Hilton Head Island - Tell me pros and cons of taking summer vacation there

YEMTrey

I've vacationed up and down the east coast and my family wants to do something different this year.  I've started thinking about Hilton Head.  Having never been there, I need some ideas from those who have.

First off, I'm a beach bum.  My vacations consist of hauling a canopy, cooler, and bluetooth speaker to the beach and hanging out all day.  Need to be right on the beach.   

Are there more preferential places in HHI that accommodate this type of vacation?  We prefer to stay away from larger resorts where you're fighting for beach and pool space.

Places that we've been in the past that fit this plan, are Cherry Grove, SC and New Smyrna, FLA.

Also, is it a pain to get around the Island and to neighboring Savannah?  

Thanks. I'm sure I'll have more questions and will add to this as they come to me.

outrageous

Traffic, traffic, lot of people, expensive.    Check out Fernandina beach  fla just north of Jacksonville fla.   Great beach town, great downtown., great beach.. lot of houses n condos to rent... 1,000% better than Hilton head.  

YEMTrey

That there be near @NPHusker's neck of the woods.  Not sure that's a good idea.

Just kidding, I did look at that area.  Guess I'll start to research it more in depth.

Mkline

if you are not going to HHI to golf its not worth the $ to stay on the island. if you want to stay in the general area and same style of beaches go to Tybe and get a condo on the beach. from here you can explore Savanna and the HHI area.

UrbanForestTurnings

I love it. Go in may before school lets out.

MelSharples

I was born and raised in the area and still have family there. The beaches are my favorite in the Southeast (including several Gulf Coast beaches and Daytona area) but that is a personal bias. Characteristics are hard packed sand, perfect for riding bikes and digging, and wide beaches that feature tidal pools at low tide. On other vacations we look for the best pool and beach combo but I can honestly say that I could stay on the beach all day on HH. I don't know what your budget looks like but if you have the means I would stay in Sea Pines or one of the other plantations (Palmetto Dunes, Shipyard come to mind) as the further away from the public access areas the less crowded it will be. You may want to also look at North Forest Beach which is also not as crowded. Avoid the Holiday Inn/South Forest Beach areas as they are overrun with people (think New Jersey), also Folly Field can get crowded as well.

As for getting around it is very easy, although the island has a sign and light ordinance so it can be difficult to see signage at night. The island is also covered in bike paths so you could bike, walk, or run, anywhere you want to go. There are countless restaurants that range from traditional fried seafood to first class fare. There is also a very active bar scene if you're into that. If the Mrs. likes to shop there are 2 outlets just off the island that have just about every store imaginable (no BGE outlet unfortunately). Savannah is approx. 45 minutes away, Charleston 1.5 hrs, Beaufort an hour or so.

You may also want to check out Harbor Island, which is a very small community outside of Beaufort.  It is what HHI used to be like back in the 70's and early 80's, quiet and sparse.

Hi54putty

Not a HHI fan. Too expensive, too many people, Most of the beach is taken up by the resorts. Look at St. Simon's/Jekyll area. Fernandina is also great. 

Cookinbob

have not Been to HH. We like the beaches in Corolla NC

Eggcelsior

Go up to Charleston and stay on Isle of Palms. Since Hugo, the beachfront homes are now multi-million dollar mansions but go 2-3 blocks back(above the storm surge in "89) and the houses are all still beach bungalows and ranchers. It's incredibly laid-back and you can find certain spots on the beach where you barely see anyone. It's really only busy on the weekends. As @melsharpes said in regards to the beach itself, the beaches of SC are the nicest I've ever been to outside of Puerto Rico. Some of my fondest memories are when I lived off of Chapman Ave and would run down to the beach and "take baths" in the tidal pools with my bucket of toys and build drip sand castles with my dad. Cruise over to Magwoods off of Shem Creek and get fresh shrimp caught that morning. 

In regards to the feel, Cherry Grove is the closest. Another advantage is that your 10-15 minutes outside of downtown Charleston. Also, the Piggly Wiggly off of the IOP Connector has a great beer selection(at least it did the last time I was there)

NPHuskerFL

YEMTrey said:

That there be near @NPHusker's neck of the woods.  Not sure that's a good idea.

Just kidding, I did look at that area.  Guess I'll start to research it more in depth.

