The Endorphin Voyager Sets Sail: Hilton Head Island and a Delightful Surprise Chance Meeting!

Mackie and Aunt Nelle in front of Nell's Harbour Shop

March 24-30
We traveled offshore for the next 90 miles to Hilton Head Island, SC. It was a warm, sunny, beautiful day. When we pulled into the Harbour Town Yacht Basin Marina, we noticed there were a lot of people there! This marina is located in Sea Pines Plantation, which is a lovely resort area. Families were walking around the shops and restaurants, many sitting in the iconic red rocking chairs eating ice cream! A band was playing under the big Liberty Oak Tree, a place where people can sit and enjoy the music. It turns out it was SpringFest! The dockhand greeted us cheerfully, helped us secure the boat and gave us a bottle of Pinot Grigio! We knew we were going to love this place!

Karl sitting in one of the many red rocking chairs!

We have been here many times in the past to visit my Aunt Nelle and Uncle John Smith who lived on the Island with their children. When they moved here in the early 1960's, there was not much here! There were no big resorts, schools, churches, libraries, grocery stores, shopping centers, golf courses, tennis courts, and hardly any paved roads! They played a huge role in the development of Sea Pines Plantation, through John's public relation work to promote tourism to the island and Nelle's opening a gift shop in Harbour Town. They really helped put Hilton Head on the map! They raised their three children here and helped build this community into this wonderful, magical place to live and vacation. Our daughter stayed a summer with them and worked at a clothing shop in Harbour Town. It was a fantastic experience for Anne! She really loved it. They eventually moved to Beaufort, SC. to buy a house in the historic district, and to pursue other projects!

Hilton Head Yacht Basin Marina

Nelle and her daughter Ora recently wrote a book, compiling their memories of the history of the island in the early days. John was one of the founders of the Heritage Golf Tournament and also attracted top rated tennis pros to play in tennis tournaments, among many other things. They helped build the infrastructure of what is now truly a world class destination! The community is well planned with gorgeous oak lined streets, stunning landscaping and great bike paths and of course beautiful Harbour Town centered around the red and white striped Lighthouse. And of course, the beach is very pretty, wide with hard packed sand. The book is a must read, a fascinating description of the early development of the Island and their experiences!

Paradise:Memories of Hilton Head in the Early Days
by Nelle Smith and Ora Smith

When Karl and I got off the boat to walk Salty and to look around, we immediately went to see if Nell's Harbour Shop was still there. We were so surprised to see Nelle in front of her previously owned shop, selling her book! I think she was equally shocked and surprised to see us, too! It was so much fun to see her, and we planned to get together in Beaufort the following week. Nell's shop is still there, the oldest gift shop on the Island and still going strong!

Salty Dog Cafe!

We enjoyed staying a week in this great location, riding our bikes to the beach, eating at great restaurants, including the original Salty Dog Cafe and just enjoying the pleasant atmosphere. We took a trip over to Daufuskie Island, which is only accessible by boat and rented a golf cart to explore the island. This is where the author Pat Conroy taught school and was inspired to write his famous book, The Water is Wide. We really enjoyed our self-guided tour around the island!

We had a great lunch on Daufuskie Island!

Visited an indigo dye shop on Daufuskie Island

Every evening we would sit on the helm and enjoyed a glass of wine listening to the live music that was playing at the Quarterdeck Restaurant. It was fun to watch people playing with their children, walking their dogs and strolling around the lighthouse and shops. We were so happy to visit again to this wonderful place, this time by boat!