Sue (Holland) Rayford - Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort - January 2013

Who/When/Where:

Who: Sue (54), DVC member
SB (55), my husband
Chris (26), my son
Amanda, Chris girlfriend
Dates: January 17 21, 2013
Travel Method: Personal car
Resort: Disneys Hilton Head Island Resort (2-bedroom villa)
Experience: Very experienced (14th stay but first for Amanda)


INTRODUCTION:
Normally wed be at Walt Disney World for this particular trip, but several months ago when we started trying to find a time to get the whole family (my son Chris, SBs daughter Cristina) together to meet for the first time, we changed the plans to Hilton Head because its more centrally located to everyone. I borrowed points to book a 2-bedroom villa and studio, since a grand villa was not available. Everyone was committed to these dates, and then a couple weeks ago SBs daughter reported that not only was her boyfriend not able to leave work after all, she really couldnt get away either. Obviously they have no understanding of how dvc or timeshares work but I wont be changing plans or borrowing points to arrange something again!

I talked with Chris to see what he & Amanda wanted to do with the change in plans (stick with HHI, try to switch to WDW, or skip it entirely) and they were very quick to say HILTON HEAD!! So, I dropped the studio since we now fit comfortably in the 2-bedroom villa and was able to book a room for Chris & Amanda at Jambo House when wed be there with Pete & Judy right before the HAL cruise in early March. This way those points werent lost.

January is the extreme off season in Hilton Head. Some restaurants and businesses will be closed, but there are still more than enough to choose from. The biggest negative is the weather its not beach weather! Well probably arrive during rain and with the wind chill the next morning will feel like its in the 30s. Eventually well warm up to around 60, with nights in the 40s. Thats not MY idea of nice weather, but it is what it is. Ill be back in early May, when it WILL be beach weather, lol! The biggest positive to this time of year is the lack of crowds (and extraordinarily low number of points required for the lodging). I honestly would not want to be here during the summer, because the crowds and traffic are awful.

We dont have any real plans for this trip, other than to hang out and relax. Most likely well do breakfast in the villa and then have a nice meal out for either lunch or dinner. At Hilton Head its a case of too many restaurants, too little time! SB wants to try dinner at Black Marlin, we both are interested in lunch or dinner at Frankie Bones and Skull Creek Boathouse, and Im willing to skip WiseGuys since Ill be back in May. I dont know if Chris has any must do places that he remembers, so well figure that out on the drive up.

The plans so far are:
Thursday 1/17: Work, Drive to Hilton Head, Groceries, Dinner out
Friday 1/18: Relax, Lunch or Dinner out
Saturday 1/19: Relax, Lunch or Dinner out
Sunday 1/20: Relax, Lunch or Dinner out
Monday 1/21: Drive to Gainesville, Lunch at Harrys


DAY 1 Thursday 1/17/13
Who: Sue (54), DVC member
SB (55), my husband
Chris (26), my son
Amanda, Chris girlfriend

Plan: Work, Drive to Hilton Head, Groceries, Dinner out

Actual: Chris and Amanda surprised me by fibbing about their departure time and walking into my office at 10:30 this morning! It was a good surprise though, as it meant we left earlier than planned. I took them around to see a couple people who know Chris, then they headed to the house while I finished up a couple things by 11am. A friend drove me to the house on his golf cart, we finished loading the last few items and were on the road driving away at 11:19am.

Chris did the driving, and after a stop for gas and Churchs Fried Chicken (for the guys) we pulled into the resort just after 3:20. I swear we hit every single light from the interstate to the resort! A cast member was waiting outside wearing a pair of Mickey gloves and waving to us as we got out of the car. The parking under the lodge was closed off for refurbishment, so we had to park outside. The cast member greeted us and announced us to the person working at the front desk.

Check in went smoothly except she wasnt able to reprint Chris & Amandas room keys to NOT have charging privileges, so she said shed try again later and if it worked shed bring the keys to our villa. Our villa was ready top floor in building 15, which is one of the buildings Ive always wanted to stay in. Its one of the 2 overlooking the boardwalk, with nothing but the marsh beyond its a great view! We drove around the corner to our building and moved everything into the villa.

