Summer in the South has a way of sneaking up on you. Around late July you start thinking “we’ve made it through the worst of it. Fall will be here soon.”

Maybe it’s all the Back to School activities, the excitement of football season looming, or just a defense mechanism we’ve developed to survive in the sweltering heat. Regardless the origin of this false hope, I’m here to warn you to resist complacency. As soon as you let your guard down and start daydreaming about campfires and pumpkins, August will smack you right across the face with its big, sweaty hand.

If you are thinking I sound like I’ve been personally victimized by August, you are right. You see, I let my guard down.

The last few weeks of July were milder than normal. Thoughts of mosquito free evenings and crisp fall mornings crept into my mind. In my delirium, I decided we should take a camping trip to the beach before summer faded away.

We packed up and headed to Edisto Beach State Park, excited to enjoy the crashing waves and ocean breeze. Instead we singed our feet on the hot sand and nearly melted into puddles of sweat.

Don’t get me wrong. The campground and beach were beautiful. We even were treated to an awe-inspiring rainbow, gorgeous sunrises and tiny sea turtle hatchlings being rescued from their nests.

But it was just too hot.

It was manageable on the beach with the breeze coming off the water, but once we climbed back over the dunes to our campsite the heat became unbearable. But did I mention the walk to the beach from our site was literally less than 60 seconds? You can’t beat that!

We did decide to check out the Edisto Island Serpentarium on Saturday morning to distract ourselves from the oppressive heat (and humidity). They had a great collection of snakes, alligators, crocodiles, turtles, and more. The toddler enjoyed checking out the critters, as did Mom and Dad. (Tip: If you have a state park pass, they offer a 15 percent discount and kids 4 and under are free.)

We scoped out some great sites and can’t wait to plan another trip in the late Fall or Spring.

So, for those of you suffering with us, stay vigilant! Officially, there are 39 days left until Fall, but let’s be honest, sometimes Fall doesn’t show up at all. It was 80+ degrees on Halloween last year.

So, until that magically day when we wake up and discover jacket weather has arrived, you can find us huddled around our air vents and fans. And next August we’ll be smarter and head to the mountains!