Number of guests: 5
Bed and bath: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths
Why we love it: Water views, wine cellar, French press, Wolf induction range, record collection
This place feels like a modern treehouse, elevated on sturdy pillars, with panoramic windows feeding you epic views over the Lowcountry tidal marsh and Stono River. Instead of people-watching, you’ll be marsh-watching: snowy white egrets, pelicans, herons, crabs, and dolphins. Architect Brock Tobaben won awards for his Zen-like design (there’s even a yoga and meditation room with a wellness library). The private retreat is set way back off the main drag of Folly Road on James Island, placing you equidistant from the beach and downtown. You’ll chuckle at the street names on the drive out: Yankee Drive, Shrimp Street, Brown Pelican Lane. There’s an excellent grocery store right at the turnoff (and Crosby’s for the freshest catch), but if you don’t care to cook, just head nearby to Bowen’s Island for oysters, shrimp and grits, and steaming Lowcountry Boil.
Neighborhood: James Island
Things to do nearby: Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve, Oak Point Golf Course, Charleston Tea Garden, Deep Water Vineyard, Fort Sumter National Monument
