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Category: Places to Stay Category: Restaurants Category: Places to Stay
Category: Places to Stay Category: Places to Stay Category: Places to Stay Category: General Area Category: General Area Category: General Area Category: Things to Do Another couple and ourselves are going to HHI this July and are staying
in a villa for most of the week- but we are going between the Marriott
Golf Resort and the Westin for the remaining couple of days we are there.
Does anyone have a preference? The Marriott was supposedly just renovated
last year and the Westin about 7 years ago. Both look nice but we would
like to go to the NICEST of the two. If you have any suggestions, please
email me!! Thanks alot!! We can't wait! June 2002 My fiancee and I are planning to get married next Memorial Day weekend
(5/27/2002) and we’re looking for information on potential locations for
our wedding/reception as well as photographers, florists, etc. Any help
would be appreciated. Thanks My friends and I are planning to spend the summer of 2001 in Hilton
Head. We are all college seniors that have jobs lined up, but we are
having trouble finding places that will rent for the whole summer. I would
really appreciate any help or suggestions of places that are willing to
rent for the entire summer. Thank you for any help. phone - (740)-589-4244 Staying with some friends in their condo at Windsor II in Palmetto
Dunes. Can you send info on some nice places to eat at moderate prices. We
are arriving 4-14 thru 4-21. Thanks in advance for you efforts. S. Cellura Could you tell me the Hours the Freeport Ferry Service will be leaving
from Hilton Head Island in April and the return hours. Cost? for Adults
and Children?? We coming from England on June 30th and are staying for the
first time in Myrtle Beach (Deer Track). And would like some advice on
places to eat, places to see and some advice on the best of the moderately
priced golf courses. Any replies would be welcome. Thanks. My son and I are arriving on May 1st about 3:00 pm at Hilton Head
Airport and would like to play a round of golf and stay the night in a
motel. Then from the 2nd to the 5th we will be staying with a supplier and
playing at a private course. He couldn't make it for the 1st because he
has guest still in his condo. Can you provide me with some public courses
and motel information around the entrance to Hilton Head please. Thank
you We would to experience Hilton Head this summer for our vacation. If you
could help maybe with some places to stay that are around $700-850.00 per
week. There are 5 of us ranging in age from 47 to 16 yrs.old. My daughter
and her boyfriend are golf fanatics. The weeks we are possibly looking at
are either June 11th thru 17th or July 9th thru 15th. We would love ocean
front or oceanview. We love the ocean. We are four college friends in our mid 30's going to hilton head south
carolina in mid february. we are looking for good clubs to drink and
socialize at, any sort of fun night life activities would be helpful. your
suggestions are appreciated, thanks Can anyone give me legitimate information regarding the best way to
locate reasonable rental lodging in the Sea Pines area for August 1999? I
have received several vacation packets; but would welcome suggestions from
those who have been there. Is it beneficial to go through an agent or a
service? Or is one better off researching on their own? Serious replies
and suggestions would be appreciated. Howdy! My wife and I are planning a trip to Hilton Head Island in
March. We were considering staying at the "Comfort Inn & Suites" near
South Forest Beach. We would appreciate any feedback concerning the
quality of the motel. How are the rooms? How is the service? How is the
pool? Thank you! ----Jake and Rebecca S. 1/21/99 great place great golf 2fav. nice restaurants are 211 park and
charlestons for casual reilleys and hilton head brewing. outdoor happy
hours, scotts fishmarket and san miguel, both in shelter cove, in
harbortown the quarter deck and south beach the salty dog. For you beaver
creek co. skiers, shannon tanner entertains in hilton head at shelter cove
and dave kennerly? at salty dog (saw them in co. last year) Also greg and
robin on the flute enterrain at scotts and quaterdeck and i think the
hilton, nice backround for happy hour. great place have fun. rb We're looking for a home or condo to rent the week or two around Jan
31, 1999 that will allow two small, very well-behaved dogs. Can do 2-4
bedrooms. Anyone know any homeowners who rent to pet owners? As a 24 year old looking for fun, my friends and I found it on Hilton
Head. We were there March of 98 during rain and nasty weather and had THE
BEST time! We found great times (hilarious people and scandal) at "BARmuda"
--HHBrew Pub & the Lodge...Monkey Business is too much fun...lots of
cheesiness though-- be prepared to laugh! You will have to avoid the Gold
Chain-disco king types. But- great music ! 80's night there is NOT to be
missed! (we saw Modern English LIVE--they played "Melt with You 3X) We
have been back 4 times for more frolicking and every time we commit at
least one night to Steamers for dinner-- FABULOUS seafood, reasonably
priced and GREAT live entertainment!! Do not waste your time or money at
the Old Oyster Factory...the waitress got mad when we wanted to share
dessert!! Pool Bar Jim's ---FANTASTIC DAQUIRIS!!! Tiki Hut-- great place
for sun and beer and pick up artists! Also-- Wild Wings is fun and right
across the street is a great after hours club that is open when everything
e lse closes ( the name escapes me right now)...anyway-- hope this tid bit
helps with the 20-something crowd looking for fun!! I am currently a junior at the University of Illinois @
Urbana/Champaign. I am searching for a summer internship position
preferably at a luxury real estate office or property management company.
