Hilton Head SC-recommendations

[vatmark]

This june will be our first time going to Hilton Head Island. It will me, DH, DS(8), DD(10), my SIL,BIL, Neice-6, nephew-2 1/2. Anyone been there and have any dinning recommendations that have good food and are kid friendly. Also any recommendations for adult only dinner.

I have looked up resturants and there just seems to be so many.

Thnaks!

Annie

 

[NCRedding]

We've only been a few times, but we really enjoyed Truffles for dinner. There is one in Blufton near the outlet mall, and one in HH. We stayed at the Disney Hilton Head property, so we had dinner at Shelter Cove one night--the mexican restaurant (San Miguels??) and I wasn't impressed. You may also want to post this on the DVC board since so many go to HH there.

 

[JVL1018]

Even though you may not be staying at Disney's HHI resort, hop on over to the DVC Planning Board.
A lot of us head to HH.
Here's a link to a thread..geared to people staying at the Disney resort, but still may have some useful information-there's a link ot a thread about HHI restaurants in the first post:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=767947&highlight=Hilton+Head

We go every year and while I don't know of any good adults only places, some restaurants we have enjoyed with our children are:
Wild Wings, Just Pasta, Scott's Fish Market, and the Hilton Head Brewing Company.

 

[vatmark]

Thanks I will try the DVC board.

No we are not staying at the Disney Resort there

Annie

 

[chrisney]

We have a home on Hilton Head, so I spend lots of time there! Where will you be staying? Most plantations are restricted access--which means that you will pay a gate fee (Sea Pines) or have a reservation (Hilton Head Plantation) to be allowed in.

For adults, there are several favorites, each of which serves wonderful food. Red Fish on Palmetto Bay Road has great food, a lovely dining room but does not offer wonderful views. It's right on the road. Still well worth it. Tapas offers even less in the way of atmosphere, but the food is wonderful. Probably the restaurant that offers both atmosphere and good food would be Old Fort Pub in Hilton Head Plantation. Bear in mind that Hilton Head is very much a family destination so you would not be assured a child free atmosphere anywhere you go.

For kids, there are lots of choices. The Crazy Crab in Harbortown doesn't have stellar food, but is a fun place. It's almost a must do, but do it late enough that you are there for Greg Russell's concert (at 8, I think, during season). He's a hoot, both for kids and for adults. (Think "yuppidy do dah" when hearing kids names today and a song called "Is that a booger in your sugar, not it'snot.) The Salty Dog Cafe is just about 3 minutes from our house, and they too have children's activities and live music during season. You have a choice there, either eat from their "cookout" on the dock area of the marina, or eat inside at Captain John Braddocks. The Salty Dog is the personification of what Hilton Head is, at least for us. I know that I'm there once I sit and look at the boats while drinking a frozen Pina Colada. For breakfast, there are a number of choices...IHOP, Original House of Pancakes, Hilton Head Diner, Stacks and the Sunrise Cafe at Palmetto Bay Marina. Oh, and Marley's is another good dinner spot with live music that kids seem to like.

If you want to see dolphins, there are Dolphin cruises or, if you want close and free, go to Palmetto Bay Marina in the afternoon (I think around 3) and wait for the shrimp boat to come in. I tried for close to 15 years for a dolphin shot (had it pictured in my head), took lots of the dolphin cruises, and finally got it and many more one afternoon at Palmetto Bay marina.

And of course, there are the beaches, the bike paths, miniature golf, horseback riding, shopping and time to just relax. Just got back to Maryland a couple of weeks ago, and think I'm here till April. I'm missing the alligator who hangs out in the lagoon behind our house! Which leads to a PSA--do NOT feed any alligators. It's against the law, and is really not good for them. They are intelligent enough to realize that food comes from people, but not intelligent enough to realize that people are not food. Once they become aggressive, they are removed and killed. And I've seen one guy in our lagoon haul himself out of the lagoon and directly at some very surprised folks on the other side of the lagoon from me. Alligators can run faster than a man, so these folks were lucky...even though they had been feeding him that morning.

