Who/When/Where:
Who: Sue (53), DVC member
SB (54), Husband
Dates: May 23 - 29, 2012
Travel Method: Personal car
Resort: Disneys Hilton Head Island Resort
Experience: Very experienced (13th stay at this resort)
INTRODUCTION:
At last its time for the annual beach trip to Disneys Hilton Head Island Resort! This started as a solo trip, last year became a half solo and half girlfriend trip and this year its a couple trip. Originally my friend Linda from last year was going to join me for the second half but since SB is not working this season and Linda just started a new job in early April (and took a week off in late April with her husband) she suggested it might be better if she didnt come and SB came instead. That worked for SB, lol! He likes Hilton Head, we both love the beach, and hes never been there during warm beach weather!
Last November I tried to change my reservation from a studio to a 1-bedroom villa, and had to go on the wait list. Sadly that never came through, so Im not exactly excited about 6 nights in a studio with SB! At home he keeps a later schedule than me and it works fine because I can go to bed and he can watch tv or watch a game online in the living room. We wont have that luxury this trip. For next year Ill book a 1-bedroom villa right off the bat, even though it should be just me for a few of the nights. Itll be worth it to have more space when Linda joins me.
At Hilton Head there are tons of restaurants the difficulty is finding time to hit favorites and also try anything new. Theres no need to make reservations and I think well mostly do either a late lunch or early dinner most days. For breakfast Im bringing greek yogurt and bacon for myself (for in the studio) and we can pick up something from Tide Me Over (at the resort) for SB. Well also pick up some groceries so he can make a sandwich or something at other times.
Im hoping to get up and run in the morning, figuring that should be the coolest part of the day before the sun gets hot. Mornings well be at the beach, which should be pretty busy by the weekend. Last year the tide was going out but this year the high tide will be mid-day, so the beach wont feel as wide as it did last year. Were bringing our own beach chairs, a cooler (for water) and even a beach umbrella in case we want to create some shade. The rest of the day well play by ear enjoying the resort, going out to eat, etc.
Theres a comedy club at Kingfisher, which is just across the bridge (walking) from the resort so we might check that out some night. Other than that, this trip is mostly about relaxing and enjoying a beach!!! Thats the biggest thing we miss now that were living in Gainesville, so itll be nice to have daily access to a beautiful beach for a while again!
The plans so far are:
Wednesday 5/23: Work, Drive to Hilton Head,
Thursday 5/24: Beach, Lunch or Dinner Out
Friday 5/25: Beach, Lunch or Dinner Out
Saturday 5/26: Beach, Lunch or Dinner Out
Sunday 5/27: Beach, One Hot Mamas Brunch
Monday 5/28: Beach, Lunch or Dinner Out
Tuesday 5/29: Hilton Head Diner breakfast, Drive to Gainesville
DAY 1 Wednesday 5/23/12
Who: Sue (53), DVC member
SB (54), Husband
Plan: Work, Drive to Hilton Head,
Actual: Id hoped to leave work at 11:30 and actually left at 11:45. As usual, it seems to always get crazy just as Im trying to take some time off! That said, I dont have to call in for any conference calls while Im gone so other than seeing the email on my blackberry and doing a few other things I will forget about work for 6 days! We were on the road at noon, and just after leaving realized neither of us had packed SBs sneakers so we went back to get those. Luckily we were barely a mile down the road!
We made a stop at a McDonalds drive through in Starke, FL and then stopped again at Churchs Chicken in Brunswick, Georgia. I didnt eat at this stop! We arrived at the Disney resort at Hilton Head around 4:15 and of course our room was ready. When we went there I was surprised to see the door propped wide open and nobody was in there.
We went inside and got settled, but noticed most of the electrical outlets were not working. I called the front desk, who contacted maintenance. A guy was there in no time, explaining the previous guest reported the lamp was broken so he brought up a new one and then flipped the circuit breaker to restore full power. At the same time housekeeping showed up with my wine glasses. They are so prompt here its nothing like being at a WDW resort!
