Sullivan's Island, SC is rooted in history. Over the centuries many things have happened along its beaches, where homes and buildings are set safely back behind expanses of tropical flora.

It was no accident. Being situated right at the opening of Charleston harbor, "where the Cooper and Ashley Rivers join to form the Atlantic Ocean," history was bound to come knocking. And indeed it did. Witness Fort Moultrie, which survived and served through all the major wars. A visit here is like an entire crash course in American military history.

Then there's the straight visual shot at Fort Sumter, poised just offshore, with flags flying. Sullivan's is also one of the more significant places in African-American history, the point of entry for the vast majority who entered this country against their free will.

Being on Sullivan's today, there are reminders of her history. Where else is the public library efficiently tucked in an old munitions bunker?

No modern highway connector for this island. Its main access is still by drawbridge.

Thing is, history is comfortably folded into daily life, in a way that can only happen in the South. There is a routine, a small-town feel. Old beach homes that've been passed down for generations, where Charlestonians bring their families to the beach.

And not just Charlestonians. Sullivan's zip code has become one of the most sought-after in the country.

When you experience the spectacle of the polar bear swim on New Year's Day, where thousands of folks (many in outrageous costume) converge on Dunleavy's Pub, then plunge into the Atlantic with a hoop and a holler. when you go to a Sullivan's Island oyster roast and bring your own knife. when you stroll the quiet beaches and watch the ships entering the harbor. or when you hang out at Poe's Tavern, you understand why this place inspired Edgar Allen Poe to write. And why your beach home will inspire you to come back for more, year after year.