4 Nights at HHI: Sandy Toes and Raccoon Woes

[Bo1203]

Just returned from an amazing 4-night stay at Hilton Head Island! We stayed in a studio in Building 12, which was perfectly located near the lodge, parking, shuttle, and restaurants. The setup reminded us of Vero Beach, with a convenient parking garage underneath and recently refurbished rooms. We enjoyed the pools a couple times, laying in a hammock and playing bocce ball. It was too hot for riding bikes, but I could see doing that during colder months.

Dining Highlights​

• Salty Dog in Sea Pines: This place was buzzing inside and out, but we were seated quickly. The Painkiller cocktail was great, though the food was just okay. The kids loved the ice cream and music, which made it a fun stop.
• Burning Church Distillery: A 25 minute drive but absolutely worth it. The pizza was phenomenal, and the drinks were top-notch. The building itself is stunning, definitely a highlight.
• Bistro 17: This evening was an adventure! We got a late start, and every restaurant nearby had 2+ hour waits. We didn't realize Shelter Cove had fireworks planned that evening. Bistro 17 had no wait so we ended up there. It was understaffed, but the food and drinks were excellent. We sat outside (covered) during a wild thunderstorm, and halfway through our meal, they launched fireworks right as the storm peaked.
  
  After the storm calmed, we dashed around the harbor and over the bridge back to our room. While heading up the stairs in Building 12, my wife collided with a raccoon that ran behind me as I turned the corner leaving the stairs! My wife’s scream was legendary. I could see on the stairs above us another raccoon staring through the stairs at us as we ran for our door. We called the front desk, and they said they’d set traps. Luckily no harm was done, and my kids think it's the funniest thing ever.

• San Miguel’s Mexican: Lunch here was great, nachos and chicken chimichanga were standouts. This place gets very busy in the evening.
• Harbour Town: Super crowded, and we didn’t research it beforehand, so parking was a hassle. Still, we enjoyed the lighthouse, pier, and spotting dolphins. Missed Quarterdeck but will hit it next time.
• Bakeries: We tried French Bakery and Social Bakery on different mornings. Both had incredible boxes of desserts and pastries. Any reported whale sightings at the beach were just me.
• Tide Me Over & Signals at the Beach House: Typical quick-service spots. The fish and shrimp tacos were surprisingly good, and the Mai Tai was good as well.

Beach Experience​

The beach was great! The first couple of days had calm waves, perfect for playing. We had larger waves our last day, which we really enjoyed boogie boarding and body surfing in. We drove to the beach house each day and found plenty of parking. The kids loved finding starfish and sand dollars. Spotted a couple of stingrays. We enjoyed this beach even more than Vero Beach. HHI has less elevation compared to Vero and was calmer than our time at Vero. There were more people, but swimming in the ocean feels safer in numbers.

Overall Impressions​

This was our first time in South Carolina, and we were blown away by the beautiful scenery and friendly people. We rented points for the stay, 4 nights for $1,200. Hope to find that again. HHI is a gem, and we’re already looking forward to our next visit!

 

[bobbiwoz]

What a nice review!

I am glad you weren’t hurt! We saw these raccoons in 2017 in HHI!

 

[Simba's Mom]

Glad you enjoyed your stay-our favorite resort! We were in building 12 a couple years ago, and I must say, I'm glad we didn't see the raccoon. See them on our back porch regularly, and I'm not a fan!

 

[hhisc16]

Just returned from an amazing 4-night stay at Hilton Head Island! We stayed in a studio in Building 12, which was perfectly located near the lodge, parking, shuttle, and restaurants. The setup reminded us of Vero Beach, with a convenient parking garage underneath and recently refurbished rooms. We enjoyed the pools a couple times, laying in a hammock and playing bocce ball. It was too hot for riding bikes, but I could see doing that during colder months.

Dining Highlights​

• Salty Dog in Sea Pines: This place was buzzing inside and out, but we were seated quickly. The Painkiller cocktail was great, though the food was just okay. The kids loved the ice cream and music, which made it a fun stop.
• Burning Church Distillery: A 25 minute drive but absolutely worth it. The pizza was phenomenal, and the drinks were top-notch. The building itself is stunning, definitely a highlight.
• Bistro 17: This evening was an adventure! We got a late start, and every restaurant nearby had 2+ hour waits. We didn't realize Shelter Cove had fireworks planned that evening. Bistro 17 had no wait so we ended up there. It was understaffed, but the food and drinks were excellent. We sat outside (covered) during a wild thunderstorm, and halfway through our meal, they launched fireworks right as the storm peaked.
  
  After the storm calmed, we dashed around the harbor and over the bridge back to our room. While heading up the stairs in Building 12, my wife collided with a raccoon that ran behind me as I turned the corner leaving the stairs! My wife’s scream was legendary. I could see on the stairs above us another raccoon staring through the stairs at us as we ran for our door. We called the front desk, and they said they’d set traps. Luckily no harm was done, and my kids think it's the funniest thing ever.

• San Miguel’s Mexican: Lunch here was great, nachos and chicken chimichanga were standouts. This place gets very busy in the evening.
• Harbour Town: Super crowded, and we didn’t research it beforehand, so parking was a hassle. Still, we enjoyed the lighthouse, pier, and spotting dolphins. Missed Quarterdeck but will hit it next time.
• Bakeries: We tried French Bakery and Social Bakery on different mornings. Both had incredible boxes of desserts and pastries. Any reported whale sightings at the beach were just me.
• Tide Me Over & Signals at the Beach House: Typical quick-service spots. The fish and shrimp tacos were surprisingly good, and the Mai Tai was good as well.

Beach Experience​

The beach was great! The first couple of days had calm waves, perfect for playing. We had larger waves our last day, which we really enjoyed boogie boarding and body surfing in. We drove to the beach house each day and found plenty of parking. The kids loved finding starfish and sand dollars. Spotted a couple of stingrays. We enjoyed this beach even more than Vero Beach. HHI has less elevation compared to Vero and was calmer than our time at Vero. There were more people, but swimming in the ocean feels safer in numbers.

Overall Impressions​

This was our first time in South Carolina, and we were blown away by the beautiful scenery and friendly people. We rented points for the stay, 4 nights for $1,200. Hope to find that again. HHI is a gem, and we’re already looking forward to our next visit!

Glad you enjoyed your first dhhir trip!