Hey Palmetto Parents,

School’s out for the summer! For those who have kids that wrapped up school this week, we hope it was a great last week and that this week is a great kick off to summer. In this week’s newsletter we have info about $1 movies at Regal theaters, a Hurricane Expo & Family Fun Day at Ashley River Park, and why you should keep The Kickin’ Chicken on your radar. Enjoy!

If you haven’t gone strawberry picking yet at Westbury Farms, add that to your list before their season ends! We’ve gone 3 times so far and the berries just keep getting better and better. Today I’m working on a peanut butter strawberry crisp with the rest of our strawberries and I’m already drooling thinking about it.

One note from last week: We had an error in our article about Whirlin’ Waters! Something we saw online said you can bring your own coolers in but you cannot so prepare to eat at the snack shack there. You can usually get away with your own waters and some small snacks in a pool bag but no big food can be brought in. Thanks to our reader that went recently and let us know!

Give your kids a summer to remember with the Charleston RiverDogs baseball team! The Kids Club (ages 12 and under) offers Sunday game admission, exclusive experiences, player meet-and-greets, and more. Or sign them up for Summer Youth Baseball Camps — expert coaching, daily competitions, and skills they'll carry off the field all summer long.

Summer break is here, and if you're looking for a way to fill a weekday morning without spending much, this one is hard to beat.

Regal's Summer Movie Express is back, and this year they made a notable change: instead of just two days a week, you can catch $1 movies Monday through Thursday at 11am from June 1 through August 13. That's four chances each week to get your kids into an air-conditioned theater for cheap. Every single title is a family film, and the lineup this summer is strong.

On top of the $1 admission, all Summer Movie Express attendees get $3 off a Snack Pack which includes a junior-sized drink, popcorn, and fruit gummies and/or a cup of Dippin' Dots. So you're walking out of a movie theater without breaking the bank, which as a parent feels borderline miraculous.

Here's the full schedule so you can plan ahead:

One thing worth knowing from personal experience: buy your tickets ahead of time. It's easy to think of a $1 movie as a casual drop-in, but these shows fill up. We went without pre-purchasing and our group had to split up because there weren't enough seats together. Having four showings per week does give you more flexibility than in past years, but if you're coming with a group or just want to guarantee you're sitting together, grab tickets online before you go.

You can find purchase tickets and find more information here.

The Hidden Advantage Experienced Realtors Have Right Now

There's something interesting happening in today's real estate market. Easy markets reward speed. Difficult markets reward judgment. And that's an important distinction. Because a lot of agents right now feel pressure to become someone completely different just to survive this market — more scripts, more automation, more content, more hacks. Now don't get me wrong, some of those things absolutely help. But many experienced realtors are sitting on something far more valuable than a new marketing trend: perspective. The kind that only comes from years of walking people through real-life decisions during uncertain times.

You've seen financing issues before. You've seen inspections derail deals. You've watched buyers panic and sellers overprice. You've navigated shifting markets, changing rates, and emotional conversations. And after enough transactions, something begins to happen — you start recognizing patterns before problems fully appear. That's not luck. That's experience compounding. A newer agent may know how to generate attention online. But experienced agents often know something even more important: how to calm uncertainty, how to ask better questions, how to navigate emotion, how to protect relationships during stressful moments, and how to keep a deal moving forward when everyone involved feels ready to quit. In this market, those skills matter more than they did a few years ago.

Because the truth is, most people don't just need someone to unlock a door right now. They need someone who can help them make sense of uncertainty — someone who can provide clarity when headlines, interest rates, and market noise start overwhelming good decision-making. That's why difficult markets often reveal the true value of experience. Wisdom becomes visible. The advantage of being new is energy. The advantage of staying in the business long enough is perspective. And perspective is incredibly valuable when life — and the market — gets complicated. So perhaps the question isn't simply, "Who can help me buy or sell a home?" Maybe the better question is: "Who do I trust to help me make wise decisions when the market feels uncertain?" Because in moments like these, experience matters.

If you’re thinking about buying or selling your home, talk to Ernest Govan, who’s been a agent for 12 years in the area.

Saturday, June 6 | 10am–1pm | Ashley River Park | Free with $2 park admission

Hurricane season is almost here, and Dorchester County has put together one of the better reasons to spend a Saturday morning at the park.

