Hilton Head Island – Off Season Getaway

When we went, what we did, and if we’d go again.

In this career sabbatical season, Jon has made every effort to encourage me to enjoy and get excited about what’s next as well as celebrate the past season and that meant planning a little getaway for this past weekend. Originally we were headed to Mammoth Caves National Park, but you can probably guess where that plan fell through PLUS it ended up raining there all weekend so I guess it worked out that we had to change our plans.

This past November I had done a quick in and out to check out Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort post the Every Woman’s Marathon in Savannah (if you want to check out either I linked them). Even though it was a quick one night stay I felt the charm of this island beach town and had hoped to get back. When Jon and I’d plans had to change I suggested Hilton Head and he was on board. He found a spot right on the beach that gave us quick access to almost everything and it did not disappoint.

Here’s a look into our 3 day, 2 night stay in Hilton Head:

Where we stayed –

Beach House Hilton Head Island. This spot is right on the beach with close proximity to all the Coligny Park shopping and eats. It’s also home to the Tiki Hut that serves drinks, food, and live music every day from 10am-10pm and it’s GOOD. There is a restaurant on site as well as Sweet Al’s on the Beach Bakery and Cafe

10/10 would recommend: I am not sure what busy season pricing looks like but it was reasonably priced, very clean, and the staff was super friendly and helpful.

What we ate –

Bad Biscuit – This spot was a walking distance from our hotel, had won several accolades, and had super novelty biscuit items. Jon and I both got the biscuit French toast and we really enjoyed it

8/10 would recommend: the novelty makes this place fun, and the biscuit was really nice and fluffy, the coffee is not great so make sure you have a back up plan if you are coming for a well rounded breakfast.

Gringos Diner – We really really enjoyed this spot, the back story of the owner is really cool and they breakfast burrito was perfect. It was an easy walk from where we stayed with general 8am-3pm breakfast + lunch hours.

8/10 would recommend: I would imagine this place gets pretty crowded when it’s busy season and it’s a little pricey, but super worth it for good eats and an authentic breakfast.

Hilton Head Social Bakery – I had been here before during my stay in November and wanted to bring Jon back when we made it here. So during our bike tour we hopped over to the Marina and enjoyed the bakery. The Nutella croissant was fairly standard but the grilled cheese special was remarkable.

7/10 would recommend: this place has the perfect balance of vibes and tranquility. The pastries are above average, but still fairly standard – their specials though, are magnifique. The biggest downside, you’ll be waiting a minute for them (it’s worth it though).

The Sandbar – Honestly our favorite part of the meal? The hushpuppies. We’d go back just for them. However, Jon got the fish and chips and I enjoyed some bacon wrapped scallops with fried plantains. We enjoyed every bit of it!

9/10 would recommend: they have a variety of seafood options alongside quick and friendly service with a reasonable price point.

The Ice Cream Cone – ice cream by the beach? Classic and the massive amount of novelty flavors, cones, and other delectables was kind of overwhelming.

10/10 would recommend: you WILL wait in line but it’ll be worth it. Trust us.

What we did –

Sunset on the beach

Sat around at the Tiki Hut and listened to live music. It was beautiful against the beach back drop and the acts were really good.

Biked around the island: we hit the marina, Sea Pines Animal Farm, and the Harbor Lighthouse. We did a four hour bike rental and got them back with 7 minutes to spare and it was so worth it. We loved it.

Got a run in, well this one was just me but the trails are everywhere: flat and accessible it was so nice to get in a 10K.

Shopped, this isn’t either of our favorite things but we had a fun time just walking around and taking in all the island and beach shops had to offer.

Read by the pool. One of our favorite activities when we get time away is to find a peaceful place to grab our books and read and this was perfectly lovely.

Would we go back?

While we are probably still Gulf people to our core, this was a really fun way to mix it up and we would definitely recommend people checking it out. We’d also probably bring the kids back when they are a bit older and can handle biking further distances.

Overall, I am just grateful for my intentional husband and our support community that allows us to enjoy these moments so fully.

Back and refreshed!

Jordan