Quiet time in Hilton Head, SC — To Make Much of Time

UPDATED: 2/4/2023

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During the “off season” my dad and I took a low-key trip to Hilton Head in November 2017. While there are people who live year-round on Hilton Head, many of the homes there are vacation homes. Hilton Head is a big resort area: if you are a golfer or player of tennis, this will be right up your alley.

We rented a home, as we typically do for our annual trips, and found many good options even without planning as far in advance as usual. We rented through Homeaway, and you can find their Hilton Head options here . We were able to find a home in one of the resorts, Palmetto Dunes, with a private pool and spa, both overlooking a canal for a water vista and a resident Blue Heron. If you look at a map of Hilton Head, you’ll see canals meandering all over, which is a neat feature and increases the opportunities to rent a vacation spot on the water.

We took a day trip on a rainy day to both Bluffton and Beaufort. Bluffton is about a 20 minute drive and then it was another 40 minutes to Beaufort. Both are adorable towns with old houses, Bluffton much smaller. We enjoyed lunch at Red Rooster Cafe in Beaufort which I’d highly recommend.

While I’m on the topic of food, we went out for dinner one night on Hilton Head Island to the Old Oyster Factory. We were surprised to find many dinner spots booked up well in advance that time of year, so I recommend reservations wherever you decide to go. Old Oyster Factory had delicious hush puppies (in lieu of bread) that I could have filled up on but am glad I didn’t, as my entree was fantastic, too. The restaurant has a nice setting on the water but by the time we ate in November, it was pitch dark.

I found Hilton Head to be convenient – plenty of grocery stores and restaurants scattered around the island – and enjoyable for the resort-lover or someone looking for a laid back vacation. If you’re looking to explore a lot, this probably isn’t the place for you.

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