May is almost perfect as a local. All the restaurants are open. Putt-putt courses, boat rentals, and golf courses are in full swing. The fish are biting, the water is warming up, flowers are blooming, and the humidity is still low. Seriously… May along the Grand Strand is gorgeous.

May's average temperatures start in the low 70s at the beginning of the month and finish in the low 80s by the end. You also gain nearly an entire hour of daylight during May alone. By Memorial Day, the sun is setting after 8:00 PM. It’s glorious. There are so many amazing festivals (see our previous article) and events during May, that it is easy to find so many ways to enjoy the Grand Strand.

As locals, we love the month of May... but we also know that it is the calm before the upcoming storm.

The end of May also marks the unofficial start of tourist season. Our area is increasingly becoming a year-round destination, but there’s still a very noticeable connection to the population increasing as school schedules wrap up across the country. Roughly 20–25% of schools finish their school year during Memorial Day week, and as a local, you can feel it almost immediately. Wait times at restaurants get a little longer; parking at your favorite beach access is still available... but barely. Then, by the first week of June, roughly 45–55% of schools are out for summer. It’s time to get your last easy meal at your favorite Marshwalk restaurant before the crowds fully arrive. By the second week of June, roughly 75–85% of schools are out, and now there’s an hour wait at many restaurants. Traffic along Hwy 17 and Hwy 501 noticeably increases. There’s a line for putt-putt and public beaches are packed. By the third week of June, almost every public school is out for summer, and I’m convinced the first thing everyone does is book a hotel or rental home along the Grand Strand.

And honestly, I’m thankful for it. While tourism pays a large portion of the county’s bills and remains the lifeblood of our local economy, it also means more traffic, longer wait times, and more people packed into nearly every place locals enjoy on a daily basis. Even grocery shopping becomes an adventure. You learn quickly to navigate around the three families vacationing together while trying to manage their collective 17 children inside Wal-Mart. Beach trips require more planning. Finding parking becomes a competitive sport. It’s tourist season — and around here, tourist season pays the bills.

Then, around the end of July, the shift slowly begins to happen. Roughly 10,000 of the nation’s 98,000+ public schools head back into session by late July. (Those poor kids!) As a local, though, it’s honestly hard to notice much of a difference at first. July is still busy no matter what. But by the second week of August, approximately 45–60% of schools are back in session, and suddenly you can feel the tide retreating. Traffic eases. Restaurant wait times shrink. The beaches become a little quieter.

Then comes Labor Day. Almost everyone is back in school, and the beach starts feeling like ours again. Hopefully, local businesses had a successful summer season and stay open through September because this is also one of the best times of year along the coast. Easy parking returns, putt-putt is fun again, and restaurants are easier to enjoy. You still get all the benefits of living in a coastal tourist town but with a little more breathing room.

But for now, enjoy May. It’s magical.

And if you live somewhere else and would like to know more about living along the Grand Strand, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d love to learn more about you, your goals, and how we can best help.