843-991-2695Free Consultation Request
Helping Seniors Make Better-Informed Medicare Decisions
Trying to pick a health insurance plan can be a chore for anyone. For many people, just mentioning the word "open enrollment" sends shivers down the spine. It seems like there's always a nagging feeling that you're wasting money, choosing a plan with poor in-network care, or both. One would think that health insurance gets easier as you approach retirement age, but the truth is that picking an initial Medicare coverage plan can be daunting.
Unfortunately, the confusing process of signing up for Medicare causes many seniors to forego healthcare coverage altogether. After all, Medicare enrollment can involve several federal agencies, including the Social Security Administration (or SSA) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (or CMS).
At Senior Medicare Insurance Services, our passion is guiding seniors through the confusion of Medicare. That way, they can enjoy retirement with peace of mind knowing they are protected and ready for life after 65. We work with dozens of insurance companies, giving our clients the chance to choose a plan that best fits their lifestyle.
We choose to design our senior insurance plans with a focus on optimal benefits structure, lower costs, and personalized service. Some independent insurance agencies see their aging customers as nothing more than a financial transaction waiting to happen. In contrast, we treat each of our clients with respect and dignity as we help them navigate the confusing waters of Medicare. Combined with individualized service, we help older Americans make well-informed decisions about insurance. Whether you're in need of senior Medicare Supplement Plan insurance in Beaufort or simply have questions about signing up for Medicare, our team is here to help.
- Helping Seniors Make Better-Informed Medicare Decisions
- What is Medicare?
- The amount of money you pay for your health care depends on several factors, including
- Senior Medicare Supplement Plan Insurance in Beaufort
- Important Information About Senior Supplement Plan Insurance
- Senior Medicare Advantage Plan Insurance in Beaufort, SC
- How Medicare Advantage Plans Work
- Medicare Advantage Plan Insurance Rules
- Paying for Your Senior Medicare Advantage Plan Insurance
- The Senior Medicare Insurance Services Commitment
What is Medicare?
If you're approaching the golden years of your life, it's important you understand what Medicare is if you don't already.
Medicare is a federal health insurance program reserved for people older than 65 who have worked full-time for at least ten years. The Medicare program is paid for by a combination of worker payroll tax, premiums paid by Medicare enrollees, and the U.S. government.
There are four parts of Medicare:
This type of Medicare is free for most U.S. citizens. Medicare Part A helps older adults pay for care in a nursing facility, hospital visits, and some forms of in-home senior care.
This tier costs around $100 per month. It covers different outpatient services like lab tests, preventative care, doctor's visits, mental health care, clinical trials, and some forms of surgery.
This type of Medicare is most often called Medicare Advantage. This tier of Medicare allows seniors to choose health plans provided by insurance companies like Senior Medicare Insurance Services. Individuals who use Medicare Advantage commonly use Medicare supplement plan insurance to help pay for health care costs that Original Medicare won't cover, like coinsurance, deductibles, and copayments.
Sometimes called "PDPs," these plans add drug coverage to standard Medicare, some Medicare Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS), some Medicare Cost Plans, and Medicare Medical Savings Account Plans (MSA).
The amount of money you pay for your health care depends on several factors, including:
- What kind of care you need, and how often it is needed.
- The type of Medicare coverage you choose.
- Whether there are alternative insurance policies that will help fill gaps in your coverage
- Whether a doctor agrees to charge you the same amount that Medicare will cover for a medical service
At Senior Medicare Insurance Services, we offer a number of health insurance solutions for seniors. Two of our most used services include Medicare Advantage plan insurance and Medicare supplement plan insurance.
Senior Medicare Supplement Plan Insurance in Beaufort
Sometimes called Medigap, the purpose of Medicare Supplement Insurance is to help fill in "gaps" that might not be covered by Original Medicare. You can think of a Medigap policy as a supplement for your Original Medicare benefits.
Private companies like Senior Medicare Insurance Services sell this type of insurance right here in South Carolina. While Original Medicare will pay for much of the cost associated with health care services you need, it may not cover all of your expenses. Generally, Medigap policies do not cover costs stemming from eyeglasses, private-duty nurses, dental care, hearing aids, or long-term care.
