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Top Tips from This Podcast
See transcript below for links to more information.
- Beach Biking: Hard-packed sand makes biking on the beach a whole lot easier.
- Pedestrian Paths: New trails along Highway 278 are perfect for walkers, hikers and joggers.
- Gator Safety: Public schools in Hilton Head teach their kids how to stay safe around alligators. You'll find plenty of them here!
- Wildlife: Dolphins, pelicans, turtles and all kinds of other sea life.
- Kayaking: One of the best ways to get in touch with nature, either in the ocean or in the marshes.
- Tour Guides: They can be your best option for getting to know the area -- they'll point out tons of things you wouldn't have noticed otherwise!
- Bluffton: A hip nearby town becoming increasingly known for its art scene.
- Beaufort: A city known for its unique architectural styles as well as being the filming location of films including The Big Chill, The Prince of Tides and Forrest Gump.
- Hunting Island: A 5,000-acre state park with three miles of beaches that are supposedly more beautiful than Hilton Head's own!
- The Local Gullah Culture: Direct descendents of slaves from West Africa still carry on the language and traditions of their ancestors.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
Announcer: Welcome to the Frommers.com travel podcast. For more information on planning your trip to any one of thousands of destinations, please visit us at www.Frommers.com.
Kelly Regen: Hi and welcome to another conversation about all things travel. I'm Kelly Regan, editorial director of the Frommer's Travel Guide, and I'll be your host. Today's topic is the other Hilton Head; moving beyond the golf and tennis the resort is so well-known for. My guest today is Jennifer Polland, who is one of my editorial colleagues here at Frommer's. She's just back from Hilton Head and she is here to talk about some of the non-golf type activities Hilton Head and the surrounding area have to offer. Jen, welcome. Thanks for being here today.
Jennifer Polland: Hi. Thank you.
Kelly: So Hilton Head is primarily known as a golf and tennis resort destination. It's a bit on the high-end side, but it sounds like you have a very different Hilton Head experience which is the reason I wanted to talk to you today. For people who are not big golf or tennis players, if you're traveling with someone who is not a big fan of those sports, or if you don't participate, there is still a whole lot you can do on Hilton Head. Can you recap some of the activities you did while you were there?
Jennifer: Yeah. Absolutely. I'm not a particularly big golfer or tennis player, so I did strive to seek out the other activities. And obviously, Hilton Head, in addition to being known for its golf and tennis, is also known for its beaches. Sure. You can lay out on the beach and tan, play ball or whatever. But one thing about Hilton Head's beaches that are really special is that it's hard-packed sand. All the beaches on the island have hard-packed sand which means you can ride bikes on them, which you can't do on any other beach because usually the sand is too soft. Bike riding is a really big thing there. Riding bikes on the beach you'll see pretty much any type of bike. I saw all sorts of combinations. A single bike, double bikes, triple bikes, bikes with little tandems for the kids to ride in the back. [Kelly laughs]
Jennifer: I mean it was really like the bike parade. It was really different but it was fun. You could go for miles and you are riding essentially in the water with the waves. So that was really cool. You can definitely rent bikes from any hotel you are staying in or there are even certain bike companies that will deliver bikes to your hotel or your house if you are renting it for the same cost. I know that Hilton Head Bicycle Company does that. So I think that is a nice feature.
Kelly: Sure makes it easy to participate.
Jennifer: Yeah. Definitely. And there were plenty of other land-based activities that were really cool. There's horseback riding and obviously tons of hiking, walking, jogging trails. I know that they actually just recently built new pedestrian paths all along Highway 278, which is the main drag in Hilton Head Island. Before that, there was really nowhere for pedestrians to go and now they have all these big, beautiful paths. So you can go running or walking or whatever on those paths.
Kelly: There's significant amount of wildlife on Hilton Head which I never, I don't normally associate with Hilton Head just because it feels like a resort destination it would be more on the developed side. You did see wildlife while you were there, is that right?
Jennifer: Oh yeah. [laughing] I saw plenty of alligators even. And lots of dolphins.
[Kelly laughs]
Jennifer: One thing I saw that I thought was funny. Apparently in Hilton Head, in the public schools there, they teach alligator safety.