I have vacationed at Hilton Head the past six summers so I am fairly
familiar with the island setup. So, if anyone has any leads for me, please
let me know! Also, if anyone knows of some reasonable lodging or if there
are other summer student interns, write me and we maybe divide the rent!
Thanks! Tim Salm
I'd like to bring my family to hh around Easter. Anything special going
on for kids under ten, or any preferred places to stay? Thanks My roommate and I are Graduate Students in Speech Pathology and will be
coming to Hilton Head this summer to work at the Hilton Head Medical
Center. We are having great difficulty finding a place to live that is not
considered a summer vacation spot or a resort. We are on limited funds and
would appreciate any suggestions on affordable summer housing. Thanks! To Whom It May Concern, I am a resposible student looking for an
exciting summer job. Do you have programs for college students to work and
stay there in the summer? Thanks :) Hi. My friends and I are looking to find a job in Hilton Head, or
another resort town to work over the summer of '99. We are willing to work
hard to save money for our junior year at college. If anyone has any
information, please get in touch with me. Thanks. We've booked a 2BR condo at Tennismaster Villas in Shipyard Plantation
for July 99. Would appreciate any comments from anyone who has stayed
there as well as addtional suggestions for activities and dining.
Thanks!P,S. This is our first trip to HHI I was thinking about getting a job for the summer in a resturaunt in
hilton head. So I can expand my knowledge of the food service industry.
Any help would be appreciated. submitted November 1998. I am planning to take my elderly parents to Hilton Head in November for
1 week. I am having a hard time finding a place that will accept a small,
older, gentle, housebroken dog. If anyone can help, it would be greatly
appreciated. October 27, 1998 Are there any good places on HHI that offer aerobic classes? We have visited HHI several times and enjoy it so much we're going
again. Several times we have gotten reservations through a place called
(we think) Island Reservations which was located just off the island. A
very nice person named Ruth always helped us. We have lost her number and
have been unable to find anything on the net. Can anyone out there help?
We plan to leave for HHI within the next couple of days. Any info will be
appreciated. Oct 1, 1998 all the "guides" reference paid advertisers; check here for
truth. Staying Disney resorts, did Scott's at Shelter Harbour (ok, nice
outdoor patio with so-so duo on vocal and variety of instruments); did
CQ's at Harbourtown (upscale, attentive, decent choice of wines at no
bargain, excellent food); Sunset Grille at Jenkins road (fantastic
everything, including sunset view, at reasonable prices, super wines and
prices, incredible desserts, awesome appetizers with cajun fried oysters
on gorgonzola cream sauce [yes, great!], friendly folks, inexpensive, we
liked as much as 4X-the-price CQ's); Outback (very good, as expected);
lunch, Cornerstone Grille at Factory Stores II (better than expected
food). Played golf at RT Jones, T Fazio, Island West and Old South. The
first two are friendly; the latter two can eat you alive. All in top
condition. Note: it's so humid, NOBODY walks a course here. Us northerners
really suffer. But we keep coming back. My 19 year-old son and I spent a week in Hilton Head this month. as we
have done most summers for the last 15 years. This trip we experienced two
restaurants that you must add to your don't miss list: I spent a year on Hilton Head and I still miss it dreadfully. As a Brit
Abroad I found it most welcoming and full of things to do (in the Summer
at least). My favourite late night hangout was Hinchey's or Moneypennies
and The Brew Pub on Wednesday 70's night. Good places to eat are The Old
Oyster Factory, CQ's (gorgeous Sous Chef called Josh - tell him I said hi
if you see him!) and Wings for just that! To all my buddies at the Hilton
Resort including Bobby Ryder the star that he is and Lawson who worked the
Buoy Bar like noone else. Okay that's it, love to you all, see you again
and all that! We'll be in HH Aug. 24 for several days. We have two teenage boys who
love jet skiing....any ideas for rentals? Or other ideas of things to do
on the island. We'll be staying in Harbor Town. Thanks. E Fleming FOTOL8Y@aol.com
I have been a supermarket manager for 20 years and i have recently
vacationed on Hilton Head Island and would like employment information on
the supermarkets on the Island or web site addresses so that I may contact
them about a possible career in hilton Head. Thank you trying to find information re: hilton head health institute and/or
dother resorts in/on hilton head. Information not available on your site
or thru Yahoo/other search engines. Only listing was location on map and
telephone #. your information is sketchy at best. Sorry information was
not available. 3D My family and I recently visited Hilton Head for the first time the
island is a great place to stay. We visited on one of Spinnaker's
timeshare sales specials. DONOT!!! I repeat DONOT ever stay at The Players
Club Resort. The rooms are extremely nasty smelly and extrememly nasty.
These are the accommodations Spinnaker provided for their perspective
property owners. To have Resort even in the name of The Player's Club
Resort is a very misleading advertisement. Very dissatisfied customer...
I am posting my comments to this site about our first vacation visit to
H= HI. We vacationed the week of 20-25 July 1998, it was sure hot and very
humid that week. We stayed at the Radisson Suite Resort which I would rate
onl= y average at best, however it was more affordable than many of the
accommodations at the various plantation resort areas. We had some
relatives staying at the Carolina Club in Shipyard Plantation, which gave=
us the opportunity to visit there many times during the week. Shipyard
Plantation=92s facilities and grounds were beautiful. I can sympathize w=
ith Joyce Mara who posted a comment to this travelogue on 5/18/98 and
comment= ed about HHI being an island of "gated" communities. To a certain
extent sh= e is correct. Unless you are staying in one of these "gated"
communities, = own a condo or timeshare there, or are fortunate to be
guests of someone vacationing there (as was our case), you do not get the
chance to see maj= or portions of this beautiful island and I feel that
can be most unfortunate. Here are some of the things we did that we
enjoyed: 1) Went on a dolphin cruise out of Broad Creek Marina on the S.S.