I unpacked quickly and then we drove over to WiseGuys for their 5pm opening. We sat at the bar, which is really nice. The tv near us was set on some ESPN channel, so that didnt hurt (for SB) <g>. I stuck with the happy hour bar food trying the short rib slider with parsnip crisps for $3. This was outstanding fabulous fresh roll, great beef, horseradish drizzle, and the parsnip crisps were basically kettle chips that did not taste like a vegetable at all. I let SB have a bite, and he really liked it too. He ordered one of the early dining specials for $15 Caesar salad and the salmon. He was wowed by the Caesar and really enjoyed the entre as well. The plate had a large piece of grilled salmon over whipped potatoes and some veggies (cabbage, carrots, etc). He all but licked the plate clean, so it was good. To think last November we didnt eat here because it wasnt his kind of place, lol!
We were too full for dessert, so we headed back to the resort where he immediately laid down to be lazy the rest of the night (promising tomorrow hed do whatever I asked). Well save the grocery store trip for tomorrow I brought what I need for ME, lol so thats ok. After getting online I left him in the room and went for a walk around Shelter Cove Harbour.
It was still a little warm, but very pleasant when I was in the shade. As usual the entertainers were performing outside the restaurants at either end (Scotts Fish Market and San Miguels) and Shannon Tanner was doing his family show to a big crowd on the center stage. I didnt stop, figuring wed be back another night. I walked out to the end of the sidewalk, then retraced my steps and walked along the boardwalk on the Disney side of the marina.
I took several photos around the resort not sure if I captured anything I havent photographed many times before <g>. After wandering around for a while I went back to the studio. Since it was so nice outside I got some ice and poured a glass of wine to take out onto the porch. We have 2 rocking chairs and a small table out there, so I was all set with my wine, kindle, and the great water view. At 9 well watch General Hospital on SoapNet but also pay attention to the Idol results. I expect to be disappointed since the teenyboppers have kept off-key Philip as a top contender for weeks now.
The porch was beautiful I stayed out until almost 8:45. SB came out for a short while and said he sees why I love it here so much! Neighbors came out onto their porch and thankfully they were nice civilized people who didnt make a lot of noise and didnt have any rambunctious kids present. These arent the people on the other side of the connecting door (in the 1-bedroom villa) but so far I havent heard any noise over there either.
At this point Im back inside, waiting for General Hospital and the Idol results so I might as well post the report. Today has been a great start to the vacation! I wish we had the 1 bedroom, but this is a terrific studio in terms of location. Im thrilled SB loved WiseGuys, because we really just went there because its one of my places. Now well be back! Tomorrow were looking forward to the beach cant wait!
DAY 2 Thursday 5/24/12
Who: Sue (53), DVC member
SB (54), Husband
Plan: Beach, Lunch or Dinner Out
Actual: We turned the lights out by 10:30, and slept well. I woke up a few times, but there was no noise from outside or next door. Id left the drapes about a quarter of the way open (compromise between his preference for totally closed and my preference for totally open) so by 6:15 I knew it was light outside. I got up, threw on some clothes, brushed my teeth, and headed out for a run. It was already 74 degrees and 100% humidity! Back in FL it would be 5-10 degrees cooler, but with similar humidity this time of day. I didnt see nearly as many people out as I do at WDW.
Back at the studio SB was still sound asleep. I took my shower and later made a mug (using the refillable mug from the dining plan) of cappuccino. Eventually he got up, and had trouble getting online. After listening to him whine & get angry I called the front desk and learned we were entering the code wrong. Problem solved I admit the internet here can be a pain, and its irritating as hell to have to enter a security code (its not free for non-members, but how many non-members are here??) but lets chill a little <g>.
For breakfast I had a slice of bacon and a strawberry greek yogurt with granola. We headed out about 9, driving over closer to the pool area to get him a breakfast sandwich from Tide Me Over. While we were waiting for that we went into the Mercantile to visit with Dottie, and SB used his wdw refillable mug to get ice and water from the soda machine outside. The mug ended up really coming in handy, as he got ice water there and then at the beach we just added bottled water and ice from the cooler to his mug and his water stayed cold.