Kelly: Oh wow.
Jennifer: Not something they teach up here in New York.
[laughing]
Jennifer: Definitely kind of prevalent down there so I thought that was interesting. But yeah, all sorts of wildlife. There were birds, lots and lots of pelicans and different species of birds. Dolphins were really great. I saw a bunch of turtles, lots of sea life, oysters. I was actually kayaking and just dug my hand into the sand and just picked up a clam. I mean they are just all over the place down there. But the dolphins were really special. I actually did sort of a sunset cruise on a catamaran around Hilton Head. When we were doing that there were dolphins just coming right up to the boat. They were all over the place. It was really a great experience. Also, there were pelicans diving for fish all around us. So it was like little bombs going off in the water with the dolphins.
[laughing]
Jennifer: The pelicans and the sunset. It was really great.
Kelly: I knew that Hilton Head was a popular bird watching destination actually. It can get kind of marshy in spots so people can go watch birds and stuff. It's interesting that there are these land-based activities and also these water-based activities that you were talking about. So you went kayaking. Were you kayaking on the ocean? Was it challenging? Or was it more inlet based and so it was a little bit calmer?
Jennifer: It was definitely a little bit calmer. You probably can go kayaking in the ocean, but I'm not an expert kayaker so I was perfectly happy to go the placid waters.
[Kelly laughs]
Jennifer: But even the placid waters were really great just because you were going, like you said, in the marshlands and you'd be going on the same level as the birds. They were right next to us, digging through the shallow water for food. I don't know little fish or something. It was really interesting. I went early in the morning, which of course, I was grumbling about waking up at seven to go kayaking.
[Kelly laughs]
Jennifer: But I loved that I woke up early because I was waking up as nature was waking up.
Kelly: Sure.
Jennifer: The sun was waking up and it was a really great experience. It's the type of thing; I went with Outside Hilton Head, which is a tour operator there. I went on a private kayak tour. I think it was about two hours with a guide. I would definitely recommend going with a guide because she made it so much more interesting.
Kelly: Pointing out stuff that you might have not noticed otherwise.
Jennifer: Totally. I mean things like we were kayaking and all of a sudden I feel my boat scraping against something on the bottom. I didn't know what it was and I looked down and she's like, "Nope. Don't touch that. That's an oyster bed and the oysters are incredibly sharp and they'll split your hand open." OK. If I were alone I would have no idea and picked one up.
[laughing]
Jennifer: Wow. An oyster. Maybe I want to eat this.
Kelly: Yeah, right, right, exactly.
Jennifer: She would pick up little things like snails, a periwinkle. Little things and point out what it is and how it lives in the environment and really bringing the eco-system there to life.
Kelly: Oh that's great. That's great. I also see that in addition to doing the tours, you could rent your own kayak if you wanted to strike out on your own.
Jennifer: Oh, sure. Absolutely.
Kelly: You weren't just in Hilton Head, but you went on several excursions as well. Again, this is something for people to know that there is quite a lot to see in the area. Let's talk about the excursions for a little bit. You went to an up and coming place called Bluffton. What was that like?
Jennifer: Well, Bluffton is right outside Hilton Head island and it's a great town. It's very, very historic. I think it played a role in the Civil War. I think it was a home base for a lot of Southern Rebels. I know there was succession talks happening there around the Civil War time and it's very historic. The homes all look like they're straight, restored from that era, the 1800s. Now, it's this historic town that has been transformed into an artsy, cool spot. So now all these little galleries and antique shops and pottery studios and boutiques and cafes are coming in to these old historic homes and these historic buildings. They are sort of transforming the town into a sort of little bohemian artsy spot.
Kelly: Right, right. And how far was it from Hilton Head? I mean is it just a little bit outside?
Jennifer: I think it was just a 20 minute drive. But it's really just, once you cross over the bridge to Hilton Head Island; I believe it is just right around there. If you are getting sick of the beaches or if you are sun burnt and if it's a rained day and you just want a change. [Kelly laughs]
Jennifer: It could be a nice spot to visit and an interesting town to watch and see how it transforms.
