Trip Report - First DVC Stay - HHI Resort

[rsschneck]

This might be long! I will try the readers digest version!

I will have to say we had a great (relaxing) vacation!

Took a red-eye Saturday night. The flight was good, but by the time we got to Atlanta and had breakfast with an old high school friend we were tired. We got stuck in Freeway construction and the 5 hour drive took 7 hours. I have been instructed NO MORE RED-EYE FLIGHTS EVER. Hey, live and learn.

Got to HHI around 4 p.m. on Sunday and once you get onto highway 278 the scenery is gorgeous!

We checked in @ 4:30 and the room was ready. Room number 2412 (2 bedroom, dedicated). First reaction was WOW! Money well spent! We were next to the playground, grill area, pool, everything! Great, great location. Our friends arrived a little later and we went to the store for some groceries.

Believe it or not we mostly cooked and I really enjoyed it. A little wine, good friends and the kids were in video heaven.

Went to the Campfire. Dad's were tinkerbell! Won't forget that!

Monday, painted Gyotaku t-shirt. My 6 year old daughter wasn't to sure about painting a dead fish. Learned a little about fiddler crabs. Went shopping at the 2 outlet malls. Nice stores but the Disney store is not at Factory 2 anymore. Swimming and the Big Dipper slide. Very fun! Slide freaked out my 6 year old and she did not try it again. She will at our next visit.

Tuesday, kids did face painting. We learned about Sea Turtles. We had our own BBQ (grills work great!). Fireworks were really nice!

Wednesday, Beach Day! Nice beach and pool. The sand is very soft! Went to the Members Only tea and talked to some very nice people from Ohio. Campfire was cancelled because of rain.

Thursday, our friends left so we drove down to Sea Pines. Nice drive and very beautiful! Found The Salty Dog! DD did the kids night out. They fed them pizza and then took them into town to watch Finding Nemo. She had a great time. We went shopping around the harbour. The Christmas store was our favorite. Purchased a nativity scene from a Carolina Artist. Very cool!
The Shrimp Boil was cancelled because of rain.

Friday, we switched rooms and ended up in a studio for our last night. The room wasn't ready until 4 p.m. so we had time to kill. We went to pirate pete's for miniature golf. Nice place, very cute! Warning, MOSQUITOS! DD did the unbirthday party and had a great time. Campfire was fun! Dad's were little Bo Peep this time!

We have decided a studio isn't for us. Room was nice 3014, but without the extras (kitchen, laundry, etc) it just wasn't "HOME".

Places we ate out included:
Kingfisher-close to resort, nice views, prices ok and food was ok.
not spectacular but ok to good!
Sea Pines Deli- Expensive and my crab cake sandwiche did not
settle very well. Would not go to again!
San Miguel's Mexican- located in the Harbour shopping area.
Very good and prices were pretty good as well. I
recommend eating there.
Moby Nick's - Our favorite place! Just down the street from pirate
pete's. It is a family style, cafe type restaurant. Not
fancy at all! They do have a full bar! Food was
EXCELLENT! We will eat there again! Tried clam
chouder, steamer clams, lobster tails and scampi style
pasta dish WOW!

The drive and plane ride home went as smooth as silk. Rented a car through National and had no complaints!

Trip was very relaxing: pool, beach, and playing hearts a night with Jose' Cuervo and good friends!

DD said she liked it better than a Cruise and Disneyland! Don't know if I would go that far, but it was exactly the type a vacation we were looking for! We will try for ressies for DD Spring Break!

Any questions just PM me and I would be happy to answer them if I can.

 

[Candace]

Thanks for the report! I was there the week before you. I always take my mom who is elderly, and we don't do a lot of the activities offered, so I love reading about them from others. Next time you fly, don't stop in Atlanta! Change planes and go on to Savannah, so you will be less than an hour's drive to HHI.

 

[rsschneck]

We flew into Atlanta because tickets were $278 round trip. Flying into Savannah was $450 round trip. Multiply that by 3 and we saved $516. I don't think we even spent that much money for all the activities that we did. Thanks for the idea, but the drive wasn't that bad for a savings of $516. Heck that covered the cost of the new personal DVD player we purchased for DD for the plane and car rides.

I hope you had better weather! We had lots of rain because of the Tropical Depression that was in the area. We didn't mind the rain. We live in Oregon, so it really did feel like "HOME".

 

[mouseclick1]

Glad you had a nice trip! We were in 2412 a few weeks ago, for the 4th of July. I thought it was a great location. We drove by Moby Nick's a bunch of times but never ate there. Looks like we'll have to try it on our next trip!

 

[RealMickey]

rsschneck, thanks so much for the imformation packed trip review. Sounds like you had a fabulous trip. We are going to HH for the first time in a couple of months, can't wait! Reviews like yours make planning trips so much easier.

 

[CAROLINES]

Too funny. We were in 2411, July 20-24. I think I met some of the people in your group in the shop on Wednesday evening before we left. I heard him say your room number and told him we were staying next door. He said that the party would be at our place!! Ha, ha. I told him we had to pack and he said maybe next time.

We really loved the resort and were very pleased to discover that it is only a 3 hour drive from our home. We are going back Labor Day!!!! My husand and I want to take our mothers.

Just thought you would want to know that it is really a small world after all!!!

Caroline

 

[rsschneck]

That Party Animal was my Husband.

Next time hubby says the party is at our house take him up on the offer!

I wish we only had a 3 hour drive, that would be nice. My DD wants to go back in March for Spring Break.

DD REALLY LIKED Hilton Head!!!

I see add on in our Crystal Ball.

 

[cindy_k]

Thanks for the report.

We are going down in Nov. We have chosen to fly into Jacksonville, FL and are going to drive from there to HH. It's about a 3 hour drive.

$450 to go to Savannah or Charleston
$277 to fly to Jacksonville.

Oh and the rental car was twice as much in Charleston and Savannah.

I wish the flight to that area were cheaper.

Glad you had a fun trip!
Cindy in NY

 

[Connears]

Glad you love our "home". We had been 5 times when we decided we needed to add-on points at HHI, so we did last October. We were there last July and had building 31. It was right at the end of the turn around at the entrance to the harbor. We watched dolphins every morning from our porch as they played with the kayakers! We also had front row for the fireworks because we looked onto the barge. We are hitting London and DLParis next summer, but x-mas 2004 at HHI is calling us.
Connears