Hilton Head Island, South Carolina (Wednesday through Sunday, June 9 - 12, 2021) Jill and I enjoyed a few days of (mostly) rest and relaxation on Hilton Head Island (“HHI”), courtesy of Hilton Head Health (“H3”), an all-inclusive weight loss and wellness resort. Jill, a freelance journalist, was on assignment for an upcoming magazine article. She attended classes and workshops most mornings and afternoons as part of her research on H3. As for me…read on!
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HHI was the second half of a week-long daughter-father getaway. Our holiday began in the colonial city of Savannah, where we saw many sights and attractions in the Historic District and ate decadent food in several lesser- and well-known restaurants. We had a great time! I look forward to sharing our experiences in the “Hostess City of the South” with you in a future post.
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H3 is nestled within Shipyard Plantation, an 800-acre gated community located at the south end of the island. Shipyard has many amenities, including paved trails for walking, jogging, and biking, a 27-hole golf course, a US top-50 tennis club, a AAA 4-diamond resort, and ready access to the beach. I set my sights on the trails and beach!
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Shipyard was beautiful: A series of small lagoons surrounded by a maritime forest of loblolly pine, live oak, palmetto, and magnolia. Spanish moss hung from the oak like gray “hair” and colorful plants grew at water’s edge and along the walkways. Cottages and stately homes lined winding residential roads. Simply stated, it was the perfect setting to help me reset my psyche after several hectic (but fun-filled) days in Savannah.
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The climate on HHI is semi-tropical, heated year-round by the Gulf Stream to an average day-time temperature of 70°F. Averages work well over the long term – for example, over a full year of days – but not so at a point in time. And at this point in time, HHI was more tropical than semi-tropical, with day-time temperatures and humidity in the mid-80s to mid-90s. It was hot and sticky! Fortunately, it rained in short bursts each afternoon and/or early evening, which cooled the ambient air, and for a while, at least, the outdoors were made more comfortable.
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Jill and I arrived at H3 around one on Wednesday, just in time for second seating. Neither of us had much appetite for breakfast in Savannah after the heavy meal we ate last night, so we were ready to chow down.
In keeping with H3’s mission, all menu items – starters and entrees – were tagged with a calorie count as a gentle reminder about the relationship between weight and wellness. Starters were 50 to 125 calories, while entrees hovered around 300 calories. As a result, portions were on the smaller side. I countered smaller portions with larger quantities at most meals – two starters (soup and salad) and an entrée with added protein. I never left the table hungry (or stuffed), and each meal carried me to my next! |
My first entrée (top left-hand photo) was a salad with green beans, potatoes, egg, nuts, and ahi tuna. It was delicious, and overall, I thought the starters and entrees were very good throughout our stay.
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Jill and I loved our accommodations – a two bedroom/two bath cottage with a living room, dining room, kitchen, and laundry room. It felt positively HUGE after our hotel stay in Savannah! Perhaps the best part (for me) was the rocking chair on the front porch – something I have always wanted but never had. The porch – perfect for a bit of R&R – was a great place to watch and enjoy those daily rain showers.
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“So,” you ask, “what did you do on HHI?” Well, thank you for this segue to the rest of my story!
My mornings were all about the trails and beach. Twice I joined Jill and other H3 guests on a beach walk. We rode in a van to and from the beach, where we had 30 minutes of free time. And twice I hoofed it to the beach and back – 1.7 miles each way – with an hour or so of “my time” on the beach.
I LOVED the beach, where I stretched my legs AND my senses!
The warm sand squished between my toes as I walked from the dunes to water’s edge, and the ankle-deep water was cool but comfortable (61°F) as I strolled through the surf. The ocean breeze, a constant companion, blunted the intensity of the heat and humidity. And the rhythmic sound of the surf was hypnotic.
The warm sand squished between my toes as I walked from the dunes to water’s edge, and the ankle-deep water was cool but comfortable (61°F) as I strolled through the surf. The ocean breeze, a constant companion, blunted the intensity of the heat and humidity. And the rhythmic sound of the surf was hypnotic.
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On the days I walked to the beach, I arrived early enough to watch the sun rise through low-hanging clouds, which cast an orangish hue on the horizon and its light atop the water. It was a glorious sight!
