Shem Creek Charleston SC: Date Night

Shem Creek park in Charleston, SC is a winning choice for a Charleston date night.

Imagine sharing a temperate evening with the one you love — or find attractive enough to buy dinner — strolling amidst natural beauty and wildlife, watching a sunset over the ocean, all commenced with a satisfying meal.

There’s no need to overthink it. The next time you want to trick someone into liking you, bring them here and let Shem’s magic do its thing.

Salt Marsh Boardwalk — Shem Creek Charleston SC

After parking your car at Shem Creek park (map), enjoy a salt-marsh boardwalk stroll while the sun hangs low in the sky (sunset times).

We recommend you arrive at Shem Creek 45 minutes before sunset and make dinner reservations for 30 minutes after sunset.

A gentle breeze bends the tall, yellow grass as a wooden walkway guides you and your date across the marsh. It’s a half mile stroll to the end of the pier, but don’t worry… the Shem Creek park boardwalk has plenty of wooden benches along the way. These restful, little stopovers are perfect for making date night promises you never intend to keep.

Sunlight casts a soft, forgiving hue on everything in this perfect, golden hour. Even a rusty old boat named Playboy looks inviting at this time of day.

Salt Marshes are known for the giant birds who fish in their waters. Egrets, herons, osprey, pelicans, and others can be spotted at Shem Creek, Charleston, SC. You may be fortunate to witness some of these awesome birds in flight.

Related Article: The 25 Best Things to do in Charleston, SC

One of the unexpected treasures of Shem Creek, Charleston, SC is you can learn about the shrimping industry reading placards along the path.

Nothing says romance like a shrimp boat education.

If you see a boat with two, tall masts raised in a “V”, you are looking at a shrimp boat. If the name of that shrimp boat is “Jeremy” you’ve found the coolest shrimp boat captain of all time.

Before you reach the end of the boardwalk you will notice a dock on the creek you can access via a metal plank walkway. We recommend taking a short while to sit on the dock and decide which creekside mansion you like best.

Does your date prefer the large modern mansion, or the understated, classic mansion? Perhaps the fixer-upper mansion on the end? Once she’s revealed her true desires, you can realistically predict your restaurant tab.

Pelicans are out this time of night. It is amazing to watch them dive toward the ocean until they are 18″ off the water, then straighten and glide above the surface on their way out to sea.

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Dolphin Sunset — Shem Creek Charleston SC

When you reach the end of the Shem Creek pier, pause for a tender moment.

Alternate gazing into the distance and each other’s eyes. If you are lucky, a homeless guitar player will be singing and strumming something to put her in the mood.

It will probably be grunge music, something by Stone Temple Pilots or Alice In Chains. Great stuff, to be sure, but hardly sympathetic of a Charleston Date Night at Shem Creek.

This is an excellent opportunity to drop a few bucks in his unwashed hat and request, “Magic Man,” by Heart. As the sun sinks beneath the ocean the two of you can listen to how irresistible you really are.

It is a common misconception that a sunset commences when the last fleck of sun bends over the horizon. The truth is, the show is only just beginning.

As you walk back toward the highway, branch to the right when the boardwalk splits, and stroll down Shrimp Boat Lane. This will bring you back to the restaurants and the bridge that crosses Shem Creek.

Don’t forget to turn and sigh at the light show all along the way.

One of the last things you’ll do…

Before reaching the Shem Creek restaurants, is cross a bridge with locks attached to its rails.

This is in similitude of France’s famous bridge, Pont des Arts, which the citizens have laden with locks to symbolize the thrill of being governed.

Here at Shem Creek, Charleston, SC the locks represent something else: Consumerism. We’ve purchased too many locks and have nowhere to put them but this bridge.

Try to disregard the RIP locks as you and your date romanticize the permanence of commitment.

Dinner at Shem Creek Restaurants

Dinner at a creekside restaurant is a fantastic way to cap off the evening.

You really can’t go wrong here, as you will have your choice of five decent to good restaurants: Tavern and Table, Water’s Edge, Vickery’s, Salt Water Cowboys, and Red’s Ice House. Also, Nico’s Oysters + Seafood is a three-minute walk away, just on the other side of the parking garage.

The Tavern and Table has some delicious options and a warm, sleek ambiance. Try to get seated in the left-hand dining room or you’ll be watching Sports Center over your date’s shoulder. And be sure to order the brisket Mac and cheese!

The other restaurants are probably nice, too, but we can’t say we’ve eaten there.

Click the blue links above to see the websites.

You will find that a Shem Creek, Charleston date night is the perfect place to get to know your date while taking in natural beauty, exercise, and a meal. With so much wonder around it’s easy to fall into comfortable conversations about life, love, hopes, and aspirations.

Maybe throw in a little neurosis for good measure, to accentuate your sensitive side. Something like, “I can’t walk past a grandmother without wanting to hug her.” Something easy, something workable.

Save the foot fetish for another night.

And if you’re feeling like everything is going great, go ahead and pop that important question. You know the one. That simple little ask that could forever change your future. You know…

“Is there a large ex-boyfriend you need to warn me about?”

Because if she says yes, you’re in!

Thanks for reading!

If you would like to read about other ideas for a Charleston date night, check out our Complete Guide to Charleston. It’s all there: What to do, where to eat, etc.

Thank you for stopping by our website! We are the Hoffmann family, a full-time RV family that has split residence in Seattle, Washington and San Antonio, Texas. We have special needs children that we homeschool, and work travel assignments for the Veteran Affairs Hospital. If you would like to learn more about us, check out our Start Here and Biography pages. In the meantime, God bless and travel happy!