Were in a dedicated 2-bedroom villa, so Chris & Amanda have their own bedroom and bathroom. We share the living/dining/kitchen area and then SB & I have the master bedroom & bathroom. The master bath is actually 2 rooms 1 with Jacuzzi tub, vanity sink and closet; 1 with single sink, toilet and shower stall. The washer/dryer are in a room in the hallway to the 2nd bedroom, across from the bench and coat hooks.

We got settled, admired the view, and decided to go out for an early dinner. Frankie Bones was the choice for tonight new to Chris & Amanda but a favorite of ours. We were asked if we had a reservation, and I had to keep myself from laughing out loud since this is the off season. We were seated right away (it was before 5pm) and Chris & Amanda were impressed with the menu. Besides a huge dinner menu they have a sunset dinner menu and a 2-sided page of tonights specials its a lot to pick from! We ordered drinks (iced tea for Amanda, wine for me, beers for the men Bud Lite for SB and Fat Tire for Chris) and perused the menus.

Service was excellent, and substitutions were no problem. SB, Amanda & I stuck with the sunset dinner menu, which is either $14 or $15 for soup or salad, entre, and non-alcoholic beverage. SB had the spaghetti & meatballs, which he has always gotten here and always loves! With that he had chicken noodle soup and most of my Caesar salad. I had the pork schnitzel, but changed the whipped potatoes to cole slaw. This entre was huge and absolutely delicious! SB ate quite a bit of this as well. Amanda had the baked potato cheese soup and the cheese ravioli but with alfredo sauce instead of tomato sauce. She loved both choices. Chris had the wahoo, which was a big fat piece of fish that was really excellent. He also had the wedge salad.

The restaurant was a big hit with everyone, and when Amanda went to the restroom she came back saying there was a big crowd of people waiting to be seated! I guess the reservation question wasnt strange after all. We settled the check and gave our server a cash tip before realizing 18% was already added onto the check oops. Wed used a coupon and gotten one of the sunset dinners for free, so evidently when theres a discount they automatically add the gratuity. It was clear, but we just didnt notice it. Oh well the server was very good, so what the hell. Dinner before the extra tip was $98, which isnt bad for 4 people including drinks.

After dinner we went to Publix and picked up groceries for our stay. We mostly got breakfast stuff, and beer for Chris. On the way home we stopped in Piggly Wiggly because Id gotten some chocolate thing from the bakery last trip and loved it. I didnt see whatever Id gotten last time so I bought a cream cheese fudge brownie to take back to the villa.

We put away the groceries and Amanda opened one of the bottles of wine shed brought a sweet moscato. It was good, but I just had a tiny bit since I wasnt in the mood for something so sweet. I tried a bite of the brownie and it didnt impress. Oh well Ill try again in May. Chris & Amanda headed out to wander around the resort, while us old folks stayed in for the night.

Im very happy to be back in Hilton Head, and specifically at the dvc resort. Its just so pretty & relaxing here, and I look forward to getting out more in the next few days when it wont be drizzling/showering outside!


DAY 2 Friday 1/18/13
Who: Sue (54), DVC member
SB (55), my husband
Chris (26), my son
Amanda, Chris girlfriend

Plan: Relax, Lunch or Dinner out

Actual: We both slept really well the beds here are very comfortable, and its a nice quiet resort. I was awake around 6 and SB was awake shortly after that. He opened the drapes on the window and could see the rocking chairs rocking in the wind. He said it looked haunted, lol! I checked the door to the porch and the wind practically blew it out of my hand, with a cold stiff wind blowing out there. We went back to bed for a while, and got up around 7:30.

SB decided he wanted a real breakfast after all (rather than just a smoothie from the Nutri-Bullet) so he threw on some clothes and drove over to Piggly Wiggly at 8. He came back with more eggs, more bacon, sausage, loaf of bread and some butter. Around 8:30 I knocked on the kids door (Chris had said to wake him up when I got up) and they appeared close to 9am.