His breakfast sandwich (biscuit, egg, sausage & cheese) was ok. I had a bite and wasnt overly impressed, but he seemed to like it just fine. We drove over to the Beach House and parked underneath, then took our stuff out to the beach. Quite a few people were arriving when we did, but itll be much busier this weekend! We set up camp just above the high tide line and enjoyed about 2.5 hours on the beach. At one point I set up the beach umbrella to give us some shade, even though we left the mallet (to pound the umbrella into the sand) home in the garage in Gainesville.
Eventually a group of ladies came and set up their chairs directly in front of us but down by the water. There were 6 of them, with their chairs all lined up. The worst part was the old fart in the group who smoked that positively stank! Its amazing that even outside, 100 yards away, someones cigarette just creates an intolerable stench!
We left shortly after 12 to return to the studio. After our showers we drove over to One Hot Mamas for lunch, which was an adventure. Restaurants are mostly hard to find at Hilton Head due to them being set back off the road and usually hidden by trees or theyre buried in a strip mall or complex. We drove around a bit but then found it luckily we had the GPS but Id also printed out MapQuest directions.
The restaurant wasnt quite what I expected smaller and different looking. But, the food looked good! I had a glass of pinot grigio and SB stuck with iced tea. We started with some lemon pepper wings, which were very good. I had the lunch portion of the chicken pecan salad very good, with a citrus dressing. SB had the bbq rib tips with collard greens, mac & cheese and cole slaw. He ate every bite, so it was all good! For dessert we shared a piece of key lime pie not the best weve ever had, but good enough. The check came to $33 plus change before tip.
After lunch we stopped at the new Harris Teeter grocery store nearby. Id never heard of it, but Dottie mentioned it this morning. Its beautiful we kept saying were not in Gainesville any more, lol! But, their prices were a lot higher than were used to some of it was downright laughable! A cheapo package of salami (of all things) was $5.55, lol! We picked up a few things at the bakery, some water, and got lunch meat and bread for SB.
Back at the resort it was almost 3 so we settled in to watch General Hospital at the regular time. While watching it became apparent that SBs laptop screen was a problem. He received the laptop as a Christmas gift this past year and while we were in Ft Myers in March he STEPPED on it accidentally. He ended up with spots on the bottom of the screen that were messed up, but then it cleared up. During this Hilton Head trip he developed vertical lines and eventually the left quarter to third of the screen became unusable. Unfortunately, thats where the start button is, and the icons for the programs he uses.
I searched around on the internet, finding various options. Later I went for a walk and stopped by to see Dottie again. She suggested Best Buy, so when I got back to the studio I called the local store. Their Geek Squad person told me they send the work out and itd be 2 weeks to get it fixed! Are you kidding me??? No wonder Best Buy is not doing well thats ridiculous. He said they dont keep all the various parts on hand, which is understandable. But, you can overnight a part IN and then make the repair pretty easily. Oh well I ended up ordering a replacement screen online and have a You Tube video showing how to replace it. I dont think well actually risk doing it ourselves (translation Myself, lol) but hopefully we can pay someone to do it since it looks like a 5-minute job.
We werent hungry for dinner so we walked across the bridge to Shelter Cove Harbour and stopped at the bar outside Scotts Fish Market. I had a glass of pinot grigio and he had a beer, followed later by a strawberry daquiri (very good). We sat on the shady side and had a great breeze keeping it cool. If we were in Gainesville it would have been humid, so this was really nice. At some point he ordered a half pound of peel and eat shrimp, which where nice & large. Some ladies next to us ordered scallops, a Caesar salad and the chicken quesadilla all looked fabulous, so we might be back for dinner at the bar or one of the outside tables another night. A guitar player provides entertainment here and its just very pleasant (and close to home).
We were back home just after 7, settled in for the night. Since his laptop isnt functioning Ill let him use this computer for a while. One of his former players is pitching for the first time in the major leagues tonight so hell watch that game (Twins vs White Sox) online to see how Cole does. Ill probably head out to the porch with my Kindle. Today on the beach I started reading a free book written by a survivor of the Joplin tornado last year, and to my surprise the author is 14 years old (13 at the time of the tornado). I never would have guessed it was written by a kid!