) We have a member here that lives in that area. I'm about 1.5-2 hrs away from there. Although it'd be cool to meet. I'd even bring the MM with me B-)

GATraveller

Love the beaches.  They have a very gradual slope - not the steep drop off like those on the Gulf so the amount of beach differs greatly between tides.  Make sure you note the high tide mark when setting up for the day so you don't have to pick up and move.  No open container on beich either so if you're a beer drinker make sure and keep it in a cup.  They can sometimes get crowded too but tend to more in the public access areas.  Traffic can be bad coming and going from the island so you need to plan on arriving and leaving early if on weekends.  Restaurants can get crowded so if you plan on going our for dinner I would suggest leaving the beach and heading to dinner on the early side.  There are a a lot of good restaurants as well as markets for purchasing fresh seafood if you would rather cook in (which is my choice).  There is really good fishing and charters as well as kayaking on the bay side of the island if you like the outdoors.  Lots of golf if you play and a really good tennis center at Palmetto Dunes if interested.  

I love it and will be there for my anniversary next month. 

johnkitchens

I live about 140 miles from HHI. We used to go every year in August right before school started back. At that time of the year it is without doubt the hottest place on earth.  

It was always as hot and humid on the coast as it was inland. I wasn't expecting that. It is a nice area, but I had rather go to Daytona. 

There will be 10 million people riding bikes everywhere you go. If you aren't careful they will end up crossing the road right in front of you. 

My wife loves HHI, but she is a shopper. I am not. It will also be very crowded. If you want to ride bikes, golf and tennis then this is the place for you. If you don't then you may not like it so much. 

With that being said tons of people can't be wrong. Last year I saw more Ohio tags than any other state. I have no comment about that! 

MelSharples

@johnkitchens is right about the Ohio tags! I always imagined Ohio was empty during the summer months as they all seem to flock south.

Wolfpack

Check out bald head island- not cheap and difficult to get to but once there it's awesome. Laid back and great beach- east beach

GATraveller

It definitely has more Yankees than you can shake a stick at.......that's true.

johnkitchens

NPHuskerFL

^^^^^agree.

Mross

Eggcelsior said:

. Also, the Piggly Wiggly off of the IOP Connector has a great beer selection(at least it did the last time I was there)

Still does.

platypusrex

We vacationed in Charleston and Savannah last June, spent time at HHI but I played golf while the wife hit the shopping/beach. She said that the beach at Kiawah Island (near Charleston) was better, and really amazing. Quiet, very few people, and stunning views. Kiawah would be pricier, but from what we saw it is likely worth it. I know the golf there was amazing, outside of Pebble Beach the best course I've played. Just a thought, more for you to consider. Have fun!

Smokinpig

Ok round two, my first comment had to be approved???

I am a big fan. I have gone there for years. I got married there and my parents recently retired there. Sea pines is a great place for biking, golf, and the beaches as mentioned above. Harbour town golf course will be closed for most of the year so keep that in mind. Check out http://www.destinationvacationhhi.com/ or https://www.seapines.com/.

Sea Pines will set you up so you can walk to the beach with your gear for all day bumming. most of the rental homes have private pools as well which is nice.

Eggcelsior

platypusrex said:

We vacationed in Charleston and Savannah last June, spent time at HHI but I played golf while the wife hit the shopping/beach. She said that the beach at Kiawah Island (near Charleston) was better, and really amazing. Quiet, very few people, and stunning views. Kiawah would be pricier, but from what we saw it is likely worth it. I know the golf there was amazing, outside of Pebble Beach the best course I've played. Just a thought, more for you to consider. Have fun!

AGREE AGREE AGREE

Kiawah Island is my favorite place on Earth. It's a private island and $$$$. We used to go every summer when my mom went to a medical conference by the NCAFP there. They now hold it in Myrtle Beach  :(

There are days on Kiawah where you are the only person(s) on the beach. You can bike on the miles of trails, play tennis, or golf on some of the nicest courses anywhere(Ocean Course is absolutely breathtaking). Kayak with dolphins on the Kiawah river, fish, whatever. 

I don't think they allow pop-up canopies on the beach though. Defeats the "ambiance". 

Also, the other downside is that it's 30 minutes outside of Charleston, so it's a bit of a haul to go out. They did build a nice "town center" type place right outside the gate that has all your general needs(for a premium price of course) and a kite store.
 

plumbfir01

SO I was born and raised on HHI and bluffton. Depends what time of year you are coming, specifically the days. You can get to SAV in an hour and fifteen min and beaufort in an hour. IF You want something quiet and amazing, check out daufuskie island for the island experience and peaceful life just off of hhi and you get to have the best of all peace and quiet, but you must bring your own food and etc depending on the rental you get. Also check out FRIPP Island which is where i vacation and i wouldn't trade it for any other place locally. you are close to hunting island state park and 30min from beaufort and an 1:40 from hhi. You can stay here and hand feed deer and golf, swim, pretty much whatever you want.. HHI has zip line, parasailing, inshore offshore fishing and kayak tours if your into that... lots to do on either side of it but I have traveled all over sc and fripp is my go to for a peaceful getaway.  

