My husband and I spent most of the month of February on Hilton Head Island. We wanted to get away from the Midwest winter snow and cold. We rented a “villa” at Palmetto Dunes Resort. The winter is the slow time on the island, and one can get accommodations for a month for the price of 2 weeks. It didn’t seem “slow” re traffic. The main highway corridor onto and off the island, William Hilton Parkway, was always busy.
The many gated communities on Hilton Head are called plantations. Most of them have a variety of housing (highrise condos and hotels along the beach, smaller villas that are one-story multiplexes, individual houses including large two and three story ones for rent as well as many very nice large houses that have permanent residents), a golf course or two, restaurants and shops, beaches, tennis courts, swimming pools, and other amenities. One must have a gate pass (comes with the rental) or pay for a day pass for entry. We stayed in a Queen’s Grant villa with 2 bedrooms and 1 bath, though there are ones with 2 baths and 3 bedrooms. Our rental came with a bicycle which was ideal as there are biking/walking paths throughout the development plus people walk or ride bikes on the smooth compacted sand at low tide. I collected shells (mostly pieces of shell) for a glass container to display in my home. The beach was about an eight-minute walk from our villa.This beach combing guide was helpful.
This was our first time in the Low Country of South Carolina. We did spend a few days at St. Simon’s Island, Georgia last winter. With Hilton Head as our base, we drove to Charleston and Savannah a few times as well as to Bluffton, Beaufort, and Parris Island. If you have the good fortune to visit this area, here are some tips. Be sure to look in the local tourist booklets for a tide table. There is very little beach on which to walk during high tide; the tides differ each day in two low and high tide cycles. Seek out some of the thrift shops on the island. There are at least half a dozen of them. You will see a side of Hilton Head that defies the stereotype and might find some bargains. The Coastal Discovery Museum is a good introduction to the flora and fauna. I hadn’t realized there were alligators; however, they are semi-dormant in the winter. Toward the end of our stay, we saw 2 from a distance. If you are going to pay the $5 day pass fee for Sea Pines Plantation, hike the preserve and visit Harbour Town early in the day, then return again around sunset. It is one of the few places to see the sun go down as it is oriented West.
Lots of restaurants have early bird specials, but splurge some to taste finer food. Palmetto Dunes has a marina on Broad Creek. It is called Shelter Cove and is outside of the gated area so free access to the public. Ela’s Blue Water Grill facing the marina was delightful. We ate a light lunch of crab fritters and fried green tomatoes followed by key lime pie while sitting on their balcony. The Cottage in Bluffton also has excellent food. We each had a dish that included shrimp. They were the plumpest freshest shrimp I have ever eaten. Don’t miss the Sunday buffet brunch on the marine base on Parris Island. You will need a picture ID, registration and insurance documents for your car to enter the base. Traditions restaurant is waterside and at $12 for unlimited brunch with mimosas a great deal.
Hilton Head and Savannah being further south than Charleston tend to be warmer. The rental prices on Hilton Head seem to be less than Charleston area also. The state of Georgia has a Super Museum Sunday every February with free admission to a vast number of participants on the designated Sunday. If you will be there in February, search the internet for the list. This can save you quite a bit of money (we saved over $30). We allowed ourselves to be talked into hearing a time share presentation because we wanted the free Savannah trolley tour tickets and dolphin cruise tickets. It wasn’t too bad, took about 90 minutes. You will see these kiosks or carts all over Hilton Head on the weekends as there are several time shares on the island.
If you have the stamina, take a walking tour of Charleston. You will see things that a tourist overlooks, such as how houses were protected pre-alarm era. You will learn that if a family is sitting on the piazza, but the street door is shut, you should not try to talk to them or visit as that would be seen as rude.
Though March and April are the time of beautiful blooms and house and garden tours, we did see some flowering trees the second half of February. The Hilton Head resorts also have pansies and other blooms to enjoy.
We came home a few days early because of a spell of rainy days and to avoid driving in ice/snow as we approached home. It is good to be home again, but I do miss the palms, birds, flowers, and feeling that spring is starting. Oh, well, our spring will arrive before too long. Have you been to Hilton Head and area? What did you enjoy?
Most of my shells are probably incongruous ark clams. These were the most plentiful on the beach.
Some might be blood arks as they have very thick shells.
Oyster and coquina shells also fairly common.
I have no whole knobbed whelk but quite a few large pieces. Most have shiny colored “linings”.
I think I have an Atlantic bubble shell, but part of mine is broken off so I am not sure.
One of my favorite finds is the heart cockle because of the rosy inner color.
I knew these were some kind of snail when I picked them up; they are called Shark’s Eye or Moon Shell.
I have one yellow cockle.
I am pleased to learn that this paper-thin white shell is a channeled surf clam or duck clam. I have a whole undamaged one which is somewhat rare because of the fragility of the shell.
Originally I thought the pieces of holey items I picked up were just eroded; now I learn that these are probably pieces of dead coral.
These almost translucent tiny shells were a mystery to me. Turns out they are jingle shells.
