When it comes to natural, whole-body wellness, chiropractic care is one of the most effective ways to heal your body. Unfortunately, in today's society, people with neck and back pain settle for addictive pain medication or invasive surgeries over chiropractic treatments. At Johns Island Spine & Disc Center, we specialize in correcting pain through non-invasive, quality chiropractic work. Rather than treat symptoms that return over time, we address your body's underlying conditions. That way, we can provide you with real results and a long-term solution to your pain problems.
No surgery. No strange meds. No aggressive sales tactics or fine print.
Whether your journey to wellness involves light chiropractic adjustments, spinal decompression, or custom shoe insoles, we can help. We're proud to be your trusted chiropractor in Johns Island and treat every client with the utmost respect and compassion, whether it's their first or fiftieth visit. Unlike some chiropractors in South Carolina, we believe in a client-centric approach based on real results and one-on-one service. We strive to foster a positive environment with a community feel. You won't ever be judged or shamed at our practice. On the contrary, we will communicate with you in a friendly, encouraging manner, empowering you to live your best life.
At Johns Island Spine & Disc Center, we offer our valued clients a wide range of chiropractic services that solve serious symptoms like:
If you are always in pain and have given up on your doctor's suggested therapies, we've got great news - a permanent solution to your back and foot pain may be closer than you might think.
We like to think there's a simple reason why so many clients return to our chiropractic office in Johns Island. Sure, our state-of-the-art, modern equipment and technology are leaps and bounds above the rest. But what truly sets us apart is our dedication to you, the client.
We see you as so much more than a financial transaction. Our team knows that no two people are the same. As such, we never use "cookie-cutter" plans in our chiropractic treatments - we use a personalized approach, focusing on your long-term pain relief and wellness.
As doctors and specialists, we hold true to our core values:
We want you to feel comfortable knowing that from your first visit, you will be treated with the care and compassion you would expect from a team of professionals.
At Johns Island Spine & Disc Center, our doctors are not just experts. They're people, too, and understand how pain and back problems can be crippling. Our goal is to get you well as soon as possible, without drugs or surgeries. That way, you can get back to a normal, healthy living for years to come.
We pair cutting-edge technology with advanced chiropractic services like spinal decompression to get your life back on track.
If you find yourself in a situation where you need to see a chiropractor as soon as possible, we're here for you. Our chiropractors have treated thousands of patients, and we can treat you too.
Our office offers a robust range of chiropractic services in Johns Island, from custom shoe insoles for your feet to adjustments and massages for your back.
For many patients suffering from serious disc problems in the past, the path to pain-free living often involved addictive medicines and invasive spinal surgeries. Thankfully, those days are gone, and today, patients benefit greatly from spinal decompression services.
This powerful treatment was developed for patients with herniated or degenerated discs and treats sciatica and lower back pain better than other more dangerous solutions. Spinal Decompression Therapy not only reduces back pain and nerve pain - it allows patients the chance to reclaim their lives and enjoy activities that they thought were impossible to experience.
Thousands of people, including athletes and elderly patients, are choosing spinal decompression over surgery and medication. They're sick of masking their pain with strange medicines that cause horrible side effects. They're frustrated by ineffective shots and costly surgeries, which result in weeks of downtime and scarring. Spinal decompression is safe, effective, and non-invasive, but it's not right for everyone. For that reason, it's essential to work closely with your chiropractic doctor at Johns Island Spine & Disc to ensure successful treatment. Our doctors will work with other applicable health professionals in your care network to discover the exact nature of your back pain and which treatments are best.
While physical therapy, traction, and traditional chiropractic manipulation reduce disc pressure, only spinal decompression in Johns Island can elicit negative spinal pressure. Clinical trials show that spinal decompression techniques create negative pressure as low as -110 mm HG3. Usually, when pulls are exerted on your spine, it triggers your sensory receptors, which cause your back to tighten the muscles around your vertebrae and discs. Your body does this to prevent injury. However, spinal decompression circumvents this natural response by pulling on the spine slowly, which relaxes your back over time. This process, performed by experienced physicians at Johns Island Spine & Disc Center, lets your discs be repositioned without muscle guarding or spasms.