Depending on the Medicare Supplement Plan that you choose, it may cover out-of-the-country medical services when you travel abroad. Assuming you have Original Medicare coverage, your policy will cover its share of Medicare-approved health care costs. Once your Original Medicare coverage reaches its limit, your Medigap policy will pay its share of the fees.
Our Medigap policies are drafted to meet your specific needs, and can help cover remaining health care costs such as:
Deductibles
Copayments
Coinsurance
Important Information About Senior Supplement Plan Insurance
To dispel some confusion, you should know that a Medigap policy is not the same as a Medicare Advantage Plan. The latter helps you receive Medicare benefits, while the former supplements the benefits you obtain through your Original Medicare plan. As you begin to explore Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans, keep the following important information in mind:
As you begin to explore Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans, keep the following important information in mind:
- To qualify for a Medigap policy, you must first have Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B.
- Payments on your Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan will be made to the private insurance company that you choose, like Senior Medicare Insurance Services. These payments are made every month and are paid in addition to the monthly payment you make for Medicare Part B.
- If you are the holder of a Medicare Advantage Plan, it is illegal for an insurance company to sell you a senior Medicare Supplement Policy. If you plan on switching back to an Original Medicare plan, you may be able to purchase a Medigap policy.
- If you have health problems as you age, your standardized Medigap policy is guaranteed to be renewable. So long as you pay your monthly premium, your insurance provider cannot cancel your policy.
- Medigap policies only cover one person. If you have a spouse or family member that would like coverage, they must purchase a separate policy.
- You may only buy a Senior Medicare Supplement Plan from an insurance agent that is licensed to sell them in your state. Senior Medicare Insurance Services has been licensed to sell Medigap policies in South Carolina for years. We have helped countless seniors get the Medicare coverage they need and continue to do so to this day.
- In the past, Medigap policies were able to cover costs related to prescription drugs. As of January 1st, 2006, prescription drug coverage is not available on Medicare Supplement Plans. The best way to get coverage for your prescription drugs is to join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, often called Part D. Contact our office today to learn more about paying premiums on Medigap and Medicare plans.
For many people, the best time to buy senior Medicare Supplement Plan Insurance in Beaufort is during the 7 months Medigap Open Enrollment Period. This period starts the day you turn 65 years old, so long as you hold Medical Insurance (Medicare Part B). Generally, during the enrollment period, you get more policy choices and better pricing. Once the enrollment period is over, you may not be able to purchase a Medigap policy. Contact Senior Medicare Insurance Services today to determine if you qualify for a Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan.
Senior Medicare Advantage Plan Insurance in Beaufort, SC
A Medicare Advantage Plan is a kind of Medicare health coverage designed to provide seniors with all their Part A and Part B Medicare benefits. Many Medicare Advantage Plans will often include coverage of the following:
- Preferred Provider Organizations
- Special Needs Plans
- Private Fee-for-Service
- Medicare Medical Savings Account Plans
- Health Maintenance Organizations
In addition, most Medicare Advantage Plans give seniors coverage for their prescription drug needs. When you enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan through Senior Medicare Insurance Services, your Medicare benefits are covered through your plan and will not be paid for by traditional Medicare.
How Medicare Advantage Plans Work
Sometimes called "MA Plans" or "Part C," Medicare Advantage Plans are considered an "all in one" solution to Original Medicare. Senior Medicare Advantage Plans are only offered by private companies that are approved, like Senior Medicare Insurance Services. Seniors who enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan are still on Medicare. However, these individuals enjoy bundled plans that give seniors the benefits of hospital insurance (Medicare Part A), medical insurance (Medicare Part B), and sometimes drug coverage (Part D).
Medicare Advantage Plans are very popular because they cover all Medicare services and make life a little easier for seniors who have trouble understanding the nuances of Medicare.
When you contact Senior Medicare Insurance Services to choose your Medicare Advantage Plan, ask your agent about Medicare prescription drug coverage. Unless you already have drug coverage (Part D), you should seriously consider Part D coverage to help reduce costs associated with prescription drugs. You may also want to consider a Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan to help fill gaps in coverage that Original Medicare will not cover.
