HHI Trip Report - February 13-19

[Pluto's Gang]

This is my first trip report. Our home resort is HHI. This is our 4th time here. The last time we were here we had a GV for a family reunion. This time it is just our family of 5 in a 2BR. So, here goes...

Saturday, February 13: We left Connecticut at 2:00am. Kids and DW slept in the car until our Breakfast stop in Virginia. We stopped at Bojangles for our Lunch stop-DS17 loves it there and we don't have any in CT. Then we drove straight to HHI and arrived at 6:00pm. We had very little traffic and only a few flurries in North Carolina.

Check-in was fast and smooth-everything was done and waiting for us as we had done on-line check-in. We recieved a "Welcome Home" and our keys & packet. There was warm cider in the lobby, which we enjoyed as we checked out Big Murgies Den (where we saw B'Lou Crab) and the view of the marsh from the back of Live Oak Lodge.

We headed to our room, 2722. We received all of our requests-marsh view, close to pool, 2nd floor. The room has a marsh view out the back of the villa and a pool view out the front. Best of both worlds! The room is beautiful-looks brand new. Disney really does a good job at keeping things up and looking good. They must have just refurbished this unit. I would recommend this villa - marsh view, close to pool, Community Hall/activities, Tide Me Over, Store, and Soda/Coffee refills.

We unloaded the car and headed to the Piggly Wiggly for some grocery shopping. Our plan is to do Breakfast and a couple of dinners in the villa and eat out for Lunch and the rest of the dinners. We went to Outback Steakhouse for Dinner. The restaurant was full but we only waited about 10 minutes to be seated. Food was good and service even better.

It is a bit colder than we would have liked, about 40 last night. But, it looks like we are going to have a sunny and dry week with temps in the high 40's and low 50's. Perfect weather for Biking, Kayaking, DVC activites, Exploring the island, and Mini-Golf.

Thats about it for now. I'll post tonight after our 1st full day at HH.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Hope you're still enjoying HHI resort. We've been to HHI in February and that sounds like pretty typical weather. I'm just curious-you say your home resort is there. Did you buy there out of choice (if so, good choice!) or was the reason you bought there because you got a good deal? If you get a chance, run into the General Store and say "Hi" to Gordon and Dottie. We'll look forward to seeing them again next Thanksgiving. And have a cranberry nut cookie and some hot cider for me, please!

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

We were at Hilton Head in January of 2009. Brrrr!

Those tile floors can get very cold. We found that the pool towels really helped with the cold floors. It was 20 degrees while we were there!

Dh and I really enjoy going into Savannah as well as checking out all that Hilton Head and particularly Disney has to offer.

Enjoy a cup of cider for us too!

 

[bobbiwoz]

Enjoy your stay! I'm glad you didn't have bad weather for your travels!

Bobbi

 

[KirstenB]

I hope you guys have a great week! I love hearing about HHI. There are always so many activities right at the resort.

 

[Pluto's Gang]

Sunday, February 14: We woke up to a cold, but sunny morning and the temperature today made it up to 54! Me and DD13 and DS10 went down to the Recreation window to sign up for 2 activities: Messy Science and Mickey Tie-dye Tee-Shirts. We went up to Tide Me Over to buy our refillable mugs ($13.49 per mug). They are the Disney World ones. The last time we were here they had there own HH design.

We had breakfast in our villa and headed out to Community Hall for Messy Science. They made Slime and bouncy balls. We stopped in Broad Creek Mercantile and Gordon was working. We are trying to decide on which HH fish spot to go to this week - Hudson's, Captain Seafood or Sea Shack. So, I asked Gordon for his recommendation. He said that Captain Seafood is no longer in business, Hudson's is good and has water views, but Sea Shack is just a bit better and fresher. Sea Shack is popular with the locals and has gotten even more popular since Rachael Ray did her $40 a day show there a while back. So, I think its going to be Sea Shack.