Most often, spinal decompression patients do not experience any major, negative side effects. One common side effect occurs after the first couple of treatments, which can include dull aches or soreness. It feels similar to working out for the first time in a very long time. Patients rarely suffer from pain worse than the injury that caused them to seek treatment. Some patients with severe, acute herniations can experience mild back pain during the first couple weeks of treatment. That's because the disc herniation needs to retract, eliminating nerve pressure. Despite some minor aches and pains, most spinal decompression patients enjoy up to 50% relief after only a few sessions. At the end of the day, spinal decompression from Johns Island Spine and Disc Center is a comfortable, safe treatment.
Prior to treatment, patients are examined manually with advanced imaging technology, to determine if spinal decompression is suitable and which spinal discs are compressed. Once you're approved for spinal decompression treatment, the patient is placed in a comfortable position on the decompression table. A specific force is applied to your compressed discs while a computer alternates decompression and relaxation cycles. Typically, we apply a series of 18 one-minute alternating decompression and relaxation cycles, which takes approximately 30 minutes. During this process, your spine is gently elongated, creating a vacuum that pulls your discs back into proper position. Realigning the discs in this manner reduces pain and promotes healing. Our spinal decompression treatments are not "one and done" - most patients need up to 24 treatments over a six-week period to completely relieve pain.
If you suffer from one or more of the following signs, spinal decompression may be a suitable treatment for you. Remember, you should always consult with your chiropractic doctor before moving forward.
If you're ready to get started on the path to pain-free living, contact our office today to schedule your no-cost spinal decompression consultation.
Custom shoe insoles sound exactly like what they are: shoe inserts that are custom-made for your feet. They are specially crafted to fit your foot shape perfectly and treat foot and body conditions that cause pain and discomfort. Our custom insoles are calibrated using your intended use and weight, providing incredible support during weight-bearing activities like standing and running.
Our custom shoe insoles help anyone experiencing pain from walking or imbalances in the body that are known to cause pain. One tremendous benefit of custom orthotics is that you can wear them on a daily basis, so you can enjoy normal activities without pain.
Unlike some chiropractors in Johns Island, we offer custom shoe insoles that are clinically proven to improve your body's total wellness. Our insoles also reduce pain by balancing your body from the ground up. After all, your feet are your body's foundation.
When you suffer from structural imbalances in your feet, you may be suffering from symptoms like:
Plantar Fasciitis: Also called heel pain syndrome, this malady is considered the most common type of heel pain. It becomes apparent after a gradual degeneration of your plantar fascia or when sudden trauma occurs. It feels like a deep ache or sharp stab and often happens in the morning when you first take a step.
Lower Back Pain: Low back pain is very common, especially in hardworking men and women. It can be caused by an unusual "gait" or walk, which imbalances your lower extremities like your knees, feet, and ankles. This causes pain throughout the body, but particularly in your lower back.
Sciatica: If you are experiencing numbness, tingling, pain, or weakness that starts in your lower back and shoots down your leg, you might have sciatica. When combined with chiropractic treatments, custom shoe insoles can solve your sciatica issues.
Plastic Deformation: The soft tissues that make up the three arches in your feet are stretched every day. However, over the years, your arches suffer from decreased elasticity when they're pushed beyond their limits. Once your feet's arches are stretched beyond their limits, they will never be the same. Custom shoe insoles from Johns Island Spine & Disc Center give you more stability and shock absorption. This helps support the structure of your feet and provides pain relief daily.
Knee Pain: Knee pain is a very common problem for adults in the U.S. It can come about through sudden injuries or may be part of an underlying condition, like arthritis. In many cases, successfully treating your knee pain requires a comprehensive treatment plan from your chiropractor, starting with custom insoles for your shoes.