Medicare Advantage Plan Insurance Rules
Medicare works by paying a set amount of money to the companies that offer senior Medicare Advantage Plan insurance in Beaufort. That money is used to pay for the care services that you need. Because Medicare Advantage Plans are different, you should expect out-of-pocket costs to vary depending on the plan you choose.
Different plans have different rules for how you receive services, such as:
If you must go to facilities, suppliers, or doctors that belong to your Advantage Plan for non-urgent and non-emergency care.-
Whether you must get a referral to see a specialized doctor
Companies that offer Medicare Advantage Plans must follow strict rules, which are set by Medicare and can change every year.
Paying for Your Senior Medicare Advantage Plan Insurance
How much you pay for your Medicare Advantage Plan varies and depends on a few different factors. In most cases, if you need a kind of medical service, you will need to rely on the doctors and providers in your plan's service area and network to pay the lowest amounts. In some cases, if you choose to use a service outside of your plan's network of coverage, you may have to pay out-of-pocket.
We encourage you to contact our office today to learn more about Medicare Advantage Plans, how they work, what your options are, and how often you will have to pay out-of-pocket, if at all.
The Senior Medicare Insurance Services Commitment
Since our company was founded, we have led the insurance industry by providing our clients with the most valuable, helpful insurance solutions available. We are fully committed to our current and prospective clients by:
Choosing to focus on personalized, one-on-one service. When you work with our team, know that we will always design your health insurance plan with your best interests in mind.-
Listening to your specific needs. -
Responding to all inquiries and questions promptly and with a friendly attitude. -
Providing you with the best customer service in the senior health insurance industry, whether you have questions or are ready to move forward with a Medicare plan.
Our mission is to help give seniors the best Medicare assistance available so that they may understand the Medicare process and make an informed health coverage decision. We have the knowledge, skills, and experience to assist anyone interested in Medicare. Our personal goal is to become a lifetime resource for our clients and give them greater confidence in choosing their insurance plans.
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 8 organizations which offer 82 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.
Latest News in Beaufort, SC
This fast-growing doughnut/coffee shop chain is coming soon to Okatie. Here are the details
Karl Pucketthttps://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/community/beaufort-news/article296604349.html
Parlor Doughnuts, a craft doughnut and coffee chain with shops sprinkled across the country including a growing footprint in South Carolina, is opening its first shop in Beaufort County — and it’s just getting started in the Lowcountry.Lee and Amanda Hicks of Beaufort are franchisees for the Parlor Doughnuts whose territory includes Beaufort, Hilton Head and Savannah. The couple plans to open the first of at least three shops it is planning in the Beaufort-Hilton Head-Savannah region during the first quarter of 2025. That ...
Parlor Doughnuts, a craft doughnut and coffee chain with shops sprinkled across the country including a growing footprint in South Carolina, is opening its first shop in Beaufort County — and it’s just getting started in the Lowcountry.
Lee and Amanda Hicks of Beaufort are franchisees for the Parlor Doughnuts whose territory includes Beaufort, Hilton Head and Savannah. The couple plans to open the first of at least three shops it is planning in the Beaufort-Hilton Head-Savannah region during the first quarter of 2025. That shop will be located in Okatie Center at 201 Okatie Village Drive, across from the road from the Food Lion and right next to Sun City.
The Okatie location will mark Parlor Doughnuts’ first location in Beaufort County and its third in South Carolina. The existing shops are in Greenville and Pawleys Island. Additional shops are planned in Johns Island and Summerville.
Parlor’s doughnuts are different and so is the atmosphere of the shops.
Parlor is known for its famous “layered doughnuts” with layers of buttery dough fried to a crisp on the outside but light and fluffy on the inside, and more than 20 toppings.
“It’s really a different doughnut,” Lee Hicks says.
More than 20 toppings range from maple bacon to bourbon caramel to honey glazed to Hicks’ favorite “chocolate chocolate.” “The toppings,” Hicks says, “are amazing.”
