Journey South of the Mason-Dixon Line

Some say it's hard to travel with kids.  We completely disagree!  This past week we took a week+ long vacation to Hilton Head Island, SC with both boys and I have to admit it was so much easier than I expected!

Vacation started bright and early on Friday morning when we hit the road.   Silver (our Cadillac SRX) was packed comfortably full with small bins of clothes, chairs, beach toys, and baby gear.  Once Brian returned home with Starbucks in hand, we were adequately caffeinated and ready to roll out of town.  Jackson and Sam settled into their seats rather quickly...both were snoozing within 20 minutes.  They slept nearly 2 hours so we didn't have to stop for a while.

Rest stop photo op

After 9 hours on the road we decided to lay over in Charlotte, NC for the night.  Our hotel had a pool and a great breakfast, which was all we needed to get through the night.  In the morning we hit the road to finish the last leg of the trip to HHI.  It took us 5 more hours to get there, but mainly because we had to stop and change a pooper and we all needed refueled with lunch.

  

I have to admit, it was a little nervewracking renting a vacation home that we found on Craigslist.   You never know when you're getting scammed until it's too late.  Fortunately we didn't get scammed at all...our house was perfect!   We rented a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home in Sea Pines Plantation, which is the area with the most entertainment.  There are lovely beaches, a lighthouse, lots of shops and restaurants, bike trails..endless things to do.

  

We quickly got unpacked while the boys watched cartoons.   Settling in was super easy since the house was fully stocked with everything we needed!

  

We started our vacation with dinner and a trip to the beach!  Jackson was SO excited that he dove head first right into the sand.  He got it in his mouth, his eyes, his hair and he didn't care at all. The water was incredibly warm, like bath water.  Sam was a bit flustered when the waves came at first, but he got use to it eventually.

  

  

We rented bikes on the island instead of bringing our own.  It was really easy.  The rental co. dropped our bikes off in the morning and then picked them up at the end of the week.   I pulled Sam behind me in a funny little kiddie trailer, which he could lounge and sleep in.  It also carried our beach cargo and diaper bag.  Our first bike trip started out by going in the wrong direction for a few miles, which lengthened our trip by, oh, 4 miles or so! Brian had to pull Jackson along by the shoulder a few times during our very long 10 miles bike ride across the island, but it wasn't too much trouble.  The only bad decision we made for our first bike tour was taking it during the hottest part of the day.  The temperature was in the high 90's and very sunny.  It was hot and exhausting, but really fun!  Needless to say, we ended up at the pool all afternoon after our bike ride.

Sam took his first swing ride.  He seemed indifferent.  I'm sure he'll enjoy it more next time!

  

We spent a lot of time at the beach.  Jackson was a maniac for the water.  He boogie-boarded and splashed.   He found a sand dollar and made sand castles.  He had so much fun and exhausted himself and slept 10 hours those nights.   Sam was a trooper in the heat and took nice naps on the beach.   We all stayed hydrated and kept well fed.  Jackson may have drank a little too much sea water because, at the end of one beach day, he got in the car and said he had a tummy ache.  Next thing ya know, he's hurling his lunch in the backseat of the car.    Not pretty, but not the worst thing to ever happen.   He felt much better afterward (and the car cleaned up quick), which was all that mattered!

Sand Fort production has commenced.

Our little patch of sand

  

Jackson took his first pony ride at Lawton Stables!  His name was Patches and he was a sweet little guy.  The stable girl lead them around the stable a few times for a 15 minutes ride.  I think Jackson enjoyed it!  Next year he'll be big enough to ride the larger horses for a actual trail ride.

We went on a Dolphin Boat tour through the marshes which was really cool.   We headed out during high tide and came back in when the tide was going out.  It was neat to see oyster beds outside of the water.  Apparently they have adapted themselves to survive outside of the water for 12 hours a day.  They look like muddy craggy rocks scattered about, which is not what I imagined oyster beds to look like.   We saw a good handful of dolphins in the Sound too.  They would pop up and surprise you when you least expected it.     

Departing from the Old Oyster Factory

  

We managed to really pack it all in.   We went to the top of the lighthouse, ate seafood every day, played at the playground, went to the pool, road our bikes, went fishing, had alligator sightings...non-stop, action-packed fun!

Asleep before his food came!

Naptime at the pool!

The Salty Dog Cafe

Tuckered after a hard day of playing.

Ohio, here we come.

So, as you can tell we had a fabulous first vacation as a family of four!  We already started making plans to return to Hilton Head again next year.  Brian and I have a very fond connection with the Island, perhaps because we found out I was pregnant with Sam during our trip there last year, but whatever is it, Hilton Head has drawn us in for good!  See you next year HHI!