stars, not to mention the sounds of the surf. Being on the ocean shouldn't be about re-creating another night in your own home.

Once the beachwalkers surrender the morning sand and the huge southern sun blazes forth, the real point of Folly (for me, anyway) opens up and it is time to add another several dozen unique body surfing rides on one of the few remaining super flat smooth sand beaches anywhere. On this end of the island there is much less bother from kids who need the crutch of a surfboard to get a ride. A couple of hours of this and any parent has earned cool drink back on the porch.

If a kid is lucky, those parents will stay out there on the porch so she can relax a bit longer in the quiet little paperback library at the top of the beautiful wooden circular sweep of stairs. Eventually though, it will be time for dinner and our crowd was able to turn out great dinners from the kitchen and available tools. The stools at the counter helped extend the capacity to all eat together. After dinner there are relaxing couches and for those families who haven't re-discovered the magic of age-old board games and puzzles and cards, there are the usual screens and working wifi.

Our experience at Pelican Watch this summer was delightful, with great during-stay service and great follow-up service when we accidently left something. I hope others get to enjoy this pastel green cottage that leaves good memories and positions you perfectly for the Folly experience.

The house is a great location as advertised on the beach. Other than that it's a bit run down - tidy but not kept as described, needs fresh paint and has some woodrot, the beds are very old and uncomfortable (take your own sheets and beach towels, beach chairs) etc. The ocean certainly helps one glaze over these issues. As mentioned in a previous review the kitchen is small and reasonably well appointed. As a family we've rented homes in this area for over 15 years always ending with a positive experience and often a return rental the next year. Not so this time. My advise to any renters of this home would to take photos as you arrive (beds, carpets, etc) As one would do with a rental car. Horrible experience post-rental. Renter beware. Enjoy the beach and make good use of your camera with before and after photos least you will be sorely disappointed with a non-existent deposit return. I would not recommend this property to a friend or relative. Many nearby restaurants were reasonable but not gourmet - you have to travel into Charleston for that.