Who/When/Where:

Who: Sue (62), DVC Member
SB (63), husband
Pete & Judy (60’s), DVC friends
Chris (34), son
Amanda (32), daughter-in-law
Ari (4), grandson
Dates: May 5 – 10, 2021
Resort: Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort
Experience: Very Experienced – 24th stay at Hilton Head

INTRODUCTION:
We all missed Hilton Head in May 2020, and I think Pete & Judy’s last trip was in 2018. Pete & Judy are both retired now, so they’ll extend their trip with a few days in Savannah before flying back to NJ. They’re flying into Savannah, arriving just after noon on Wednesday. Chris’ family booked a room in southern Georgia for the night before arrival, so they won’t have an all-day trip on Wednesday. Originally it was only going to be Chris & Ari, and they would have come up and spent the night with us on Tuesday, then we’d ride up in my car. When Amanda was able to get the time off, that plan no longer worked since 5 of us and all our stuff wasn’t going to fit into 1 car! Besides our stuff, we’re bringing a beach umbrella for the sun-sensitive, and chairs for Pete, Judy, and Chris or Amanda (plus our chairs). Also, I have 2 coolers – one to bring to the beach, and the other with a couple bottles of wine and some food we’re bringing with us.

I booked a 2-bedroom villa for our family, and Pete & Judy will be in their own 1-bedroom villa. Thanks to no trips last year, they had the points to get the villa rather than a studio. Our priorities are the beach and the Serg restaurants – so many great ones, so little time. Amanda is hoping to do many of the resort activities with Ari, as he loves that kind of stuff. The weather should be warm enough for the beach but not too hot or humid, which is ideal!

We all look forward to our favorite restaurants. SB, Pete, Judy & I are big on the Serg happy hours. Last trip it was a little bit of a challenge since happy hour starts before Ari was ready to have dinner. Hopefully now that he’s almost 5 rather than almost 3, that won’t be an issue. Being such a large group will be a challenge – no way around that. All the more reason to show up at the start of happy hour, or risk not finding a table(s) to accommodate the group of 7.

Our tradition on the first night is Poseidon, and Pete & Judy are already talking about that. Other than that, I’m not sure which Serg restaurants we’ll get to enjoy, as 5 nights isn’t enough to hit all the ones we love. I know Amanda feels strongly about Frankie Bones, and I agree. It’s not scenic, but the food is excellent – hopefully we can do a late lunch there. Skull Creek Dockside in my opinion is a step above Skull Creek Boathouse next door, and Pete & Judy haven’t been there so we definitely need to hit that for happy hour outside (omigod bacon hushpuppies are soooo good).

“Season” starts here on Memorial Day weekend, so we’re beating the big crowds, which is one of the reasons for coming in early May. The other is the humidity usually settles in by that weekend, and then it’s just miserable. I expect to sweat to death at home in FL – I won’t use vacation time and money to do the same thing here!

Pete & Judy are flying, but we’re driving, so it made sense for us to bring extra beach chairs. I bring my chaise lounge, but the others prefer those chairs in a bag, where you’re just sitting up. I bought a couple extra last month, so we’re bringing 4 of those. I also have a nice beach umbrella we’ve never used, so we’ll bring that. The lifeguards have a tool to use to get it into the sand, so no need to bring the mallet!

There’s a beautiful Kroger (grocery store) practically next door, so there’s no need to bring everything from home. However, with just the 2 of us in the car we’ll bring some stuff, including the large cooler. My friend Holli & I loved the cheese section in Kroger last December, and no doubt we’ll be coming home with several cheeses for her and several for me. Non-perishable stuff that we know one of us will use we might as well bring with us, especially if we can pick it up on sale from our local Publix before the trip.

