Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Hilton Head Island Travel Article

A Visit in November 2005
Perfect in Everyway

We decided to escape to Hilton Head Island which is an easy one hour or so drive.  There is always a lot to do during any season.  We were so lucky to get perfect weather for seven days.  Sunshine and 80 degrees shone down daily and we took full advantage of it.  As we cross bridge onto the island over such a spectacular water view we always get the urge to go the Boathouse II Marker 13 for lunch.  It is one of our favorite places. In the early 1980s we used to pull the boat up to dock and have brunch.  I really miss that.  The view is spectacular and an inner sense of calm begins to take over the day.  We shared fried shrimp and a NY Sub.  The Concours d'Elegance was taking place this weekend at Honey Horn Plantation. This French term means "parade of elegance".  The event originated in Paris in the early 1990s and exhibited the latest fashions and custom coachwork on new automobiles by European couture houses.  The Concours made its American debut in 1950 at Pebble Beach, CA.  The Hilton Head Concours is considered by many to be among the nation's top five.  Ten thousand people were expected this year.  130 vintage cars were on display including stock cars, Indy, drag, LeMans racers, salt-flat experimental vehicles and motorcycles. It was a beautiful weekend for it.
We could not check in until 3 o'clock so we headed for another favorite place, Shelter Cove Harbor.  For a few months in 1990 we lived on a 38 foot trawler there with a six-year-old.  The Harbor is gorgeous and one of my favorite places to relax.  A band was playing, the wine shop offered wine tastings and Sam Miguel's offered chili. We walked around the marina enjoying the perfect day. Later, after we checked in we headed to the beach and enjoyed a wonderful sunset walk with my husband's parents who had been vacationing there since September. After our big lunch we were not very hungry but we were tired from our early start so we munched some and turned in early.

The next morning was Sunday and just as beautiful as the previous day.  We took a long walk around the beachfront neighborhood and grabbed some sun and reading material for the pool.  Sunday football is a big thing in our family and our son was coming out for the day.  My birthday was Monday. He had classes and work so would not be able to join us therefore we planned a little pre-birthday celebration at the condo.  Harry's parents joined us around 3 o'clock and we had a spread of appetizers, while watching football.  I opened my presents and we headed up to the beach for some sunset pictures.  Later we brought our son to Wild Wing's Cafe, one of his favorite restaurants on Hilton Head.  We weren't very hungry so we just shared a tray of five different flavored wings--Drew always hot, and ranch, Harry always fajita and Italian, and I'm always ginger. We had a wonderful day and once again were worn out but pleasantly so.

The next morning Monday was my birthday. Once again the day was spectacular.  We took our walk and I went shopping at the Shelter Cove mall.  On my way back I stopped at the new Fresh Market which is a wonderful market of fresh, prepared or parceled food.  I selected Caesar Salads, Tomato Bisque and a nice bottle of Chardonnay.  We enjoyed our lunch and headed for the beach pool to sit in some lounge chairs and do website research.  I needed a theme for this article.  I know my themes generally center around food because I feel that is a very big part of a vacation.  I cook every night to keep our family healthy and really enjoy the splurge of eating out every night while vacationing.  As I read the island materials I resisted the temptation to revisit our favorite restaurants forcing myself to remember we were there to research.  I noticed a theme running through the restaurant guide--Early Bird Specials. Humm, that might just be the right theme for this weeks article.  I noticed that these Early Bird offerings were in some very nice restaurants.  We had been trying to decide where to eat for my birthday so I started making a list of the restaurants on the island offering Early Bird Specials.  The first one to catch my eye was again one of our favorites--Cafe Europa in Harbortown.  The Early Bird Specials were running around $14.95 and were inclusive three to four courses with a glass of wine.  After a while at the beach we walked back to the condo to call for reservations.  While there my husband read that Melissa Manchester was going to be in Concert at the  Arts Center of Coastal Carolina that night.  We called immediately and they had two front row tickets left.  They were not together but we could live with that.  It was turning into a very special day.  I was disappointed when I called Cafe Europa for reservations because they were closed until Feb. 2006.  That's okay because a restaurant I adore which is usually more than we want to spend was next on the list.  Cafe at Wexford is a chef owned institution that has been on the island as long as I can remember.  We usually go for lunch because it offers a cheaper dining option but had not been for years.  The wine list is fantastic and Harry's parents had never been so it was decided.  We arrived at 5:00. Cafe at Wexford has a lovely bistro type atmosphere with an open kitchen, and brick walls.  It is intimate and inviting with an impressive early bird special.  Dinner came with Caesar Salad, rolls, wine, entree and dessert.  What a deal!  We had Beef Tips, Trout, Scallops and Shrimp over pasta and one of my favorite almost never found on a menu--Chicken Livers Bordelaise.  They were perfection.  Everyone was ecstatic and it was time to head off to the concert.