The shops are different, too. The Parlor name comes from the well-furnished “parlor” rooms in many 1900s Victorian homes where people received guests and talked. Parlor describes its shops as “a vintage American space that feels like a ‘parlor’ but with a modern twist.”
Besides layered doughnuts, specialty coffee and and artisanal breakfast treats, the menu will include various vegan, gluten and keto-diet friendly options.
Parlor started in Evansville, Indiana, in 2019 when Darrick Hayden, his son Noah, and restaurateur Josh Tudela combined a passion for high-quality doughnuts and specialty coffee. Parlor now operates 59 shops in 14 states and has been approved to franchise in all 50 states.
The Okatie shop is under construction, Lee Hicks said, and “it’s moving forward pretty quickly.”
The couple moved to Beaufort in June 2023 specifically to open at least three new doughnut shops in the region.
“I think it will be a big hit,” said Hicks, who grew up in Greenville. “They have a great brand, great product. They do extremely well in coastal communities.”
Lee and Amanda, Georgia residents at the time, were introduced to Parlor doughnuts while vacationing in South Carolina at Pawleys Island, which is 23 miles south of Myrtle Beach. They were looking for a career change and contacted Parlor Doughnuts and learned that the Beaufort-Hilton Head-Savannah territory was one of the last remaining markets left for franchises in South Carolina. The couple decided to go for it. “We thought it was a great market,” Hicks said.
This story was originally published December 5, 2024, 11:26 AM.
No city does Christmas quite like Beaufort, SC. Even snow! Spectacle starts this weekend
Karl Pucketthttps://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/community/beaufort-news/article296309574.html
No city seems to do holidays quite like Beaufort: From Christmas tree and menorah lightings in Waterfront Park to a unique musical depicting the last Christmas on a Civil War-era plantation to a parade featuring boats bedecked in lights to spectacular fireworks over the Beaufort River, the historic city on the coast of South Carolina throws out all the stops.The holiday spectacle begins Saturday.Here’s a sampling of some of the larger and most popular traditions in the city you don’t want to miss throughout December...
No city seems to do holidays quite like Beaufort: From Christmas tree and menorah lightings in Waterfront Park to a unique musical depicting the last Christmas on a Civil War-era plantation to a parade featuring boats bedecked in lights to spectacular fireworks over the Beaufort River, the historic city on the coast of South Carolina throws out all the stops.
The holiday spectacle begins Saturday.
Here’s a sampling of some of the larger and most popular traditions in the city you don’t want to miss throughout December.
Santa will be outside the Beaufort Candy Shoppe, 103 West St. Ext., from 1-5 p.m.
It’s Artists Sunday from noon- 4 p.m. in downtown Beaufort. Enjoy a pop-up market at The Arsenal on Craven Street. Food trucks and street musicians are part of the fun and local artists will be selling holiday gifts. The Arsenal was built in 1798 to house the Beaufort Volunteer Artillery after it fought with the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. Today, it is home to the Beaufort History Museum and Visitor Center.
The Gullah Kinfolk Christmas Wish is an interactive musical depicting the last Christmas before the beginning of the Civil War among the enslaved at a South Carolina plantation. 7 p.m., USCB Center for the Arts. Tickets: https://www.gullahkinfolktravelingtheater.org/christmas. “It’s the last Christmas before the Civil War ... South Carolina has just seceded from the Union ... Master’s in the Big House talking war, servants in the Quarters talking freedom coming.” The play is performed by the Gullah Kinfolk Traveling Theater.
Celebrate Night on the Town as streets close at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. Merchants will be open, most offering complimentary food and drinks. On Bay Street, there will be plenty of food and activity booths hosted by non-profit organizations, and downtown restaurants will be open. The Parris Island Marine Corps Band will perform and there will be a reading of “The Night Before Christmas.” The evening concludes with the popular tree lighting at 8:30 p.m. —and there will be snow, the city promises.
? Celebrate and honor Gullah holiday traditions from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. with the Gullah Taste of Christmas and Rice Cook-off.
