Kiawah Island

"Since it’s only 45 minutes from downtown Charleston, Kiawah (a beachy, Spanish-moss-covered barrier island) makes a great day trip or weekend getaway. The Sanctuary, the island’s best-known hotel, is right up along the more than 10-mile-long beach, with a gorgeous pool and one of the area’s best spas. The island is ideal for exploring via bike, and it’s also home to some of the country’s best golf courses, which can be reserved by hotel guests and members of the Kiawah Island Golf Resort (an old-school private resort that takes up most of the island). Have dinner at the Ocean Course golf club, where big windows look out over the beach."