As I stated in my last post, I love traveling to places where I know a local. In this case the local in our next travel destination is my father. For the past 14 years I have had the pleasure of escaping from NYC to the picturesque island of Hilton Head, SC. When I graduated high school my father took me out to dinner and told me that he had something important that he wanted to ask me. “How would you feel if I moved to SC?” We lived in Tampa at the time, so this was going to be a change for everyone. However, I was just accepted to the Boston Conservatory, and would be attending there in the fall ,so my reply was “How would you feel if I moved to Boston?” I didn’t quite realize it back then, but this was going to be quite the privilege for me. I was now going to be able to take refuge from my brutal North East winters and travel to one of the most interesting and quaint communities I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing.

When you think of the “Low Country”, Savannah, GA probably comes to mind. But Hilton Head, by all means, is the epitome of Low Country Living. It has just as much  history,cultural heritage and natural beauty, than all of its Low Country competitors.

It is by all definition of the word an island, but it’s not the typical tropical islands of the Florida Keys that I was used to traveling to as a kid. This is a special kind of woodsy island, where the likely hood of seeing a deer grazing in your front yard is pretty high. The best feature of the island is arguably the 12 miles of beachfront on the Atlantic Ocean, where this past 4th of July we watched vintage war planes fly over, while we lazily enjoyed mango margaritas from the tiki bar.

Hilton Head Island is a nature lovers dream, with various types of natural beauty to take in. If you want an organized adventure, the Coastal Discovery Museum has many options and routes for nature walks, kayaking, and bird watching. My favorite way to see the island, however is by boat. My dad lives on the water and has taken me on some of the most scenic rides I have ever been on.

The history of Hilton Head is particularly interesting. The Gullah’s, who were freed slaves inhabited the island after it fell to the union solders during the civil war. Much of their cultural and ethnic identity is still preserved and a prevalent part of the island’s community today. One of my favorite things to do on my trips, is visit Daufuskie, a tiny island off of Hilton Head that was home to many Gullah’s and still is. It can only be reached by boat and it is a charming, bare bones, raw environment that only has one bar, which is a structure that is nothing short of a glorified shack.The beer is cold however, and it goes really well with tequilla shots, leaving me to pass away an entire day listening to a one man band, while watching the waves slowly roll in on an unspoiled beach.

The food on the island is delicious, boasting some of the freshest seafood you can get on the east coast. A lot of residents live off the sea, boating and fishing is a way of life and it is a very typical thing to catch your dinner for the night. You can actually see the shrimping boats returning with their fresh catch, from my father’s backyard.  One of my favorite memories was getting a bushel of fresh, still wet with sea water, oysters and shucking them myself. I took so much delight in slurping up the salty goodness with my family, siting around a bon fire and sipping peach moonshine from my Aunt Kathy’s fresh batch, that she prepared for the occasion. This is low country living.

All of this attracts the tourists, and they come in droves every summer to enjoy the wonders of Hilton Head. Another main drawl of the place is golf. The island has beautiful greens and proudly hosts the heritage golf tournament every year. My father and his wife play every week and someday I hope to get a good enough swing to join them.

I am lucky to consider myself an honorary local. Which is such a gift for me, because I am able to see the island in a different way. I can go to the popular watering holes and complain about the tourists with the rest of them, disguised as a resident via my dad. If I were to suggest a trip down here (and don’t tell the locals I sent you), I suggest that you rent a beach house on one of the island’s beautiful beaches. Another wonderful thing about Hilton Head is its proximity to other great historical places. It is an hour south of the lovely Charleston, SC, and hour north of the classically beautiful Savannah, GA. I would make Hilton Head your home base and rent a car to travel to these other significant American cities.

The best time to go in my opinion would be the Spring or early Fall. The summers are very hot and very crowed, you will get better rates before or after the peak season. My time there was too short, as it always is, but I look forward to the next time when I can escape the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy the relaxed pace of the  low country life.

Pet Check In: Phoebe liked staying in my dad’s house much better than the hotel. She even had a playmate, Ozzy the Golden Retriever puppy. She isn’t the best house guest though, she ate two of his toys and peed and pooped on the floor twice, and acted like she owned the place. Sorry Ozzy.