For breakfast we made fresh-squeezed orange juice (brought 2 bags of oranges a friend & I picked in his yard the night before and my juicer from home) for Chris, Amanda & me. Amanda made eggs and bacon for her & Chris, while I worked on smoothies. SB had one with spinach, banana, strawberries, blueberries, oranges & walnuts it was very good. Chris made one for himself, with spinach, avocado, oranges, banana, strawberries, blueberries and pear. He used less water, so his was really thick. Finally, I made an egg and slice of bacon for me and eggs, bacon, sausage & toast for SB. Id had my cappuccino earlier, before everyone got up.

It was nearly 10 by the time we finished breakfast, and then we sat around the villa for a while with the Lance Armstrong stuff on tv. SB had it on ESPN, so they werent talking about a whole lot else. Chris mentioned theyd told the people at the front desk last night that the internet was awful (theyd been asked how the stay was going) and the cast member responded that it really did suck! Evidently the contract expires next month and theyll be going with someone else, due to all the problems. They also told him building 15 (our building) was the worst one. SB & I are connected to the internet in building 14 next door. So far its been ok. Last night I connected to building 15 initially but later got thrown off and when I went to reconnect the signal was stronger from 14 so I just chose that.

At some point after breakfast we drove over to the Beach House and went for a walk on the beach. It was VERY windy so we walked into the wind first. Chris had his hood up and walked backwards because the wind made his teeth hurt. God forbid he just shut his mouth, lol! We had a nice walk, and it was much easier walking back with the wind behind us. Tide was fairly high, so between that and the wind there were pretty good waves. There were other people walking, but nobody swimming!

After the walk we checked out the deserted Beach House and then drove back to the resort to wander around there. SB went down and posed with a boat in Shelter Cove and we all walked along the water before entering the inner part of the resort from the far end. We went upstairs to the Mercantile and chatted with Gordon for a bit, and SB got a movie for later. Downstairs again Chris & Amanda rented a pair of bicycles and we all met back up at the villa. From there we drove over to the Coligny area for lunch at Big Bamboo Caf since Chris remembered going there each trip when he was younger. Unfortunately, it was not open for lunch today most likely because its the slow season. He or Amanda suggested Skull Creek Boathouse so we drove over there instead.

I was shocked that we were given a pager and had to wait for a table! This place was busy, despite it being slow season. SB & I sat at the bar while Chris & Amanda checked out the outside area. It didnt take long until our pager went off, and we were given a booth right behind the seats we had at the bar. SB settled the bar check while the rest of us got seated.

The menu here is pretty big, and we ordered more food than we needed. Chris & SB shared a dozen disgusting raw oysters, which were very large. Amanda had never seen such big oysters before. We also shared chicken fingers and hush puppies, which were overkill. Both were very good though. From there Amanda had a fried flounder plate with sweet potato fries, cole slaw and more hush puppies. Chris had some fried sushi thing and the shrimp & grits. SB had the seafood chowder and a small fried shrimp poboy sandwich. I had the chicken Cajun pasta, which had both chicken and Andouille sausage. Ive had it before and its very good SB loved it too! Chris, Amanda & I took food back to the resort, and everyone was stuffed (especially Chris & SB). I suggested they shouldnt have ordered like pigs, lol but they blame the restaurant for having too many choices and food thats too good. Yeah, right.

We went back to the resort and the other 3 retreated to bedrooms to lay down like slugs. I updated the report and then went out for a walk. Just before I did, Chris & Amanda got up to go for a bike ride. I walked over the little bridge to Shelter Cove and followed the path to the end of the shops and condos. On my way back I saw Chris & Amanda approaching on their bikes. We decided to come back tomorrow to look through the shops. The ice cream shop is closed until mid-February since its slow season, but the main shops seemed to be open. There was nobody browsing or shopping, though.

I finished my walk and swung by Live Oak Lodge for a cranberry walnut cookie before returning to the villa. Eventually SB decided to come out to the living room to watch his movie (some golf movie hes seen before), and I made a cup of cappuccino for myself. He snacked on a banana and part of the brownie purchased last night. I realized we did not have our leftovers from Frankie Bones, so sadly we left them on the table last night. I even went down to the car in case wed forgotten them in the trunk! Soon Chris & Amanda came back (around 5) and we just hung out the rest of the afternoon. I think theyre planning on doing the campfire tonight (for the smores) but SB & I will pass on that. We were talking about the sorry internet here and Chris looked at the modem behind the sofa in the living room. Turns out it wasnt plugged in all the way, which would explain why we couldnt get a good signal from it. He pushed it into the wall and presto it came on and had a strong signal, lol! Im still connected to building 14 and even though I barely have 1 bar everything is working and has been very fast so I wont mess with it for now.