Today was a fabulous day other than the laptop screen problem. But, admittedly it was on borrowed time after the accident. The beach was gorgeous except for the smoker, and although it was warm it wasnt humid out there & there was a nice breeze! Lunch was tasty, and happy hour at Scotts was nice & relaxing. This is a wonderful resort, and so far its working out fine sharing a studio <g>.
DAY 3 Friday 5/25/12
Who: Sue (53), DVC member
SB (54), Husband
Plan: Beach, Lunch or Dinner Out
Actual: Last night my friend Lisa Cubbon sent and email with a cryptic comment about hoping the perhaps tropical storm didnt mess up our weekend. This morning after I came back from my run I checked the weather, and evidently theres something out there to ruin my sunshine!! It appears well get rain starting Saturday night, going through pretty much all day Sunday, and then 60% chance of showers Monday. Ugh.
It was very cloudy this morning, but by 9 we were also seeing some blue sky here and there. I knew eventually theyd burn off and it would be beautiful! SB wasnt hungry for breakfast, so we didnt bother with Tide Me Over. Id had my cappuccino after my shower, and about 9 I had a slice of bacon and half the cinnamon roll wed gotten at Harris Teeter. It was pretty good, but I shouldnt have warmed it in the microwave because the cream cheese icing melted off!
We put on swimsuits, packed up, and drove over to the Beach House. Once again we parked under the building and set up camp just above the high tide line on the hard sand. It was mostly cloudy for the first hour, then we had clear blue sky the rest of the day. There was a nice breeze, so it was actually more comfortable than yesterday just beautiful! Id brought SB his apple fritter from Harris Teeter and had made him a sandwich for lunch. Of course, by 9:30 he was hungry and ate the sandwich.
We enjoyed the beach and didnt have any smokers near us today. At one point 2 obviously highly fertile women with at least 6-8 kids between them arrived and plopped down right next to us. There was more room a little further away, but I guess that spot of sand looked the best. Then they took all the kids toys and put them on the sand between us and the water and they all played over there. Now why would you step in front of other people and block their view when you dont have to?? Eventually they came back and the moms spread out towels for each kid, then passed out goldfish crackers and other snacks. One or another kid of course had to have a mini meltdown when he wasnt getting served fast enough gotta love it, lol!
SB was hungry again at 11 so he went up to Signals (counter service at the Beach House) and came back with a burger, hot dog and lots of fries. Both the burger and dog were big, and he declared them both excellent. I had a bite of each, and some fries all were good. I also ate the greek yogurt Id brought (since I didnt eat it for breakfast) and we were both full. One of the little boys kept watching me I think maybe strawberry yogurt and French fries looked better than goldfish crackers, lol!
When they left there were several whole and partial goldfish left behind on the sand and eventually some of the seagulls and birds discovered this treasure trove. SB commented that even after the women & kids were gone they were still leaving their presence known, lol! Soon the birds were dive bombing in, getting bolder in their attempts to eat the leftovers. Im just glad none of them pooped on me as they were circling overhead!
We decided to head back to the resort just after 1, and SB went to the Beach House to use the restroom first. I made a really stupid move, taking a load of stuff to the car but leaving my flipflops by our chairs. The soft sand was HOT and the blue plastic thing near the Beach House was even hotter. I had to throw the chair I was carrying down to the ground and stand on it because the bottom of my feet were burning (theyre still tender). Luckily when he came back from the restroom he was able to get the rest of the stuff and bring me my shoes, lol!
I took another shower, he took his, and we hung out in the room for a while waiting for General Hospital to come on. He ate his fritter and I finished the cinnamon roll (without warming it). I like that the porches here are very big and completely private, so if you go out there in your underwear or completely naked its fine nobody is out there to see you. I talked to a friend from work for a bit out there, since SB had Bonanza on the tv.
Around 4:30 we walked over to Scotts Fish Market and sat at the bar again. One other guy was there and we talked with him. He & his wife received a gift of DVC from on of their sets of parents the parents wanting to give them something they could enjoy and doing it before they died. This was their first trip to Hilton Head she spends all day at the beach and he spends the morning with her and then goes to the bar for the afternoon.
