Family Vacation to Hilton Head Island: Part 1

We just returned from one of my favorite trips of the year - our family vacation to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. We've been visiting the island since I was a child and since Cute was a little baby we've spent a week there each summer with our kids.  

Hilton Head is such a fun place, and the perfect spot if you have an active, outdoorsy family who loves the beach. It has grown so much since I was a little girl, but I love that it's kept to its small town seaside feel without any commercial restaurants or large high rises. I have nothing but love for Coastal Carolina and hope that one day that we visit we decide to stay forever (a girl can dream!). 

This year was a repeat of our trips in the past (sleep, beach, have fun, repeat), but we mixed things up a bit here and there. I'll give you some of the highlights over the next few days, but make sure you take a peek at our past Hilton Head trips as well to get a great over view of the island and what we do, eat, and see.

Where we stay

We have stayed in various parts of the island, but our favorite section is the Sea Pines Resort. We typically rent a condo or home, and this year we chose to vacation in the home we selected last year. 

It's a large town home that sleeps 14 people. It's located right on the 18th green of the Heritage Course, and with in walking distance from Harbour Town. 

And if it ever happens to come up for sale (and we win the lottery), I know a few people who want to purchase it. 

If not for it's perfect location, gorgeous decor, fun backyard pool, and all around amazing details...

Then for it's spectacular views...

It's located right on the water and each night you are rewarded with amazing sunsets. 

Each night, once the golf course shuts down for the evening, everyone heads outside on their porches, or on a blanket on the course, and watches the views. This alone would make me want to scoop it up and make it mine forever. 

And if they aren't willing to sell ever, I have a my eye on one or ten more in the neighborhood...

The Beach

Obviously the main reason for the trip is going to the beach. The vacation home is located on the water but doesn't have beach access, so we head over to the Sea Pines Beach club. It's a quick drive, bike ride, or trolley ride to there and it's such an easy set up. 

Our first night, after a poolside pizza dinner we decided we just couldn't wait and headed to the beach. We were just going to take a quick walk on it at sunset, but my kids are total beach babies and couldn't stand not to run straight for the water. 

Clothes and all. Between the water and rolling in the sand, it was obvious I should have just kept them in their swimsuits. But the fact they were in their "real clothes" I think just added to the fun. 

We make our way to the Beach Club at least once a day. We roll in, find a spot (it's usually not crowded), set up our tent and let the kids go. Because it is such a family friendly vacation spot, most often they find a friend or two to play with, and have a blast sun up to sun down. 

Harbour Town

Harbour Town is one of most popular spots on the island. It's filled with great restaurants, great shopping and great activities. Our second night after we did a full day of beach fun we made our way to this favorite spot. 

We were quite humbled as we strolled through the harbor this year. We knew that there was a hurricane that hit the Golden Isles and Carolina Coast last Fall, but due to family issues going on at the time we largely were unaware of anything outside of our little bubble and thus somehow missed how grand the devastation was in this area. 

After speaking with some locals while eating dinner we learned that for months Hilton Head had to do a massive clean-up. Entire marinas were destroyed beyond repair (or no longer exist), and Harbour Town's was one of the ones that suffered the most damage. The pier was ripped apart and swept away. Most of the yachts and boats in the basin were damaged or destroyed as they were pushed up onto land from the storm surge. Googling photos of what it looked like right after was shocking. 

The island has done a great job rebuilding and getting things back open. Currently there is a lot of work going on in Harbour Town to rebuild the pier, fix any building that had damage from the storm, and updating things to make it safe. Even with all of that though going on, the rest of the basin is still in working order. 

We dined on a little surf and turf (Mr. Cute the surf and me the turf) at one of our favorite restaurants - The Quarterdeck.

We always choose to sit outside and take in the view and atmosphere. The kids love this spot too since there is usually room for them to dance and sing along with the musician playing each night. 

This night they were excited because the musician gave The Cutes a playlist they could look through and turn in requests. 