Pelican, which was very enjoyable. The captain related some very
interesting history and information about areas and properties along the
shore line. 2) As suggested many times on this travelogue we had dinner
out one night at Fitzgerald=92s. The meal was excellent with very good
service; 3) Watch= ing the fireworks at Shelter Cove on Tuesday evening;
4) Enjoyed riding bicycles one morning around the island near and on
Shipyard Plantation; 5= ) For something to do off the island we did a day
trip to Charleston, SC, t= o visit Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, and
then did a visit to Fort Sumte= r (a very interesting Civil War era
National Monument); 6) We also enjoyed = a round of miniature golf our
last evening at Legendary Golf at 900 William Hilton Parkway. We had a
very enjoyable week and would go back again to HHI, however I fe= el May
or June may be better for less heat and humidity. Next time however,= I
think we will try to make arrangements to stay in one of the "gated"
communities. -- Alan Warminski , submitted 8/11/1998 3D Can you give me names of any kennels to keep my dog during our stay
in Hilton Head?? Just came back from an enjoyable vacation at HHI 08/11 as usual. We
stayed at Port O'Call in Ship Yard Plantation. We highly recommend Hilton
Head Brewing Co. especially the Rasberry Wheat Beer. We had a bad
experience at The Salty Dog Cafe and will NEVER go back due to poor
juvenile service. The Quarterdeck in Sea Pines is also a gret place to
eat. Go early then enjoy Gregg Russell under the tree! Have Fun! My husband, 14 yr-old daughter and I have recently returned to Northern
Ireland from our holiday in Charleston and Hilton Head Island. We stayed
at the Crowne Plaza Resort in Shipyard for two weeks. For anyone coming
from a colder climate, the heat (in the 90's) takes some time to get used
to, but we loved the wide beach, the waves, the alligators, turtles and
birds, and the excellent service we encountered almost everywhere. We just returned from HHI(8/1-8/8) and loved it. The weather was
perfect, beach was beautiful, and the area was wonderful. If you read this
travelogue often, then you know that the Gazman has rated pretty much all
of the restaurants in the area. But here are a few he has missed HHI
BREWING CO. is a pretty good microbrewerey, with 4 local brews always on
tap. The sandwiches are big and are very good. If traveling with kids, try
going on Sunday, where Kidfest is held just outside the
restaurant(jugglers, magicians, balloon artists, etc.) ABES SHRIMP HOUSE
is also very good for down home cooking and soul food. But it is very
popular and crowded. A couple of locals took us to 211 PARK BISTRO.
Although the atmosphere was nice, the food left a lot to be desired. The
pork chop was overcooked, the sea bass pasta was just ok, and while the
waiter raved about having one of the best filets on the island, I found it
to be tasteless. A good filet does not need to be smothered in mushrooms
and onions! All in all a huge disappointment!!. The second place they told
us about was JUST PASTA CAFE. A quaint little place located in Coligny
plaza. Small and intimate(only 8 tables), you pick you type of pasta, then
pick the type of sauce (6 different types), and then pick the add ins such
as chicken, veggies, shrimp, etc. All pastas come with ceaser sald and a
fresh baked italian loaf of bread from the bakery next door. Very good,
and very reasonable. Can't wait until next year. My family, ages 3-53 will be at Hilton Head in September,1998,looking
for good restaurants, bike rentals, boat tours(rentals), best areas for
nature photography, best places to go to see Dolphins. Since I am a
photographer, need to know where to go. This is my first time to HH. How
can I get a map of HH? Need to know the best places for a 27 year old male
to go to have fun also. Would possibly like to go see Savannah, if time
allows. Any suggestions for that? Jan Briggs 8/10/98 Has anyone stayed at a nice RCI(Resort Condominiums International)
resort? We are planning a trip next summer and need advice on where to
stay. We want an ocean view. Any suggestions would be appreciated. My family went to Hilton Head Island for the first time in mid July
1998. We will never go back again. We love to drive around and see the
area. We couldn't unless we wanted to pay $5 to enter another area. The
developments certainly are generic -- no creativity in the "architecture".
We've stayed at many condo hotels on the west coast and in Hawaii where
service means something. At the Hilton Head Beach and Tennis Resort,
housekeeping and fresh towels were extra $$$. The "resort" didn't even
provide dish soap or a dish towel so the dishes could be done. I didn't
know I was at a "rental" where I had to bring my own supplies. The traffic
was horrible and the roads poorly designed. The people who worked at
various places were unfriendly and didn't know their surroundings.