We ordered drinks and later decided to order some food. I was stunned when he ordered chicken fingers! I spoke up, questioning him and asking him if he had lost his mind, lol! He loves seafood, were at a seafood restaurant and he orders chicken fingers?????? When they came they were ok, but nothing exceptional. I didnt understand that one at all!
Later we ordered more food this time he ordered the bacon wrapped scallops (what I thought hed order the first time) and I ordered the chicken quesadilla. The bartender said chicken quesadilla in a seafood restaurant? mocking me for what I said to SB earlier, lol! I told him SB eats seafood I dont. The scallops and quesadilla were both very good. We left about 6:30 and headed back to the resort. After downloading the photos from the camera and updating the report I decided to go walk around a bit. SB was done for the night, so he stayed in.
Dottie called just as I was getting read to head out for a walk, and we made plans for Sunday. I finished uploading the pictures and then headed out for a walk. Im letting SB use the computer to watch a game later so I posted the report before leaving. If I get behind online Ill have time to catch up when the weather sucks <g>.
Today was another great day I loved the beach time and it was nice hanging out at Scotts Fish Market. Tomorrow may be our final beach time of the trip (boo hoo) and well probably do a more traditional dinner. Maybe Ill run over to the mall at some point, since I wont have General Hospital to watch.
DAY 4 Saturday 5/26/12
Who: Sue (53), DVC member
SB (54), Husband
Plan: Beach, Lunch or Dinner Out
Actual: We slept really well again. We have new neighbors and they have a couple of young kids but thank goodness we didnt hear them through the connecting door (only while out on the porch). I was up just after 6 and went for a run, then returned to shower and have a big mug of cappuccino while getting online. Since his laptop is useless right now hes using mine part of the time, so my online time is more limited than usual.
Once SB got up and showered I had a slice of bacon for breakfast and packed up what wed need for the beach. We drove over to the Beach House around 9 and the beach was already busier than previous days. We set up our stuff and then SB ate his sandwich and I ate my greek yogurt. It was much more crowded as the morning continued, and the water came up higher since the storm was out there to the east pushing waves onto the shore. People kept getting surprised when the water would overtake them, but honestly its not rocket science to check the tide times.
Around 11 we went up to the Beach House and had a drink at the bar, then got a hot dog at Signals to take back out to our chairs. At one point the wind blew our umbrella right out of the sand and I had to go chase it. Luckily the next family over grabbed it to prevent their toddler from being impaled by it yikes! After that I closed it up and put it away its just too risky. I kept waiting for the umbrellas just up wind of us to come blowing over but the people were holding them in place when the wind would gust.
We left just after 12:30 and returned to the resort. I took another shower and was ready to head out, but he was claiming to just want a slice of pizza instead of a sit-down restaurant. What that really means is the ballgame starts at 2:10 and hed rather lay in bed watching the game than go out anywhere. I thought about going to Frankie Bones without him, but I knew Id rather have him along to finish what Id order, and I couldnt see rewarding his sloth behavior by bringing him leftovers, lol!
Eventually I drove over to Piggly Wiggly to pick up some groceries and a fried chicken dinner for him. For myself I got a chocolate chip brownie that will last several days! I returned to the studio to learn his game was in a rain delay, lol! But, he assured me when I was ready to go eat he would leave the game.
I left to walk over to the mall and browsed around Belk. I didnt find anything I had to buy, and took a walk into the mall itself to see how depressing and empty it is now. The only stores open are the 2 Belks, a GNC and I think the Talbots. Other than that its all empty. I walked back and went to the Art Festival at Shelter Cove Harbour, but it was hotter than hell over there! Between the trees and the tents it was truly miserable, so I walked quickly past all of the booths and then went back to the resort. It was almost 4pm by now so we talked about where to go and settled on Kingfisher.
First we drove over to the Beach House so I could fill a big planter with sand. The Mickey flamingo I bought at Flower & Garden Festival earlier this month will stand in the planter full of sand in our living room, since the sun will fade him. Once I filled the planter it weighed a ton, so I dragged it along the blue plastic walkway until SB saw and came to pick it up for me. Id left him with the car since we didnt have an actual parking spot. To fill the planter I used the dust pan in the studio closet!