You might be asking yourself, "how do I get started with orthotics?"
We start with a one-on-one consultation to discover your pain points. Once we have learned everything possible about your problems and symptoms, we'll take a foot impression or scan to show imbalances in your feet, which lead to problems within your body. Once we have a proper foot scan, we get to work crafting your insoles.
Our team pulls together our collective training and experience to build you a custom insole for enhanced support and long-term pain relief. That way, you can get back to enjoying an active life.
At Johns Island Spine & Disc Center, we're proud to use Foot Levelers custom insoles for our patients. Only Foot Levelers support all three arches in your feet. Your arches give your feet the strength to keep your body balanced. Balancing your foundation helps relieve pain and prevents future issues.
Q.Who Are Custom Shoe Insoles Right For?
A.Custom-made insoles are necessary for many athletes, diabetics, and people with debilitating injuries. They often suffer from Achilles tendinitis, lower back pain, overpronation, hip pain, knee pain, etc. But not all shoe insoles are created equal. You can count on our team to select the ideal materials for your insoles while ensuring a perfect fit tailored to your body for maximum comfort.
Are you looking for a chiropractor in Johns Island, SC who treats more than just symptoms? If you're sick of chiropractic services that aren't tailored to your needs and body, it's time to make a change. Our expert chiropractors at Johns Island Spine & Disc Center focus on your needs, not an idealized version of you. From chiropractic adjustments to custom shoe inserts and spinal decompression, we have the services and treatments you need to live life to the fullest.
Ready to live your best life free of pain? Contact our office today or explore our site to learn more about the Johns Island Spine & Disc Center difference. We want you to feel comfortable knowing that you will be treated with care, compassion, and excellence every time you visit our office.
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The City of Charleston says it is looking to spend millions of dollars to create a creek and additional wetlands to address street flooding and drainage issues on over 500 acres of Johns Island.Rather than paving the area over for the Barberry Woods Drainage Improvement Project, the city said it is opting for a more ecological approach.“Creating our own semi-natural creek system. It will look like a natural creek, even though we had dug it out,” Charleston Stormwater Management Director Mat...
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The City of Charleston says it is looking to spend millions of dollars to create a creek and additional wetlands to address street flooding and drainage issues on over 500 acres of Johns Island.
Rather than paving the area over for the Barberry Woods Drainage Improvement Project, the city said it is opting for a more ecological approach.
“Creating our own semi-natural creek system. It will look like a natural creek, even though we had dug it out,” Charleston Stormwater Management Director Matthew Fountain said. “Then, you would build a flood plain on either side of the creek that can hold water during storm events that would be built-in with natural vegetation.”
Photos captured the flooding following a heavy storm in the Barberry Woods neighborhood near Maybank Highway and River Road, which the project is named after.
City officials said the project will make the flooding drain faster and be less frequent.
Two homeowners who have been living in Barberry Woods since the mid-2000s said they love where they live, but a fix to their drainage problems has been long overdue.
“Once we do get the flooding, the flooding remains, and there’s no way for it to go,” homeowner Shannon Baker said. “It turns into a swimming pool scenario. I tried to get a vehicle out, and I did it a little too early, so I lost that [GMC] Yukon.”
“A week after I bought the house, my mother and my brother were visiting and came out onto my top porch, and they saw somebody kayaking past my house,” homeowner Kim Hicks said.
The city said a combination of developments downstream and blocked drainage ways are to blame for the flooding.
They also said the project was first inspired several years ago by the Dutch Dialogues. The city, along with the Historic Charleston Foundation, created the Dutch Dialogues in 2019 to discuss ways to work with the land that’s already there to reduce flooding risks on the peninsula, in West Ashley and on Johns Island.