I transferred my photos off the camera and noticed I had a couple spots on the lens argh. I guess its better to find out partway through rather than after the trip. Just before 6 Chris & Amanda walked over to the campfire we declined their invitation to freeze our butts off and stayed in the living room watching the golf move (Greatest Game Ever Played). Chris & Amanda were back shortly after 6:30, saying they were unable to get the fire started. Evidently it kept going out, so perhaps the wood was damp from yesterday. We sat around watching tv for a while and around 7:40 Chris called to order 2 large pizzas from Guiseppes.

A few trips ago I joined the Serg e-club Serg is the company that owns or runs Guiseppes, Skull Creek Boathouse, Frankie Bones, One Hot Mama, Wise Guys, Black Marlin and the Lodge. The Lodge is the only one we havent tried, and with the exception of One Hot Mama being only good, the others are all excellent. A couple weeks before the trip they emailed me a downloadable Serg booklet with coupons for all of their restaurants (expiring Feb 28 so just for slow season), so thus far our meals have been buy one, get one free or buy one, get one half price. Tonight the coupon is buy a pizza, get another free. So, we ordered 2 large pizzas figuring leftovers are ok.

Chris and Amanda left to pick them up just before 8, while SB started watching a movie on NetFlix and I opened the bottle of Two Buck Chuck Id brought from Trader Joes in Gainesville. Its not fine wine by any stretch, but its ok for the price ($2.99). When they got back we enjoyed pizza it was all good! Chris & Amanda shared a bottle of Rosa Regale, and SB drank water. I stuck with the Two-Buck Chuck but didnt make much of a dent in the bottle.

Its now approaching 9pm and were in for the night. SB & I will watch General Hospital on SoapNet at 9, and probably turn in not too much later (or hell be sent to the living room to watch tv while I go to bed).

Today was a terrific day, but I cant believe how quickly the time flew by! Were not really doing anything, so why isnt the time dragging somewhat??? Were certainly eating well, lol! Tomorrow will be another day like today, but hopefully with less wind and less feeling stuffed!


DAY 3 Saturday 1/19/13
Who: Sue (54), DVC member
SB (55), my husband
Chris (26), my son
Amanda, Chris girlfriend

Plan: Relax, Lunch or Dinner out

Actual: It was lights out for us older people at 10, following General Hospital. This time SB was up before me, although I was dozing off and on after about 4:30. It was 7am when I noticed hed opened the drapes and was awake in bed. I got up shortly after that and took my shower. He followed while I was getting ready. After making my cappuccino we went back to bed to get online and watch the morning tv shows. Eventually we made our way to the other room and started our breakfast.

Once again SB had a smoothie, and this one was even better than yesterday. Wed bought a cantaloupe and it was really ripe and delicious, so we added some of that. After the smoothie we made regular breakfast, and glasses of orange juice. Chris & Amanda appeared just as we were finishing up, so they began making their breakfast (smoothie for Chris, eggs & bacon for them both). Chris used fresh squeezed orange juice instead of water in his smoothie, and it was really good well have to do that while the oranges last!

SB had the tv on ESPN and we learned that his former manager had died this morning. Earl Weaver is a legend, and quite a character. From the description, SB said hes certain the heart attack occurred just after Earl returned to his stateroom from a night of heavy drinking unless his lifestyle had significantly changed in recent years (he died on a cruise ship) <g>. That in no way was a put-down of the guy thats just the reality of Earl and so many of the others! Well see where the funeral is held, since SB might attend if its in Florida.

The 4 of us headed out and walked over to Shelter Cove. It was much warmer without the stiff breeze. In the sun it was almost warm, but in the shade it was chilly. We looked at some of the real estate and boats for sale, and then while we were walking along the marina we spotted a pair of dolphin swimming by! They were a pretty good size, too. Then ended up swimming completely around the island the resort sits on guess dolphin exercise consists of doing laps around Disney, lol!

