The beach was such a novelty and took so long to get on it, that one felt compelled to stay for the whole day, or what was left of it. We loved it! And I have never really considered myself a beach person.. ugh.. the sand blowing in your eyes and getting in your crack and all that. But Carolina beaches are awesome. First of all, we have tides! That may sound like a weird thing to say but not all places have high tide and low tide like we do here. The Mediterranean is just one example (the tide is so negligible as not be noticed). When the tide here in the Lowcountry rolls out it leaves this long awesome expanse of hard packed sand that you can walk on easily, cycle on (!), and usually leaves little tidal gullies and pools perfect for young kids with nervous parents. It is also the perfect type of sand for digging and building or carving sandcastles. When people say they hate walking on the beach, as it is too tiring on their legs and hamstrings, I guess they haven't walked on a Carolina beach at low-tide looking for sand dollars.
We live on Hilton Head Island. When we first moved here, we were out in Bluffton. Way out. We drove around on several occasions with our rental agent Sally (from Hilton Head Long Term Rentals) looking at properties to rent. She was extremely patient with us considering we flip flopped back and forth endlessly. But that's a story for another day. She told us, and she wasn't the only one, that people who live here rarely go to the beach. WHAT?! Sacrilege! And as it turns out... totally untrue.
In her defense, after fighting with the crowds and lack of parking at Coligny Beach, I was close to vowing NEVER to step foot on the beach again. Then someone told us about the Islanders beach, and then the summer crowds all went home. One day back in September or October of last year, I picked up my then 3 year old from his awesome dayschool at First Presbyterian and quickly swung down to Islanders Beach, parked with ease, and spent the next hour or so carving sea turtles in the sand until we had to go and pick up my 7 year old at his school. I'm not sure about you, but there is nothing quite like the look on a three year olds face when you tell them you are taking them to the beach to make sea turtles! And then their face when they look at the finished product! That moment sealed the deal for me on what had, up until that moment, been only a cautiously hopeful move from city living.
The beaches of Hilton Head are in fact one long beach, apart from a break/inlet about halfway down. There are no private beaches, but there are private access points. Knowing where to get on the beach is what makes all the difference.
We finally found an awesome long term rental in SeaPines. The beach is a short car ride or cycle away. And sometimes, just because we can, the boys and I will go down to the beach at 5 or so, after school, and I'll relax and watch them boogie board and tire themselves out while pods of dolphins jump around catching fish just beyond the breakers. And that's when all the locals are out walking their dogs and all the vacationers have gone back to their units to freshen up before their dinner reservations. That's when it really hits you. That you live on vacation!
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