Fear and Loathing of Hilton Head?

Okay. This sounds ridiculous, but I now have a greater appreciation of Hilton Head after a week there. Previously I held it in little regard and would NEVER have considered visiting this large Sea Island on the South Carolina coast.

After all, it’s considered a golfing mecca.  There’s like a gazillion golf courses on Hilton Head and the surrounding area.  For this humble guy who writes a travel blog about being cheap, my golfing is regulated to wind-milled courses with decaying plastic fairy tale figurines.

After all, Hilton Head is a rich person’s paradise. Though I have champagne tastes, I have a beer barrel pocketbook. Throughout our preparations for this impending trip, Janet had me worried about my wardrobe. Normally I’m a t-shirt guy who throws on an Aloha shirt to dress up (ironing not required). That would not work in Hilton Head. Plus, being a cheap SOB brings out the Napoleonic complex in me; I will never earn the money required to be a “resident” of Hilton Head and I feel those who do can see it plain as the stain on my Piggly Wiggly t-shirt. More on that later and I’m not talking about more stains.

After all, Hilton Head is a ménage of people from all over. I was concerned that our trip to South Carolina would end abruptly as soon as we crossed over to Hilton Head; that the attitudes would get sharper and the genteelness would dissipate. South Carolina had been an easy, meandering ride. There was much history and beautiful views and phenomenal food so far in our vacation. I did not expect as much from Hilton Head.

Instead, I expected people wearing ugly colored golf pants and driving everywhere in golf carts. I expected tuxedos being worn in the overpriced super markets and having to pay an arm and a leg for sub par food in the island’s restaurants.

Right about now my fair readers of Vacations From Home I hope you are metaphysically bitch-slapping me. Fer crying out loud, you’re probably thinking, they got a free vacation in of all places Hilton Head; a luxurious destination for most, and yet Greg is complaining…. Quit your griping!

I hear you… I get off on these tangents.

Without hesitation, and despite my childish worries, the week Team VFH spent on Hilton Head was a positive and fun stay with dear friends. Janet remarked more than once that she had never seen me so relaxed and I have to admit that she was correct. There were so many pluses to our visit that I would give them short shrift if I tried to enumerate them here; I shall save that for future entries! Each day I would pronounce the day as one of the Top Ten of my life, which became a running joke with us as the week progressed, but truthfully Hilton Head was a joyful experience. Indeed, the old adage of “Judge a book by its cover, and you get a paper cut,” was never truer than with Hilton Head.

  

Now, mind you I am so relaxed, that I have been lax in these entries. Sigh… I will write more about our visit and here are some of the items I will cover in future entries of Vacations From Home. Hope you’ll return.

PRE-HISTORY

SEA PINES PLANTATION

HARBOUR TOWN

BIKING

BEACH

RESTAURANTS

PIGGLY WIGGLY