Cute took this job quite seriously. He wanted to make sure he picked just the right music to make the whole restaurant get up and dance. 

After we ate we noticed there was a new guy hanging around Harbour Town. 

Albert the Alligator is a new friend, and he visits Harbour Town every Sunday evening with games and activities to play with the kids. 

Kids loved this section and Albert would join in and take photos the entire time. I noticed a lot of older kids liked this activity. The playground is located just behind this spot, but if you have a child who is in those pre-teen years this might be a fun activity to put on your radar since the games were suitable for their ages too. 

Off Shore Fishing

Each year the boys typically take a day to play golf. This year they decided to switch things up. Mr. Cute came up with the idea to take everyone off shore fishing now that he thought Cute was old enough. He, Cute, and my dad charted a trip out of Shelter Cove marina. (If interested I can get you specific information.)

They did a half day trip and saw tons of action. They caught tons of fish, but the highlight of the trip was that Cute caught six sharks! 

To say he was excited was an understatement. 

Mr. Cute is an avid fisher, and said that he will be planning another trip the next time we visit. All the boys said it was a blast, and they wish they could have stayed out longer. Mr. Cute felt like the half day was perfect for this age group though. If your crew likes fishing he highly recommends it. 

That wraps up the highlights from the first half of our trip. Tomorrow I will share some more adventures from the back half. And now to day dream about going back... 

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Hilton Head Island: Where to Eat

Now that I've covered where we stayed on Hilton Head Island, today I am going to focus on where we ate. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. 

You can say many things about southerners, but one thing is - we know yummy food! 

Biscuits, BBQ, and butter. What's not to love? ;)

Because we have vacationed on Hilton Head Island since I was little, we have acquired a list of "must eat" restaurants that we have to eat at each time we visit. This year we mixed in a few new ones, and I definitely have a new favorite to add to our list.

Our first night we usually try to keep things pretty casual. After a long car ride we are totally over sitting, let alone being in close proximity to one another so we typically order from Giuseppi's Pizza. It's been around for years, offers fast take out, and, most importantly, is quite yummy.

(I hate that I missed getting my own photo of our yummy pizza, but some of us were "hangry" and the pool was calling our name!)

Harbour Town Bakery & Cafe has to be one of our favorite little spots. This is the first time we have stayed so close to it, and trust me when I say being with in walking distance from all this tastiness was dangerous. 

The bakery is housed in the Lighthouse Keepers Cottage, which is the historic location for the original lighthouse and property for the island - way before the current lighthouse location was established in the yacht basin. 

The cafe is only open for breakfast and lunch, and based on multiple experiences it is not a place to miss! 

The southern inspired cuisine is delicious, and extends itself into its extensive coffee options. The Southern Pecan was an excellent way to kickstart your day. 

And let's no forget the wide selections of pastries available. 

Homemade pastries, muffins, and treats will always get me through your door. Always. 

Another fun thing about the cafe is that they have a fun sea life touch tank available for visitors to check out. It is located in between their two buildings, and on this rainy day visit was the perfect entertainment for little ones like Cute to pass the time and do some hands on learning.

Tropical Storm Colin made its way through on one of vacation days, but that didn't stop us from heading to one of our favorite restaurants - the Salty Dog Cafe. 

In fact, once we saw the rain we were almost excited because we thought we would actually be able to eat at our favorite spot without having to wait. They operate on a first come, first serve basis, and trust me it is always packed. Always.

When I was little, this was just a small restaurant, tee shirt shop, and ice cream stand. Jake (the Salty Dog) would walk around for pets, and you could over look South Beach Marina while eating some yummy seafood. Now, it is a full scale operation and the waits start at 10:30a.m.!

We didn't mess around this visit.

The only thing I photographed was our delicious appetizer of crab dip, and even that was almost gobbled up before I could grab a pic.

Everything is out of this world though, and they have my absolute favorite hush puppies of all the island.

More on Salty Dog tomorrow, but seriously don't miss out if headed to the island. 

