Carolina on my mind

We've been vacationing in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina for a few years now.  Last year we rented a lovely home in a small neighborhood that's close to all the great beaches and hot spots. This year we rented the same house and prepared to spend a nice long week resting and taking in the salty sea air.

On the morning of departure we all piled in the car and set off for a long journey South. My mom came with us this year so she took back seat duty and kept the boys happy while Brian and I navigated our way to our first layover in Statesville, NC. We stayed at a Holiday Inn Express which has become our standard accommodations when traveling.  Nice affordable hotel....and I love the lotion!

  

So after a collective 12 hours in the car over two days we finally pulled into our home away from home and quickly got settled. My mom was especially excited since it was her first time in Hilton Head and also her first vacation with us. Once we showed her to her cozy room I wasn't sure if I'd get her to come back out! Luckily she got hungry and joined the rest of us for dinner ;)

One of our favorite places to eat is The Crazy Crab. It's loud and noisy with big families and lots of little kids.  It has tons of chochkies all around to look at and keep the eyes busy and the menu is lengthy and full of seafood. Our first dinner really set the tone for the rest of our trip... Coronas, frozen daqs, She Crab Soup and fresh fish!  After dinner and shopping, we went home with happy bellies, totally tuckered out.

  

We ventured to the beach the next day and it's a total understatement to say it was hot out. The sand, the sun and the humidity were absolutely oppressive. We managed to hang out by the waves for about 3-4 hours before we needed a refreshing swimming pool and ice cold beers. Our neighborhood, Greenwood Forest, has a great pool tucked away with lots of shade from the surrounding trees. Just perfect!

  

  

I've been to Savannah before and fell in live with how charming and beautiful it is. It's rich with history and interesting architecture and the best part is the food. Southern low-country flavors are my favorite. We didn't visit Savannah last year so I decided that I had to take my mom for a visit this year. We took an open air trolley tour of the city, had our fill of fried green tomatoes, crab cakes and shrimp, then wandered the streets with margaritas in hand while we shopped and took in the sweet southern air. We stopped for some fresh Georgia peaches on the side of the road on our way back.  It doesn't get any better than that! 

 We did so much over the next few days it's hard to remember it all! Brian and Jackson woke up early and went surf fishing one morning. I'll think twice when I step into the sea next time, especially after seeing what they caught! A black tip shark! Two actually. Brian said it was small but strong and "bendy"! He had to get a grip on its head so it wouldn't turn and bite him. Yikes! Glad they both came home with all of their fingers!

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Mmmmm.....Crayons!

We rented bikes and peddled around the neighborhood and to Harbour Town for drinks and more shopping. The trails wind all around the island so it's super easy to get around without ever getting in a car. The tough part is battling the sweltering heat. Most of the trails are shades and going out in the evening helps a bunch too. Biking around is always my favorite thing to do on vacay, next to eating seafood!  One night Brian made an amazing fresh seafood dinner at home.  Best meal of the whole trip!

We were lucky enough to have a few date nights while my mom stayed in with the boys. We had sushi at Kurama and drinks at Salty Dog Cafe one night, then went for a magnifique dinner at a French restaurant called Charlie's L'etoile Verte (The Green Star). They write their menu daily depending on what the fresh catch of the day is. Four courses of deliciousness and decadence. I will definitely go back again.

We decided to wake up early and hit the beach on our last full day on the island. We got there before anyone else and had the whole each to ourselves. The boys ran up and down the shore, Brian did some fishing and my mom and I got some sun.  Sam was constantly on the move.  He tried to bust up a beach yoga class! "Oooommm"m'Gosh!

We learned that the owner of the rental house, The "Dewberry House",  is selling so we won't be able to stay there any longer.  Luckily, we found another house  to rent in the same neighborhood (below)!  In a few years we want to buy a vacation house in Greenwood Forest, but for now we're happy to rent the new place, which is just lovely and perfect for our family! Yippee! Until next year, HHI...it's been great!