Since 2020 has defined a new way of life, we took that as a nudge to do something different than our "normal" Thanksgiving. We hit the road and headed south to Hilton Head Island (HHI). And, we're off...
In 2019 we spent a couple of nights in Hilton Head on our way to Florida. Two nights was not nearly enough time to enjoy all of that there is to do on the island. Therefore, we made that our destination for Thanksgiving. Before we get into all that we saw in HHI we'll cover our travels as we got there.
Harvest Host is a membership which provides the ability to stay overnight for free choosing from a network of wineries, breweries, distilleries, farms, and attractions that invite RVers to stay in unique camping sites. We stayed at one Harvest Host on the way down and one on the way back.
We chose Maryland Beer Company for our first night. It was located near old friends so we were able to meet up with them for dinner, and then have them back to "the house" for an after dinner drink and dessert.
Our parking spot was great for the night. It was quiet, and we liked having grassy areas for doggie walking. There was another RVer parked for the night as well. Easy on and off the highway.
After Maryland we headed to Virginia to driveway camp at friend's home. They treated us to a delightful artisan charcuterie board (which I did not get a photo of). Our friends grilled oysters and short ribs. After we chowed down, we headed out to their expansive yard and sat by a gigantic fire. It was great!
Next stop, Hilton Head and warmer weather. Our first two nights in HHI were spent at Hilton Head Motorcoach Resort. What a delightful place! The sites are roomy. Despite being packed in tightly the landscaping between most sites creates privacy and visual buffer to seeing the rigs next to one another.
We chose a "lake" side site. Even though it is a small man-made lake, it was very nice. There are fountains operating at all times creating a nice sound of white noise that drowned out most voices and vehicle sounds.
Everyone we encountered at the resort were friendly, and everyone seemed to be enjoying the warm weather, biking, and walking.
Whiskey works while we are on the road (I was off the hook for working this trip). He really appreciates having a nice work area outside when possible for tackling paperwork on his laptop a few hours each morning. Then we will take off for the afternoon.
The Motorcoach Resort is located near the bike island's pathway. We were able to hop on our bikes and ride a flat, smooth, and paved pathway. Here is a link to the pathways. We only rode on a very small part of the pathway. If you have time, you can bike all the way around the island.
We spent afternoons cruising around HHI in our rental car on a quest for oysters (high in zinc). HHI is big on oysters so we had them at every restaurant we went to. Here are shots of our excursions and oysters.
The beach is beautiful! Beach shots from the Sea Pines area including Harbour Town. We lunched at Coast Oceanfront Dining at Sea Pines Resort and at Hudson's on the Dock on the north end of the island.
Our next stop was to Hilton Head Harbor Marina & RV Resort where we spent three nights. We stayed at this resort in March of 2019 and loved the marina location. Watch our video from that visit. Beautiful scenes, and a nice restaurant Sunset Grill.
The sites at this resort also has landscape buffers between sites. Just like the Motorcoach resort, these sites are all individually owned so they are all different.
For Thanksgiving dinner we dined outside at Old Oyster Factory overlooking the marsh. It was a delightful meal. And such a treat to not cook or wash dishes. Every other Thanksgiving dinner has required both. This was an enjoyable departure from what we typically do.
Day after Thanksgiving we spent the afternoon in Bluffton to see the Church of the Cross. It is a beautiful church and the grounds amazing.
Our last place to visit in HHI was Fish Camp on Broad Creek. Another great outdoor dining spot overlooking the water. We went at sunset and it was such a lovely setting.
Once we departed HHI our next destination was Hampton Roads Winery through our Harvest Host membership. This winery is a bit off of the highway which treated us to a beautiful ride through Virginia countryside where we saw many cotton fields and farms.
After a wine tasting, I made dinner in the "mobile condo" and enjoyed a quiet evening in the country. Morning dog walks around the winery property was a nice way to get the day started before a long drive to NJ where we spent our final night driveway camping at Whiskey's mom's home.
I do the trip planning using RV Tripwizard, Harvest Host, and Google Maps. To make the most of travel days we try to depart by 7 am and arrive at our destination by 3:30-4:00. We take off without breakfast (but definitely have coffee!). Once we are about an hour or so in, I'll put together breakfast and we'll eat while driving. Fuel stops are maximized to double as dog walks and a bathroom break.
Motorhome travel is the best. Having a bathroom and kitchen on board accessible on and off the road is convenient and time efficient; it is the best way to avoid public restrooms. In our nine days of travel we used only two public restrooms which were at the restaurants while out on our afternoon jaunts.
The motorhome is now winterized, covered in snow. and parked for a bit. This will not stop of from using the RV. We are praying that our freedom to move about and travel via RV will not be infringed because we like to use it all year. Check out our winter day trips blog.
I am planning a trip for April this year to get away from NH's mud-season. In the meantime, we'll be staying local for the holidays and snow season.
~Wine