Back at the resort we went up to the villa briefly, then split up to do different things. SB might have finished up a movie and started checking the horse races online. Chris & Amanda left for a bike ride, planning to ride down to the Coligney area and making a stop at Flamingo Donuts for a decadent gooey snack. I drove over to Belk and ended up buying 3 tops. Since moving to Gainesville I really need heavier tops this time of year, and the Hilton Head winter clothing is a much better match than what I wore in Ft Myers.

I got back to the villa around 1:30, and SB & I sat out in the living room with our laptops. I poured a glass of wine; he had some leftover pizza and a beer. We talked about next year, and will see if the kids want to return for the same weekend next January. If so, Ill book a grand villa. There are only 5 of those, so Ill lock it in and if we later determine we only need a 2-bedroom those will be available for many months since this is such a slow season. Its possible theyre not even sold out right now.

Chris & Amanda got back around 3, and said Flamingo Donuts was closed. They circled around repeatedly looking for it, until someone else on a bike told them it had closed. Their ride down was 7.9 miles and coming back was half that the rest was looping around looking for donuts, lol! Chris heated up some pizza and we discussed whether to stick with the original plan for Black Marlin or go to Wise Guys instead.

At 4 we left the villa and drove over to Black Marlin <g>. When we arrived we saw they were doing a once-a-month special crab thing outside, but since Amanda & I dont eat crab and it was a little cool outside we went into the restaurant. The crab thing was outside, along with live music out there as well. Maybe next year well try it, and dress accordingly. Most likely Amanda & I could get something from the regular menu.

The inside was hardly busy at all, since it was so early. The bread here was outstanding warm, doughy and delicious! The bread everywhere has been good, but this was great! Chris & I ordered off the sunset dining menu stuffed flounder for him and a chicken breast for me. Chris raved about the flounder a big piece of fresh flounder rolled around a mix of crab, scallop and shrimp with lobster cream sauce. My chicken breast was encrusted with boursin cheese, spinach, tomato and lemon grass cream sauce also delicious but I picked off the spinach. Both meals came with seasoned rice and low country succotash (buttery corn and what looked like lima beans).

SB totally pigged out, eating the salad that came with my dinner and ordering the ultimate combo fried shrimp, scallops, oysters and flounder along with a broiled lobster tail. His came with fries and cole slaw. Amanda had the mahi sandwich with sweet potato waffle fries. We had coupons again, so some of it was free total check was just under $100 again.

On the way out Chris spotted a giant mug and bought it when he learned it was $15. For $35 theyll fill it with any drink he wants at the bar, lol! He was too full tonight, but he plans to bring it back next year. We think it holds 100 ounces <g>.

We drove back to the resort and SB went to lay down (too full but this is normal for him). Chris & Amanda opened a bottle of prosecco and then walked down to the pier. They returned the movie and picked up another one just before the store closed. They got back around 6:30 ready to go play pool but unfortunately SB wasnt ready to move yet. This man loves to lay around & do nothing.

Chris, Amanda & I went over to Big Murgies Den at 6:30 to play pool. I was hoping SB would join us but he didnt too wrapped up in lazy mode. Other people were playing pool when we arrived, so we sat in the den to wait. The fire wasnt burning very well so Chris stoked it and soon there was a good fire going. When the other people left we moved over to the pool table. First Amanda beat me, then Chris beat Amanda. We tried calling SB but he did not answer his phone or the room phone.

When we got back to the villa Chris & Amanda put their movie in, and I retreated to the bedroom with SB. Things were a bit tense at first his not answering the phones didnt go over well with me. Marriage isnt always bliss!

Most of today was very nice very relaxing. We have one more full day here and then we head home. In the cooler weather like this Im fine with going home at this point. In warmer weather I enjoy time on the beach, but in the colder weather I can only take so much of sitting around doing nothing. I guess I can do that at home, so no need to do too much of that on vacation. Tomorrow hopefully well walk on the beach again, and we should see our friends Dottie & Joe.