The Hurricane Prep Expo & Family Fun Day is happening on Saturday, June 6 from 10am–1pm at Ashley River Park, and it's free with the standard $2 park admission. The event brings together local first responders, emergency personnel, nonprofits, and community organizations — basically everyone who shows up before, during, and after a storm — all in one place where you can actually walk up, ask questions, and get real information hurricane season.

For the adults, it's a genuinely useful hour or two. Knowing what's in your hurricane kit, understanding your evacuation zone, and having a plan. This event makes it easy to get that information without having to dig for it on your own. WCSC Live 5 meteorologist Bill Walsh will also be on-site, which means you can ask the person who actually explains weather for a living what you should really be paying attention to this season.

For the kids, there are inflatables, train rides around the pond, face painting, balloon art, and food, so they'll have plenty to keep them busy while you're gathering information. There’s also lots of emergency vehicles on site for the kids to see and explore while meeting first responders. It's the kind of event where the kids think they're just having a fun morning at the park, and you're actually crossing something useful off your list.

If you want a preview of what to expect, Dorchester County shared a video from last year's expo that shows the atmosphere really well. Ashley River Park is a beautiful spot on its own, so you can go enjoy the expo and then enjoy the playground, splash pad, or take a walk around the pond afterwards!

Over Memorial Day weekend we were out running errands in Summerville and needed somewhere easy and family-friendly for dinner. On the way to Half Moon Outfitters, we passed the Kickin' Chicken and remembered it existed, and we were so glad we stopped in.

We had been a couple of years ago but hadn't gone back since they did a renovation, which is honestly not for any good reason. Daniel and I are both big wing fans, so the fact that we let this place fall off our radar was a little surprising.

The menu is exactly what you want when you just need a good, uncomplicated meal. Kickin' Chicken is a Lowcountry-based chain that has built its reputation around wings done right — tossed in a long list of sauces ranging from classic buffalo and honey BBQ to lemon pepper, teriyaki, garlic parmesan, and their signature Kickin' sauce for anyone who wants heat. Beyond wings, the menu covers tenders, burgers, sandwiches, wraps, and a solid lineup of sides. Nothing fussy, nothing that requires explanation, just really good American comfort food.

The boys were thrilled with the kids menu. One went cheeseburger, one went chicken tenders, and both cleaned their plates without negotiation, which is all a parent can really ask for. I got the house salad with generous portions and gourmet croutons with lemon pepper and teriyaki wings on the side, and Daniel went with tenders tossed in honey BBQ. Simple, satisfying, no complaints from anyone at the table.

What makes Kickin' Chicken especially good for families is the separate arcade game room. It's a full room of games that turns a wing dinner into an actual outing. We will be honest — we did not let the boys discover it existed on this particular trip, mostly because we wanted to actually finish our food and get back to errands. But as they get older, this is exactly the kind of place we'd plan a whole family dinner night around. Good food plus games in one spot is a combination that's hard to beat.

The Summerville location is at 1405 N. Main St. Hours are Sunday–Thursday 11am–10pm and Friday–Saturday 11am–11pm. You can find the full Summerville menu and details here.

This past week, I got to go to the beach twice—once with friends and once with my family. Both times, somewhere around halfway through being there, I had the same strange realization: I wasn’t really taking full breaths.

I don’t mean emotionally. I mean physically.

I finally stopped for a moment, looked out at the waves, and intentionally took a few deep breaths. Only then did I fully notice that unmistakable beach smell—that salty, fresh air that somehow immediately makes your body feel calmer. It honestly startled me to realize how shallow my breathing had been all day. It felt like my body needed permission to relax.

It made me think about how often we’re technically outside without fully experiencing it. We’re pushing swings, carrying snacks, checking phones, reapplying sunscreen, watching kids near water—but not actually slowing down enough to let the outdoors do what it’s so good at doing.

Research has shown that spending time outside can lower stress hormones, improve mood, regulate sleep, and even help us breathe more deeply and calmly. But I’m starting to think part of receiving those benefits is being intentional enough to pause and notice it.

The warmth of the sun.
The smell after it rains.
The sound of waves or cicadas or kids laughing down the street.

Daniel and I joked afterward that regular beach days might actually solve a surprising number of life’s problems. And honestly… I think there’s probably some truth to that.

So this summer, I’m reminding myself not to just get outside, but to fully be outside. To breathe deeper. To slow down. To let my nervous system catch up with the pace I actually want to live at.

Love,

Courtney, Daniel, and the Berk Boys

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