? Santa photos outside Beaufort Candy Shoppe, 103 West St. Ext., 1-5 p.m.
? The Lighted Boat Parade, hosted by the Beaufort Water festival, begins at 5:30 p.m. Grab a seat along the seawall at Waterfront Park.
The annual Christmas parade begins at 3 p.m. and typically concludes about 5 p.m. Santa will be riding atop a Beaufort-Port Royal fire truck.
View more than 150 Nativity displays from around the world will be displayed at First Presbyterian Church of Beaufort, 1201 North St. from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 6-7 and from noon-3 p.m. Dec. 8.
? Wreaths Across America at Beaufort National Cemetery at noon.
? Santa photos outside Beaufort Candy Shoppe, 103 West St. Ext., 1-4 p.m.
Santa photos outside Beaufort Candy Shoppe, 103 West St. Ext., 1-4 p.m.
Chabad Greater Hilton Head will hold the Chanukah menorah lighting, 5-6:30 p.m., Waterfront Park.
Fireworks at Waterfront Park.
Beaufort’s BIG holiday weekend celebration around the corner
Explore Beaufort -https://explorebeaufortsc.com/beauforts-big-holiday-weekend-celebration-around-the-corner-2/
The town is getting ready for the holidays and everyone is looking forward to the upcoming City of Beaufort Holiday Weekend Celebration. But there’s a few other happenings that will help you show your holiday spirit.The weekend of December 6th through 8th will be packed with music, food, entertainment, shopping, parades – and Santa, of course!Friday night, December 6th The weekend kicks off with Night on the Town at 6 p.m....
The town is getting ready for the holidays and everyone is looking forward to the upcoming City of Beaufort Holiday Weekend Celebration. But there’s a few other happenings that will help you show your holiday spirit.
The weekend of December 6th through 8th will be packed with music, food, entertainment, shopping, parades – and Santa, of course!
Friday night, December 6th The weekend kicks off with Night on the Town at 6 p.m. on Friday. Bay Street will be closed to traffic. Downtown retailers will be open. Roving choirs will be singing Christmas carols and other performers will also be taking the stage as well.
The Community Bible Church Soul Patrol Puppet Team will perform at Bay and Carteret streets. Food will be available along Bay Street from vendors. Parents can bring their kiddies to have their pictures taken with Santa from 6-8 p.m. And, a recital of “The Night Before Christmas” will occur on the main stage just before the Christmas tree lighting culminates the evening around at 8pm
Saturday, December 7th The Gullah Taste of Christmas kicks off at 11 a.m. at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park. With live music, a Rice Cookoff, food vendors, a kid’s village and more, the event is a beautiful celebration of Gullah traditions that will have you singing and dancing with joy.
Then, the super-popular Christmas Boat Parade begins at 5:30 p.m. – grab a seat at the park to get a great view.
Sunday, December 8th The annual Christmas Parade, led by Santa and featuring local bands and lots of floats, begins at 3 p.m. in downtown Beaufort.
There’s more!
During the Night on the Town Celebration, catch a Christmas double feature under the stars as J.P. Signature Group at Keller Williams Realty is hosting two free movies with The Grinch and The Santa Clause. Refreshments and popcorn will also be served.
Also, capture the magic with Santa himself outside the Beaufort Candy Shoppe on select dates. Share your wishes and spread joy with Santa on November 30th (1-5pm), December 6th (6-8pm), December 7th (1-5pm), and December 21st (noon-4pm).
Christmas in the South is amazing, and so is all of the fun at Beaufort’s Holiday Weekend.
Find more Holiday fun in Beaufort SC
On Saturday, December 14th at Noon, Wreaths Across America will be at Beaufort National Cemetery to Remember and Honor our veterans through the laying of Remembrance wreaths on the graves of our country’s fallen heroes and through the act of saying the name of each and every veteran aloud.
Volunteers are needed for the afternoon, and everyone is invited to the ceremony and also to help place the wreaths on as many graves as possible.
More than 26,000 wreaths will be needed to mark the graves of those veterans and family members interred in the cemetery. Beaufort National Cemetery is the final resting place for more than 26,000 military members and their spouses. Those interred represent every conflict from the Civil War to current combat casualties.