DAY 4 Sunday 1/20/13
Who: Sue (54), DVC member
SB (55), my husband
Chris (26), my son
Amanda, Chris girlfriend

Plan: Relax, Lunch or Dinner out

Actual: Around 9 last night the internet started going out. SB was watching a movie on NetFlix and I was just doing stuff on aol, but it was aggravating to have these problems. Once we switched from our building to the one next door we were fine again. I turned in around 11 and he went out to the living room to continue his movie or tv until about 12:30. We slept later than normal until 7:30!

We were up first, and I enjoyed my cappuccino in bed while reading emails. Eventually we moved out to the living room around 9 and started the usual breakfasts. Chris & Amanda were up around 9 as well. Its so nice having the full kitchen and this 2-bedroom villa is perfect for 4 people. I cant imagine putting more than that in here. Living room seating is a sofa (2 person basically) and 2 chairs, so if you crammed 8 in here I guess 4 people sit at the dining table or go out onto the porch??? Makes no sense to me, but then Ive never been one to want a lot of people sharing the same space. I can see a family with 4 kids being here (with the 4 kids in the 2nd bedroom) but not more than 4 adults.

After breakfast Chris & Amanda left to ride their bikes down to the light house. SB & I packed what we could and puttered around a while until leaving at noon to go walk on the beach. Chris & Amanda came back just before we left, saying they werent allowed into the area on bikes (only cars). That seemed so strange to me, since there are shops & restaurants back there. Why would they care how you arrived?

They changed into swimsuits and went to the pool, while SB & I drove over to the Beach House and had a nice walk on the beach. We connected with Dottie and finalized our meeting time with them. When we got back to the resort Chris & Amanda had just finished showering. They still wanted to see the light house so they took the car and headed back that way. We had an old World Series Orioles game on tv, which was before SB was on the team but full of people he knows so it was interesting to hear his take on it especially when Earl Weaver pulled Jim Palmer in the 9th inning. He last saw Jim & Earl just a few years ago, and Jim is still pissed about that, lol!

Chris & Amanda got back shortly after 2, somewhat disappointed with the light house. Evidently its no big deal. By 2:15 we headed out to meet Dottie & Joe at Dry Dock, arriving just before they did. We were the only party in the main room, so we took the big table in the center of the room, with a view of several televisions. The game started at 3, so the timing was perfect, and we stayed there until almost 5. This is a family-run small sports bar-type place. Its nothing fancy but the food is good, prices are reasonable and the people are very nice. Unfortunately they allow smoking outside, which is a damn shame. The weather was nice enough to be outside today, but not with that stench.

We enjoyed our time inside, with great company and great food. Our server checked on us frequently, and we were never lacking for anything. Chris & Amanda started out with the Grover fries, which were French fries topped with all kinds of toppings including bacon, cheeses, salad dressing, tomatoes, etc. They polished them off! Dottie & Joe (shared) and SB ordered the chili, which was outstanding and home-made. For meals Chris had the appetizer mahi bites with fries, Amanda had fish (grouper) & chips, Joe, SB & I each had the philly cheesesteak (Joe w/cole slaw, SB w/fries and me/thin onion rings) and I forget what Dottie ordered (might have also been fish & chips). Everything was very good! I really enjoyed having the thin onion rings, and took half my sandwich back to the resort for someone to eat later.

We had drinks while there and were not rushed out after eating we were welcome to sit as long as we wanted. Eventually Chris & Amanda ordered the chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream, and loved it. I tried a bite of the lava cake and it was outstanding!!! Wow! We left during half time, since the game was important to Joe & SB this way the drive time would be while the game wasnt happening. It was great seeing Dottie & Joe, and we really enjoyed this place with them.

After we got back to the villa Chris & Amanda left to play mini golf somewhere. SB watched the football game and I updated the report. I was craving some sort of dessert/sweet but didnt know what I wanted plus I was limited to Amandas bicycle since I let them take the car. Around 5:30 I decided to ride over to Hilton Head Diner and SB came with me on Chris bike. Id never known him to ride a bike before and had no idea he could! He scoffed at me since hes the athlete he can evidently do anything, lol! I was surprised he was right he rode like he did it all the time.

