Affordable Family Vacations does Hilton Head Island

I absolutely love the low country of South Carolina.  It's not something I can easily put my finger on or put into words.  I knew the first time I crossed that bridge onto Hilton Head Island over 20 years ago, I was hooked.  I could try to describe this coastal area jewel, but, Pat Conroy's books do a far superior job as I cannot touch his prose.

Hilton Head, in spite of the tremendous growth leading to the island, is an amazing destination to get away from it all and unwind.  Visit knowing there are good times to go and great times to go and places you should just avoid at times.  I am no rookie to the island having lived there for a year and visited several times since.   So, I have a few affordable and mind-saving Hilton Head tips and tricks to share!

1) Be smart about driving to Hilton Head and when you are on the island.  Traffic on 288, the road leading from 1-95 onto the island, can just suck the life out of you if you are trying to get on the island on a Saturday in the summer anywhere near 4:00 p.m.  The same stands for the weeks surrounding Easter too.  Yes, that is the check in time for most weekly rental homes on the island, but guess what?  Don't come at that time.  Come really early, arrive late, just don't think you are going to drive onto the island at 4:00, stroll on in to pick up your keys and not want to plow every single mini-van driver from OH and PA and trust me, there are thousands of them and it is woefully apparent that almost none of them are able to traverse a traffic circle correctly.  JUST DON'T DO IT!

Traffic circles?  Yes, there are traffic circles.  Before you leave for your wonderful and affordable trip to Hilton Head, pull up a map of the island and learn where the circles are.  If you have never driven on one, do us all a favor and watch a video on it or let someone else drive.  Just don't stop in the circle.  No one cares if you missed your turn, because, guess what???  It's a circle and you can catch it the second or even the third time around.  It's better to have someone laugh and point at you as you circle around then having them use another finger in your direction  because you didn't know where you were going and you stopped.

Speaking of not knowing where you are going, pull up that trusty map again, especially before you go anywhere on the island at night.  Why?  You say, "Surely, I will see the sign, right?"  Umm, no you probably won't see the sign or any sign.  Hilton Head has amazingly wonderful signage laws that don't allow any tall signs that light up, stand out or could possibly look tacky.  This makes the island beautiful and very confusing for first time visitors.

OK, now that you know how to get around the island, it's time to learn how to do the island with a family without spending a fortune.

2) Rent a home.  Pick a condo, villa or a house.  There are tons of great options through vacation property managers and Vacation Rental Owner web sites.  I have used both and really enjoyed our last trip getting to know the owner of the villa and appreciated all the little extras that were provided by renting  through the owner.  I highly recommend you speak directly with the owner if you go that route, asking lots of questions and gauging their response to insure you are not being scammed.  IF anything seems fishy, price, details, etc. move on as there are thousands of well managed homes on this island.  Staying in a home gives you a great place to unwind, entertain if the weather is bad and gives you privacy.  Renting a home will allow you to save more than enough money on meals to make up for any cost difference of staying in a hotel.

3) Bring some groceries with you.  Again,  I am going to assume you are driving, since this is an "Affordable Family Vacations Blog", so take some groceries with you, enough to get through meals for a day or so.  Bringing that first day of meals and snacks helps knock out two birds with one stone.  You won't be in the grocery store on Saturday afternoon/evening with everyone else on the entire island and two, you can skip eating out that first day and head straight to the beach, golf course, tennis courts, whatever it is you couldn't wait to do on the island.  The island has some really nice grocery stores so don't over pack.  I am partial to Publix, having grown up in FL. Harris Teeter is always clean and neat and you might have to stop at Piggly Wiggly just to buy their t-shirts - "I 'm Big on the Pig".  There is also a Fresh Market, Bi-Lo and Sam's Club.

4) Go out to eat on the cheap.  The island has amazing restaurants.  I mean amazing!!!  And, they are on the expensive side.  BUT,  there are a few ways to enjoy the great dining options while saving your sanity (the good ones are always packed) and your wallet.  Instead of going out for dinner, go out for lunch.  Lunch is less costly, while still offering some fantastic meals AND rarely will you deal with the crowds that are involved with going out to dinner.  Or, go early for dinner.  Many restaurants offer an early bird menu with discounts from their regular evening prices.  Going early will also be easier on kids who will not be particularly well behaved if after running around on the beach all day they have to wait an hour or more to be served.  There are free restaurant guides available at just about every shopping plaza or you can look online.  Lastly, order take out.  With take out, you can still enjoy a wonderful meal without waiting in a crowded restaurant and you will save money on drinks and tip.

5) Seriously consider visiting in May or September.  I know most kids are in school during these times, but the weather, aside from the occasional September hurricane, is usually fantastic, the vacation rental rates are lower and there will be far less traffic, people, etc.  Discounts can also be found the last weeks in August.  It is crazy hot these weeks, so if you go this route, go prepared to find indoor entertainment options in the heat of the day.

The five tips above are an overview of affordable Hilton Head Island vacationing.  I will get into more details in future blog posts getting to the nitty gritty of  which areas of which plantations offer less crowded and more affordable accommodations, which restaurants are family favorites and what activities, aside from playing on the beach, are fun and affordable.  I would love to hear from you if you have visited Hilton Head and what your favorite tips are from your trip!

The beach at Palmetto Dunes Plantation on Hilton Head Island

Harbour Town marina in Sea Pines Plantation on Hilton Head

Google Affordable Family Travel Lately?

We like to travel and I am always looking for a fun place to visit from state and national parks to theme parks, cities, beaches and mountains - it's all good.  But, have you done a search on family travel?  Did you come to realize you needed to scale back the results so extravagant trips costing $10,000+ were not included.  I quickly learned that most travel marketers have a completely different idea than I do or that I would venture most have of what is family travel.  Even when I caveated my family travel searches with the foreword of "Affordable"  I still got back an interesting list of options requiring flights, purchasing passports, etc.  Umm...., this isn't what I was looking for, but thanks for making me feel like we are poor.  We are a family of five, so a trip involving a flight would eat most our travel budget for the year.

 Heading out of the country to an amazing resort hotel that happens to have a kids drop-off program, where those who prefer can ditch their kids (for an exorbitant sum), is not what I consider fun family travel and I am pretty sure most cannot afford.  These places and their marketing campaigns are comical. Yet, publication after publication tout what a great time can be had.  Sure, the writer had a great time, they were comped for the entire trip!

The Family travel I am going to share is geared to families with accommodations providing space and privacy for everyone, especially a place to cook meals. It will be affordable, and will usually contain a bit of adventure.  Getting out of our comfort zone is an amazing experience for our kids and it's even better when they witness their parents doing it too.

I am looking forward to sharing the trips we've taken over the years, what we've learned and hoping to find new places to go.  From Disney to DC we've got tips and tricks.

So what are you doing this summer for an affordable family trip?  Are you taking a day trip here and there, spending a week at the beach, lake or in the mountains?  Let me know!