Hilton Head, SC

[Donaldswife]

We are staying at Palmetto Dunes which I understand to be right next to Disney.

Well, not right next to. Disney is right next to Shelter Cove, on Broad Creek which is inland, from what I remember Palmetto Dunes is on the Ocean Side of the island on the other side of the main Highway, so about 5 minutes driving time. Palmetto Dunes is HUGE though, and may have some units in the Shelter Cove Marina area as well.

 

[fabfive]

We are in the Turnberry Villas.

 

[fabfive]

PAlmetto dunes is the plantation(neighborhood.). The beach club is inside PD. the resort is on the otger side of the highway at Shelter Cove, but itis part of PD because beach access is inside the gates of the plantation.

Within PD you can stay at a hotel, rent a house, condo, timeshare. But unless you are staying at Disney I really don't think you can use their facilities

That's what I thought. Any other ideas would greatly be appreciated.

 

[Green Tea]

We are in the Turnberry Villas.

Middle of the plantation. You can ride bikes to a public access for the beach. Or walk on the paths. It is a great location. Definitely rent bikes for everyone. You can see so much withing the other plantations that way. If you are going to drive in, have a destination in mind-like the Radissson for lunch in Shipyard, etc. Otherwise the guards really do stop cars. Bikes should be fine, as well as joggers. Except the reverse is true for Sea Pines. Cars can get in for a fee but unless you know the daily code, bikes and walkers won't be permitted to enter.

You will not be adjacent to the Disney resort or the Disney beach club. I think whoever told you you had access was trying to make a sale.

At Coligney Plaza at Forest Beach there are restaurants, shops, and near by a BiLo grocery. There will be grocery stores on the highway near PD too.

As far as teens go, the biking, ice cream stores, pizza, movies, mini golf are about it. There are not the mega club things or amusement parks like at Myrtle Beach.

 

[fabfive]

Oh well. I am just tickled to be going on vacation in this economy. Hanging with our family all together. I was kind of thinking this might be our last one all together with DS being 18 this fall. Someone mentioned the Hilton would be a good place for him to check out. They said a lot of kids his age hang out there????

 

[johnsontrio]

One of our best vacation memories from Hilton Head was the Commander Zodiak dolphin watch. I think it left from the area in SeaPines where the Salty Dog Cafe is located. It was maybe an hour but went right out into the Sound with the fishing boats and we saw tons of dolphins, they came right up to the zodiak. The boats are small so it would be just your family. Great experience.

We also did Captain Kidd's but our DD was very young, around 5 or 6. They put down nets and drag the water and then pull up the haul. They educate the children about all the sealife, pass some of it around and throw it all back in. Sounds kind of barbaric! They did pull up a couple sea turtles and did a nice job educating the kids about them.

We also rented kayaks on a later trip. DD was about 8 that year. It was a lot of work and we didn't see much on that trip. Your kids might really enjoy that since they are older.

We don't eat seafood so take that into consideration when I give you our dining recommendations. We like Hilton Head Diner, Amigo's (very casual taco place) and our favorite is Truffles in SeaPines. There was also a Greek restaurant that we enjoyed but I don't know if it's
still there.

Everybody gets a Salty Dog Cafe shirt, when you see it you will recognize it, I see them all over. The food can be missed, but make sure you get the shirt. SeaPines and Shelter Cove have family oriented guitar singers that play a show at night. Very funny, singalong type shows, don't miss it. It is also fun to rent bikes to ride on the beach. The beach is wide and the sand is very hard. The beach water also gets very warm in the summer.

There is a ton to do there and it is a great family beach vacation. No neon, no drunks, our kind of place!

 

[LJC1861]

We're going in July and you have me intrigued. What exactly does "follow the rules" mean? I have to order before sitting, wait in the suggested area??? And know what you want and how you want it prepared??? I love good seafood at a good price, but what the **** is this all about?

There are only a handful of seats in the place, so if you sit before ordering it will create havoc. You will wait on line and in a perfect world get to sit as soon as your order is placed. If not, they will ask you to wait off to the side. As you reach the counter you will see a blackboard with the menu. You can order anything fried, grilled or blackened. You get several sides and they are all listed. As you approach the ordering spot it is suggested that you know what you want and how you want it prepared so as to keep the line moving. It sounds harsh, but they do keep the line and people moving in and out very quickly. It is worth the effort in my opinion. They hand bread all the seafood to order and it is all prepared freshly every day.