We had trouble finding out way over there, so we ended up out on the main road for a short distance. I picked out a pastry and the guy there wasnt acting like it was a great choice so I also got a piece of death by chocolate cake. We rode back to the resort and settled down in the bedroom with our computers. I tried the cake and it wasnt that great I should have known better, since the desserts here usually look better than they really taste. I ate it, regretting the calories but not wanting to waste it since it was our last night. The other pastry Ill take back to Gainesville since it doesnt have to be refrigerated.

When Chris & Amanda got back they had 3 more desserts and a box of cookies from Fresh Market! When it rains it pours, lol! They zapped the chocolate lava cake in the microwave and shared that with a couple glasses of milk. We still have quite a bit of food left, but I dont think anyone will be hungry enough to eat it tonight. I got todays pictures off the camera and relaxed online the rest of the evening.

Today turned out to be a beautiful weather day, and it was another great day here. Its amazing how quickly time is passing its hard to believe we head home tomorrow morning.


DAY 5 Monday 1/21/13
Who: Sue (54), DVC member
SB (55), my husband
Chris (26), my son
Amanda, Chris girlfriend

Plan: Drive to Gainesville, Lunch at Harrys

Actual: Since I hadnt woken up until 7:30 yesterday, last night I had trouble falling asleep! SB was asleep before me, so I used the kindle with the lighted cover so I didnt disturb him. Finally I fell asleep and woke up to the alarm at 5:30 this morning. Despite the early hour, it still felt rushed getting out of there. I showered & dressed, and heard Chris & Amanda leaving at 6:30. They had breakfast at Hilton Head Diner. Once I heard them leave I woke SB up and he got into the shower while I started on breakfast.

I squeezed fresh orange juice, then used the rest of the fruit for SBs smoothie. While he drank that I fixed some eggs with the rest of the bacon and sausage. I prioritized what was left and fit what I could in the small cooler, leaving the rest for the trash. Chris & Amanda came back just before we ate, and then we were out the door by 7:30 or so. The trunk was packed full its amazing how much more stuff 4 people need compared to just the 2 of us, lol! Although, the Nutri-Bullet and orange juicer and 2 bags of oranges are a first for us.

The drive back was uneventful no traffic, no weather, no problems. We were in Gainesville before noon and unloaded the car before heading out for our last lunch together. Chris loves Harrys a restaurant we have here that isnt in Ft Myers. So, were taking them to lunch at Harrys before they hit the road. Its located downtown, which is just 1.5 miles from the house. Some roads were blocked off for a MLK parade, but it didnt really cause us a problem until after lunch. We took both cars, as Chris planned to show Amanda some of UF before they began the drive back to Ft Myers.

We were seated right away, and ordered lunch. We started with an appetizer for Chris & SB to share, with shrimp, calamari and one other seafood item. They enjoyed it. For lunch Amanda had the parmesan crusted fish sandwich, I had the jazzy chicken taco, Chris had a chicken & pasta dish and the fried grit cake, and SB had red beans & rice and the burger. Everything was very good I especially love the chicken taco because its spicy (similar to the bang bang chicken at Bonefish Grill).

We discussed the trip and I asked everyone for their favorite restaurant from the trip (Hilton Head portion). For Chris & Amanda it was Skull Creek but Frankie Bones was a very close second. For SB it was Black Marlin, and for me it was Frankie Bones. We all really enjoyed all three, though.

Chris & Amanda hit the road and we began finding our way back home, which was a challenge now with roads closed. It took almost 30 minutes to go 1.5 miles!

We all really enjoyed our trip to Hilton Head, and hope to do it again next year. We got really lucky with the weather, too! Its such a beautiful & relaxing resort, and although I much prefer it during traditional beach weather I still enjoy getting away there for a few days when its cool too. Im still amazed at how quickly the time flew by!

The photos (including food at Harrys today) are on Snapfish this time, and hopefully the link/url below will work.

http://www1.snapfish.com/snapfish/th...NAME=snapfish/

Its not supposed to ask you to sign in, but when I tested it, it did grrr. Ill forward the other email to my trip report list, in case that one works better.

Our next trip begins in 2 weeks and 3 days, when we spend a long weekend at Kidani Village for our anniversary. Were not planning to do any parks, so itll be a fairly dull trip! But, sometimes those are the best kind once in a while.

Sue