Travel to Kiawah Island, South Carolina

The last few years the hubby and I have made it a point to take a couples trip to somewhere for a few days. We travel a ton throughout the year, but it is either individually or with the kids. Getting away for a few days together? That's a game changer. Getting the chance to leisurely eat dinner, talk uninterrupted, and sleep for longer than 30 minute blocks throughout the night is amazing.

"We're kid free!"

In the last few years we've done Islamorada, Chicago, and Key West. This year we decided to keep things tropical, but low country tropical. The hubby attended a conference hosted on Kiawah Island earlier this year, and thought it would be a great semi-close place to relax and unwind.

We blocked out five days in July, grabbed our favorite road-trip snacks and headed to the low country coast.

If you're planning a visit the Kiawah Island area soon or are looking for a great low key travel destination here's a quick peek at some of the highlights of our trip. We definitely recommend it and can't wait to visit again in the future.

TRAVEL GUIDE TO KIAWAH ISLAND

WHERE WE STAYED

Originally we had planned to stay at the über luxurious Sanctuary Hotel, but since we booked the trip so last minute they were completely sold out.  We found this super cute boutique hotel to stay in instead. 

The Andell Inn is luxurious in its own right and offers fabulous decor, an amazing pool, great views, and is within walking distance to a ton of shops and restaurants.

I loved the decor! And loved that they had original artwork from local artists adorning the walls. They were available for purchase if you wanted to take a little piece of the Inn home with you.

 The room we had was quite spacious. It had a separate bedroom,  kitchen and living room. It was such a great size, and would be perfect for a girlfriends weekend or a family vacation as well.

There was a small restaurant on site with a great bar. There were often specialty treats and appetizers hanging around for quests to munch on - even outside of happy hour.

The pool was one of our favorite parts. It was spacious and surrounded by a ton of seating (which often hotels lack). It also had several large porches with bed swings and couches over looking it. So whether you were looking for sun or shade it was a nice place to relax. 

It was accessible from the hotel bar...which is always a positive when you want to keep the fruity drinks flowing! 

WHERE WE ATE

We ate our way through the island and still felt like we missed a ton of great restaurants. Here's a quick little food tour for you...

Night one we made it to Jasmine Porch at the Sanctuary Hotel. It's southern style fare was right up our alley and we enjoyed every bite of our Shrimp and Grits, and Filet Mignon followed up by the yummiest Bread Pudding you've ever had. 

Since our hotel was located near Freshfields Village we frequented a lot of restaurants in the vicinity. 

We are huge breakfast people and Hege's came highly recommended to us. We couldn't wait to dig in to all the yummy that they offered. 

It definitely lived up to the hype and was a meal we know we will come back to again and again. We also ate there for drinks and dessert one evening and it was just as delicious. 

Ladles was a lunch place that a few fellow hotel patrons suggested to us. It specializes in soups and sandwiches with a few other dishes mixed in. You can also order large soups to go for freezing or family style meals later. We saw tons of people utilizing the service. 

Fuji was another Freshfields Village repeat of ours. This sushi and hibachi combo is an islander favorite. 

It's one of the few out of this world sushi/hibachi places that I felt you got a ton of food for not a ton of money. And it was spot on delicious with excellent presentation. Definitely worth a try.

Cantina 76 was an instant favorite. We needed a break from all things seafood one day and it's Mexican style cuisine was calling our name.

I'm surprised we had a food pic to share. It didn't last long. The Dirty Queso was out of this world, and if I couldn't have bottled it up to bring home with me I would.

The Fat Hen was one of our few off island restaurants we gave a try. It was one that my husband remembered from his visit a few months earlier and after eating there I realize why this little hole in the wall out side of Charleston stood out in his mind. 

We dined over delicious southern style food and drinks, and in our food haze we didn't slow down to take one single photo. The sign of an excellent meal. 

WHAT WE DID
Kiawah is kind of a sleepy island, so if you are looking to relax and enjoy beautiful beaches this is the place to go. There's very little night life outside of the resort area and Freshfield Village shuts down itself around 10p.m.

If you're into golf though. This is the place. Some of the prettiest golf courses in the world reside here and the island has no shortage of them. Some are exclusive, some are pricey, and all are top notch. 

The hubby made his way around the island one golf swing at a time and I enjoyed soaking up the sun poolside or beachside. I didn't complain one bit. 

Tip: The beach has a trolly/bus system for guests to utilize. Use it! The parking lot to the public beaches fills up fast and while it is the most organized parking system I've ever seen (Attendants take your name and number down via iPad and a spot is reserved for you as beachgoers leave.)

| flip flops | beach read | 

We rented chairs and umbrellas through the Beachwalker Beach attendants and they were extremely affordable. The attendants were attentive and very quick to set up everything in your desired spot. 

We loved how even during the busy season of July the beach wasn't crowded at all. 

Biking and hiking are huge around the island and there are tons of places to rent bikes and get maps for the trails. We hiked almost every morning before breakfast and the marsh views were beyond gorgeous. We saw a ton of wild life too! 

WHERE TO SHOP 

We were only on the island for a handful of days and kept pretty low key, but Freshfields Village seemed the place to be when it came to local shopping. From name brand shops like Vineyard Vines and Lilly Pulitzer to more localized shops like Sea Coast Sports - it had a little bit of something for everyone. 

It was a fun place to outdoor mixed use shopping center to walk around and even during the busy season never seemed overly crowded. They host a ton of great events as well as kid friendly activities throughout the year.