Restaurants were overpriced. The only good experience we had was with the
Tennis Center at HH Beach and Tennis Resort. The pros were friendly,
enthusiastic and helpful to my 11 and 14 year old players. I am a recent graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a degree in
environmental engineering, civil engineering business classes and some
German. I would like to work in the south , . I would like to know of any
job opportunities. Thank You I am looking for a quite place that will accomodate 18 people. This can
be split in two places if nessasary. Request would be on beach, pool,
spacious living area. Since I am in charge of putting a family reunion
together I would like to see if Hilton Head is the right place for us. We
just returned from a week in Mrytle Beach and it was a nightmare, trash
accomadations, and very rude people. Hi, I am 25 and live in Michigan and would love to find employment on
Hilton Head Island at the end of the year. If anyone has some beneficial
information regarding employment and housing, please drop me an Email. Any
information would be greatly appreciated. Can anyone reccommend the Savannah cruises? We are coming down, again,
in Sept. and would love to see the old downtown area. Do you get enough
time on a cruise or should we drive ourselves? Is it worth the $ to not
have to worry with parking etc? Any advice appreciated. I am heading for Hilton Head next week(7-22-98) for a quick visit with
my husband and 2 children ages 5 and 8. Please recommend the best dolphin
cruise or anything else that would be enjoyable to my entire family. We
enjoy nature and a casual atmosphere. Thanks!! I am a single mother of two daughters- 15 and 6. We are planning to
vacation on Hilton Head next summer and are looking for a 2 bedroom condo
to rent. We have vacationed on Hilton Head many times and have always
stayed in the Sea Pines area. Some of the places we have stayed are Lagoon
Villas, Gleneagle Green, etc. This is the type of condos we are interested
in. I have written to several rental agencies and they have sent me rates
which seem much higher than I remember paying before. So I wondered if
there were any condo owners out there who handle their own rentals (at
perhaps a better rate). The things we really enjoy on the island are
bicycling, beaching, swimming in a good pool, good restaurants, and
exploring. Please let me know if you have anything available. My friends and I are looking to stay in Hilton Head Island next summer,
1999. I know that this is way far in advance, but we are looking for a
somewhat inexpensive place to live. There will probably be 3-4 of us, and
we would not mind a 2-4 bedroom place! Please contact me with some
information or a website that I can read to start our search. We are
planning to simply be waitresses or something, is that also in demand in
the beginning of the summer? Thanks! My family (age 20-73)just returned from HHI. We enjoyed golf, fishing,
swimming in ocean, trip to Penn Center on St Helena. We stayed in my
timeshare in N. Forest Beach. Coligny Plaza was a real convenience.
Enjoyed Steamers at Coligny; short walk to beach. We found everyone to be
friendly. We "discovered" African American (as well as many other)
families well represented at Abe's Native Shrimp House. Are there other
restaurants, clubs on the island that African American families enjoy? My family is planning a stay for a week at the Disney Resort on Hilton
Head Island later this month. Anyone want to offer some advice on the
place, or things in general to do etc. We have a 14 year old girl as well
as an 18 year old boy with his girlfriend....... Thanks folks !! My wife and I, and friends of ours returned from HHI 4/25/98, and had a
pretty good time. We stayed at the PLanters Quarters at Port Royal
Plantation, which was very very nice....& quiet! These timeshares are gold
crown rated with RCI and are huge! Three bedrooms, three baths(jacuzzi's
in two), living, dining, & sunrooms. This timeshare gives you access to
the Westin Resort health club, and outdoor areas...very nice. Since were
mainly golfers, we tried various golf course on or near the island. Hi! Last year someone told me that they heard there was a place at
Hilton head where you could arrange to swim with dolphins. Is this true or
was it just a rumor? I can't find any literature on the net about this.
Thanks! C. West I am looking to move to Hilton Head Island and would like some
information on employment agencies or opportunities. I am a college
graduate with 5 years of sales experience and would like to relocate to
Hilton Head. Anyone who has and information that would assist my efforts
please email me. Thank you. J.B. We will be in Hilton Head from June 26-July 2. We are trying to
determine which deep sea fishing outfits are the best for adults and young
teens. A half day trip is what we want (3-4 hours). And what time of day
is best for fishing during that time - morning or afternoon? Thanks! My wife and I are planning atrip to HHI in July via our 26' RV. Does
anyone have any advice on where we should stay? I have been abel to find
two RV Resorts, one is the Hilton Head RV Resort and Yacht Club. It looks
nice in the brochure but looks like a long way from the beach. It is on
the intercoastal waterway. The other one is Outdoor Resorts Motor Coach
Resort. It doesnt' appear to be as nice but is only about a half mile from
the beach. Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 3DI am interested in locating information from Hilton Head.
Travel-lodging-points of interest.=20 We are heading back to HH for our second summer. This year we'd like to
arrange a tour to Dafuskie Island. Anyone with any tips, please advise.
Thanks for your help! 3DHilton Head GOLF Information: There are a lot of courses on the
island and just off the island too. The green's fees can be high so
getting a "deal" is worth looking into. The best deal I found is "LAST
MINUTE TEE TIMES." This guy gets deeply discounted tee times froma number
of courses in the area. Call him at 689-2289 from 7-10PM in the evenings
and he can tell you what he has available the next day. Sea Pine's famous
Harbourtown course is really pricey and probably not worth it unless you
JUST have to play it. The Ocean course and the Sea Marsh courses there are
fun tracks. The three nines at Shipyard are good as well. A lot of the
condos there like Port of Call, etc. have golf packages included with
their rentals so there are a lot of folks on the course that haven't a
clue how to play the game sometimes. The Arthur Hills and Fazio courses at
Palmetto Dunes are good. The Palmetto Hall courses are good too. The 3
courses at Port Royal=20 have a beautiful clubhouse... 3DGENERAL ADVICE from Gerry from VAIL : Upon your arrival at HHI, go by
any supermarket, shopping mall, etc. and pick up free copies of the
current issue of "Island Events"....HHI RESTAURANTS...(which will give you
the actual menus and prices of most of the restaurants on the island)...