Kelly: Yeah, definitely, definitely. One of the other places you went to was Beaufort and that's a little bit further a field from Hilton Head. I've been to Beaufort several times and the architecture, there again, is really quite incredible. It's really what you think about when you think about traditional, formable, Southern architecture. The big columns and the very Plantation-looking houses and several movies were filmed there. I know the one they always talk about is "The Big Chill". But there were a couple other movies filmed there as well, right?
Jennifer: "The Big Chill", "Prince of Tides", and I think a lot of "Forrest Gump" was from there as well.
Kelly: Yeah, it's funny because "Forrest Gump" is supposed to be set in Savannah, but yet..
Jennifer: Right. [laughs]
Kelly: It's over in Beaufort. Yes, it's not even that far away from... Beaufort.
Jennifer: No.
Kelly: [laughs]Yeah.
Jennifer: But I think Beaufort is just sort of this little time capsule, almost. I mean, it's really like the quintessential southern town. It's exactly what you think of when you think of those movies--when you think those scenes from the old south and these big beautiful homes and this Spanish moss draping off the trees.
Kelly: Oh, right, yeah, the Spanish moss.-huh,-huh.
Jennifer: Yeah, Mm-hmm, exactly.
Kelly: And in fact, one of the things that was interesting that I didn't know that you told me--even though my notes say they were at this area--is that the Vietnam scenes from "Forrest Gump" were actually filmed on a neighboring island right off the coast of Beaufort. And that also--I've been there--makes a great day-trip for me, the Hilton Head or Beaufort, and it's called Hunting Island. It's a 5, 000-acre State Park with about three miles worth of beaches. And some people say that the beach there is even more beautiful than what you find on the Hilton Head. What I thought was so fascinating about it--you can certainly talk more about that, Jen--is that as you enter the park you're kind of driving through these winding roads that really goes through this very dense--it feels almost like the jungle, you know? So, it's very dark and green and lush. And drive for a little while and then suddenly it kind of opens up and you're there at the beach. And it's really lovely. So, I can imagine that it would have been very easy to disguise the Hunting Island State Park as Vietnam--you know, when they were filming the movie. But what was your experience when you went there?
Jennifer: Exactly that. I mean, I was just shocked to see that type of foliage in South Carolina. I was not expecting it at all.
Kelly: Yeah.
Jennifer: It's just incredibly lush, forested area and as you drive through you can see--even fear--a rampance throughout the island..
Kelly: Yeah.
Jennifer: It really does kind of feel like a jungle. And it feels a little bit deserted. Because even though it is a State Park and people are there, it's sort of hidden. I mean, the roads are really--they're one lane. And you don't really see other cars; you don't really see other people when you're there.
Kelly: Yep.
Jennifer: And when it does open up to the beach, it feels kind of like a deserted beach. Granted, there may be some other beachgoers there..
Kelly: Yeah, it does.
Jennifer: it just has a really different feel than from any other beach I've been to. And certainly a very different feel from the beaches at Hilton Head.
Kelly: Yeah.
Jennifer: It's just, you know, the trees from the forest almost come right up to the water. It feels just like you're there...
Kelly: Yeah, that's what's really interesting is that there doesn't seem to be any transition--that's sort of like the trees and that kind of lush foliage, and then you have the beach, like begins right away. It's a very long beach. It's not an especially wide beach. But it feels incredibly far-removed from what you're experiencing either in Hilton Head or Beaufort. It very much I think feels like an escape. And one of the things that's very interesting about Hunting Island is that it's actually one of the most affordable places that you can stay in the area and they actually have maybe about 12 or 14 cabins that you can rent on--and basically, you know stay in the park. They do feel up. They're pretty popular so you'd have to reserve well in advance. But you can actually reserve these cabins that sleep anywhere from six to 10 people. And what's incredible is that you can get a cabin that has two bedrooms, sleeps six people. They come with kitchens. Some of them come with fireplaces. And you can get it for about $600 for seven nights. That's less than $100 a night.
Jennifer: For somewhere that's incredibly beautiful, yeah.
