A couple weeks ago we made our first trip ever to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. We have been to many beaches along the South Carolina coast and had yet to visit the island. Tons of people in our area vacation in HHI because of the easy/quick drive from where we live, the family atmosphere, and of course the beach. We almost always try to make a trip to Charleston, SC (my personal favorite) but this year since we have Sawyer, we wanted something a little bit more relaxed and family oriented. Everyone had recommended HHI for our vacation destination. My dad booked a roomy condo in Shipyard Plantation that we all loved. Shipyard was great because it was private and gated, had lots to do if we wanted (bike trails, pools, golf courses, tennis, beach clubhouse, etc) and has easy access to all the places around the island. All the restaurants and shopping you really need are just a bike ride away. Travel Leisure voted Hilton Head the number 1 island in the Continental U.S. and we soon figured out why. We loved how low key and beautiful it was. I am obsessed with the Spanish mosh trees that are draped everywhere and how there were no high rise hotels that took over the beach town. The town is covered in trees and has hardly any lights at night due to sea turtles. It's not a bright, over packed, and rowdy atmosphere whatsoever, the town somewhat shuts down after 9pm (which is perfect for families with kiddos). We spent majority of our days on the beach and trying out some awesome restaurants advised by our friends. Everyone's favorite was Skull Creek Boat House that sits directly on the water, has views of the sunset, live music, and great food. Another must do for a fun filled lunch/dinner was The Frosty Frog Cafe. They have tonnns of frozen drinks to choose from that are perfect for a hot day. I promise you will get your money's worth on those drinks too! Harbour Town is a really cool area too that sits in Sea Pines Plantation where you can check out the lighthouse and PGA golf course, eat, shop, and chose from lots of outdoor activities. The Salty Dog Cafe is a staple there and worth a checkout. We attempted to go on a Salty Dog Booze Cruise with live music that sails around the island and shows off the sunset and dolphins..however right before we were about to set sail, a storm drifted in. I will say it was fun while it lasted as we boarded an hour before departure and started the "booze" cruise early at dock. Since Savannah is only a 45 minute drive from the island, Bryan and I had decided to check it out and celebrate our 5th year wedding anniversary there. Dad and Kim said they would watch Sawyer so we took advantage and drove over to celebrate. Savannah was so much fun and is certainly a fun town to celebrate in (you can even drink on the streets). We only had a few hours to explore so we wondered the streets, found an awesome roof top bar that overlooked the river to watch the sunset, and had the best meal of my entire life at The Olde Pink House Restaurant. I have to brag on this neat place. First off, it's a very southern menu, which is right up my alley, but the history and setting of this 18th century mansion is so cool! It is known to be haunted and was even gifted to President Lincoln for Christmas. A must do if you are ever in the area, just don't forget to make reservations! We ended our vacation at Shelter Cove Town Center. This place is awesome, we actually went there a couple different nights to hang out. It sits right on the marsh and has tons of shopping, ice cream, and restaurants to choose from. My favorite part about this place is the open park that sits on the back side overlooking the marsh. The center hosts nightly events especially suited for kids and everything is mostly free (movie night in the park, blow up bouncy houses and rides, fireworks every Tuesday, and live bands on Thursdays). It's really an awesome place and had what I thought, the best views of the sunset while on the island. If you can't already tell, sunsets are my thing. Anyways, since we were only visiting for one week, there were a lot of things we didn't get to check out that we plan to on our next visit. We had the best time and can't wait to go back to the low country!
0 Comments
|
Archives
August 2018
Categories |