“Don’t fix flooding in a way that eliminates what makes Charleston special,” Fountain said. “You need to find a way to do both. This is trying to find a way to maintain that rather than just paving the whole area over in concrete and asphalt.”
The city said they’re finishing the final designs and expect construction to start sometime in 2024.
Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.
Capping a week of Juneteenth celebrations across the United States, the College of Charleston’s Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture is pleased to announce receipt of materials that will offer new insights into pivotal moments in the fight for civil rights in the South Carolina Lowcountry, including a rare recording of a speech made by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during a visit to Charleston less than a year before his death.The E...
Capping a week of Juneteenth celebrations across the United States, the College of Charleston’s Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture is pleased to announce receipt of materials that will offer new insights into pivotal moments in the fight for civil rights in the South Carolina Lowcountry, including a rare recording of a speech made by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during a visit to Charleston less than a year before his death.
The Eugene B. Sloan Civil Rights Collection constitutes an extraordinary archive of audiotapes, photographs, correspondence, ephemera and objects from award-winning South Carolina journalist and editor Eugene B. Sloan. Preserved by Sloan’s immediate family over more than five decades, highlights of the collection include three exceedingly rare and historically significant audio recordings:
Generously donated by Lisa Berman, review of the interviews and transcripts is currently underway. They will be accessible in the spring of 2023 to the CofC community and the public on Aviary, the audiovisual repository and platform for the Lowcountry Oral History Initiative. The collection also features artifacts and personal papers connected to Eugene Sloan and his family, including the Hasselblad camera he used to photograph King and other notable civil rights figures, as well as a personal recording Sloan made in the early morning hours after King’s death in 1968.
“The gift from Lisa Berman of the Eugene B. Sloan Civil Rights Collection is a perfect match to the mission and focus of the Avery Research Center,” says CofC President Andrew T. Hsu. “The Avery Research Center is a premier repository for Black history in the Lowcountry and having the 1967 recording of Martin Luther King Jr. in Charleston is an incredible addition to our world-class collections at the Avery Research Center.”
The Eugene B. Sloan Civil Rights Collection will also serve as a complementary element of Documenting the Arc, the Avery Research Center’s oral history project documenting the ongoing fight for equality in the Lowcountry. Supported by the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, Documenting the Arc collects interviews focusing on the grassroots demonstrations and organizing efforts in late 2014 through the local George Floyd protests and civil unrest that marked the summer of 2020, emphasizing the period between the killing of Walter Scott and the massacre at Mother Emanuel AME Church.
“The artifacts from the Sloan collection also demonstrate how intricately connected the Charleston peninsula and the Sea Island communities (especially Johns and Wadmalaw islands) were to one another and to the ongoing work toward justice,” says Tamara T. Butler, executive director of the Avery Research Center and associate dean of strategic planning and community engagement. “We are honored to be the stewards of this collection as it is an important thread of the civil rights tapestry that we weave together at the Avery Research Center.”
The Avery Research Center publicly announced the donation on Saturday, June 25, 2022, during the annual meeting of the Avery Institute of Afro-American History and Culture, a separate nonprofit organization providing support to the Avery Research Center’s programs, operations and efforts to acquire archival collections. The meeting also inaugurated the Avery Institute’s Curatorial Committee, which will collaborate with Avery Research Center faculty and staff to design upcoming exhibits for the center’s historic building at 125 Bull St. in downtown Charleston.
“The Sloan collection would be a treasured and powerful addition to the holdings of even the largest academic library,” says John W. White, dean of libraries. “The conviction shared by Lisa Berman and the Sloan family that the Avery Research Center is the best steward for these materials is a testament to the institution’s ability to connect meaningfully with communities in the Lowcountry and around the world. We could not be happier to have the Sloan collection forever preserved and made available right here at the Avery Research Center.”
JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (Lowcountry Weekend) - If you love Mexican cuisine, you have a new dining option in the Lowcountry.Minero Mexican Grill & Cantina opened for dinner on Thursday at the space formerly occupied by The Fat Hen, at 3140 Maybank Highway.The Neighborhood Dining Group says the opening marked a new chapter for the Minero name. The Johns Island location will continue its legacy of hand-pressed tortillas and Mexican favorites created by the former downtown Charleston Minero, with the addition of new menu items and a...
JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (Lowcountry Weekend) - If you love Mexican cuisine, you have a new dining option in the Lowcountry.
Minero Mexican Grill & Cantina opened for dinner on Thursday at the space formerly occupied by The Fat Hen, at 3140 Maybank Highway.
The Neighborhood Dining Group says the opening marked a new chapter for the Minero name. The Johns Island location will continue its legacy of hand-pressed tortillas and Mexican favorites created by the former downtown Charleston Minero, with the addition of new menu items and an expanded indoor-outdoor footprint.
“We’re thrilled to bring Minero back in a new home on Johns Island, one of Charleston’s most exciting areas,” Neighborhood Dining Group President David Howard said. “Fans will recognize the same heart of what we do at Minero – attention to detail, great ingredients, and honoring Mexican traditions – but with a fresh take on both the menu and atmosphere. We can’t wait to serve Charleston once again and are appreciative of the warm welcome from the great residents of Johns Island.”
The kitchen is helmed by Executive Chef Shamil Velazquez, also of the group’s Delaney Oyster House, bringing inspiration from his Puerto Rican upbringing and chef-driven techniques to the newest outpost of the concept.
The menu is anchored by Minero staples like charcoal-grilled wings, tacos, and the burrito, as well as the tradition of making corn tortillas from scratch daily, but with exciting new additions for a fresh take on the Mexican concept.
Velazquez incorporates Latin American influences into the menu, including more seafood dishes, crudos, and ceviches, while drawing from Mexico’s coastal regions for inspiration.
“We knew the Minero favorites weren’t going anywhere on the menu, but we wanted to bring some additional elements, especially to highlight some of the great ingredients we get in the South and along our coast,” Velazquez said. “Mexican food can be celebrated through many different techniques, and I’m looking forward to bring a new perspective to the concept with the same emphasis on local ingredients and quality offerings.”
Click here to see the full menu.
Minero’s menu honors Mexico’s culinary traditions while weaving in inspiration from the culinary South.
The menu features longstanding Minero favorites including Charcoal-Grilled Wings tossed with Valentina; a Salsa Tasting including Benne, Rojo, and Verde; and the Minero Burrito featuring red rice, beans, Oaxaca cheese, crema, poblano, cabbage, cilantro, salsa verde, and avocado.
Exciting new additions include the Fajitas Al Carbon with charred onions, bell peppers, pico de gallo, crema, guacamole, red rice, beans, and housemade flour tortillas; the Yucatán Style Local Catch featuring crispy fingerling potatoes, pickled yum yum peppers, and pibil sauce; and Shrimp & Snapper Ceviche made with a ceviche sour michelada mix, cucumber, peanut, red onion, mandarin, radish and chips. The restaurant offers five signature tacos, including Fried Catfish or Grilled Fish, Cauliflower, Charcoal Chicken, Grilled Steak, and Pork Al Pastor. Select brunch items will be served on the weekends, including Steak and Eggs and Breakfast Burrito with hash brown, salsa verde, and huevos.
Beverages include the classic Minero Margarita with reposado and añejo tequilas, fresh lime, orange juice, curaçao, and agave, guests can personalize their margarita experience by DIY-ing it, adding a pineapple twist, boosting it for a crowd (the “Party” serves six), or even making it extra with a bottle-down Modelito and a choice of sidecar. Frozen concoctions, such as the Frosé Sangria and the El Santanico, and a comprehensive beer list featuring both Mexican and local options round out the alcoholic offerings, while a zero-proof margarita and refreshers provide plenty of options to abstain.
