Planning a trip to Hilton Head

My family and I are planning a trip to Hilton Head in July. If there are any local experts out there that can tell me about some other beach resorts then I would greatly appreciate it. We are looking at any part of SC except for Myrtle Beach...too busy, we want a quiet, relaxing vacation. So I figure the top two spots are Charleston and Hilton Head??? If there are any other famous beach spots in SC please let me know. Also I guess, if you have any knowledge of Charleston hotels then that would also be greatly appreciated.

Planning a trip to Hilton Head

Hi! I think if you are looking for a quiet relaxing vacation, you have made a great choice in Hilton Head. It%26#39;s pretty much the polar opposite of Myrtle Beach. I don%26#39;t know the ages of your family, but mine just returned from our 4th annual pilgrimage to HHI and that includes my 63 year old mom, 25 year old sister and her husband, my husband and I, who are 42 and 40, respectively, and four of our kids ages 19, 13, 11 and 4. There is horseback riding, dolphin tours, deep sea fishing excursions, day trips by boat to Savannah, over 200 restaurants with every imagineable offering to choose from and miles and miles of bike paths to enjoy. There is one small mall (I think it has 25 or so stores) and several smaller shopping plazas. You won%26#39;t find any neon lights here; I think there%26#39;s actually a law against it. The island is very lush and beautiful and the beaches are clean and have been voted some of the best in the nation. You can stay in one of the plantations the island is divided into, or you can stay at the ';hub'; of activity; Forest Beach. And by activity, we are still talking extremely laid back. Not the ';drive two blocks in 30 minutes'; kind of traffic you get in Myrtle. We have stayed at several spots up and down the east coast and for us there%26#39;s no place like Hilton Head. Stan, the local HH expert has posted several ';stickys'; on restaurants, places to stay, island history, etc. I have found his information and insight right on the money and extremely helpful when planning our visits. Go back on the beginning page of forums and just look for anything with HHIguy attached. I don%26#39;t think you%26#39;ll be a bit disappointed with Hilton Head. Hope this helps!!

Planning a trip to Hilton Head

Kiawah Island is my favorite place in the world. It is relaxing and pristine and has many activities to do such as golf, tennis, nature tours, a spa and a kids camp. I recommend contacting Pam Harrington Exclusives and renting a home ';past the second gate';. This is more private than the rest of the resort and you can feel more like home. They will drop off bikes for you to get around on. Love it!!

My family has vacationed both at Hilton Head and Kiawah.You%26#39;ll certainly have a great time in Hilton Head. HOWEVER, for me, Kiawah wins hands down. The resort is basically the entire island, so it%26#39;s much smaller and much less commercial than Hilton Head. Extremely laid back, yet tons of neat things to do for all ages and interest. Some of the youth and family activities are almost hokey-quaint, like an ice cream social, a capture-the-flag tournament, or an outdoor movie night. But coming from a large urban area, my gang really enjoys this stuff! The golf courses are actually rated higher than the ones on HH. The tennis program (there are two centers) is also nationally known. It really excels in it%26#39;s nature programs. They even ask for volunteers occasionally to escort the baby turtles on their trek from the nest to the ocean! Once you drive into the resort, it%26#39;s basically t-shirts, shorts and bikes the rest of the week.

Obviously there is no night life outside of the bar at The Sanctuary, the new ultra luxury hotel on the island. Charleston though is only a 30 minute drive with all it%26#39;s wonderful restaurants, bars and historic spots.

It%26#39;s great to hear everyone saying nice things about Kiawah, which is our favorite place in the world for a family beach vacation. I can say that even though I grew up in Florida!

On Kiawah you have the uncrowded 12-mile firm sand beach and the unspoiled river and marshes - along with top-rated golf and tennis, if you are interested. As well, you are an easy drive into Charleston for sightseeing or dinner.

The only hotel on Kiawah is the luxurious (and expensive) Sanctuary Hotel. Most families rent cottages, houses, or condos which are availble through the Kiawah Island Golf Resort, ResortQuest, Pam Harrington Exclusives, or Beachwalker. You can also find ';villa'; accommodations by renting from individual owners through sites like www.vrbo.com.

Adjacent to Kiawah, is Seabrook Island, which is also extremely relaxing and laid back. Seabrook has not quite the beach or amenities that Kiawah has, but it is a very nice place for a family vacation.