Traveling in the off season is a good time for me to check out various places for future trips. The hotels, restaurants and sights aren’t as busy; Owners and managers have more time to talk and offer their ideas and suggestions. My sister Jill and I packed our suitcases a few days ago when the weather was freezing here and headed to sunny- but “cold” Hilton Head South Carolina. The year-round residents were complaining, but we found the 45-50 degree weather very appealing!
During our time on the island we stayed in a 2-bedroom villa, and visited several hotels that were offering discounted rates as low as $59- Holiday Inn Oceanfront and $79.00- Westin, 4 *hotel. Both hotels are located a few yards from beautiful un-crowded Coligny & Folly Beach. Ok- so it wasn’t bikini weather; I was quite happy to walk the beach fully clothed since my diet hasn’t been going too well.
Restaurants were offering 2 for 1 and considerable discounts if you arrived early for dinner. I had read about a few of the recommended places to eat on the Trip Advisor web site and was anxious to visit them. We returned to Illinois with one favorite- Dye’s Gullah Fixin’s! Dye’s is a family-owned Lowcountry restaurant serving “old fashion cookin’ from scratch”. She and her sister were working the day we ate here for lunch and we found the service, conversation and of course the food excellent! Dye is a proud 5th generation Gullah and after lunch she shared some information about the Gullah culture. We learned they are descendants from the western coast of Africa and were brought to Charleston, SC as slaves. For over 300 years the Gullah people have resided and have maintained an ongoing struggle to preserve their culture as handed down from generation to generation. We were fascinated while listening to Dye talk about her family, the island story tellers and gospel choirs that entertain groups.
During February there is a month-long Gullah Celebration where you can explore and enjoy the arts, crafts, music, foods and living history of the Lowcountry Gullah.
For further information contact Donica Halcom at 888-362-5651 or email donicahalcom@ymail.com