How To Make the Most of 18 Hours in Hilton Head
18 hours in Hilton Head is probably not enough, but it is doable when you are passing through in order to at least get a taste of it! On a journey to Florida from Michigan, we decided to take a little different route than the norm and detour to Hilton Head for an evening. While we knew we wouldn’t have much time there, we still wanted to see what there was to explore and enjoy a lazier morning before completing our trip to Orlando. It was eye-opening to us how cool Hilton Head actually is, even if you only have half of a day to spend there.
Where We Stayed
Once we knew we were stopping in Hilton Head for a night, I began seeking out some deals for accommodations through apps like Kayak and Hopper. Since we visited in January, deals weren’t too hard to come by, and we ended up staying at Holiday Inn Express.
The reasons I selected this one were because of location, familiarity of brand, and decent reviews in terms of safety and a place not being “gross.” The location was in walking distance of most things we wanted to check out on our stop, so that was the biggest bonus to us. This particular Holiday Inn is definitely unique for the Hilton Head Island feel, and we enjoyed it, even in January.
Where We Ate
The Salty Dog Cafe was part of our 18 hours in Hilton Head
For dinner the evening we arrived, we voted on The Salty Dog, as we were seeking to enjoy seafood while in the area. The Salty Dog is located in an area of the island called Sea Pines, which is a gated community you can gain access to by paying for a pass. Ours was $10 for the day.
The restaurant itself was located right on the water near other eateries and hang out spots. It was a touch of classy, but very casual. We enjoyed sitting within view of the water (inside) and were even able to watch the sunset over the sound and caught glimpses of pelicans swooping about. The venue offered outdoor seating as well, but not many were interested with it being a more blustery, January evening.
The food we enjoyed was savory and definitely hit our seafood cravings. We enjoyed the Fisherman’s Pasta and Jake’s Lowcountry Boil. Both will filling and had great portions! The price was up there for us, but since it was a meal of something unique, had huge portions, and satisfied our taste buds, we weren’t concerned, but definitely had planned for it.
The kids menu is something we always have to take a preview at too, as we want to make sure we won’t be wasting a meal only to have to feed her again later. There were multitudes of options for kid-friendly palates, and she was able to find many things to fill her up. She landed on the grilled cheese kids meal with fruit.
Brunch at Java Burrito
The next day we enjoyed a wonderful and filling brunch at a little place called Java Burrito. The name alone took us there as avid coffee drinkers and burrito lovers. Never had we thought about having them at the same time, but it was just what we needed for proceeding down the road to Orlando.
It reminded me of a higher-end Chipotle or Qdoba, but without the higher-end price tag. For just one of the breakfast options you pick your choice of burrito, bowl, taco, nachos or quesadilla, then add your protein and all the toppings you could dream of! And there is a whole other set of options for lunch and dinner time!
They also offer classic breakfast favorites from a variety of toasts to build-your-own breakfast sandwiches and pastries. Then when you take a look at their coffee bar and dessert bar, you are surprised all over again.
They have everything from simple, brewed coffee, all the way down to “not coffee” beverages, including alcoholic drinks and spiked milkshakes. You can definitely try anything and any mix you want, ensuring something new every time you visit.
It was definitely one of our favorite stops for our entire trip, and we still often talk about how smooth the coffee was and how flavorful the burritos were. We can’t wait to go back through and try another combination!
What We Did with our 18 hours in Hilton Head
Check out the Harbour Town Lighthouse
After our dinner out at The Salty Dog Cafe, we decided to make the most of our evening Sea Pines pass and check out the famous Harbour Town Lighthouse. Even at dusk this area of the island was very charming and gave us picturesque views of the water and the town around it.
Parking wasn’t hard at all during the late hour, and we were able to find a spot fairly easily close to the lighthouse.
It was a nice little stroll to the end of the lighthouse pier, and we loved seeing the purples and blues of the sunset drifting further below the surface. The little village area was lit up with cozy storefronts already closed for the day, but there were also eateries that still held some folks finishing up their suppers or having a nightcap.
We stayed long enough to enjoy the view, get some pictures, and gaze around the window scenes of the town. Though it would have been fun to come back the next morning to see more in the light and life of day, we found the evening visit to Harbour Town Lighthouse to be a lovely addition to our 18 hours in Hilton Head.
Coligny Beach Park
That morning we HAD to see a beach within our 18 hours in Hilton Head, and the Coligny Beach Park was within awesome walking distance of our hotel. We were very impressed with how nice this park was kept. There were pristine areas for showering off and cleaning up, along with lovely porch swings to soak up the ocean breezes. There was also a place for small kids to splash on a splash pad when it was open.
Because it was January, we were the only people really out and about, outside of some locals walking their pups and enjoying a brisk morning stroll. The sun was out and we are from Michigan, so the 50’s -low 60’s didn’t scare us at all.
We loved searching for shells and feeling the very soft, and flour-like sand. Sand in Michigan is very course and there aren’t many shells. We even came across a star fish, waiting for the tide to wash him back up, among some cute, scurrying sandpipers.
It was a perfect way to start our Monday morning, and we are sure our friends were jealous back home.
We noticed LOTS of free parking across the street for this beach park too, which I imagine is an added perk for visitors as many beach locations in Hilton Head require a pass or have metered parking. We loved how many things were within walking distance of the beach and this area in general, which helped us really manage our 18 hours in Hilton Head well!
Lowcountry Celebration Park
For our final stop during our 18 hours in Hilton Head, we walked to the Lowcountry Celebration Park, which we could literally see from our hotel. Just when we thought the morning couldn’t get any better, this fun place was the cherry on top! This was another very well-kept and family-friendly area for us to hang out at.
This fenced-in playground is an amazing setting for a little (or big) one to run with their imaginations. The first thing to meet your eye is a giant pirate ship, filled with lots of exploration possibilities and endless hours of play! There is a whole world of nets, slides, puzzles, and lots of things to discover.
Outside of the pirate ship, there are sand areas, toddler play areas, swings, and even a “swimming” or splash area for warmer months. Kids could easily spend a day here.
There are also porch-type swings and benches for grown ups to hang out on, as well as a picnic area, and a discovery trail. If you are lucky, you could see some beautiful wildlife as well. We saw some birds and there were signs around making us aware that gators lived there sometimes too. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) we didn’t see any.
Along with this gorgeous playground there are very clean restrooms and cool gazebo areas looking over the pond. This is definitely a place to check out in your 18 hours in Hilton Head. You will probably find even more delights along the way at the Lowcountry Celebration Park!
Final Thoughts
Whether you can only spend 18 hours in Hilton Head, or are planning a week-long trip, I hope this post helps you decide what things would be best for you and your travel party! We truly enjoyed our time here, and would love to have spent more time.
Do you have any favorite places in Hilton Head? Comment and let us know where you would spend your time if you only have 18 hours in Hilton Head!
