Hilton Heads Up!
Take a Bike Path and "Go Green"
We’ve written about new and improved bike paths on Hilton Head Island before, but a recent comment by a first-time visitor got us to thinking of the bigger picture. This visitor was staying in Sea Pines, was a jogger and cyclist, and had just returned from a 15-month tour in Iraq. This vacation was his wife’s treat.
He told us he usually ran about five miles a day but was so inspired by the beauty of the paths (“leisure trails”) in Sea Pines, he added another two miles his first day. Then he discovered the pathways outside Sea Pines and did a loop down Cordillo Parkway. He couldn’t believe all the runners he saw – to say nothing of the bikes.
His family also discovered they were, at most, a 10-minute bike ride from just about every place they wanted to go. Except for one night out, at a mid-island restaurant, their minivan remained unused for their entire stay!
Sea Pines has 15 miles of leisure trails. Palmetto Dunes has about 14 miles, including all of Shelter Cove. Shipyard has 12 miles. Of course, all of the Forest Beach area is linked by beautiful paths. In fact, now the entire island – inside and outside the gates – is connected by a pathway system. Click here for the town’s map.
No matter where you’re staying on the island, we see two very real benefits you’ll enjoy by choosing pathways, whether its by foot or bicycle. You do have time to “stop and smell the roses.” Paths allow you to alter your pace. You don’t have to hop in the car. You can walk or ride (or run). That’s good for body and soul. You’ll also see the island up close, like the alligators and turtles, the herons and osprey nests.
The second reason? You’ll be burning up calories – not gasoline!
Go for a walk. Go for a run. Go for a (bike) ride. Do your part for the environment. Pathways are very “green.”
Labels: bike, sea pines, tips
Live - On Hilton Head Island!
The house lights begin to fade to black. The shuffle of late comers and the rustle of program pages quiets. The moment is at hand. The curtain goes up and the play begins!
There just nothing like live theatre. Unlike the movies or television, when you watch a live performance, you become a part of it. The audience becomes one of the characters. There is a kind of magic up on the stage and, for a few hours, you “suspend disbelief .”
Hilton Head Island has one of the most active theatrical communities, in relation to its size, on the East Coast. The extraordinary
Arts Center of Coastal Carolina is simply beautiful There is not a bad seat in the house. The majority of the actors are professionals and the performances are equal to (or better than) virtually any regional theatre. There are not many places you can spend a day at the beach and an evening enjoying a recent Broadway hit (often with some of the same actors and sets).
The
Buddy Holly Story is playing through July 27. Yes, you’ll be hearing “Peggy Sue.”
For an even more intimate experience, there is nothing quite like the
South Carolina Repertory Theatre. “The Last 5 Years,” a musical by Jason Robert Brown, is playing July 17 through August 3. With a seating capacity of only 75, performances are usually sold out. The selection of plays tends to be a bit cutting edge.
If you want to see some VERY talented young adults perform this summer, get some tickets to the
Main Street Youth Theatre and it’s performance of “Beauty and the Beast,” running July 2 through August 10. Whether it’s the salf air, the beach, or Hilton Head, the performances here are outstanding.
We love the local theatre scene. Calling it “impressive” doesn’t come close.
Labels: entertainment, hilton head, theaters
Best View of the Island
Many islanders will tell you that the best view on Hilton Head Island is when you are off Hilton Head Island – in a boat. While we love ocean views and beachfront views, views of the island from the water are often magical. You’re cruising along and, all of a sudden, there’s a pod of dolphins off the port or starboard side, playing, jumping, it seems, just for your amusement – and theirs.
Maybe the toughest part about seeing Hilton Head from the water is which boat to choose. The ultimate in luxury is the
Spirit of Harbour Town with sunset dinner cruises, fireworks cruises, even a day trip to Savannah. It’s a large yacht, licensed to carry 149 passengers, but the views are outstanding and, on warm days, so is the air conditioning.
If you would like to get up close and personal with the marsh on the back side of the island,
Outside Hilton Head has great guided kayak nature tours in Broad Creek, or at company-owned Page Island on the Cooper River, just across from
Daufuskie Island. There is something delightful about watching a heron standing stock still in the cordgrass, waiting for the marsh to offer up its breakfast.
Outside Hilton Head also has special fireworks tours at Shelter Cove every Tuesday night in the summer. The luxury yacht, Captain Rudy Thomas out of Broad Creek Marina is another fireworks choice. The
Capt. Thomas will also take you on a guided day trip to Savannah, one of America’s oldest cities.
But maybe the best view of Hilton Head Island and the surrounding area is being above the water. You and your family can go
parasailing! At South Beach Marina, check in with Island Water Sports. Out of Harbour Town in Sea Pines, contact
H2O Sports or Sky Pirate Parasailing at Broad Creek Marina and Palmetto Bay Parasail at Palmetto Bay Marina.
On the water off Hilton Head Island. Nothing better.
Labels: boats, cruises, hilton head, parasailing, sports, tips, tours, water