 

[vatmark]

Chrisney thanks for all that great info. I will look into those places you mentioned. I believe the name of the resort is called Hilton Head Resort and that the resort is adjacent to the Robert Trent Jones ocean course at Palmetto Dunes. I'm not sure on all the details because my sister is setting this up. It is a 3 bedroom condo that we will share with my sisters family for $950 for the week. It's not the most posh of places but the price was right.

I do realize that you have to pay gate fees to get into plantations. I'm trying to get as much info as possible because I have no idea what resturants are good and what attractions and activities there are. And I am an obsessive planner. Not to the point that I have to have everything planned down to the minute but I just want to know what things are worthwhile and what things we can pass on. I know Shelter Cove and Harbour Town looked like nice places to check out. Some of the things that I found that we may be interested in doing are...mini golf, fireworks cruise, a kids cruise and the family fun center. I'm also looking for a great resturant that is casual dress but has great food that just me and my husband can go to while my sister watches the kids.

People are actually crazy enough to want to feed an alligator?

Annie

 

[chrisney]

Hi Annie,
Yes, people are that dumb. I've watched them, as the house across the lagoon is always rented. And while alligator attacks are rare, there was a landscaper last summer who was very lucky! He had a pesticide applicator that exploded when a 12 footer decided to see if he was available for lunch. He got out of that with "just" a bad bite.

In all the years we've been going down to the island, we've never done the fireworks cruise. I know there are fireworks every Tuesday at Shelter Cove, and there is also a performer named Shannon Tanner (?) who is supposed to be quite good. We're real fans of Greg Russell and have never managed to be at Shelter Cove at the right time. For dolphin cruises, there are two that run out of the South Beach marina. One is a regular boat, the Gypsy, which offers a couple of options in terms of length and activities. The folks are nice. The other is a much more personal trip in an inflatable raft (Commander Zodiac)--don't remember how many people, but probably just your family given its size. A much closer encounter. It's also illegal to feed the dolphin, so there are no guarantees as to whether you'll get a good trip on any boat. All the tours tend to follow the shrimpers, just like the dolphin. And you'll probably see the dolphin while you're at the beach. Sometimes they're in close but not always.

Greg Russell also runs kids programs--a daily camp as well as kids cruises. While your nephew might be too young, your kids would love it. Not sure of the costs because they came into being after my kids would have been eligable (mine are now 20 and 23).

What do you mean by casual dress? Hilton Head is, by nature, a casual place. I wouldn't be comfortable going to any of the nicer restaurants I mentioned in shorts and a t-shirt at dinner time, but nice slacks/capris and a nice shirt would be okay for any of them (except perhaps Old Fort Pub, but it's worth it). And your husband would be okay in khakis and a sportshirt. I also forgot to mention a favorite restaurant for the family...Kurama, which is a Japanese steakhouse. Definately make a reservation for any restaurant that takes them because it gets crowded once the season starts.

 

[vatmark]

Casual dress to me would be shorts and a tee shirt. But for our adult night out I wouldn't mind wearing something other then shorts.

I do agree my kids would love the camps. I think maybe 1/2 day would be good.

I am thinking that the fireworks is going to be extremely crowded. That's why I thought maybe we could do a fireworks cruise instead this way we could see the fireworks but avoid the madhouse.

I saw the Commander Zodiac cruises but they only allow 6 people. We would like to do the dolphin cruise with my sisters family as well so that would make 8. I will look into the gypsy to see what they offer. My only fear is what you said...not seeing anything. I think the kids would probably start getting ansy and bored. Do you know if there are any places that offer a beach combing type tour where they take you on the beach and you can collect things and they tell you about them. I don't even know if such a thing exists.

How far in advance do the resturants take reservations? How far in advance would I need to make them to assure we get a ressie?

Thank you so much for your help!

Annie