There are a ton of great Instagram walls set up around the shopping center as well.

One of our favorite things to do at the beach is read. I love that they were home to an independent book store. Those are becoming more and more of a rare treat, and to have one by the beach was nice.

 One afternoon we stumbled upon their Summer Farmer's Market. It had a ton of great local vendors and fresh produce. We couldn't resist stocking up on some of those delicious peaches and fresh veggies. Sadly a storm rolled in to shut down the browsing early, but definitely something to put on your radar for a little taste of local offerings.

Boutique shopping was also not lacking. I loved getting to experience the team at Beija Flor and finding the perfect fitting jean. 

Kiawah Island was just what you picture in your mind when you think of the Low Country. It was my first visit, but I know it will now be one of many. Coastal Carolina will always hold a special place in my heart and I love finding new islands to frequent. 

Have you been to Kiawah Island? 

What are some of your favorite island things to do, see, and eat? 

Come spend the day with us on:

| Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook | Twitter |

Hilton Head Island: Where to Stay

Happy Monday friends! I can't believe we are already a full few weeks into June!

Know that saying, "Time flies, when you are having fun!"? Well, I feel like this past week flew by! If you follow us on Instagram, you got a little sneak peek of my annual vacation to Hilton Head Island with my family. 

We've been vacationing on Hilton Head Island since I was a child, and many of my childhood summer memories are associated with the island and its low country laid back vibe. Now, as an adult, my time on the island holds just as many great memories. 

About this time six years ago, Carrie Beth and I packed our families up for a week long stay in Shelter Cove. It was such a fun trip, and one I will never forget. 

Largely, I wouldn't forget because I was about five months pregnant while we were there! 

Oh my, we were just babies! 

Carrie Beth only had the girls at the time and I think they were both under three. It seems like just yesterday, but also a life time ago.

Then, I think back to last year's trip. It was my turn to visit the island with two little ones in tow. But surprise - I was pregnant again! I had been home less than 48 hours from our trip to Jamaica, and before my toes touched the beautiful beaches of HHI, we learned I was pregnant with Baby Cute. Little did I know at the time of this pic I was about 8 weeks pregnant already!

This year, totally not pregnant. :) 

But, I can not tell you how excited I was to bring my third little one on her first trip to one of my favorite places on Earth. 

Hilton Head Island is divided into several different "plantations". Aside from the year our family stayed with Carrie Beth's we have always vacationed in Sea Pines. 

From the moment you enter this section of the island you are struck with gorgeous those low country views. 

We typically rent a home or a condo with in the Sea Pines plantation. We booked through Sea Pines directly and it was such an easy and seamless process. This year's home is by far my favorite to date. How cute is it from the outside?!?

The inside was classic southern coastal in decor and I loved it. 

It was a large three story town home, located on the end of six units. It was extremely spacious, and it had tiny little storage areas, and reading nooks stashed around the home. 

In my awe, I completely forgot to photograph a large part of the home, and I am kicking myself for it. 

The master bedroom suite was on the main floor, and it was beautifully decorated. 

The main floor also consisted of a twin bedroom, which was perfect for The Cutes, a large laundry room, extra full bathroom, and foyer with cleaning closet.

The two other en suites in this rental were on the third floor, and boasted of spectacular views and large seating areas. 

But the main attraction for us was the outdoor space. 

Nothing can combat low country heat and humidity like cool ocean breezes...and fabulous pools!

Our kids splashed in this from the moment their eyes popped open to the moment the sun went down. 

The home was located on the 18th green of the Harbour Town Golf Links, home of the RBC Heritage tournament.

Let me just tell you, my golf loving husband was salivating just seeing those luscious greens, and thinking of playing the infamous course. 

Waking up to each morning was so tempting that he just had to book a tee time. 

Had to. :) 

And if the views alone didn't tempt him the occasional sign from the golf gods pushed him over the edge. 

We found a few golf balls, or the random golfer, outside the home each day. It was so fun to watch the players come through, and we had a long standing bet to see if a golf ball would land in our pool. 

If the golf gods were speaking to my husband, the boat gods were speaking to me. 

Holy moly! There are a ton of boats of all sizes that come through Harbour Town, but rarely do you get to see a "super yacht". It was like a small cruise ship! 

From our deck, we could take a break from watching our own personal golf tournament by boat dreaming. The parade of spectacular boats that cruised by was quite impressive.

I feel like I might need one. :) 

The views were stunning no matter what time of day from our back deck, but the sunsets stole the show. Each and every night we were treated to a colorful show. It was an amazing sight to see, and one I will gladly pay for ten times over to see again. 

The home was located right off of Harbour Town, and I think unanimously our group said this was the perfect spot. Harbour Town is full of fabulous entertainment, restaurants, and shops - it is so nice to be just steps away from anything you might want to see or do. 

The one downfall is that you have to drive to the beach. However, after coming here for so many years, there are very few spots to stay directly on the beach. The Beach Club is just a few miles from our Harbour Town spot, and was easily accessible by bike, car, or the Sea Pines Trolley. 

We were so spoiled this trip, and already have plans to rebook this same location next year. I can't wait!

Have you visited Hilton Head Island? Where are some of your favorite places to stay? 

As the week goes on, I will share some more of what we did, and what we ate (hint: lots of hushpuppies and frosty beverages were involved).  Until then, just keep looking at that fabulous sunset photo...or the yacht. ;)

Follow us on Pinterest HERE.

Follow us on Instagram HERE.

Follow us on Facebook HERE. 

Follow us on Twitter HERE.