Hilton Head Winter Vacation

Before our vacation, we had never visited Hilton Head, but spent a week just north of there, in Charleston, South Carolina. It was a lovely city, and the December weather was mild -- much better than we had left in Canada.

So, we looked online, and found a condo complex in Hilton Head, and booked a spot for our vacation. The place we picked was in Fiddler's Cove, and the price was very reasonable.

When we arrived, the condo looked exactly as it did in the online pictures, and it had been left very clean and neat -- ready for us to move in.

You can see the dining area and living room in the photo below. There was also a small kitchen, two bedrooms, and two full bathrooms. The condo even had a washer and dryer, so we had everything that we needed for a relaxing holiday.

Our Hilton Head vacation was off to a good start!

After we unpacked at the Hilton Head condo, we headed out to get a few supplies. There was a mall nearby, with a Publix grocery store and a Walmart, so that's where we went.

The Walmart was being renovated, and there were signs that a SuperCenter will be added soon. In the meantime, it was drab and dreary, with a limited grocery selection.

At the Publix, things were better, but the prices weren't as low as I hoped. I guess the resort area increases the prices.

The parking lot looked nice though, with big trees and plenty of green space. It felt more like a campground than a parking lot!

The beach was only a couple blocks from our Hilton Head condo, so we headed there each morning, for a walk.

The sand was hard packed, and easy to walk on. and it was never too crowded. I'm sure it's busier in the summer, but perfect for a leisurely stroll in the winter months.

In the picture below, the tide was quite high, and close to the sand dunes. Other mornings, it was low tide, and there was much more exposed sand to walk on.

We brought the camera along on our beach walks, and there was always something interesting to see. Some days, the waves were small and soothing. Other days, the waves were taller, and crashed onto the beach.

Rocks, shells and even trees were pushed up onto the shore, and added to the scenery. Here is one of the large trees that we passed on our morning walks.

There are smaller items along the shore too, if you slow down to look for them. Tiny rocks and shells are scattered across the sand.

This pretty shell was just one of the thousands that we saw. It would be tempting to bring them all home, to help remember the vacation feeling!

From Hilton Head, it's a short trip to the town of Beaufort. We spent a day there, exploring the waterfront. There is a boardwalk along the harbor front, with plenty of benches and swinging seats, where you can relax and enjoy the view.

Several movies have been filmed in Beaufort, such as The Big Chill and Forrest Gump. If you have seen those movies, you will recognize some of the locations that were used in the films. In fact, every tree-lined street in Beaufort makes me want to shout, "Run Forrest, run!"

The main street has a good variety of shops and restaurants, including Luther's where we had lunch on the patio. The patio, behind the restaurant, looks onto the harbor, and is a great place for lunch on a sunny day.

If you're looking for a lovely spot to spend the day, while you're vacationing in Hilton Head, take a drive to Beaufort.

There is plenty of wildlife away from the beach too, like this bird that we saw. It wouldn't let us get too close, but we managed to get a few pictures before it flew away.

Below, you can see one of our crane pictures, as it stood in the bright green swamp water.

Then, below the picture, is a video that I took a few days later. It shows the crane walking through the water, then flying away. I guess we were bothering it!

We really enjoyed the Hilton Head location, and found plenty to do, without spending a ton of money for entertainment. The Island prices are on the high side, because it's a tourist area, so bring food along with you, if possible, to save some money!

Read more about our Hilton Head vacation on my journal blog.