The mission of the National Wreaths Across America program is to remember our fallen heroes, honor them, and teach others of the sacrifices they have made for our Country. Started at Arlington National Cemetery in 1992, each year during the holiday season, wreaths are placed on veterans’ grave sites at more than 1,400 locations across the United States, at sea and around the world.
The Beaufort National Cemetery joined the national Wreaths Across America celebration about 18 years ago and has been participating in the Wreaths Across America ceremony ever since.
Over 26,000 wreaths were laid at Beaufort National Cemetery at last year’s Wreaths Across America Day. Before last year, 2019 saw more than 21,000, which had been the most to date.
Numbers are falling behind this year, and every headstone is deserving of a remembrance wreath.
Play your part and honor a veteran
You can honor our veterans by sponsoring wreaths.
Individuals or groups that wish to purchase one or more wreaths for the Wreaths Across America Beaufort event can do so by visiting this link. For updates on this year’s ceremony in Beaufort and to learn more about the organization, please visit Wreaths Across America Beaufort’s website.
Each wreath is hand-crafted of all-American balsam and hand-tied with a red velvet bow in Columbia Falls, Maine. It will then be sent to one of the participating locations where a volunteer will place it on the marker of a fallen hero. That volunteer will then “say their name” to ensure that the legacy of duty, service and sacrifice of that veteran is never forgotten.
Sponsoring a wreath means you’ll honor an American hero this year on Wreaths Across America Day.
That’s really special.
A Weekend Retreat to the Island Town Dubbed the ‘Queen of the Carolina Sea’
Michelle Grosshttps://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/things-to-do-in-beaufort-south-carolina
Welcome to Two Days Away, our series featuring weekend-long itineraries within a five-hour drive of your city—because sometimes we all just need a little adventure fix.Like a great book that you ju...
Welcome to Two Days Away, our series featuring weekend-long itineraries within a five-hour drive of your city—because sometimes we all just need a little adventure fix.
Like a great book that you just can’t put down, some small towns are filled with so much personality that their stories jump off the page. And there’s perhaps no town where local lore and larger-than-life characters are begging to be told than Beaufort, South Carolina.
Once upon a time, Beaufort was the home of a former slave turned American war hero and politician Robert Smalls, who became the first Black captain of a Union war vessel during the Civil War. Harriet Tubman also lived in Beaufort and led the Combahee River Raid, a military operation that saw hundreds of enslaved people rescued. Add in that it’s the birthplace of legendary boxer Joe Frazier and home to Pat Conroy, the beloved author of literary masterpieces The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini. And to top it all off, Beaufort has also made its silver screen debut in films from Forrest Gump to The Big Chill.
Sandwiched between Savannah and Charleston in the South, Beaufort is the second oldest city in South Carolina and its rich history makes that abundantly clear. Officially founded in 1711, it has retained so much of its original character and charm that it’s since earned the nickname “Queen of the Carolina Sea Islands.” It’s a small town with a lot of stories to tell, and from the moment you set foot here, you know you’ve landed someplace special. Soak it all in with these fun things to do in Beaufort, South Carolina.
Travel time
45 minutes from Savannah, Georgia1 hour and 20 minutes from Charleston, South Carolina4 hours and 30 minutes from Atlanta, Georgia
If you only do one thing: Take a self-guided walking tour through history
Head downtown and waste an afternoon wandering past the stately manor homes lining Bay Street. Be sure to stop into some of the local art galleries, restaurants, and shops and get your soda and ice cream fix at Southern Sweets Ice Cream and Sandwich Shop before you mosey on over to one of the swing benches in Waterfront Park. Keep your eyes peeled for dolphins and enjoy the view of the Woods Memorial Bridge, which you might recognize from the penultimate running scene in Forrest Gump. If you want to dig into the local history, there are a few tour operators to choose from, including an excellent Historic Golf Cart Tour and Pat Conroy’s Beaufort By Gold Cart Tour. Conheads should head to the Pat Conroy Literary Center downtown, which hosts writers and events and serves as a touching tribute to Beaufort’s very own literary legend.
