IOP and Charleston in general

My family (10 adults, 3 children) will be down in July for a week vacation. This will be our first time visiting - we%26#39;ve been to the FL panhandle (Seaside, Destin) the past 4 years but wanted to try a new place.

Need suggestions on several topics:

we already rented a beach house on IOP - 9th avenue. Is this a good part of the beach?

Restaurants: love to eat and needs some suggestion both in downtown, mtpleasnt, iop, wild dunes, folly, and sullivan. love seafood so would probably want to go 2 - 3 times where we%26#39;re there. maybe a good asian place one night. we have a big party so please keep that in mind.

can%26#39;t missed places to see: its going to be really hot in july so being outside for too long might not be a good thing.

shopping: my wife, sisters, and mom love to shop. any great shopping places for both modern and antigue type stores. any outlet mall nearby?

thanks in advance for any comments and recommedations.

IOP and Charleston in general

You%26#39;re in for a treat by visiting the SC beaches. We grew up going to Ft. Walton and Destin. They don%26#39;t compare to the island beaches around Charleston,IMO. At least on Kiawah and SI, the beaches are wide open. No need to watch where you%26#39;re stepping as the crowds are nothing like Destin and Ft. W.

July is hot. Just remember to drink lots of water.

Check out the Post %26amp; Courier%26#39;s new dining review (charleston.net) to get some ideas on restaurants.

Shopping: plenty of antique and high fashion shops downtown. Park your car in a garage out of the sun and walk all day. A Tanger Outlet mall is located near the airport off of I-526 .

IOP and Charleston in general

I%26#39;m a big fan of Gilligan%26#39;s ( one in Mt. Pleasant)...and I like Noisy Oyster ( one downtown and on in N. Char.)Both great seafood. Gilligan%26#39;s has a website so you can check out the menu. I%26#39;ve eaten there for years and it is consistently good. Also, Locklear%26#39;s in Mt. Pleasant is worth s stop - great she-crab soup. Best wishes.

I ';second'; Locklears in Mt Pleasant - it%26#39;s where the locals go. Also, for seafood, find The Wreck in Mt Pleasant - my personal opinion is that most of the places ';on'; Shem Creek are their for tourists - they%26#39;re not necessarily ';bad';, but Locklears and The Wreck are better. For convenience, although a little more expensive, the Boathouse at the Breech on IOP is very good. They take reservations. You%26#39;ll also want to check out Sullivan%26#39;s Island...

thanks so much for all that have responded. locklear, the wreck, gilligans, and boathouse for seafood - got it.

9th Ave is a good location - you%26#39;re close to the block of shops (a few restaurants, ice cream shops, tshirt shops, etc). The restaurant overlooking the ocean is very popular as there aren%26#39;t many places right ON the ocean and this is. I thought their shrimp quesadillas were pretty good - they often have live music and can fit large groups like yours.

Remember you%26#39;re in the lowcountry and at high tide there can be little sand and at low tide you will have to walk far to get to the water. On the Atlantic there are 2 high and 2 low tides per day - not like in Destin or in Cali.

For Downtown restaurant ideas - go to the Charleston forum, click on Restaurants and then Restaurant Links.

In Mt. P - I%26#39;d rec: Locklear%26#39;s and Mustard%26#39;s for dinner; Boulevard Diner for B, L or D; and Vickery%26#39;s, esp. if you go around sunset. Boathouse is great with lovely views - look for the dolphins as you dine.

On Sullivan%26#39;s Island (you%26#39;ll be extremely close) you MUST go to Poe%26#39;s Tavern (e.a. poe lived on Sullivan%26#39;s Island when he was young and got some of his inspiration for his stories in SC). Must must go. Try to go at an off time or you will have to wait - esp. with such a large party.

Shopping - so many hidden gems! If they%26#39;re shoppers they%26#39;ll want to discover these on their own. I know I do!

Asian place - Tsunami is good, but for a family I%26#39;d recommend Yamato in Seaside Farms (off of the IOP Connector). It%26#39;s one of those ';entertainment';-oriented Japanese restaurants. For take-out, we really like the Great Wall near Bi-Lo (northern part of Towne Center). Oh, Towne Center will keep the shoppers busy, by the way.

Sure it%26#39;ll be hot, but if you stay near the water there is always a breeze. Definitely suggest using beach chairs as opposed to blankets for 2 reasons - the sand is firmer and has more moisture in it. Don%26#39;t forget bug spray for the evenings unless you%26#39;re in a breezy area or have a screened porch.

Have a wonderful time and make some happy memories! :)

One more thing...Andolini%26#39;s Pizza - good for a group, great pizza and phenomenal Greek salads! Buy your fresh shrimp right off the dock - don%26#39;t even think about buying shrimp in the grocery store. (Shem Creek docks)

Sounds like there are some great restaurants to try and plenty of shopping opportunity for the girls. Thank you very much and we look forward to coming down in July. Can%26#39;t wait!

ps - i love this site b/c of the forum. i%26#39;ve used it last year when i was planning a trip to vancouver, canada. it was very helpful and so far it has been a great for our trip here. it%26#39;s only great when locals and visitors take the time to provide great suggestions and input. Thank you to everyone.