No reservations are needed. Seating is first-come, first-served.
The restaurant hours include dinner service on Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Happy Hour is Monday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The restaurant plans to add daytime service at a later date.
Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.
Monthly bills are less expensive in the Palmetto State … but there’s a catch.South Carolinians pay significantly less than the national average on their monthly bills – but there’s a catch. Because income levels in the Palmetto State are so low compared to the national average, the effective amount of money citizens must devote to these necessities is higher.In fact when you consider South Carolina’s ...
Monthly bills are less expensive in the Palmetto State … but there’s a catch.
South Carolinians pay significantly less than the national average on their monthly bills – but there’s a catch. Because income levels in the Palmetto State are so low compared to the national average, the effective amount of money citizens must devote to these necessities is higher.
In fact when you consider South Carolina’s anemic earnings, it essentially costs as much to live in the Palmetto State as it does to live in California – one of the states with the highest monthly bill rates.
That’s according to a new report (.pdf) from Doxo, an online bill management company.
South Carolinians pay an average of $1,783 on their monthly bills – including mortgages ($1,076), rent ($910), car loans ($412), utilities ($295), car insurance ($212), cable and internet ($120), health insurance ($120) and their mobile phones ($109).
That total amount is 11 percent below the national average of $2,003 – ranking the state No. 33 nationally in terms of its monthly obligations.
Again, though, there is a catch …
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All told, 41 percent of household income in the Palmetto State goes to pay bills – which is higher than the national average. By comparison, residents in Minnesota and Utah pay only 33 percent of their household income on monthly bills.
The most expensive place to live in America? Hawai’i …
According to the report, the Aloha State ranks No. 1 nationally in terms of the cost of citizens’ monthly bills ($2,911) and the percentage of household income devoted to paying them (44 percent).
Zeroing back in on South Carolina, Hilton Head Island is the most expensive place to live – clocking in at $2,569 per month. Bluffton is a close second at $2,524. Mount Pleasant ($2,473), Charleston ($2,185), Fort Mill ($2,166), Greer ($2,080), Ladson ($2,069), Okatie ($2,062), Johns Island ($2,040) and Clemson ($2,017) round out the top ten.
Nationally, Doxo estimates the annual monthly bill market at $4.6 trillion – with $853 billion going to mortgages, $616 billion going to rent, $493 billion going to auto loans, $399 billion going to utilities, $250 billion going to auto insurance and $166 billion going to mobile phone payments.
Here is the full report …
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(Via: doxoINSIGHTS)
(Via: FITSNews)
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven children. And yes, he has LOTS of hats (including that Durham Bulls’ lid pictured above).
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When it comes to clearing out of Charleston at the crack of July for some deeply desired summer fun, it’s always something.Year after year, that ever-shifting, wet, hot blanket has kept me me stewing in my juices somewhere around town, with farther-flung European dalliances or mountain vistas eluding me once more.And I’ve channeled my annual churlishness here in my weekly column, indulging in a light-bodied, hopefully quaffable summer whine. I first introduced my annual staycation story in 2019, when the start of th...
When it comes to clearing out of Charleston at the crack of July for some deeply desired summer fun, it’s always something.
Year after year, that ever-shifting, wet, hot blanket has kept me me stewing in my juices somewhere around town, with farther-flung European dalliances or mountain vistas eluding me once more.
And I’ve channeled my annual churlishness here in my weekly column, indulging in a light-bodied, hopefully quaffable summer whine. I first introduced my annual staycation story in 2019, when the start of this very job scuttled a planned July trip to the Hudson Valley.
Since then, our family has been grounded every year. One year, it was the pandemic that nixed travel to New York. Other years, professional pulls for either me or my husband Scott have forestalled that post-Spoleto jones to beat it out of town.
