Hilton Head Island, South Carlina… again!

Regular visitors to #Gates50States will know we have a special liking of Hilton Head Island. We visited with my side of the family very early on in this project, then made some return trips, most memorably that late March week of 2020, when Covid first hit the US and nobody knew just what was coming. Before moving on to ’26 material, let’s take a trip down Memory Lane to 2020…

A whole lot of growing up has occurred over the past six years! We didn’t blog the 2020 trip, mostly because we kept to ourselves and enjoyed the peacefulness of the empty island! Seriously, there was just about nobody there, with everyone so fearful of the virus and of traveling. Restaurants were closed for indoor dining and take-out was in the first days of its infancy. Shops were closed, grocery stores were open, but they weren’t busy because the locals stayed home and I’m pretty sure we were the only tourists around. Fast forward to 2026… the island was a little more populated this time around, but we’ve learned how to find the quiet places to enjoy as we disconnect from the busyness of life for a period of time.

Jenn found a great location in Sea Pines for us to share a home with her side of the family, and we were all set for a relaxing week when a few weeks before we left there was some disturbance in the doctor coverage at the clinic. This forced me to cut my portion of the trip short, but we don’t let work completely spoil a good time, and we all had a good time.

As a parent, this trip got me thinking of bigger picture things. In years past, I didn’t give much thought to these trips being so temporary. The long-term nature of our plan always seemed to have me enjoying the present while also looking forward to the future. There would always be return trips or new experiences. But as Lincoln has moved along through his senior year and college is on the horizon, and as Lydia and Henry have moved along at a quick pace through their own unique school years, it hit me harder that these family trips in this particular style are going away soon. It’s easy to lose track of time, to not appreciate these moments and experiences. I tried to be more intentional about focused time with everyone, spending more time in the sand, on the bike rides, and at the pool.

I’m thankful we’ve photographed our journeys to the extent we have. I’m grateful the kids have participated in journaling and helping me with content without griping too much. These memories of our experiences are all we’ll have years down the road. I’m not getting any younger. Memories of these events are becoming more and more valuable in my mind as the years go by.

Jenn’s work at identifying amazing events and experiences have played a huge part in how wonderful #G50S has played out, from Barber to Dr. Joe to the Marine Science Center to many, many more like these. And then there are the experiences that could not have been planned: Smokejumpers and herds of bison and sea turtles on the beach. She and I wonder if such a varied bank of memories will be mundane in the kids’ minds in retrospect because they became, essentially, the norm.