Hilton Head Island Paradise

Our favorite adventure was shark fishing on the Captain Hook. The crew was very helpful and friendly. You're sure to see many dolphins along the way - our first time, two dolphins came along the boat and danced for us! The Captain Hook is VERY family oriented.

Lie on the many spotless beaches during the day and you can see the dolphins playing! Walk the beach at night with flashlights and watch the "ghost crabs"! The best shopping can be found at Coligny Plaza (go to Rita's for an ice-cold Ghiladi). Sheltered Cove is beautifully set along a breathtaking harbour, and Harbour Town (where the famous lighthouse is) is located at the southern tip of HHI in the Sea Pines Plantation. All three areas have very unique and quaint little shops.

Quick Tips:

Stay in the Plantations if you love beauty and peacefulness. The Shipyard Plantation is my favorite - so far. It's close to everything, yet very private. We have stayed at the Coral Reef Resort and had a gorgeous unit and beautiful scenery with a lagoon in our backyard that had alligators and turtles in it! Beyond the peaceful, peaceful lagoon was a golf course.

Best Way To Get Around:

Rent bikes! The island is 12 miles long and has bike paths on every inch of it! The bike paths are very well maintained and safe.

Best Things Nearby:
Coral Sands is right across the street from Coligny Plaza. It is also within walking distance to the beach, putt-putt, and some restaraunts. You can also walk to the spotless grocery store nearby.

Best Things About the Resort:
Gold Crown resort! The unit size was incredibly huge! It lists as two bedrooms, but it has a "Carolina room" with a TV, dresser, and a pull-out queen sofa bed for a third bedroom... which came in handy for us. The unit can technically sleep up to 10 people comfortably. I loved having a washer/dryer right in my own unit.

Resort Experience:
The unit we stayed at was right by the lagoon and pool. The unit was absolutely spotless and very well maintained. The grounds and pool area were beautiful. We often used the grill area. We had a very minor problem with a screen and a blender - management handled it in a very speedy manner - very impressive. We hardly ever heard our neighbors. It was very quiet there.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Fair
• Amenities: Fair
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

We make sure to go to the Salty Dog Cafe every time we visit Hilton Head! It's located in the Sea Pines Plantation ($5 per car to enter for the whole day). The Salty Dog Cafe is located in the South Beach Marina, where you will be in a gorgeous harbour along the water. There are many cute little shops there.

We have experienced dining both inside and on the dock. If you’re going for air conditioning and full-service meals, eat in the restaurant. Our dinners were average, and very pricey. If you’re looking for a very casual, laid-back atmosphere (we do), hang out on the dock! They have fresh-boiled peel-and-eat shrimp, hamburgers, hot dogs, and sausage, all prepared on the outdoor grill and at reasonable prices. There is a festive bar also located on the dock for frozen concoctions and ice-cold beer. There are a couple of other places where you can get pizza, salads, and ice cream.

From the dock, you can call home and tell your family to log onto the website and wave to them by standing in front of the live webcam! Last time we were there, we were lucky enough to get a table right next to the water, where we were watching the oysters "spit" - that was funny! The Salty Dog dock also offers live entertainment starting around 6pm. The singer sings festive beach songs (Jimmy Buffet and such) and has sing-alongs with the kiddies - they love him!

It's just a beautiful place to be - along the water, boats, and nature. Kick back and relax!

Located along the harbor of Sheltered Cove. Be sure to get there when they open (4:00) - a line starts at the door and never ends! They offer indoor/outdoor seating with a festive bar at both. They also have live entertainment outside every evening. When we were there, it was pretty hot outside, so my family of four chose to eat inside. We were lucky enough to get a window table to view the beautiful harbor and huge boats. The decor inside was as if we were in Mexico - it was very festive and beautifully decorated.

Our dining experience began with a pitcher of fresh margaritas - the BEST I have ever had! The kids had the famous Southern "sweet tea." We munched on homemade chips and salsa, which were delicious. I had a steak and chicken fajita - one of the best I had ever had! Very tasty and tender! My hubby had the huge seafood burrito stuffed with crab, shrimp, and lobster (I can't remember their name for it). He said it was "incredible!" My 15-year-old (taking Spanish classes in school) experimented with a Mexican dish that had a few unusual items on it. He enjoyed it very much. My 13-year-old stuck with the usual - tacos.

Just an FYI - the menu offers American items for adults and kiddies who don't care for Mexican food. The food presentation was wonderful. The portions were big, and the prices were reasonable.

It's absolutely beautiful to lie on the beach during the day, read a book, people watch, watch the dolphins playing out at sea, or swim. We enjoy walking as far as possible to admire some of the multimillion-dollar homes along the coast. We also like to count the sea turtle nests. At night, it is so much fun to walk the beach with flashlights and watch the "ghost crabs" - they are so funny!

A BREATHTAKING EXPERIENCE!

The tour guides are very informative and knowledgeable. Each of us had our own kayak. We're paddling along in the calm, quiet harbour, listening to the tour guide... admiring the unbelievable beauty of it all. We see egrets, crabs, and here they come! The dolphins arrive as if it were a rehearsed show just for us! They come in pairs, triplets, all ways. They dive, swim, spin, and once, they even attempted to spit on my son! It was an incredible adventure my family and I will never, ever forget!

Just a bit of important information about Hilton Head Island -

The locals try their very best to keep HHI at its most natural state without turning it into a "neon palace" such as Myrtle Beach. There are no lights allowed to be installed along the coast in order to keep the endangered sea turtles coming to nest there. There are no huge signs to the Island's WalMart, MacDonald's, Wendy's, etc.! All of the signs are built low to the ground and with soft (natural) colors. Make sure you have maps! Nothing is permitted to be constructed "above the tree lines." It's difficult to navigate the island when you are there for the first time.

If you enjoy all of the amenities of Myrtle Beach, but would appreciate a more toned-down version - you will LOVE HHI! It's very family oriented, with a lot of adult nightlife as well. Because of their desire to keep it natural, it is still very beautiful and peaceful - especially the Shipyard Plantation. (That's my personal favorite place.)

Because the locals are trying to keep it natural, you will also have a difficult time finding a beachfront resort... there aren't many because of the sea turtles. In my opinion, it's worth the short walks to get to the beach, understanding their desire for beauty.

If you love the beaches on the East Coast, and haven't been to HHI - try it - you'll fall in love with it!!