This year is no different. The city of Charleston’s July 2 free concert and fireworks at The Joe is as rousing a reason to professionally stay put. Then, the Denmark Vesey Bicentenary that takes place at Charleston Gaillard Center from July 14-16 is a compelling second.
Along with those choice Charleston happenings, we also managed a sweet swap with my sister, taking over her Wadmalaw home while her family heads up to the Hudson Valley.
And, summoning the ghosts of staycations past, we’ll aim to go as local as possible while reveling in a few days off right in the country’s top vacation spot that we like to call home.
That starts with an alfresco Friday movie night at Wadmalaw, served up with smoked wings from Rodney Scott’s BBQ and Edmund’s Oast Cut of the Leaf: Centennial, a 5.7 percent whole leaf hopped pale ale with flavors of orange, grapefruit and lime zest.
First up is “Daughters of the Dust,” the 1991 film by Julie Dash set on a barrier island, which is now available via Tubi. Then we’ll fire up “Sherman’s March,” the wry and rambling 1985 film by Ross McElwee that is partly set in Charleston, and is now available on Amazon.
Saturday morning, we’ll head out to gather goods on Johns Island. First stop is the Sea Island Farmers Market, which is set up year-round on the Charleston Collegiate Campus on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. On the way back, we’ll stop by HUM Grocery to pick up a pre-ordered tomato pie, pulled pork and a mac-and-cheese take-and-bake for 9-year-old Beatrice.
After a morning dip in the pool, it’s hammock time for me and Beatrice, to get going, if leisurely, on her summer reading list.
Last year, we were in the zone with it thanks to the middle grade novel “The Islanders,” which is set on Dewees Island and written by Charleston authors Mary Alice Monroe and Angela May. This summer, the two have a sequel out, the young adult “Search for Treasure” (Aladdin Books).
After a few chapters, as Beatrice’s attention turns back to the pool, I’ll likely linger a spell longer in that hammock, cracking open “Diamonds and Deadlines: A Tale of Greed, Deceit, and a Female Tycoon in the Gilded Age” by part-time Charleston resident Betsy Prioleau.
For Scott, more of a nonfiction reader, I’ll pick up “Surfing the South,” a memoir by South Carolinian author Steve Estes promising the merging of sports-centric surf and Southern turf.
Sunday, we’ll have friends round for the pool, grilling local meats from the farmers market. We’ll aim for local craft beers with a Fourth of July flavor, like Westbook Brewing Company’s colorful Blackberry Blueberry Smash fruit beer, with its blackberry and blueberry purees and sour ale. We’ll pick up some Barcoop Bevy Grapefruit Margarita Mix, a staple in our house.
We may also order an ice cream cake from Weezy’s Ice Cream and Cocktails. While it is made with Hershey’s Ice Cream, so is not local per se, it does offer a cocktail bar to enjoy when we collect it.
But to celebrate the vast array of homegrown musical talent, I’ve already started compiled a “SC Tunes” playlist featuring South Carolina releases from the past few months.
First, we’ll set the tone with “Big Dreamers,” the new album from Charleston music staple The Blue Dogs, their first studio-made work since 2004. Poolside-friendly summer fare, it’s sure to serve up nostalgia from our concerts past.
Then, for some reflective, rock-inflected time in the sun, I’ll segue into the latest from Charleston’s Susto, “Time in the Sun,” which came out in November. We’ll shift to Tourneforte’s “Swimming Lessons,” which was released in September. As the afternoon deepens, it’s time for Charleston-based Don Merckle’s “Rumor of a Ghost.”
Monday, we’ll return to Rockville’s Fourth of July parade, which last year proved to be a happy, homespun stars-and-stripes interlude, complete with a vintage firetruck, a host of golf carts, dirt bikes and other modes of transportation — with plenty of shotgun-riding dogs and a generous shower of candy for Beatrice to boot.
After repeated years of upended plans, she’s come to learn that there is always plenty of fun to be had in Charleston during July. Maybe it’s high time that I learned that, too.