Kelly: To really be able to roll out of your cabin and walk out onto the beach. Some of the cabins front the beach. Some of them front the lagoon on the other side. And they have kitchen facilities. They're a little bit rustic. It's not like staying at the Ritz but it's an amazing experience and I really do recommend it. I've known people who have stayed there and they've really, really loved it. Another thing that's really interesting about Hunting Island is that--you were talking about the wildlife. One of the programs that they have there, they protect nesting loggerhead turtles. And so you can actually volunteer--I guess, around mid-May or so the turtles climb upon the beach and lay all their eggs. But then around mid-July through October is when the eggs hatch and the little baby turtles kind of crawl into the ocean. And that's when they're most vulnerable, to predators, to be eaten. And so there's a volunteer program where you can actually participate and actually guard the turtles as they crawl their way into the ocean for the first time. And that's a great experience certainly for families to do. It really--it helps to protect the turtle population in and around the State Park. And so that's another thing you can go on their website, which is HuntingIsland.com and find out more about that. Before we wind down, I just want to touch on another aspect of these strengths in and around Hilton Head. And that's the Gullah culture. I know that the Gullah are a group of African-Americans who live in the low country, in and around coastal South Carolina and Georgia. They're descendants from peoples in West Africa who obviously were brought over here as slaves. And they were able to preserve a lot of their cultural heritage and their language. And I know there's been some concern that the traditions and the culture are slowly dying it out. But you said you still felt the presence of Gullah culture when you're traveling around the area. So, how did that culture manifest itself while you were there?
Jennifer: In a sense, it's not exactly prevalent. I mean it's not like people were speaking Gullah on the streets.
Kelly: Sure.
Jennifer: However, you can definitely get a sense that the culture is still intact because even around Hunting Island the drive out to Hunting Island was incredibly beautiful. Because you pass over a series of islands which is connected by marshes and shrimp boats are nearby and little seaside shacks are there. And one of the islands you pass through is St. Helena Island, which I think still has a pretty strong presence of Gullah culture there. When you drive through St. Helena Islands you'll see a row of restaurant or shacks on the side of the road that say, "Gullah Food is served here." You'll see a few things that actually are written in Gullah language. Actually, another thing they do have on St. Helena Island is the Penn Center, which is sort of a community complex for the African-American and Gullah community there. I think it's like a museum and it's a school. It's just sort of a community center.
Kelly: Right, right, right.
Jennifer: But they have a lot of the Gullah center activities there. In fact, when I went it was closed. It wasn't really anything open. However there were a few people just sort of standing out front on the front lawn cooking up some fresh gumbo and selling it to the passersby. [laughter]
Jennifer: So, you can definitely sense that the culture is still there. And another thing they have in Hilton Head is the Gullah Heritage Tour which I unfortunately didn't get a chance to go on. But I understand that's a great tour. I mean, you go around with someone from the Gullah community and they take you around and sort of explain to you the culture and show you traces of how it is still manifested in today's society.
Kelly: People who like to participate would go to the Cultural Center to get information about that?
Jennifer: Yeah. Well, if you're in Hilton Head you can definitely go on the Gullah Heritage Trail Tour. Or if you are in and around Hunting Island or Beaufort definitely stop in at the Penn Center and I think they can give you tours or information and sort of explain the culture a little bit better. People might also be familiar with the Gullah culture from the movie that came out in 1991 called "Daughters of the Dust" that was made by Julie Dash. I mean that was very much in effort to kind of document and try to help preserve the Gullah culture. So that's the event of their activity you can participate in while you are there. So..
Kelly: Well, that's great, Jen. You know, that's probably all the time we have for today. But I've been talking with Jennifer Polland who is one of my tutorial colleagues here at Frommer's, who has been talking about alternative activities, the other Hilton Head. Things that are beyond the golf and tennis experience that so many people have when they're there to really expand your knowledge of the culture and participate in other sports. Jen, I really enjoyed our conversation. Thanks so much for being here today.
Jennifer: Of course. Thanks, I enjoyed it too.
Kelly: Join us next week for another conversation about All Things Traveled. I'm Kelly Regan and we will talk again soon.
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