Linda

 

[Tarheel Tink]

We are staying at Palmetto Dunes which I understand to be right next to Disney.

I am pasting a quote from a TR that Chum, who lives on Hilton Head, responded to.

"I just wanted to shed some light on the parking over at the beach DVC location in Palmetto Dunes.

Way back when, the site of the DVC beach house was a crushed shell path that led to a small sand parking lot surrounded with palmettos. This was a beach access spot for owners and visitors in Palmetto Dunes. I parked my car and bike down there many times and enjoyed the seclusion.

When Disney developed the DVC island property at Shelter Cove they also wanted nearby beach access which was few and far between and very expensive.

Disney cut a deal with Greenwood who owned and managed Palmetto Dunes and the sand parking area. Palmetto Dunes agreed to sell the lot for construction of a Disney beach house as long as part of the facility (restrooms, counter service dining, grills, picnic tables, beach access and parking) was still available to Palmetto Dunes owners/guests.

So, that is why you will see those non-DVC minivans crowding what few spaces there are at the beach house. There is a gate to enter the south section of PD where the beach house is located."

 

[handinpocket]

OK - Now you've got me nervous. Is there a menu I can look at before hand (mainly for my wife and kids)? We seem to have a hard time making decisions about food.

Do yourself a favor, Hudson's Seafood is far superior to the Sea Shack and you can sit in the comfort of a restaurant with a full bar and live entertainment outside.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

We love Hudsons!

 

[dis-happy]

We also did Captain Kidd's but our DD was very young, around 5 or 6. They put down nets and drag the water and then pull up the haul. They educate the children about all the sealife, pass some of it around and throw it all back in. Sounds kind of barbaric! They did pull up a couple sea turtles and did a nice job educating the kids about them.

This has been defunct for a few years now, but was totally cool when they had it!

 

[fabfive]

On the fishing excursion, do you get to keep the fish or is it catch and release? If you get to keep it, do they filet it for you?

 

[fabfive]

Here are suggestions I have received so far:

Mellow Mushroom
Guiseppi's
Wild Wings Cafe
Salty Dog Cafe
Lands End Tavern
aunt Chiladas
Frankie Bones
Jump & Phils
BoathouseII

Any comments pros and cons on these?

Others that were worth noting:

Sticky Fingers, Rileys
One Hot Mammas
Kingfisher

I was told Tuesday is the fireworks so to do a whole day at Sea Pines.
The Hilton Bar or the Dunes House for lunch and a drink of the day.

Someone suggested Outpost as the best place to book a fishing excursion? Any deals? Any comments?

Any other comments or recommendations?

Thanks to all.

 

[chrisney]

Hi. We live part time on the island, so I am a little more up to date than some. Sticky Fingers is gone, and The Smokehouse, another barbeque restaurant has moved into that space. We prefer One Hot Mamas to Smokehouse. Although One Hot Mamas is, for us, a during the week and early evening place. The triangle has sometimes had problems in the later hours because of the concentration of bars. We also don't especially enjoy Lands End Tavern or Aunt Chiladas (LET because of the menu and AC because it has really gone downhill in recent years). Places we do enjoy that didn't make your list include Kurama Japanese Steakhouse and Tapas (really good). The Salty Dog (which is right by where we live) is a great place, but often easier for lunch than dinner. You don't have the entertainment at lunch, but you don't have the masses of people, either. If you do decide to come down to South Beach in the evening, using the Sea Pines trolley is almost a must. There are cars stacked everywhere. I don't go over anymore in the evening. However at lunch, you can sit on the dock with a frozen drink and actually enjoy.

Tuesday night fireworks have been cut back this year (though I forget how much) and are NOT in Sea Pines. Those take place at Shelter Cove, and there is lots to do there on Tuesdays, including a kids performer by the name of Shannon Tanner. He's good, but there's no comparison to the man who entertains at Harbourtowne (all nights except Saturday). Gregg Russell is a one of a kind. Be sure to go over to hear him. The staple for dinner at HT is the Crazy Crab. So So food. Better food at what used to be Cafe Europa (can't think of it's new name) over at the base of the lighthouse.

If you have other questions just give me a shout.