I love the  Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, a community built and supported theatre and gallery  with not a bad seat in the house.  It exudes southern hospitality and love of the arts.  I always get so excited when I have an opportunity to see a play or concert there.  As a matter of fact we picked up tickets for the Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve while we were at the box office.  It is one of my favorite family Christmas traditions and our son, now 21 still loves it also.  Melissa Manchester a singer/songwriter is a Grammy winner as well as a two-time Academy Award nominee. A regular on the Billboard charts in the 70s and 80s, Manchester cranked out one adult contemporary hit after another, propelling to superstardom with songs like "Come in from the Rain," Midnight Blue," and Don't Cry Out Loud". After taking a long break from recording to raise her children Manchester is back releasing her first studio album in a decade. Her performance was excellent and permeated with personal stories and sultry personality.  Another great evening.  Oh I almost forgot, the biggest football game for our team the Patriots was on that night and my husband still bought me the tickets.  We hurried home to watch the game where we lost miserably to Indianapolis yet nothing could ruin my perfect birthday.

On Tuesday we decided to mix rest with work.  We read every Hilton Head Guide we could get our hands on and took notes for this article and website additions.  We also worked on our Hilton Head Marketing Plan and were able to hammer most of that out while watching the beautiful waves roll onto the beach. Our Early Bird Special restaurant of choice was Stellini Italian Restaurant in the Pope Avenue Executive Park.  They had the most wonderful hospitality, atmosphere and menu selection. For our appetizers I selected Mussels Marinara and my husband had meatball soup.  This was accompanied by a glass of Ariana chardonnay.   Next we had a wonderful salad followed by my Veal ravioli and Harry's Chicken Marsala.  Both were excellent and incredibly generous portions. We ended with a Tiramisu and Cappuccino.  We went a little bit over the Early Bird plan but everything was so tempting we couldn't resist.  This is an excellent restaurant providing an incredible dining experience. It is family owned and operated and their dedication shows in every aspect.  Put this restaurant on your must visit list.

On Wednesday we again spent our day at the beach.  Our Early Bird Choice for this evening was the Kingfisher at Shelter Cove.  This restaurant has an incredible location and therefore incredible view.  The back and sides of the restaurant are all windows facing  the marina. We had salad, spicy crab gumbo, sliced beef tenderloin, large fried shrimp and a glass of wine.  It was very nice.  They only offer a choice of four entrees for Early Bird but I would still recommend it for its ambience or wonderful full menu or great happy hour.  On Thursday my husband had to go back to Beaufort on business so I spent the day shopping at one of my favorite plazas, Coligny.  It is a collection of eclectic shops and restaurants surrounding a lagoon right across the street from the beach.  I had lunch at the Market Street Cafe outdoors on another very pleasant day.  I had tomato bisque and village potatoes which are Greek style potatoes oven roasted in tomato beef stock with oregano, garlic, sausage, onions and green peppers with a Tsatsiki sauce. It was excellent and very affordable.  The staff was efficient and pleasant and along with a glass of wine it was the perfect lunch.  I took half of the potatoes home for breakfast the portions were so large.  Two really neat shops that I found were Mingles and The Shell Shop.  Mingles offered distinctive gifts, home accents, crafts, Christmas year round, T-Shirts, etc.  The Shell Shop has an incredibly large eclectic gift selection along with beach items and souvenirs..  They were having a great sale on frames and I bought three beautiful frames for $5 each.  What a deal!

Thursday's Early Bird Special was Lobster or Prime Rib at a family run island institution, FitzGerald's on South Forrest Beach Drive. The restaurant sits right on the dunes and has windows all around providing lovely views of the ocean and beyond.  The sun was setting and the sky was pink and gray.  We all enjoyed lobster and prime rib with a glass of wine.  I had to splurge on bread pudding. It was excellent but sadly we read recently that FitsGerald's will be closing down to make room for more condos.  An island institution since 1976 will be lost to us all.  It saddens my heart.

Friday was our last day and also Veteran's Day.  We headed back to the mall for more sales with Harry's parents and then went to Stacks for brunch.  We had eggs benedict (not a very good hollandaise sauce), BLT stack (which truly was) Chicken Caesar salad, and grilled cheese with Maryland Crab soup.  The atmosphere is dinerish yet the menu is large, the portions are also and the prices are very reasonable.  The service was excellent and all in all a good meal for the money.  After that we all went home to pack up and Harry and I raided the fridge for dinner.  Early Saturday morning we headed home very relaxed and happy with what we had accomplished.  Not every November offers such spectacular weather but this one was perfect.