South Carolina - Hilton Head Island

Monday & Tuesday 6/22 & 6/23 2015

"You are here" at the top middle. We are going to the bottom right corner.

Monday was a driving day as we head from NC to the southern coast of SC at Hilton Head Island. We hope that Susan was successful in her bird rescue attempt. As we were getting back into the car, a bird kept coming to the edge of the curb and looked almost frantic by moving its long tail feathers forward and back. Looking down, Susan spotted the baby bird flush against the curbside and used a map we had just gotten as a "plate" to help get the baby off the road. She succeeded in getting it to the unpaved side of the walkway where mama was hiding somewhere. Hopefully baby was ok, but at least it was in a safer, and better spot for mama.

 

Spanish moss hangs from the trees of our motel.

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After checking in and unloading luggage, we had just enough time to briefly drive around and get a feel for where we were, and to stop for dinner -- New York pizza tonight!

Alligator sightings and a ride on the beach on Tuesday.

As we drove past one of the many bike trails, Susan spotted the start of a sign and said "Danger? What can be dangerous on a bike trail? Further inspection answered that question.

Do NOT feed the alligators!

 

Susan barely escapes from being alligator food.

Information brochures about Hilton Head Island indicate that there are 60 miles of bike trails. It is all flat riding, some of the trails go right along the highway protected from the high traffic volume, some wander into wooded areas, and a few lead to the beach and beach towns, and some lead over bridges where one can get the alligator experience.

Susan's first alligator. Alligators in the lagoon along the bike trail are fairly small.

Turtles are in the lagoon as well

 

On one part of the trail

 

We arrived at the beach! The water at the beach edge was as warm as in Lake James. We assume it is only slightly cooler further out, and many people were enjoying the sun, surf and sand.

 

People set up their piece of real estate along the shore

 

 

Biking on the beach -- a first for both of us

 

(I am assumng) the adjoining resort has nicely set out a plastic walkway to ease getting through the deep, soft, and often hot sand that leads to the cooler part of hard packed beach.

Plastic walkway made it possible to get our bikes to the ocean

While on our biking excursion Susan spotted a sign telling us of jam sessions and festivals happening at Shelter Cove in the evening. Shelter Cove is about one mile from our motel. After a shower and brief rest we biked there for some entertainment. There was a lot of festivity and crowds of people. We enjoyed the early evening bike ride and seeing what was happening, but did not linger amongst them all.

Lotsa yachts in Shelter Cove

Tomorrow we leave for Charleston. We have done this part slightly backwards as we will head (back) north from here to Charleston, then back south when we head to Savannah. We had not totally nailed down what we were going to do for this week, and when Uncle Bill (a cyclist himself) suggested Hilton Head, we made the plan. We have so enjoyed our stay and activity here and thank Uncle Bill for the recommendation.

 

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