South Carolina Day #8

We spent our last full day soaking up as much of the beach as we could.  I just loved it so much!

 The girls and I ate lunch with Gigi up at the resort and spent the afternoon lounging in the water.  I don't go in the chilly water in SD, so this was a real treat!

 Speaking of treats, I had to get just one more at the last ice cream shop I had on my list!  After dinner  at Mi Tierra, we drove down to Coligny for a last chance to souvenir shop and ice cream at The Ice Cream Cone.  

 I think my family is over my obsession, but as you can see, they all indulged too :)

 My least favorite of the 3 spots on the island, but still a good Chocolate Walnut cone!

We sure enjoyed our week with Gigi and truly appreciate the beach house rental and all of the work she put into making it a special week for us!! Heading back to SD tomorrow, but loved the memories we made with her!

South Carolina Day #7

It was a relaxing beach day starting off with a walk with the beach almost all to ourselves.  

  

 It was a day of little activity, but that was ok by everyone.

 Tonight we took Gigi to Okko for dinner since we loved it so much the first time.  I didn't get any pictures, but she loved it too!  Then back to Shelter Cove.  I just had to go back to Kilwin's for the highly recommended Toasted Coconut.  This is in my top 3 ice cream spots now!

An eerie sky moved in quickly, but it made for a pretty picture!

South Carolina Day #6

 We took a break from the heat and spent some time in the air-conditioned car for a drive into Georgia.  First stop was The Crab Shack on Tybee Island.

 We sat along the marsh for lunch.

 Matt loved his crab cakes!

 The Crab Shack also had a alligator feeding area(never done that before)

and quite a few beautiful birds. 

 We got back in the car to drive down towards the different beach areas.  I loved the colors of these cute beach condos.

More long wooden bridge walkways to the beach

 and endless sand to enjoy!

We visited another lighthouse, but way too hot to climb up.  The houses that surround this area of the island are adorable.  I just loved the porch swings and colorful shutters.

 One final beach stop and then back in the car for ice cream in Savannah.

 We intended on getting Leopold's, but the line was out the door and we were not waiting in 100 degree heat.  Allison spotted this cool spot and it was a first for all of us...rolled ice cream and it was so good!

 Back to Hilton Head in time for a bike ride to dinner in Coligny

and one more spot for Taylor to smash a penny for Andrew.

South Carolina Day #5

 We spent 4th of July back down at the beach.  We saw multiple military "fly bys" sporadically throughout the day

 and really enjoyed the bath-like water.  The waves don't topple you over here like they do at home!

Gigi joined us for the afternoon too.

 Allison and I were back on our bikes for an afternoon ride.  We attempted the beach, but the tide crept up and didn't give much room in the packed sand.  

We went back on the paths through Shipyard and spotted a few alligators along the way.

 We made frozen pizzas and salad for a relaxing dinner in and then walked back down to the beach for fireworks.

 It was such a pretty night!  We could see them going off North of us in Shelter Cove, several along the Hilton Head beaches and some as far as Savannah, Georgia.  Loved it!  Happy 4th of July!

South Carolina Day #4

 Everyone was up for an early morning bike ride to Duck Donuts!  It was about 2 miles each way so no big deal.

 This place is so cool!  Start with a hot vanilla cake donut...pick a frosting flavor, pick your topping and add a drizzle of icing if you'd like. 

 They are served warm and were so tasty!

 The girls went back to the room, but Matt and I continued with a perfect ride on the beach.  Sure can't do this at home!

 We met up with Gigi at the outlets to do a little bit of shopping and then went to Skull Creek Boathouse for dinner.  Everyone had the same idea!!  A 2 1/2 hour wait!  

We took pictures at the marina, watched dolphins swim by, 

watched the sunset over the water, ate kettle corn, shopped in the gift shop, listened to music and so on! 

 Yes, it was a long wait, but it was a cooler night and a fun atmosphere!

 We sampled all of the South Carolina staples...hush puppies,

 shrimp and grits 

 and a low-country boil.  Allison had a shrimp tempura roll and chicken wings, but I guess they like that in the south too!  

South Carolina Day #3

 Today was our first official beach day! The water was super warm, we inspected lots of sand dollars and sea snails and enjoyed some lazy time in the shade.

 Allison and I took a mid-afternoon bike ride to Coligny for italian ice and a little exploring.

 We ate dinner at a Teppan restaurant called Okko (so good) and then toured around Shelter Cove

 to do some shopping

 and watch the sunset over the marsh since you can't watch it set on the beach.

Our 2nd (and my favorite) ice cream stop was Kilwin's.  The line was long, but worth the wait!