The "Golfers Guide"...which will ist the courses in the area ...and buy a
copy of the "Island Packet" which is the local newspaper and only costs 25
cents. It will give you a capsule of the national news and fill you in on
what is going on locally. Pick up a map of the island. It will be in most
of the Real Estate pubs and will help you in navigating your way around
the island. Actually the place is pretty simple. The main Hwy. (Rte 278 -
William Hilton Pkwy.) comes over the bridge and goes around the island
which is shaped like a tennis shoe with the toe pointing left. It goes
past Hilton Head Plantation, Indigo Run, Palmetto Hall, and at Port Royal
which is on the=20 "heel" it begins to curve around. My wife and I are thinking of going to Hilton Head in Novemeber. What
is the weather generally like? Are there activities going on at this time.
We don't want to go at a "down" time of the year. szagzebs@wausau.com To: Hilton Head Travelogue BEGIN USER INPUT Once again, on April 15th, my wife and I left High Country of Vail, Colorado after another great ski year to escape what is know as "Mud Season" in Vail and go to Hilton Head where we stayed until our return at the end of May. I can't think of a better place to get a head start on sunshine and summer than at this very special and wonderful island just N. of Savannah, GA. It's got it all....great golf...beaches...restaurants.. tennis...bike trails and close proximity to both Savannah and Beaufort, SC which are oozing with Southern charm. The new Cross Island Expressway was being built last year and is now open. For a buck, if you are going to Sea Pines, Shipyard or the Forest Beach area, you can save a little time during crowded times. Unfortunately, the speed limit is only 45 and the local cops are hiding and waiting to pounce if you go faster, so if you are staying at Palmetto Dunes or any other place from there back to the bridge, you would be probably be better off just staying on William Hilton Parkway. By the way...be careful driving on the Island. Route 278 (William Hilton Highway) is the "main drag" and although divided, you have folks going well over the 45 MPH speed limit and some older folks creeping along in their Lincoln Town Cars at 25MPH and hardly a day went by that I didn't see an accident. Drive defensively and don't let a fender bender ruin your vacation. Here is an update of my previous comments for those who choose to read them. I must say that I have been amazed at the amount of E-Mail I have received from folks all over the USA and in one case...as far away as Great Britain from a lovely couple who live in London where he is a Dentist and she is a Industrial Psychologist. They ended up coming to HHI during the 1st two weeks we were there and, following my advice, they rented a house in Shipyard Plantation just down the street from our place there and we not only met, we played some tennis and had dinner together a couple of times. It's a small World. Meanwhile....on to the '98 update..... Again....I would heartily suggest that anyone arriving on the island, pick up a copy of a free booklet called " Hilton Head Island RESTAURANTS." You can find it anywhere from shopping malls to super markets to condo rental offices. It will give you a listing of most of the restaurants on the island complete with their menus and prices not only alphabetically by name, but by category...i.e. Seafood, Continental, American, etc. There are probably at least 200 places to eat and they range from excellent to just plain awful. I'll try to help you find the right place for your tastes. At this point, I must comment that, in looking at some of the submissions to the Hilton Head Island Travelogue, there are obviously a wide variance in opinions of what is good and what is bad. While I can certainly enjoy casual dining in a simple place, my wife, who is a gourmet cook and I, who am a member of the famous international gourmet and wine society...the Chaine des Rotisseurs, appreciate fine dining and service on certain occasions. To start with...I suggest you read my comments on the best....and the worst places (obviously in my opinion) that I submitted last year. I went back to a number of the best places this year and even gave some of the other ones a second chance after reading some positive comments by other folks after my departure last year. Let's start with the GOOD places. The OLD FORT PUB on Hilton Head Plantation still has great food....views at sunset... but the service has declined in my opinion. I took a party of 8 there for dinner there and was amazed that the white wine was served "room temperature" and it had to be placed in a bucket of ice before it was drinkable. The waitress, while very nice, was rarely to be seen during the evening. This was kind of sad since the place does have a lot going for it and maybe they need to increase their wait staff. If you want the best in food and service and a great view isn't as important as the overall ambiance and the dining experience itself....then...NENO iL TOSCANO is the place. Located in the Festival Center next to the Publix super market (by the way, this Publix has the BEST Key Lime pies with a graham cracker crust I've ever eaten...if you are eating in.....Get Some!)