We rented bikes for our Length of stay ($25 per bike). Took a ride around the resort and through Shelter Cove. The resort is in Great condition. All the buildings and signage look like they have been freshly painted (they are currently painting buildings 14 & 15 on the boardwalk). We were here last about 3 1/2 years ago, and there are a couple of new things I haven't noticed before - 1/2 court basketball court, new playground, new picnic table & grill areas with concrete slabs.

Lunch was at Fuddruckers today. We just love their burgers and the kids loved the air hockey and video games they have there. We drove over to the Beach House to check out the ocean. I love how big the beach area is at HH. There were quite a few people there considering it was cold and windy. DW, DD13 and myself retreated to the heated Surfman's Station while DS10 and DS17 played catch on the beach. After some Ping Pong we headed back to the resort for Mickey Tie-Dye.

The kids enjoyed making their Tee-shirts and then we went for a bike ride back to the beach house. On our way, we stopped at the Lodge for a cookie (around 5:00 pm) and they were all gone! We'll have to try again closer to 3:00 when they put them out. Biking is one of our favorite activities at HH. TIP: when it is windy on the beach, be careful how far you travel down the beach with the wind at your back, because you have to pedal back against the wind!!

Dinner tonight was in our villa. I grilled London Broils at one of the grills scattered around the resort while DW made her specialty Garlic & Parsley Butter sauce to put on top - Heaven!! Dessert was Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bars - so happy they sell these here! Will probably have 1 a day!

Tonight, we are all happy to relax and watch TV since many of our favorites are on: Amazing Race, NBA All-Star Game, Olympics.

Simba's Mom: We bought out of choice. The resort was perfect for us because we love Disney and my DW's family lives about 4 hours from here. So we combine HH vacations with a visit to them, as we are doing this week and we also use our points at Disney World. I will let Gordon and Dottie know you said Hi when I see them. Hopefully we will get one of those cookies!

 

[Simba's Mom]

And you made another good choice to go to Sea Shack. Although the last time we were in HHI, even though it was off-season, the Sea Shack was so backed up with locals that we ended up going over to the Grumpy Grouper (OK but not great). Hopefully, next trip we'll get to the Sea Shack. Another place we tried last time and loved was Captain Woody's, which was recommended to us by the CMs at the front desk. Also, have you tried Kenny B's (or is it Kenny G's?) yet? It's about as "formal" as Captains Seafood, down to the paper towels on the tables. I had a shrimp basket there and it was excellent. I remember seeing the outside of the building you're in. Looked like it had great views. We're usually in a 1 BR and since there are so few of them, we don't get a big choice of views. Keep having fun and reporting, so we can live there through your trip report!

 

[LJC1861]

If you still need some great dining out options try Dye's Gullah Fixin's. www.gyesgullahfixins.com

The food is amazing and Dye both runs the place as well as does all the cooking.

Check out the website for the nights that she is using the menu. I think ordering off the menu for the first time gives you an opportunity to try several different things and share. Her food is all fresh and made from scratch and I can't say enough good things about the whole experience.

She does require reservations, even in the off season as she only prepares what she will need each day so as not to waste food.

Try it, you WILL like it!

Linda

 

[Kewz1]

Sea Shack is one of my family's favorite places to eat. There's always a line but it is so worth the wait!

Glad you're having fun!

Kristen

 

[Bribrittmom]

Where is the Sea Shack located?

 

[kristie03]

If you like sushi, it would be a treat to check out Fancy Q's. It is located a little north island in the shopping center that has Home Goods and a movie theater. It is sushi with a little twist and the owner is fun to talk to....yum!

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

I think Crab Shack is on the right just after you cross the bridge onto HHI. It is hidden by some trees and the sign is small like the others.