Once he got the planter (in a box) into the trunk we drove back to the resort to get rid of the car and then walked over to Kingfisher. They were only doing happy hour beverages (no food) and only outside, but we had a look at the inside and neither of us was really impressed. I had a glass of wine and he had a couple beers outside, but we decided not to eat there. Instead, we walked across the street to Shelter Cove Harbour and went to San Miguels.
We ate outside, near a fan! I had another glass of wine and SB had a strawberry daquiri. For dinner he went with a combo plate that had a couple enchiladas and a taco. I had an a la carte steak taco. With the chips and salsa, we were stuffed. The food was good and it was fairly reasonable, although my wine was expensive. They only do happy hour here Monday through Friday.
After dinner we walked back to the resort and were in for the night. He caught the last inning of the game hed started earlier, and then I got online for a bit before the next game he wanted to watch. The tropical storm is coming, and it looks like itll mess up the weather (from a beach perspective) for the next 3 days. Up to 5 inches of rain is expected along the coast, which is a bit much at one time. Im thinking of moving my Hilton Head trip up by 2-3 weeks next year to avoid the holiday weekend crowds and some of the heat, even though it would probably mean losing a day. Heck, Im losing 2 beach days this trip so I guess its not the end of the world. If so, Id do a concierge stay at Jambo House over Memorial Day skipping the parks because its too damn hot/humid by then.
Since SB should be watching a game from 7-10 Ill post the report early and spend time out on the porch with my kindle. Today was another fabulous day I just love the beach here, but would love it even more with about half the people! Its so nice & quiet, and so pleasant being here. SB asked if I wanted to live here, and I really dont but I enjoy being able to vacation here. I want to continue living closer to WDW, so Ft Myers will continue to be home once we get out of Gainesville.
Tomorrow Ill go out for a run if its not raining yet, then were doing brunch with Dottie & Joe at Cahills. SB & I might make it to Frankie Bones for an early dinner, but otherwise well probably be hanging out at the resort staying dry!
DAY 5 Sunday 5/27/12
Who: Sue (53), DVC member
SB (54), Husband
Plan: Beach, One Hot Mamas Brunch
Actual: Last night I ended up going out for a walk and then while SB started his second game I sat out on the porch. There was a nice breeze and it was absolutely gorgeous out there! He kept coming out and was surprised by how nice it was, but his priority was the game. Shortly after 9 I went inside and he shut off the game to give me back my laptop. Its hard to believe crappy weather is coming, as its been so perfect today!
We slept well again and when I woke just after 6 it wasnt raining but it was very windy outside. I stepped out onto the porch and decided to skip the running today. With the wind it would be more of a pain in the butt than it was worth. To my surprise SB was up just after me so much for having a quiet couple of hours to myself, lol! But, its really no problem he watched espn while I was online with my cappuccino, and when I take my shower he can get online.
We had a little time after we got ready so we went down to play part of a game of pool while waiting for Dottie & Joe. She called when they were on the way, so we made a few more shots then went outside to find them waiting in the parking lot. We drove over to Cahills Market in Bluffton for breakfast. This place looks like an old barn and they have a small produce & other food market inside. Its very rustic and kind of cute.
SB went with the fried chicken, which is their specialty. The rest of us ordered breakfast plates. I had the half portion of biscuits & sausage gravy, which was just ok. I thought it was a little salty. Dotties ham steak was ridiculously tough to cut, but the eggs and other stuff looked much better. Overall it was ok, but not somewhere Id return for. It just wasnt special in any way so not worth the trip off the island. Im glad we tried it, and it was great spending time with Dottie & Joe.
They dropped us off at the resort and we hung out in the studio. The sun is still out, but its very windy too windy for the beach. We had rain coming out of Cahills, so there could be a brief shower or downpour at any time. Sure enough, by 11:45 it was pouring, and the tree outside our porch was blowing back & forth fiercely. Im glad I hadnt headed over to the pool, lol! A few minutes later it was sunny again with just a strong breeze, lol!