GATraveller

plumbfir01 said:

SO I was born and raised on HHI and bluffton. Depends what time of year you are coming, specifically the days. You can get to SAV in an hour and fifteen min and beaufort in an hour. IF You want something quiet and amazing, check out daufuskie island for the island experience and peaceful life just off of hhi and you get to have the best of all peace and quiet, but you must bring your own food and etc depending on the rental you get. Also check out FRIPP Island which is where i vacation and i wouldn't trade it for any other place locally. you are close to hunting island state park and 30min from beaufort and an 1:40 from hhi. You can stay here and hand feed deer and golf, swim, pretty much whatever you want.. HHI has zip line, parasailing, inshore offshore fishing and kayak tours if your into that... lots to do on either side of it but I have traveled all over sc and fripp is my go to for a peaceful getaway.  

Agree and Like

blind99

HHI is great for a beach bum vacation.  Rent a house in one of the plantations.  Price increases as you get closer to the beach.  You can rent a wheelbarrow-type cart to haul your stuff to the beach in the morning and hang out all day.  I don't like beaches in general - I think sand is pretty much like dirt - but I like the beach on Hilton Head.  It's pretty sedate.  Plenty of space, and it's mostly families, so it's not a loud, obnoxious place where you have to dodge frisbees and footballs all the time. 

 

You can walk out quite far into the water and swim in the ocean.  Watch out for jellyfish.  Those suckers HURT!

 

Restaurants are very family friendly.  Lots of places you can take kids of any age to.

 

I may be biased... I used to live in Ohio

 

 

MelSharples

@plumbfir01 what high school and when did you graduate? I was HHHS class of '94.

plumbfir01

@MelSharples HHh class of 04.

johnkitchens

@MelSharples and @plumbfir01 you guys should get together and talk about old times! Not that it is related, but the school my kids go to play football against Hilton Head Prep! 

This year the game was at Hilton Head. Most of the mother's were thrilled and wanted to make a weekend out of it. 

tulocay

I've vacationed at HHI for many years. It is crowded. By that I mean the beaches are crowded, especially during the peak of summer. We stayed at Kiawah last year for a change. While there isn't as much to do (for the family), it is much less crowded than HHI. I did find the accommodations at Kiawah to be more expensive. But if you want quiet, I would recommend Kiawah.

Salmonegg

My wife's family had been going to HHI for a week every summer for 40-ish years. I've been tagging along for 7, I guess, always in August just before the benighted Buckeye fans head north. It's a pretty good compromise- my f-i-l and b-i-l play a bunch of golf and we all like to go out to eat. My wife and m-i-l hit the outlet mall. We all spend a few hours on the beach or biking most days. I'm still getting the feel of the fly fishing (a little dicey in August as a rule, I think) but have had some good days not far from HHI.

We get a condo in Turtle Lane in Sea Pines (through destination vacations, linked above), typically one of the places around the pool, so we're just one building off the beach. Sometimes the beach is hotter than bejesus, and we have little kids, so it's nice to have access to the shade. As has been mentioned, the crowd's manageable once you get away from the public access points.

It's not the spot I'd choose to vacation by myself or with just my immediate, but it's fine. We really appreciated the built-up-ness for a change last year when it was pretty rainy in the latter part of the week and the kids got stir-crazy.

bo31210

Property owner on HHI for 25 years and one of my favorite places on earth. Traffic on Saturday all day is a bear with the changing of the renters. Stay in Palmetto Dunes or Sea Pines is my recommendation. Tons of stuff to do family wise. If you are looking for a wild night life look somewhere else. I have been going to HHI for over 40 years and it holds a dear place in my heart. I prefer golf off island but the tennis on island is great if you know where the public parks are. Great dining and relaxation which is the reason I go. That is until I retire and then we will move to the low country permanently. Give it a try. Also be warned there are a lot of folks from Ohio and Pennsylvania there (no offense to my northern friends). Also @eggcelsior the Piggly Wiggly is no more. They closed it when the Kroger opened on the site of the old mall but in its place is a Whole Foods

johnkitchens

I told a friend of mine in Toledo that I thought there were more people from Ohio in HHI than in Ohio that week. 

I don't know why it is so popular to the Buckeyes.