 

[Pluto's Gang]

Monday, February 15: Woke up to sunny and less windy weather this morning. Temperatures got into the mid 50's today. Rained a little this afternoon, but cleared up by 6:00 pm

DS10 did the Caretta Caretta (scientific word for sea turtles) activity at Community Hall this morning. He is really into Science/animals and really enjoyed the info and game they played. We brought back coffee and hot chocolate in our mugs for everyone and had breakfast in our villa. It wasn't very windy and the sun felt warm, so we decided to go for a swim. The pools are heated to 85 degrees. The painful part is getting out! The slide is open from 10-4 and "upon request". The cast members said it has to be a certain temperature to open it though. We did see it open later in the day, so maybe we'll get to do it later in the week.

Lunch today was at Sea Shack. It is located on Executive Park Rd. You take 278 from the resort to Sea Pines Circle. Make a left onto Pope Ave. Executive Park Rd. is on your left about 1/2 way between Sea Pines Circle and Coligny Plaza. It is less than 10 minutes from the resort. We loved it! It was everything everyone told us it would be. From the outside, it is rundown. On the inside, in my opinion anyway, I think it had a little character. As far as the food goes...EXCELLENT and OH, SO FRESH!!! You can add us to the list of people who recommend this HH restaurant and we would definitely go back again. We arrived around 11:30 to only a little line. We ordered and enjoyed our New England Clam Chowder and Crab Cakes as we watched the line grow longer and longer. DW said we had gotten there at just the right time! Our order was brought to the table for us. DW had Fried Shrimp, DS17 and I had the Fish & Chips (made with Tilapia), DD13 had Chilled Shrimp and DS10 had a burger. Everyone enjoyed their meal immensely.

After lunch, we explored the island a bit. We took 278 all the way around and back to the resort. We went for another bike ride, this time straight down 278 toward Sea Pine Circle. We had to turn around about 1/2 way there because it started to rain. On our way back to the villa, we stopped at the Lodge to get some cookies and warm cider. It wasn't 3:00 yet, so we passed the time playing some pool at Big Murgie's Den. DD13 and DS10 had never played before and really enjoyed it. DW turns out to be a closet pool shark! The cookies were delicious, and they had both Cranberry Nut and Chocolate Chip today.

We headed back to our villa in the rain. It wasn't really that cold or windy, so not to bad. DW and I enjoyed a nice glass of Merlot on the porch, while the kids warmed up with Wii!!! For Dinner, we went to Tide Me Over and brought it back to our villa. After dinner, we went down to play some ping pong by the pool. Some cast members came over to tell us that there was an amazing rainbow that could be seen from the fishing pier. It was tall and beautiful. DW and kids said it was "the biggest and most amazing rainbow they had ever seen." A little bit of Disney magic at work here, I guess. With the clouds clearing, the sunset was even nicer than usual.

Tonight, we played a long game of Scrabble. DS10 won and wants the Shadow stuffed animal as his prize! I think that is about it for today...

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

I love the crab cakes!!

They actually ruined me. I can't find any other crab cakes that I like.

 

[tarheel]

I am enjoying your report. We'll be there for our spring break for Easter and I love hearing where you're eating and what activities you're doing. I hope you continue to have such a good time!

 

[Simba's Mom]

Where is the Sea Shack located?

It's off Pope Ave about a block. Go to the rotary, and head down Pope Ave towards the strip mall (I forget the name). Take your first major left (I'm thinking there's something there with a name like "Executive Park". The Sea Shack is about a block up on the right. It's near what was years ago a German Restuarant.

 

[Pluto's Gang]

Tuesday, February 16: Slept in this morning and cooked a big breakfast in our villa - bacon, eggs, hash browns. Very windy this morning, so we decided to postpone kayaking till another day (hopefully). DW was in the master bedroom talking on the phone and all of a sudden started yelling "there is a dolphin out there!" We all ran onto the porch and watched as a dolphin popped up and down and swam from the fishing pier to the entrance to shelter cove marina - nice way to start our day!

DD13 and DS10 did the Vacation Pillows activity today at Community Hall. DW and I made pillows too! We are visiting DW's sister and family in Charlotte, NC on the way home and she thought these would be good gifts for their kids. We had a good time and laughed alot with the cast member that ran it, Jennifer. The cast members here are just great!