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Lovely oceanfront homes with large first and second story decks stood high above the grassy dunes, while a few sailboats with tall masts rested lazily on the beach. How wonderful, I thought, to start each morning with a panoramic view of the sea and direct access to this sandy beach.
As I wandered up and down the beach, I spotted four sea creatures in the sand – a ghost crab, a starfish, a cannonball jellyfish, and, perhaps most interesting of all, a horseshoe crab with a spiny tail that it used to right itself when flipped over by a wave.
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Regrettably, all the creatures were dead, and the body of the horseshoe crab (on the underside of its shell) was eaten away, likely by one of the many Brown Pelicans I saw dive-bombing into the ocean for fish.
The beach was not the only place I saw creatures. As I walked a trail near the lagoons, I saw a few birds, including a Great Egret and an Anhinga (its name means “evil spirt of the woods”), and one scary-looking alligator that basked in the sun on a mud shelf at the edge of the lagoon. From then on, I paid close attention to the gator warning signs I saw!
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It was too hot and too muggy to venture out in the afternoon – well, at least it was for me – so I read (I finished Fire and Ice by Dana Stabenow and started Sprinting Through No Man’s Land by Adin Dobkin) and worked crossword puzzles. R&R!
On Friday night, Jill and I joined 18 other H3 guests for a special dinner at the Chef’s Table. Seated in a private dining room that also was used for cooking demonstrations, we enjoyed an amazing four-course meal, prepared by Chef T (for “Thomas”) and Sous Chef Maggie, that piqued our senses. Each course was paired with a wine. Jill and I sat front and center – a great place to watch the chefs prep and plate the food.
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The first course was Stuffed Grilled Portobello Mushroom (80 calories), paired with a chardonnay from J. Lohr winery in San Jose, California. The chefs plated this appetizer with an artistic flair!
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The second course was Smoked Short Ribs and Vegetable Soup (100 calories). It was paired with a red blend from Aconga winery in Mendoza, Argentina. This was my FAVORITE course (although my least favorite wine), and I savored it to the last drop. When I finished, I told Jill that I would have this soup daily if Chef T could figure out how to can it!
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The third course was Pulled Pork Wellington served on a bed of tangy collard and cabbage (320 calories), paired with a cabernet sauvignon from J. Lohr winery. The Wellington was scrumptious.
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The fourth course was Smoked Pumpkin Cheesecake topped with a cinnamon compote (150 calories). It was paired with a Moscato from Michele Chiarlo winery in Piedmont, Italy. Chef T discovered this dessert when he judged a championship barbecue cooking contest. I have eaten all types of cheesecake over the years, but never one that was smoked. It was a treat!
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As a rule, I do not count calories – and certainly not while on vacation. Still… The total count, excluding wine, was 650 calories – not very many for this tasty and satisfying meal!
Jill asked me several times to join her in a class or workshop. I said “Yes” Saturday morning to 45 minutes of guided Vinyasa yoga on the beach. This style of yoga incorporated many poses, with the movement from one pose to the next controlled by an inhale and an exhale. Talk about an activity that demonstrated just how uncoordinated I was! It was hard work (for me) – invariably I fell out of a pose, and I sweated. But oh my, how wonderful it was to be on the beach with an ocean breeze on my face and the sound of the surf in my ears!
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One of my yoga “classmates” was Jayne. Guess what? Through conversation, I learned that we grew up in the same town and went to the same high school in northeastern Ohio. We did not know each other then, as we are seven years apart in age. It was nice to connect with someone from the hood after oh-so-many miles and years.
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Jill and I wandered through the shops at Coligny Plaza Sunday morning. In one, I found the perfect Hilton Head Island ballcap, my go-to souvenir when I travel. We had lunch at H3 – one more low-calorie meal – and soon we were on the road to Savannah for an early evening flight home. Unfortunately, there was a “mechanical problem” with our plane, and we were bumped to an early Monday morning flight. Ahhh…the joys of travel!
This was my first time on Hilton Head Island, and my first trip to South Carolina. I had a great time, to be sure, and relished a few days of true R&R. One day soon, I would like to revisit the Palmetto State (in honor of its state tree) with my wife, who has for a long time wanted to see both the Carolinas. Who knows – we just might rent one of those oceanfront homes with a majestic view of the ocean and a short walk to the beach!