....Neno's features...fabulous N. Italian cuisine.with entrees priced from $14 to about $20. Food this good in most major cities would be at least double in price and Neno's wine list is extensive and fairly priced. This elegant place is definitely not for the Shoneys, Fudruckers, Wild Wings, Big Bamboo crowd. If you go....tell Neno...you heard about it from Gerry from Vail. This Italian gentleman will make sure you have a great dining experience. CQ's at Harbour Town is still very nice as is Cafe Europa. This year we had a waiter at Cafe Europa who, despite our mentioning that we would pass on an appetizer since we had come directly from having some drinks and appetizers on a yacht there at Harbour Town owned by some friends...he keep trying to push us into buying some of their appetizers. Maybe this was only an aberration and his aggressive manner was a product of his New York City upbringing (he made a point to tell us was where he was from). The good news is that the food arrived piping hot and was delicious. While I'm talking about Harbour Town, I mentioned the entertainment at the Harbourside Cafe last year. Great place for Happy Hour. This year they featured an African-American trio that played some laid back steel drum reggae and on 3 other nights a week a talented female singer and flute player was accompanied by her keyboard playing male partner as they played a mixture of easy to listen to music. It's a great place to check out the fabulous yachts and watch the sun go down....but the food there is awful so go elsewhere. Speaking of Happy Hour places....several people mentioned the Salty Dog Cafe located in Sea Pines at the S. Seaport Marina....I'm sorry...I think their best product is selling tee shirts. Kind of like HHI's version of the world famous hamburger and tee shirt emporiums know as the Hard Rock Cafes. TRUFFLES is still one of my favorites. Located at the Sea Pines Center...just about a mile down the road from Harbour Town...it offers great food in an eclectic setting at very reasonable prices and their desserts...like the "Mud Pie" are sinfully sensational. The OLD OYSTER FACTORY continues to amaze me at the crowds it draws. It is a very attractive BIG place on Marshland Rd overlooking Broad Creek that offers a wide variety of moderately priced food. This year...one of my guests had to send his fish back...it was extremely overcooked...but the good news is that they graciously took it back and returned with one that was just right in no time at all. A funny thing happened there that I'll share with you. Upon arrival, we were told we would have about a 20 minute wait and that there was some entertainment and a bar on the dock out back. We went out there and soon discovered that there was something else out there that was not advertised....namely...the pesky little bugs that come out in the late afternoon and early evening called "No-See-ums." While they are so tiny you can hardly see them...they must be all mouths and they can bite real good. Everyone was scratching their heads and slapping their exposed body parts including the entertainers whom I felt sorry for. Once we were seated, we had a table at a window overlooking the dock and were entertained by watching the unsuspecting customers arrive on the dock and immediately start scratching and wondering what was attacking them. The Old Oyster Factory is an OK place....but not sensational. Having read some comments from some folks praising some places I had panned a year ago....I foolishly decided to give two of them another look in '98. WILD WINGS was mentioned as a great place by some folks who vacationed there and I must admit that their chicken wings are excellent....however....the LOUD rock and roll music make them pretty hard to digest. I would suggest ordering carry-out if you must have them and pass on the smoke infested bar atmosphere and eat them at the place you are staying. Another place that numerous folks have written in about was "The BIG BAMBOO" at Coligny Circle. I thought it was dark and dismal last year and it's WW II theme was a little "cutesy" and strange for a beach place...but I thought I'd give it another shot in '98. Sorry folks, its still DARK & DISMAL with really MEDIOCRE food from a confusing menu that offers a strange variety of things from their "War-Dog" to meatloaf and California veggie wraps. All the cutesy bamboo in the world couldn't make this place a good place to eat. This S. Forest beach hangout is the place to go if you think putting on a sleeve-less Tee shirt or a tank top is fine casual attire and the nachos at the ball park are gourmet food. You'll feel right at home with the other folks who love this place. Aaaaargh ! Another spot mentioned by a number of folks was AUNT CHILADAS on Pope Ave. Again...it is close to Coligny Circle and a lot of people who come to Hilton Head and find a reasonable place to stay in the S. Forest Beach area frequent it. The menu is a dead give away...in that it features both Mexican and Italian food. Huh!!!! The result is very average food at higher prices than the quality should suggest. The decor was a little strange and looked like it had been picked up at a garage sale somewhere. It featured a fake bird perched on a large ring but the bird was not at the bottom, but rather sitting cock-eyed at an angle part way up. We decided to try it the night we arrived and were soon joined by a bus tour group of senior citizens that had a "package deal dinner" there. Our young waitress, tried her best, but had the annoying habit of referring to everyone as "Guys"....as in..."Have you guys decided on what you want?.....How's the food Guys?.....Can I get you Guys anything else? " etc. It was kind of amusing to see here continue that line of banter with a long table full of blue haired 70 to 80 year old ladies next to us. I would bet the same crowd that loves Wild Wings and the absolutely horrible Big Bamboo thinks this is the greatest. That's the beauty of HHI....there's something there for everyone. No....I didn't even think about giving HENRY's another try this year....it has taken about a year for my stomach to get over it last time so that was enough for me. The CAFE @ WEXFORD is a cute little place that features reasonably priced french food and we enjoyed it last year. This year, we took a couple from Colorado that had come to visit us there on the Sunday that was Mother's Day and we surprised to see that they had not only reduced their menu that evening, but had cranked up the prices about 50% as well. Gouging the public is not the way to win friends and influence people. We alternated eating out about 2/3's of the time with eating in at our place and once again found the wonderful seafood at great prices offered up by BARNACLE BILL's to be fabulous. Every day he gets in extremely fresh seafood at his stand on William Hilton Parkway