For lunch today, we went to Wild Wing Cafe. Our family loves wings and we've been wanting to go our past few trips but have never gotten here. Unfortunately, it was a little disappointing. We have wings back in Connecticut from a place called Archie Moore's that win all kinds of prizes that are to die for. I think we were all comparing them to those. One bright spot, however, was the nachos! Very tasty indeed!

After lunch, we spent the afternoon at Coligny Plaza. DW and the kids loved going through all the shops and we got some ice cream at Frozen Moo. The place was great - 92 flavors, very friendly owner who was talking to us in between customers, and delicious ice cream.

Back at the resort, me and the kids took a bike ride and stopped at Big Murgie's Den to play some pool. DW stayed back at the villa to make her amazing Lasagna for dinner.

After dinner, while we were watching American Idol, someone was knocking on our door. It was a cast member from the Front Desk delivering balloons and a Birthday Card to my DS10!!! He was so excited! Disney knew because my DW had noticed the channel on the TV that has all the birthdays, anniversaries, etc. posted and asked them to add my DS10 since he is celebrating his birthday in just a week. The Disney magic is alive and well at HHI!

If anyone has any ?'s, let me know.

 

[podsnel]

I LOVE Jennifer the CM- she is a PISTOL!!! Soooo funny!

I am really enjoying reading your TR, it is good to hear what HHI is like in the off season. I miss it SO MUCH!!! If this economy would pick up, we'd buy points there...so someday! Really it's a fabulous place.

Please put me on the list of people who want to say hi to Dottie if you see her!! And I hope you have better luck with the kayaking today!

 

[irish dancer]

Thank you for sharing your report. We are anxiously counting down the days until our Spring Break trip to HHI.

 

[Pluto's Gang]

Wednesday, February 17: Windy and coldest day of the week so far, temps in the high 40's. No swimming or kayaking today! It was very sunny though. We slept in this morning, breakfast in the villa. We just relaxed and hung out in the villa, did some laundry, etc.

Lunch was at Crazy Crab today. This is one of our favorite restaurants, we go there every trip to HHI. There are two on the island, one in Sea Pines and the one we go to is by the Coastal Discovery Museum as you drive onto the island. We like the theming of the restaurant and the great views of Jarvis Creek (alot like the marsh views here at the resort). The hush puppies, in our opinion, are the best we've tasted anywhere. We all had their New England Clam Chowder, DW had the Broiled Fish Platter, I had the Crab Cakes, DS17 had Fried Flounder, DD13 had Fish and Chips and DS10 had a cheeseburger!!! Everything was delicious and our server was great.

We went back to the resort for the Behind the Ears Tour. Our tour guide, Carol, was great - friendly and informative. The tour gives you alot of background info on how they created and built the resort, some trivia & hidden Mickeys, all while touring the resort.

The resort does this cool Button and Lanyard thing that I forgot to talk about. DD13 and DS10 are doing it. They cost $8 and the kids make the first button. Then, everytime they go to an activity they get another button themed to that activity to put on their lanyards. They love it and look forward to the next button! It is a great souvenir of their vacation here.

After the tour, we headed to the Pirate's Island Mini Golf. It is just outside the entrance to Shelter Cove on 278 on the right (just before the HH Diner). The kids (and the parents!) love it here. It has an awesome theme, well maintained, it looks as if Disney runs it!!! We played both courses and we did get a bit cold by the end! We should have brought hats and gloves on this trip! Still alot of fun though!

Dinner was back at the villa. DW made a salad and I went to pick up some Pizza at Giuseppe's. This was our first time trying their pizza. It wasn't like our favorites at home, but certainly not bad for what we call, "vacation pizza!"

After Dinner, we went to Ash Wednesday Mass at Holy Family Church. It is located on Pope Ave on your left. Beautiful Church. Back at our villa, we watched American Idol and relaxed. Another great day at HHI!