Around 12:30 I decided to go to the pool, which is something Ive never done at this resort. I dont really like the pool area too small, too noisy. But, given the weather I figured the pool was a safer bet than the beach, especially if another downpour came in. The pool was busy but there were chairs available. Thank goodness for the storm-force winds, but it was still very hot out there. Generally I find this area miserable, as the buildings block most of the breeze.
I was out there reading and enjoying the sun for just over 1.5 hours much longer than I expected! Finally I couldnt take the screaming kids any longer. Not crying babies elementary school age children who think theyre cooler somehow by screaming whatever they want to say at the top of their lungs, usually accompanied by lots of obnoxious drama. I didnt hear a single parent try to shush them, so to save my sanity and avoid an arrest for child battery I chose to return to the studio!
SB was watching a game, so I showered and then poured a glass of wine and went out to the porch with my kindle. It was quite windy out there, but the wind was blowing along side the porch rather than onto the porch. Still, close to the railing it was very windy! Eventually I went back inside and when his game ended we drove over to Frankie Bones for dinner.
He went with some weird attitude about not liking it, despite having loved it last November. In a nutshell he was just acting like a pain, but when his food came all of a sudden it was fabulous. Men I swear theyre half psychotic. I ordered the caprese salad on the todays special menu, along with a glass of the early bird priced ($2.75) house wine. SB went with the large spaghetti & meatballs. The spaghetti comes with 3 large meatballs and although Im not a big meatball fan I have to admit these are delicious. One of these trip I need to try their meatball sliders, because theyre probably outstanding. We didnt bother with dessert the mini carrot cake I like here is only available at lunch and I didnt want a large piece. We got 10% off the food for being DVC, so the check before tip was under $26.
We drove back to the resort and I found it amusing that in the fridge we have leftovers from SBs dinner tonight and last night! Usually its me with the leftovers, but Im ordering things I can finish! Assuming the weather is crappy most of the day tomorrow he can eat his leftovers for brunch.
At this point were in for the night. The storm is expected to come ashore along the FL/GA border some time tonight, then move west before turning north and headed back towards the Atlantic somewhere in SC or North Carolina. It wont be a beach day tomorrow, but since its a holiday weekend I dont want to leave early and risk the awful traffic. So, well have a lazy day at the resort!
DAY 6 Monday 5/28/12
Who: Sue (53), DVC member
SB (54), Husband
Plan: Beach, Lunch or Dinner Out
Actual: We ended up going to sleep just after 9:30 last night guess thats what happens when theres nothing worth watching on tv, lol! At some point it did rain but when I got up just after 6 to look outside there were patches of clear sky and some pink clouds due to the sun starting to rise. It was still somewhat windy but nothing like yesterday.
I got dressed and went out for a run, walking part of the way back because I was going into the wind. SB was still asleep so I decided to get some online time in while he slept. I washed some sweat off with a wet washcloth and made some cappuccino in the bathroom. The coffee maker makes a lot of noise pushing the water through the process so after the first day I started bringing it into the bathroom so I could close the door. Theres an outlet close to the toilet, and just enough room for the coffee maker between the toilet tank and the bottom of the wooden medicine chest.
A quick check of the weather showed that rain was due to start at 7:45 here well see how accurate that precise prediction is! At 7:47 the sun was shining, but well see how it goes later <g>. SB was up around 8 and we puttered around the studio awhile until we decided to go have breakfast at Hilton Head Diner. Breakfast here is great, and he loves their pancakes. He decided hed rather NOT have to drive after a big breakfast so today was a better day for that. Tomorrow Ill just make him a sandwich before we hit the road.
We drove over and had no wait to be seated (arriving around 9 or so). He ordered the big breakfast (2 pancakes, 2 eggs, home fries, 2 sausage, 2 bacon) and a glass of milk. I ordered the single egg, which came with hash browns and wheat toast. Once the food came we swapped some stuff bites of pancakes and half piece of bacon for me, hash browns and half the wheat toast for him. It was all excellent, as usual.
After breakfast we stopped at the Beach House and walked out onto the beach for a short visit. It was very windy and we could see areas of rain in the distance, mixed among the brighter patches. Caution flags were up and although it was low tide the winds made the waves much bigger than normal. Whitecaps could be seen really far out. We decided not to venture too far since we didnt know when it would start raining, and just after passing through the upstairs portion of the beach house the sprinkles started.