between Palmetto Dunes and Port Royal on the W. side of the road (Shelter Cove side). We enjoyed Wahoo, fresh Salmon, jumbo Shrimp, Oysters, Blue Crabs, Tuna, and Sea Bass which was cooked and smoked on our grill and it was sensational. He can even get you live Maine Lobsters if you give him a day's notice. So...if you want to pick up a bottle of wine and enjoy some great seafood at your place there....go see Bill and be sure to tell him that Gerry from Vail told you to come see him. I guarantee he will treat you right. ABE's Native Shrimp House is located not far from Barnacle Bill's as you head toward Shelter Cove and features a $10.95 "Early Bird" buffet. I had read about it in a golf magazine so we decided to try it. This African-American family has been there since 1968 and features down home cooking including fried fish, BBQ ribs, okra and chicken but..while the food is plentiful and filling...it is pretty heavy and not for someone who is trying to watch their weight. It was also pretty hot in there in May and their A/C is barely working so be forewarned. Interesting ! As for GOLF.....really no changes from last year in that I played a number of the courses both on and off island including the famous Harbour Town Golf Links and found all of them to be a lot of fun. Pick up the local paper....the "Island Packet" which is 25 cents and you can find advertised deals on golf in it. If you are staying at a condo or hotel resort, they often have deals on golf or packages available which will reduce your cost of playing. One new course I played this year was the Golden Bear Golf Course at Indigo Run Plantation a couple of times and enjoyed it. It features on board computerized screens on each golf cart that tell you how far you've hit your drive...how far it is to the green from anywhere on the course and the clubhouse has a monitor showing where every cart is on the course at all times. Very unique. If you are into TENNIS....and are staying at a Plantation, you should check with the club there regarding their programs. At Shipyard Plantation, they had a round-robin doubles mixer every afternoon from 4 - 5:30 PM on the clay courts for only $10 per person with wine and beer afterwards. A great way to meet some other folks and have a lot of fun. Again...if you need additional advice or suggestions send me an E-Mail
and I'll do my best to get back to you. Hilton Head is a great place to
spend your vacation and if you decide to go, I hope you love it as much as
we do. All the Best...GERRY from VAIL. (gazman@colorado.net) My wife and I and friends just returned from HHI (june 3, 1998). We had
a wonderfull time. The island is a great place for families, very
relaxing, and a huge beach. We stayed at the Disney Resort, a great place
to stay. Disney also has it's own Beach House on the ocean in Palmetto
Dunes. We really like the Hilton Head Diner, just below Shelter Cove
Harbor. The food was great, breakfast, lunch or dinner. It has a huge menu
and the service was fast. We also liked Guiseppi's, located in Shelter
Cove Plaza. Great pizza and you must try a "weggie". There are several
very good mini-golf places for children and adults. Had lots of fun there.
We did some shopping at the factory outlets in Buffton on the mainland,
just over the bridge. We took a dolphin cruise on a 20 foot patoon boat(
holds 6 people) down the broad creek. We saw about 20 dolphins, some came
right up to the boat. Our guide was great. We plan to make HHI our only
place to go to the beach. Richard M. Smith, Lincolnton N.C. rsmith@tntie.com
Hello, I live in Lebanon, Tennessee. I was recently contacted by
Spinnaker resorts. I purchased a vacation package from them. They say that
we are booked at Players Club Resorts. Is this company and resort actually
there? Please respond. I appreciate your time. Thanks, Regina Killman We are planning a trip to hhi on june 13th. we are staying in a condo.
Do you know if there is a place where we can rent a crib. We have a 2 year
old? Also if you had to choose to do one thing while there what would it
be. We dont golf and with a 2 y.o. its difficult to do the normal things.
Thanks for your time. We're thinking of a visit to HH in late July/early August. I notice
most people in the Travelogue have visited in winter or early spring. Is
the weather unbearably hot in late July/early August? I've spent time in
the Outer Banks in the summer and found it comfortable due to the ocean
breezes. Please give me your thoughts on HH weather during that time
period!! When (during what weeks of August/September) is the best time to visit
HHI? My wife and I are planning our first visit and would prefer to visit
after the peak summer season ends but when the weather is still great.
Also, what areas of HHI are best for a 30ish couple w/o children. We like
peace and tranquility--not "wild times!" We like to be on or near the
beach, but like to avoid areas that attract primarily school-age children
and senior citizens. Send comments to rwwilson@wku.campus.mci.net. Thank
you. Having just returned from a disapointing trip to Hilton Head, I would
like to contribute one piece of information to this travel log. Hilton
Head is an island of 'gated' communities. If you are not staying in the
community, you cannot go in. If you cannot go in, you cannot see the
ocean. The only access we had to the beach was walking a few blocks and
cutting through the Holiday Inn parking lot. We found it very frustrating
to be on a small island and not be able to see the ocean as we drove
around. We ended up cutting our stay short because of this and really
wished we had known ahead of time. What we did see of the island was
lovely, we did go to Harbor Town (you pay $5 to go into that gated
community) which was nice. We golfed at a couple courses just off the
island, Rose Hill and Island West, which were super. Not sure if we will
go back, if we do we will be sure to stay inside! A bunch of my buddies and I were looking for someplace to go and relax
after our medical school board exam in June and we decided on Hilton Head.
