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NOVEMBER 1 - 7, 2017
Hilton Head Island
The Hamptons of the South BY JENNIFER FAUCI JFauci@antonmediagroup.com
The drive to Hilton Head Island in South Carolina is met with empty highways and dozens of resorts peeking out from behind palm tree-lined streets. The scenic route is about a 45-minute drive from Savannah Airport in Georgia. Hilton Head Island is named so after Captain William Hilton, who identified a headland near the entrance to Port Royal Sound in 1663 and named it “Hilton’s Head” after himself. Located in the Lowcountry in the town of Beaufort County, the island is immensely popular during the spring and summer months for vacationing families. Known for its beautiful beaches and golf courses as well as the iconic Harbour Town Lighthouse and Museum, which stands proud at the southwest tip, Travel and Leisure magazine recently named Hilton Head Island the best island in the continental U.S. With 39,000 permanent
residents and 2.9 million visitors a year, Hilton Head is a quiet, but busy place. Golf is huge, especially in the winter, when snowbirds from the north come down south for some warmth. “There isn’t anything you can’t do in the summer that you can’t do in the fall,” said Charlie Clark, vice president of communications for HHI Chamber of Commerce of Hilton Head Island. “South Carolina is in the high 60s in the fall and winter and everything is open year-round. The best-kept secret in South Carolina is the shoulder season.” Clark said that although golf is very popular, it’s not what South Carolina is known for.
“We have about 200 restaurants on the island, which is about the size of Manhattan,” she said, adding that the Harbour Town Lighthouse and Sea Pines Forest Preserve are popular daytime activities while the Barmuda Triangle is great for night life. For our trip (I traveled with my husband), we spent four days on the island and were accommodated by the beautiful Sonesta Resort. Chloe Bradley, the assistant guest services manager, greeted us with a tote bag of the island’s publications and fresh lemon water, the beginning of a lovely experience where guests are the number one priority.
Upon arriving at the resort, a relaxing massage at Arum Spa is a must, and if you have some time, a lavender foot soak with a warm neck towel is perfect for waking up your muscles. Among dining on delicious coastal cuisine, a round of 18 holes of golf at Robert Trent Jones Course in Palmetto Dunes, a dolphin-watching tour and a peaceful hike through Sea Pines Forest Preserve, we soon found that Hilton Head has so much more to offer than just beaches and palm trees. Visit www.longislandweekly.com for more on Jennifer Fauci’s exploration of Hilton Head.
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Island Of Activity
VACATION & TRAVEL • NOVEMBER 1 - 7, 2017
South Beach Marina Village
BY JENNIFER FAUCI
JFauci@antonmediagroup.com
hile many people may think that Hilton Head is just an oasis of beaches and golf resorts, it is so much more than that, especially to the locals who want to show off the very best Lowcountry has to offer.
Without a doubt, the most iconic landmark on the island is the Harbour Town Lighthouse. A must-see on any trip to Hilton Head, the lighthouse is located in Harbour Town, surrounded by Sea Pines Resort’s picturesque yacht basin. Before shopping around in the gift shop, climb 114 stairs to be rewarded with a 360-degree view of the harbour, a nearby golf course and on a clear day, you can see far across the island without binoculars. The walking tour of the lighthouse is all about its history, where inside you will find pictures, artifacts, newspapers articles
and trinkets from the lighthouse’s beginning and information on the island. The Harbour Town Lighthouse is open from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. every day and admission is $3.50. Kids under five climb for free. For more information, call 843-671-2810 or visit www. harbourtownlighthouse.com. Harbour Town itself features more than two dozen clothing and home décor boutiques, custom gift and crafts shops, signature jewelry stores and art galleries. If you’re here before the holidays, pop into the Harbour Town Christmas shop and get in the spirit.
Dining and ice cream options are also available and there are plenty of other activities to keep you occupied during your stay here. South Beach Marina Village 232 South Sea Pines Dr. Hilton Head Island, SC www.sbinn.com/village South Beach Marina Village is the home of the Salty Dog, including the Salty Dog Café and gift shop. Locals say that once you’ve been to the Salty Dog, you’ll be hard-pressed to visit anywhere else in the country or
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VACATION & TRAVEL • NOVEMBER 1 - 7, 2017
Stoney-Baynard Plantation National Register of Historic Places and the Vanishing Swamp, a secluded forest, where surface water rises and falls through the seasons. When walking through, you’ll come across four lakes—Lake Joe, Lake Thomas, Lake Mary and Lake Chapin—that although are man-made, are the largest open freshwater resources on the island. South Pines Forest internationally without spotting one of their T-shirts. The marina cove has plenty of places to dine and shop including Land’s End Tavern, The Wreck of the Salty Dog and Jake’s Pizza. A nice little pit stop for lunch and souvenir shopping, those interested in villas and vacation rentals can inquire at the marina. Sea Pines Forest Preserve Lawton Canal Rd. 843-842-1979 www.exploreseapines.com/ forest-preserve.asp
This 605-acre nature preserve is truly one of the island’s hidden gems. Visitors can enjoy hiking, fishing, picnicking and wildlife viewing opportunities (don’t forget the alligators in the lake) throughout the preserve. While some visitors go with a mission in mind, like a scenic ride down the rice dike or a walk along the wildflower fields, it is encouraged that you get lost in nature. Don’t worry, you’ll stumble upon a trail and find your way back eventually. Check out 4,000 year old Indian Shell Ring, which is listed on the
Stoney-Baynard Plantation 85 Plantation Dr. Hilton Head Island, SC 29928 www.exploreseapines.com /historical-sites.asp Also at Sea Pines is the tabby ruins of the historic Baynard estate, which includes the main house as well as slave quarters that were once part of a grand plantation. The Baynard house was built by Captain Jack Stoney around 1793 and became the pre-Civil war home of cotton planter William Edings Baynard. Known as Baynard Ruins, both houses have been preserved and are currently listed on the National
Register of Historic Sites. Originally built of timber and tabby, a mixture of oyster shells, lime, and sand, visitors can still see the remnants of oyster shells in the foundation of the house. This activity is a quick one, but definitely worth it to see some of Hilton Head’s history. As with any ruins, numerous ghost stories and reports of paranormal activity have been said to surround the area. Dolphin Watching 149 Lighthouse Rd. Harbour Town Yacht Basin Hilton Head Island, SC 29928 843-671-4386 www.h2osports.com Also based in Harbour Town is H2O Sports, which offers parasailing, jet ski rentals, paddle boarding, kayaking, boat tours and more. If you fancy a lesson on dolphins, climb aboard and find out how playful and endearing these amazing creatures are. In the water are local and migratory dolphins, who in November and December, usually travel in smaller groups. Locals who have been out on the boat enough will notice Zorro, is a local dolphin, notably because of her scrapes and scars on her dorsal fin. Our tour guide was Frank and he knew quite a bit about these beautiful bottlenose dolphins.
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