Most likely each day my villa’s people will have breakfast in the villa before heading to the beach. Chris’ family may head back to the resort earlier than me, depending on the resort activities that day. I doubt Ari will still be napping – if daycare/preschool still does it, he might. I enjoy a little down time in the afternoon – showering and relaxing online, before happy hour. Lunch isn’t a priority for me, but for those who want to eat there’s Signal’s at the beach house, Tide me Over at the resort, or the villa’s refrigerator. I’m not sure what the evenings will bring – resort activities or hanging out maybe. We’ve done the sunset dolphin cruise with Pete & Judy, but could consider repeating that if everyone wants to do it. We did the comedy magic cabaret with Pete & Judy – that was fun, but I have no idea if they want to repeat it. Ari wouldn’t be able to attend though. They allow well-behaved teens, but Ari couldn’t pass for a teen yet even though he got to engaged to my friend Holli (with a play doh ring) at the Treehouse Villas recently.

The plans so far are:
Wednesday 5/5: Drive to HHI, Poseidon
Thursday 5/6: Beach, Dockside?
Friday 5/7: Beach, Frankie Bones?
Saturday 5/8: Beach, any Serg
Sunday 5/9: Beach, any Serg
Monday 5/10: Hilton Head Diner, Drive to Gainesville

Sue/WDW1972

On 5/4/2021 6:57 PM, Sue/WDW1972 wrote:
>
> INTRODUCTION: We all missed Hilton Head in May 2020, and I think Pete
> & Judy’s last trip was in 2018. Pete & Judy are both retired now, so
> they’ll extend their trip with a few days in Savannah before flying
> back to NJ. They’re flying into Savannah, arriving just after noon
> on Wednesday.

I am sure a side trip to Savannah will be fun for them. It's nice place
to visit.

> Chris’ family booked a room in southern Georgia for
> the night before arrival, so they won’t have an all-day trip on
> Wednesday. Originally it was only going to be Chris & Ari, and they
> would have come up and spent the night with us on Tuesday, then we’d
> ride up in my car. When Amanda was able to get the time off, that
> plan no longer worked since 5 of us and all our stuff wasn’t going to
> fit into 1 car!

Somebody just needs to buy a bigger car. Something like a Chevy
Suburban should hold you all. :-P

> Besides our stuff, we’re bringing a beach umbrella
> for the sun-sensitive, and chairs for Pete, Judy, and Chris or Amanda
> (plus our chairs). Also, I have 2 coolers – one to bring to the
> beach, and the other with a couple bottles of wine and some food
> we’re bringing with us.

Hmm, maybe a Suburban plus a U-haul trailer!

> We all look forward to our favorite restaurants. SB, Pete, Judy & I
> are big on the Serg happy hours. Last trip it was a little bit of a
> challenge since happy hour starts before Ari was ready to have
> dinner. Hopefully now that he’s almost 5 rather than almost 3, that
> won’t be an issue. Being such a large group will be a challenge – no
> way around that. All the more reason to show up at the start of
> happy hour, or risk not finding a table(s) to accommodate the group
> of 7.
>
> Our tradition on the first night is Poseidon, and Pete & Judy are
> already talking about that. Other than that, I’m not sure which
> Serg restaurants we’ll get to enjoy, as 5 nights isn’t enough to hit
> all the ones we love. I know Amanda feels strongly about Frankie
> Bones, and I agree. It’s not scenic, but the food is excellent –
> hopefully we can do a late lunch there. Skull Creek Dockside in my
> opinion is a step above Skull Creek Boathouse next door, and Pete &
> Judy haven’t been there so we definitely need to hit that for happy
> hour outside (omigod bacon hushpuppies are soooo good).

A trip planned all around the food - Mmmmmmmm!

> We did the comedy magic cabaret with Pete &
> Judy – that was fun, but I have no idea if they want to repeat it.
> Ari wouldn’t be able to attend though. They allow well-behaved
> teens, but Ari couldn’t pass for a teen yet even though he got to
> engaged to my friend Holli (with a play doh ring) at the Treehouse
> Villas recently.

LOL!

> The plans so far are: Wednesday 5/5: Drive to HHI, Poseidon Thursday
> 5/6: Beach, Dockside? Friday 5/7: Beach, Frankie Bones? Saturday
> 5/8: Beach, any Serg Sunday 5/9: Beach, any Serg Monday 5/10:
> Hilton Head Diner, Drive to Gainesville

Sounds like fun!

--

- RODNEY

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