I haven't been to Hilton Head since I've been old enough to go out, so I
was wondering if anyone out there could suggest some of the good bars that
are down there. We're staying in South forest beach, so bars that are
around there would be great. Thanks, Aaron Wittenberg This is our first trip to H.H. We are spending our summer vacation in
Palmetto Dunes, June 13-20th. Our children are 8 and 4 yrs. old. Any
suggestions on family activities and are there any babysitting services ?
Is there an age limit on the golf courses? Can you also recommend a good
restaurant. (one for adults and one for the kids.) WE WILL BE VISITING IN JULY AND WILL BE STAYING IN CENTRE COURT VILLA
IN PALMETTO DUNES. ANY ONE EVER STAYED THERE? ANY INFO. ABOUT THE AREA?
THANKS! 5/98 Our family looking to visit Hilton Head in July or August. We are a
family of 6 and are looking to rent a 3 or 4 beedroom house in Sea Pines.
Our family loves the beach and would like a home situated within close
walking distance to the beach. Would prefer to deal with the owner
directly but will entertain offers from rental agencies. Please e-mail me
with information on your property includingt availability and pricing.
Thank you. Bachelor Party: That's why I'm coming to Hilton Head. I've never been
and I must show the groom one heckuva night. Any ideas (wink, wink, nudge,
nudge)? we are going to hilton head in may and I would like to know where I
could rent a crib for a baby. Please let me know if you have any
suggestions. Thank you. ckburke@msn.com I'm going to HH for the first time for a couple of days at the
beginning of May. I wanted a place on the beach, and the most reasonable
one I've found seems to be teh Beach and Tennis Resort on Folly Field
Road. I have no idea, though, where on the island this is (i.e. nice area?
far from everything else? etc.) If anyone could help me out, I'd really
appreciate it. Thanks -- Andy My husband and I will be staying at the Island Club at Folly Field in
May 98 (with our 2 1/2 year old). We would appreciate any comments on the
Island Club resort and suggestions for things to do with a small child.
Are the dolphin or dinner cruises a good idea? Suggestions for nice (kid
friendly) restaurants? Thanks! april 19, 1998 we have just returned from another wonderful spring
break on HHI. As always we frequented our favorite restaurants: Wild
Wings, our tradtional first night meal, can't beat cold beer and hot wings
to get a vacation started. Our very favorite spot is Steamers located in
Coligny Plaza, defintely the best seafood on the island. We ended up
eating there three nights out of six this trip the food and service was so
good. For great pizza you have to try Pizza Chef. We have tried several
others on the island but this is by far the best. Already looking forward
to going back this summer to try some of the recommendations I've read
here. My husband and I are planning our first trip to Hilton Head Island in
mid July. What is considered the best hotel resort, the Hilton, Hyatt, or
the Westin? We are looking for the best in accommodations, ambiance,
setting, service, etc. Thanks so much, J. Doesschate My wife and I just got back from our HH vacation (4/3/98 - 4/7/98). We
had a GREAT time. We used many of the recommendations from submissions to
this site, so we wanted to contribute our opinions as well. For
accommodations, we stayed at the Hilton Head Beach and Tennis Resort, in
an Ocean Front Villa. It was nice, clean, and inexpensive. Folly Beach is
clean and quiet. Our only complaint is that we felt we were away from the
real "action". Most of the cool places to go were about 5 miles down 278
towards Sea Pines and Coligny plaza. When we go again, we'll probably stay
in Palmetto Dunes, or somewhere near Forest Beach. Those seem to be the
best places for the 20-somethings. The food selections were great. Our
favorites, in order, were Steamers, Makotos and Shuckers. Excellent
service at them all and the ambiance (sp?) was very nice at Steamers and
Makotos. Shuckers was a little out of the way and desolate. The Salty Dog
was ok, but we were expecting something more. The location of SD is great
and it seems to be a good hangout spot. The Wild Wing Cafe also probably
is a happening place, but we went for lunch on a weekday, and it was just
alright. I did like the different flavors of wings, though. We went to
Coconuts Comedy Club and ordered gourmet pizza that they bring in from a
pizza shop across the street (don't remember the name). It had to be the
best gourmet pizza we've ever had. Try the Vegetarian. There is plenty of
other things to do there; enough to be able to go back consistently and
never have the exact same experience. We had a chance to go to the finals
of the Family Circle Cup and had an awesome time. We'll be doing that
again. Island Water Sports was very good for waverunners and parasailing.
The employees were very friendly, yet professional. For a beach
experience, we recommend Forest Beach. It had the most people on it. Make
sure to go bike riding, its almost impossible to avoid it. We don't golf,
but we enjoyed playing at several of the mini-golf places. We really like
the The Pirates Island Adventure golf course. Oh yeah, and we enjoyed the
Dolphin Cruise at Broadcreek Marina. We spent almost a whole day shopping
at the outlets in Bluffton. Bluffton is across the bridge from HHI, but it
is probably only a 15-20 minute car drive away from most places on the
Island. We'll definitely be coming back to HH for years to come. Help.....anyone who LIVES and is not vacationing in Hilton
Head.....need information on local realtors and relocation information.
Please help?????? Sincerely, Nicole Hello, my name is Michael Stock and I am a college student looking for work down in Hilton Head as soon as I get out of school. I was wondering if you would be able to give me the number of a job placement center down there. I will be coming down with four other people also seeking jobs. I will be leaving from Pittsburgh,PA. April 27th. Thank yo for your time. Michael Stock University of Pittsburgh 412-648 |
