#Gates50States

Along the same lines as our North Carolina trip, we weren’t yet into our full-on plan to hit all 50 states when we visited South Carolina.  It was a very fun trip that was very age-appropriate, nonetheless.

We settled on South Carolina as a destination for 2015 because Hilton Head was a beach location that was a closer drive for my sister’s family in middle Tennessee than was going back to North Carolina’s Outer Banks.  Again, my (RG) folks arranged for the house, and we arranged for the meals. If you’re looking for a list of what we bring from home in the dry goods department – check out our North Carolina post.

The beach at Hilton Head is perfect for young kids because the sand is soft, and the slope into the ocean is very, very gradual.  While we’re always careful with kids in the ocean, particularly with kids who can’t yet swim, the South Carolina beach is about as gentle as it gets.

If you’re an Outer Banks fan trying Hilton Head for the first time, the biggest difference was beach access. We had to cross a pretty busy road and traverse a sandy, pine needle strewn path for several hundred yards to get to the beach…for about the same cost as a beachfront property in Corolla. The house itself, however, was beautiful with more of a neighborhood feel. Lots of trees and considerable privacy with easy access to the bike path right out of the driveway. Still though, for me (JG), it just isn’t the same when you can’t hear the waves in the morning sitting on the veranda drinking coffee and watching the dolphins frolic in the surf. Just my opinion though. The rest of the family really seemed to like it. 

A high point of the vacation was our morning trip to Pinckney Island.  Wow, is this a cool place!  Arriving first thing in the morning was a good idea, before it got too hot and while the animals were still active.  We saw a couple of crocodiles, some really creepy spiders, and more birds than any of us could count. While there are miles of trails to explore, there’s only one parking area close to the entrance. In order to really see a good portion of the Reserve, we would highly recommend a bike. We brought our breakfast with us to enjoy at the Reserve, which also helped to get the kids out of the house faster. Overnight Chocolate Cherry and Peach Almond Oatmeal in 6 oz mason jars and fresh fruit was the perfect start to the day.  (Message me for the recipe.)

Getting out for breakfast once during the week was on the agenda, and while our kids weren’t yet the best restaurant performers, we do believe it’s always good to practice.  We settled on the Hilton Head Diner, and the food was good, diner-style eating.  The memories of the event have proven better.  While preparing this post, the kids saw the photo of themselves by the sign (below) and recounted how much fun they had.  I don’t seem to remember all of the fun that they did, but I guess that’s what all of this is about, right?  Accumulating experiences that cause them to look back with smiles and stories.  (More on how we document this for them later.)

 

Clearly there’s been lots of zoning and planning on the island, and one of the nice benefits are the miles of bike trails.  We didn’t have time to make the entire loop, but Jenn and I got some good exercise in while the kids napped one of the days.  Bike rental locations are not difficult to find.

 

A side story to our trip to South Carolina is that it was the first time my sister and brother-in-law had been back to SC since their wedding at Palmetto Bluff, and they wanted to get back in that direction one night for a little celebration.  So the grandparents offered to keep all of the kids, and Jenn and I took the late afternoon and evening to make a drive up to Beaufort.

First, Jenn and I drove over to Hunting Island hoping to climb the lighthouse there, but we missed it by 5 minutes and were out of luck.  So we drove a bit further and stopped at a small parking area having zero idea what was to be found.  After walking a short distance on a boardwalk over the Low Country, we looked out and the mud seemed to be crawling, but with objects that were larger than any insect we’d expect to find around there.  The motion proved to be countless fiddler crabs.  Stunning.  The sun was setting and the landscape was stunning, too. Although we were thankful for some alone time, the kids would have totally loved this place. A family was camped at the end of the boardwalk catching huge crabs for dinner. They were up to 20 by the time we left!!

We didn’t have a restaurant reservation, so we searched Trip Advisor, saw that the Old Bull Tavern had some decent things said about it, and we dropped in to see if they had anything for us.  We were seated at an outdoor table and served some of the more clever drinks and fun recipes we’ve enjoyed in a restaurant.  Highly recommended drinks include the LBG -Lemon, Basil, Ginger and Vodka; the Lucky Peach -Bourbon, Canton Ginger, Peach Nectar, Bitters and Basil; and finally, the Orient Express – Absolut Citron, Canton Ginger, Lychee and Lime. Also not to be missed are the Green Eggs and Ham – Wasabi Deviled Eggs with Prosciutto.  Amazing! After dinner, we walked around the water’s edge at a very nice park, and then had some really good ice cream at Southern Sweets.

Of course, what trip to Hilton Head is complete without a climb of the lighthouse?  While nothing like the Currituck Beach lighthouse, or certainly not like Hatteras, it was a fun side trip and a good photo-op for the kids.

Much like the Outer Banks, when the day to leave arrives, unless you want to be sitting in crawling traffic, make sure to leave really early in the morning.