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Hilton Head, South Carolina
Activities
 Another great benefit of Hilton Head is that you can ride bikes as far as you'd like on
the beach. Bike riding is, in fact, one of the major activities, and modes of transportation on the island. There
are bike paths everywhere - and with the recent completion of the new bike path on Pope Avenue by Sea Pines Circle
- most of the paths are now off the road proper and take you through the local vegetation on pavement or decking
boards. So you can ride from all the way around the island on the paved bike paths, and all along the Atlantic
ocean on the beach. It makes for an incredibly relaxing and fun way to see the island up close, while working off
some of the fantastic food you'll be eating on the island.
If you're not necessarily a beach bum, there's plenty more to do than just look for sand dollars (which are wildly
plentiful on the island) and ride up and down the beach. Hilton Head is sometimes referred to as the "golf
island" because of it's more than 20 championship golf courses. Golfers will have a hard time choosing which
courses to play over the course of only one week. Tennis also features prominently here, with five major tennis
centers and over 350 courts in all three Grand Slam surfaces. The renowned Van der Meer tennis center is located
on the island and offers daily lessons.
So many other outdoor activities can be found on the island as well: Horseback riding in Sea Pines, Kayaking, Dolphin
Cruises, day trip cruises to Dafuskie Island or Savannah, Sailing charters, Fishing expeditions, the list is endless.
Wildlife plays a big part of activities on the island. Not so much the eco tours or wildlife centers, which are
all available, but more so the actual "wild" life that can be seen daily around the island. Loggerhead
turtles come to next at certain times of the year, so you'll have to respect their migration and follow strict
beach rules at appropriate times. You'll also need to be aware of the alligators. Yes, alligators - big and small
- in most low country (read: pond, lake, canal or swamp) areas. We've seen two of the biggest alligators ever while
riding our bikes through Sea Pines. Take precaution - take pictures - but with a telephoto lens - then casually
be on your way!
Not into outdoor activities? Then history and museum buffs can hit the Coastal Discovery Museum, The Sandbox, An
Interactive Children's Museum or the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina. Gullah Heritage tours and exploration of
a 4,000 year old Indian Shell Ring can also be experienced on the island. (We can't vouch for these - we tend to
take a different approach to our sight seeing - which is to get on our bikes and go where ever the mood strikes
us. So far, the museums have not been within striking distance - but we've read that they are outstanding each
in their own way.) A licensed shopper? You've hit the right island - besides the variety of locally owned boutiques
and souvenir shops tucked into virtually every shopping center on the island, the major chains (Target, Wal-Mart,
etc.) are also in existence. Plus, just minutes away are the Tanger outlet malls with over 85 brand name outlet
stores.
If you get a little island crazy, there are plenty of off-island day trips to keep you occupied. Check out Savannah,
GA, only 35 miles away (either drive or take one of the daily round trip boat cruises). It's graceful Southern
way of life, and colorful history can keep you busy for more than just one day. Charleston, SC, is only a 90 minute
drive away. Daytrip there to walk around the city market, stroll down view the interesting houses on the Battery,
take a boat ride around Fort Sumter in the Charleston Harbor or just soak up the atmosphere at one of the nearby
plantations, parks or gardens. Explore Beaufort, a mixture of Southern hospitality, history and waterfront charm
that create a fascinating and picturesque antebellum town, only an hour away from Hilton Head.
Our first visit to the island was a long weekend trip in February. We lucked into fabulously warm weather and were
able to do quite a lot activity and dining sampling in those first four days. Our second trip was a family vacation
in July - dead on high season.
Find Hilton Head lodging at great prices at Hotels.com
Next: Dining
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