We drove back to the resort and were lazy the rest of the day. It rained now and then, and at times the sun came out. He watched tv and took a nap while I did stuff online and updated the photo album. Ill post the link with the final day, after we get home. By afternoon the sky was brighter and at times the sun was even out. I made a last trip to see Dottie, then returned and spent the afternoon on the porch with wine and the kindle. It was gorgeous out there! I measured the porch and its 13-14 feet deep really nice! SB watched a baseball game, but came out a few times and again commented on how nice it was here.
Just before 5 we headed out for an early dinner. He wanted Skull Creek Boathouse instead of WiseGuys so I agreed since Ill go WiseGuys twice next year. We didnt have any wait for a table but it was pretty busy even this early. By 6 people were waiting for tables. We ate outside and it was beautiful out there except for the annoying flies. We ordered too much food started with wings (these were good but so totally not needed) and then he had a sunset dinner while I ordered the chicken taco appetizer. His dinner was their seafood chowder and a fried seafood trio (shrimp, scallops, flounder, fries, slaw & hush puppies). Everything was very good, but it was just too much. He took half of mine and about a third of his back to the resort for a snack later.
We were back at the resort just after 6:30, and were in for the night. Im pretty well packed up at this point, so theres not much to do tomorrow. Depending on the weather I hope to go for a run and then relax with my cappuccino for a while before hitting the road.
DAY 7 Tuesday 5/29/12
Who: Sue (53), DVC member
SB (54), Husband
Plan: Hilton Head Diner breakfast, Drive to Gainesville
Actual: I realized last night was night #550 staying in a dvc resort since becoming a member in 1997! Its still one of the best things Ive ever done <g>. Also last night I learned the date of an upcoming Comedy Warehouse show so we ordered tickets and booked a room at Saratoga Springs for that night!
We slept well again its a shame to be going home today, lol! I was up just after 6 and went out for a run. It was windy again but not as windy as yesterday morning. Ill miss leisurely waking up at 6 and going for a run in such a pretty setting. When I got back to the studio I sort of cleaned up with a washcloth figuring Id get some cappuccino and online time in while he slept, then I can shower while hes online. Once again I brought the coffee maker into the bathroom to keep the noise down. Its very cloudy outside so even though its almost an hour past sunrise now theres no sun shining out there to brighten the room!
Soon SB was up and after showering and finishing gathering up our stuff we were on the road at 8:45. Id packed him a sandwich and I ate my greek yogurt in the car. The drive was partly miserable (rain) but could have been much worse. After getting home and unloading the car (in NO rain for a change) we headed out to Codys Roadhouse for lunch, then did laundry (me) and relaxed at home the rest of the day.
We both loved Hilton Head, although its hard to believe he loves it as much as I do! The beach is fabulous, I love the resort, and the whole place is just so pleasant & nice. Spending 6 nights there was wonderful not too long, but not too short either. I could have lived without the clouds the last 2 days but even that wasnt the end of the world and it wasnt as bad as it could have been. His computer screen problem was a pain, but the unexpected plus is that it gave me more time on the porch which was heavenly! In a sense it would have been a shame to sit in the room online and not enjoy that wonderful porch.
Our restaurant meals were all great, except for Cahills (company was great, but the restaurant isnt a place either of us want to return to). I loved our room, too this is my favorite studio location for sure! Bottom line, I cant wait to return next year! If I could be sure of getting this exact room (or 1 other) Id consider booking a studio again, but since thats a longshot Ill be going with a 1-bedroom villa. My friend Linda will join me for part of the trip, so itll be nice to have the extra space.
The photos from this trip (mostly food porn) are on shutterfly at
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...ZNGTdm2bMWjDNA
My next trip will be a solo 3-night weekend in less than 2 weeks Ill be staying at Bay Lake Tower and skipping the parks. After that we have 1 night at Saratoga Springs in August in order to see some of the Comedy Warehouse cast perform in downtown Orlando. Thanks for reading!
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