 

[Lucky4me]

We just got back from HHI last week. dh has been visiting most years since 1983, me, since 1994.
The Seashack changes it's sides and specials almost daily. It's an open kitchen serving Southern food the way it was meant to be served.
They will yell at you if you take to long to order-lol- but not as bad as the soup nazi. Smile and they'll smile back. The pace is frenzied and it's so tiny in there.

Do what we did, call ahead at opening and place an order to go. Then you go in the out door and bypass the long line. You will get dirty looks-ignore them. Then go up to the cashier and tell her you have take out-
Take it back to your condo or go on a picnic and enjoy! (Coligny beach has a nice area with picnic tables now) We did this twice in one week. Had blackened scallops, shrimp, chicken sandwich, dd had a burger one night. They were all good. The sides were excellent- some kind of rice one night-parmasan smashed potatoes another night. The dinners were around $10 and included choice of two sides and hush puppies. The hush puppies are drool worthy.

I think during the summer there will be plenty of teens around to meet. My daughter brought two friends, there wasn't too many kids around, so they just hung out together. They rode bikes, boogie boarded, swam and we visited all the hot spots on the island and a day trip to Savannah. If they were bored, it was their own fault.


We're not too into the expensive waterside restaurants unless we go early bird. You can find plenty of good, inexpensive food all over the island. I love trying out the local mom and pops more than anything else.
I noticed the fast food places are dwindling, which is okay with me. There used to be a Burger King on the South end of the island I noticed was gone. I think there's a McDs and Wendys in that area, but we didn't eat at either.

 

[Lucky4me]

I forgot to mention, we love Aunt Chilada's and must have hit them on a good night, because the service and food was excellent. Love their Mexican Pizzas at happy hour and they do make a good enchilada.
We missed The Smokehouse this time, but we always liked that too.
We went to Wild Wings and were disappointed with both the food and the service this time. I think most places can have a bad night now and then.
Usually we have a great time there.

 

[Lucky4me]

We just got back from HHI last week. dh has been visiting most years since 1983, me, since 1994.
The Seashack changes it's sides and specials almost daily. It's an open kitchen serving Southern food the way it was meant to be served.
They will yell at you if you take to long to order-lol- but not as bad as the soup nazi. Smile and they'll smile back. The pace is frenzied and it's so tiny in there.

Do what we did, call ahead at opening and place an order to go. Then you go in the out door and bypass the long line. You will get dirty looks-ignore them. Then go up to the cashier and tell her you have take out-
Take it back to your condo or go on a picnic and enjoy! (Coligny beach has a nice area with picnic tables now) We did this twice in one week. Had blackened scallops, shrimp, chicken sandwich, dd had a burger one night. They were all good. The sides were excellent- some kind of rice one night-parmasan smashed potatoes another night. The dinners were around $10 and included choice of two sides and hush puppies. The hush puppies are drool worthy.

I think during the summer there will be plenty of teens around to meet. My daughter brought two friends, there wasn't too many kids around, so they just hung out together. They rode bikes, boogie boarded, swam and we visited all the hot spots on the island and a day trip to Savannah. If they were bored, it was their own fault.


We're not too into the expensive waterside restaurants unless we go early bird. You can find plenty of good, inexpensive food all over the island. I love trying out the local mom and pops more than anything else.
I noticed the fast food places are dwindling, which is okay with me. There used to be a Burger King on the South end of the island I noticed was gone. I think there's a McDs and Wendys in that area, but we didn't eat at either.

 

[fabfive]

Looks like we will gain a few lbs on this trip. That Seashack sounds like a good time. Any breakfast places? Oh an where/how can I get my hands on a coupon book?

 

[Buckalew11]

We used to go to HHI every year for years. My folks liked a seafood place called Hudson's. Is it still around? It was an older place that had been there for years when were were going. I'm not a seafood eater so it wasn't as impressive to me.

I'd like to try going to HHI again sooner than later. Maybe use our DVC. It is a beautiful place.

 

[HeatherC]

Would anyone know anything about Hilton Head Resort?

We are staying here in July for two weeks. It is an older condominium resort that has been undergoing a lot of renovations the past couple years.
I believe it is near Folly Field Beach....kind of mid-island.

The place we are renting is completely renovated and it looks like a decent resort....even has an indoor pool area if the weather is crummy.

Any info on it would be great!

Thanks so much!