Hopefully, you rang in the new year well and are set for all the fun doings on New Year's Day at the Isle of Palms. Of course there’s plenty of football and bowl games to watch on the big screens in our homes. Although as I covered in that last blog, Saturday had the big games, especially considering we are in South Carolina. South Carolina split its games. The Gamecocks got clobbered, but Clemson won handily and is headed to the national title game. That’s coming up next Monday, January 7th. One of our homes is a great place to watch Clemson take on Alabama. They are mostly beachfront, have large gourmet kitchens to whip up game day snacks, and plenty of screens and space to watch the game. It’s like your own private sports bar.
New Year's Day at the Isle of Palms: Take the plunge
There are a couple fun ways to kick off 2019, and they involve the water… namely, jumping into it. New Year’s Day at the Isle of Palms and around the beaches of Charleston means polar plunges. It’s a longstanding Lowcountry tradition, and you have a couple options. If you’re on the Isle of Palms, head on over to Sullivan’s for the annual Dunleavy’s Pub Polar Plunge benefiting the Special Olympics. This has grown tremendously over the years and is quite the spectacle. Thousands of folks dress in all kinds of kooky costumes to head into the water. Dogs are allowed but must be leashed. Some years it’s positively polar. This year, however, the weather looks pretty balmy, with temps approaching 70. All the “Freezin’ for a Reason” action centers at Dunleavy’s Pub, located at 2213 Middle Street. The pre-plunge fun starts at 9:00 a.m. The actual plunge happens around 1:00 p.m. There’s a $35 charitable donation to participate in the plunge. From the IOP, just head over Breach Inlet toward “downtown” Sullivan’s. You might want to go early to find parking since this is a very popular event.
Or check out Folly’s unique twist on the polar plunge
Folly Beach has its own unique spin on the idea of a polar bear plunge. It’s the 6th annual Bill Murray Look-A-Like Polar Plunge, where you’re encouraged to “Freeze Your Bills off.” Participants are encouraged to dress like local resident Bill Murray or one of his many movie characters. There will be judging and prizes. Here are the deets:
- 9:00 a.m. registration;
- 10:00 a.m. costume contest;
- 11:00 plunge;
- $5 costume contest entrance fee for folks 18 and over;
- Prizes awarded in these costume categories: Best Kid, Best Girl, Best Guy, Best Team, and Best Overall;
- A raffle and kids’ crafts;
- Live music and a Bloody Mary competition;
- Restaurants and bars will open early so participants can enjoy libations pre-plunge;
- The revelry will continue after the plunge all over town.
The fun centers around the Tides Hotel on Folly. Happy New Year! Hard to believe it’s already 2019. A flip of the calendar is the perfect time to book one of our beach house rentals Charleston SC. Call as far ahead as possible to get the best selection from among our portfolio. All best, Lowcountry Lisa your Isle of Palms vacation blogger