Island hopping: Taking in (and taking home) the best of our tennis town
You’ve heard of them, or maybe even know them personally. Or, perhaps you are actually one of them: the out-of-towner who simply paid a visit to the Holy City and her annexed island, only to be unwittingly wooed. Six months later, the moving truck is loaded and the home GPS is pointed toward Daniel Island.
It’s a familiar story; happens every day around Charleston. But it seems to occur exponentially around tennis tournament time. Volvo Car Open (formerly Family Circle Cup) fans travel across the state, nation, and globe to get to our relatively quiet island community, and discover the “best tennis town” would make a pretty fabulous hometown. Volvo Car Stadium and Open General Manager Bob Moran tells a tale of a Frenchman who, after attending the tournament in 2010, decided to purchase a home on Daniel Island in 2013 and split his time between France and the Lowcountry.
Of course, not everyone who comes for the Open will stay for life. For these folks, we wanted to share a cheat sheet of the things Daniel Islanders love. Tourney ticketholders will be drawn in by tennis and charmed by the landscape, but it would be a shame for them to miss some of the very best of DI:
If you are into history – and perhaps hauntings – but not the type to enjoy a group walking tour downtown, don’t leave the island without...
...a stroll through the Lesesne cemetery. This graveyard, located in the woods behind the tennis complex, is one you nearly unknowingly enter. The marshy foliage is overgrown but somehow still lovely. The burial markers are sparse and uneven, but when you find the one from 1784, you are bewitchingly transported.
If you are missing “real” northeast bagels, don’t leave the island without...
... a stop at Blondies Bagels and Cafe. Their boiled-n-baked beauties are the stuff of New York and New England legend, just without the cranky baker or schlep through the snow. As one of Daniel Island’s newest businesses, the eatery has been welcomed with open arms; even natives are in for a break from the biscuit.
If you want to find yourself inside an image that is iconically Lowcountry, don’t leave the island without…
… running, skipping, or galloping across the Barfield Park bridge. The wooden entrances to this footbridge are enchanting enough, but those first steps onto the bridge are almost magical. Check out the expanse of marsh in both directions, notice the low (or high) tide beneath you, and thank yourself forever if you’ve timed it with a sunrise or sunset.
If you went a little too late (or too hard) at the Daniel Island Grille the night before, don’t leave the island without...
... a Detox Island Green smoothie from Tropical Smoothie Cafe. At 22 ounces, you can nurse this nutritious nectar for a good hour, slowly sipping those essential goodies back into your body as you stroll and shop Seven Farms, then return to the stadium for late day matches.
If you went a little too late (or too hard) all week long, don’t leave the island without...
... Juice Bar’s “to-go” Daily Essential Cleanse, a powerful six-pack with such drinkable life support as Orange You Glad and We Got the Beet. The bright décor of the shop will revive your senses nearly as much as the nutrients, and the folks pressing that produce have a contagious pep.
If you have a furry best bud who waited patiently for you back home while you got your tennis fix, don’t leave the island without...
... some canine cookies and a Hugglehound from Lucia’s Premium Pet. After all, what four-legged friend doesn’t love a homebaked goodie and snuggly plush toy as a reward for watching the house while you were away and not having an accident (or almost not having one)?
If you are a shutterbug or just want to take in a memorable image, don’t leave the island without…
… standing under the “belly” of the Wando Bridge. Walking along the serene trails behind the Volvo Car Stadium and Governors Park, you suddenly find yourself standing beneath the piece of I-526 that crosses the Wando River. And you never realized six lanes of concrete could look so cool.
If you wanted to brag to friends back home about the amazing meal you had in Charleston but don’t want to navigate the peninsula, don’t leave the island without…
… savoring a plate of shrimp-over-polenta at Sermet’s Courtyard. This caliber of cuisine is a reminder that Daniel Island is Charleston. You know, minus the search for a parking spot (and hunt for loose change to pay for that spot). Bonus: Restauranteur and chef Sermet Aslan is an artist, and his Courtyard is also his gallery, which means you didn’t need to cross a bridge to pick up an original painting, either.
If you’ve brought along young (or young at heart) explorers, don’t leave the island without…
… a jaunt to the beach at the Children’s Park at the end of River Landing Drive. Oh, sure, the park itself is cool, with the boathouse replica and fountain turtles. But wander down to the water’s edge at the base of the dock. Catch (and release) some fiddler crabs. Then cross the footbridge, and marvel at the dropping giant live oak branches. (Also have a little thrill-seeker in tow? Ask a local where to find the zip line.)
And if you want to leave feeling like you’ve been on both a sports getaway and coastal vacation, don’t leave the island without…
… an hour (happy or otherwise) on the patio at The Islander. Let traffic clear from the Open while you count your current blessings: A perfect mojito at the al fresco bar. Shrimp tacos under a giant umbrella. Cool breezes carrying the sounds from the live steel drum. Oh, and along the way, be sure to make a few new friends. Who knows? They might soon become your neighbors.