Habourside Burgers & Brews is a new spot for me. While in Harbour Town we usually eat at the Crazy Crab, and Quarterdeck and usually don't have much time left for testing out other restaurants. It's been around forever though, and I now know I've been missing out!

It has a fun laid back outdoor atmosphere, and often has a musician playing in the evenings. 

I took this trip as an opportunity to sample how South Carolina does BBQ. 

Verdict - not bad.  

I also took it as my civil duty to test out the frosty beverages in order to give an accurate review. 

And I made sure I was thorough. :) 

The Strawberry Lemonade special was a winner. 

You know, if frosty beverages are your thing. 

(They totally should be your thing.)

Speaking of civil duties, we also felt the need to test out all of the islands coolest ice cream shops. Last year, we mentioned a long time favorite - the Salty Dog Ice Cream Shop.  

This year we made our way to the ones in Harbour Town as well. Cups & Cones is located just off the base of the lighthouse. It's almost hidden to where you can't see it in between there and their pier, but it is definitely worth a taste. 

I am still on my dairy ban, but the hubby let me have a small lick of his Campfire Cone. Think of a s'mores in the form of ice cream - yum! 

Little Cute opted for strawberry and sprinkles.

Clearly it did not disappoint. 

The Cinnamon Bear Country Store brings back a ton of memories for me. I remember visiting the store as child with my grandfather and getting the chance to pick out a stick candy. 

Aunt C. was determined to share the experience with the Cutes and they were so excited. 

The inside of the store kind of reminds me of a Cracker Barrel. The store sells a wide variety of merchandise and gifts, as well as candy, taffy, and of course ice cream. 

Cute chose Vanilla and wasn't about to stop eating to pose for a picture with it. 

L.C. forewent all thoughts of ice cream once she saw a Barbie mermaid doll. Full warning, the store is packed to the gills with tons of stuff so those of you with little ones who like shiny new toys be aware. 

I mentioned Quarterdeck earlier, and hands down this is one of my favorite restaurants on Hilton Head Island.  

It sits right at the base of the lighthouse and has the best views of the water. I mentioned it last year, but seriously so yummy! The inside has an upscale area for nicer dinners and events, and is a great way to spend a date night overlooking the water and watching the yachts come in and out. 

The last few years we've opted to sit outside and enjoy the deck area. There is usually a musician and it is such a fun atmosphere. I ordered the filet this go around, and it the wine sauce it was in was delicious!

Okay, I've saved the best for last - Live Oak Low Country Cuisine at the Plantation Golf Club. 

If I could eat here everyday for the rest of my life I totally would. It was that good!

We were able to sneak away for a date night, and Mr. Cute was excited about this all week once he read the menu. It is a new restaurant to us, but let me just say it is now at the top of the list the next time we hit the island. 

The wine list was extensive and had some excellent options. I could have stopped right there, but I'll go on. 

Mr. Cute started with a salad, but I don't mess around that way so I ordered the gumbo as the soup of the day. Holy yum! 

Then because we came to eat, we decided to order the corn bread. It came with three dipping options:  pimento cheese, honey butter, and a jelly. 

I went straight for the honey butter and didn't look back.

And I might never have corn bread that isn't cooked in a cast iron skillet again. It's ruined me forever in a good good way. 

Rumor has it a mini cast iron skillet might be currently on its way to my house as I type. 

Shortly after my corn bread experience, I determined I needed my hands to eat and put down my phone, but then dessert just happened to make our way to the table...

Key lime pie in a mason jar, with a raspberry drizzle. 

It was every bit as delicious as it sounds. 

And then we went into a heavenly food coma. If had died of southern cuisine overdose in that moment, it would have been well worth it. 

After dinner, we hung out in the club's living room for a small bit and I've decided if I could live and eat there forever I'd be a happy woman. 

That wraps up my restaurant tour of this trip. If you've been to Hilton Head Island, let us know some of your favorite restaurants - we are always looking for yummy new places to try!

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