Fill the weekend with
One of the best ways to experience Beaufort is by the water, and from a pet-friendly river excursion (for well-behaved dogs) to renting a kayak and exploring the local creeks and lowlying marshes, there’s no shortage of ways to experience the Lowcountry.
Meanwhile on land, the Spanish Moss Trail is a 10-mile pedestrian greenway set along the old train tracks that’s easily one of the best pet-friendly walking trails in town. South Carolina’s most popular state park, Hunting Island State Beach offers five miles of white sand, a historic lighthouse, and plenty of opportunity to hunt for shark teeth that have a tendency to wash ashore here. Best of all, the beach and campgrounds here are pet-friendly. Make your way to South Beach, otherwise known as “the boneyard” where you’ll find fewer people and plenty of pine trees and tide pools for you and your pet to frolic in. On your way to or from this beguiling beach, Beedos Burgers serves the best fried chicken sandos and soft serve, along with an outdoor patio to park you and your pups as you eat.
Beaufort may not have a traditional movie theater, but Highway 21 Drive In is not only pet-friendly but a trip down memory lane that is well worth a visit when you’re in town. Over in Port Royal, Shellring is Beaufort’s go-to pet-friendly brewery. In addition to the rotating menu of delicious food via their on-site food truck and always changing array of craft beer, it has some killer views and a lineup of live music and entertainment that ranges from trivia nights and goat yoga.
Where to eat and drink in Beaufort
For your caffeine fix: Herban Market offers freshly baked pastries, excellent vegan options, and an out-of-this-world avocado brownie, all of which you can enjoy on this spot’s pet-friendly patio. Lowcountry Cider Co. & Superior Coffee, which recently added a location downtown, is a great spot to grab a coffee and pick up some cute Southern souvenirs.
For lowcountry fare: For a small town, Beaufort has a number of seriously great eats you can only find here. You can’t miss the green fried tomatoes at Lowcountry Produce. For some tried and true southern fare, Panini's on the Waterfront offers river deck tables and a dedicated doggie menu, plus great po boys and shrimp and grits for the humans. Over on Lady’s Island, Locals Raw Bar is an excellent spot serving up the freshest seafood in town. If you’re around on the first Sunday of the month, don’t want to miss this spot’s lowcountry boil.
For imbibing: Come dinnertime, Old Bull Tavern is beloved by Beaufortonians (this local writer included). But beyond the solid menu and stellar vibes, it’s also known for serving up the best painkiller in all the land. Grab a spot on the patio on cooler nights and don’t leave without ordering the butterscotch pudding for dessert. If you’re looking for some live music and a solid dive, you’ll find it at The Fillin’ Station. Post up with a bucket of beer on the back porch overlooking the marsh and enjoy the views.
Where to stay
For a charming room: A historic mansion in downtown Beaufort, Cuthbert House is a swoon-worthy 18th-century mansion dripping in Lowcountry charm at every turn. Inside this bayside beauty, you’ll find spacious pet-friendly suites and guest rooms, along with one of Beaufort’s most convivial spots to sip sweet tea and enjoy complimentary wine and hors d'oeuvres. On breezy nights, do as the locals do, enjoy a glass of wine or whiskey on the porch, and watch the swaying moss and boats in the bay pass you by.
To find luxury for pets and people: Set along the May River as the crow flies from Beaufort, Montage Palmetto Bluff is spread across 20,000 acres and offers a mix of pet-friendly inn rooms, cottages, guest houses, and suites. The hotel is also home to a Canine Ambassador program, most recently including Finch the Golden Retriever and Bodie the Miniature Sheepadoodle, both of whom can be found roaming this expansive property. Best of all, furry members of the family are treated to custom-baked treats and a pet cuisine menu that includes homemade biscuits and fresh beef, rice, and vegetables when they come to stay.
Want more Thrillist? Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat.
Michelle Gross is a travel writer and Beaufort, South Carolina resident by way of New York City. You can read all about her southern escapades in her monthly newsletter The Beau Yorker.
Disclaimer:
