My family took a last minute Spring Break adventure to South Carolina. I found roundtrip airline tickets for $75 each from DFW to Atlanta!!! We love to fly, but a family of five is not usually very economical to fly unless we find SUPER cheap tickets like these. It would have been much closer to fly into Savannah Airport, but it would have also cost my family over $700 more, so Atlanta it was! We had about a 4.5 hour drive from Atlanta to Hilton Head. It was further than I expected because, whoops, there is another Atlanta airport only 3 hours away from Hilton Head. Make sure you put the correct airport into your maps app unlike myself!! Oh well, my husband had a fun time teasing me about my travel agent abilities. We opted for a two bedroom Airbnb condo for this trip because with three kids, a hotel room is just not that comfortable. I found a great deal on condo in a resort that has an indoor pool and hot tub, a couple of outdoor pools, and a tennis court. Best of all, it was walking distance to the beach! Plus it costed less than $1000 for 5 nights.
It is not easy to find a place directly on the beach in Hilton Head due to the protected marsh area leading up the beach. However, we saw so much awesome wildlife walking to and from the beach everyday, we actually loved the 10-15 minute walk each way.
We saw a little alligator that lived near the condo every day!! So fun.
We loved hanging out at a restaurant and bar named Coco’s that was on the beach by the resort. It had a bit of a wild crowd sometimes, but it was great for grabbing a hamburger and fries, or better yet an adult beverage, without having to walk back to the condo. My kids really liked the food too!
Since we were there in March, the weather was in the mid 70’s most days. This was GREAT for laying out on the beach, but the ocean water was chilly. Naturally, my kids didn’t mind. They had a blast playing the sand and swimming. Plus the beach wasn’t overcrowded!!
However, parents beware of the barnacles that live on the rocks around this area. We found a cool area with rocks and a waterway leading from the marsh to the beach. My son climbed on a rock and cut up the bottom of his feet. The cuts from barnacles get infected easily, so be sure to clean any wounds out well. Better yet, wear water shoes. Luckily, they weren’t serious and he did fine with this minor injury.
Since the weather cooled off quickly in the late afternoons, we were very glad we chose a resort with an indoor pool. We used the pool and hot tub everyday. This was a great way to warm up after getting cold from playing in the ocean.
While this was a budget friendly trip and we saved lots by eating some meals at the condo, we did spend some money eating out. We really enjoyed Harold’s Diner for breakfast and The Crazy Crab for dinner. The Crazy Crab is a bit upscale but also family friendly because they had a playground and fire pit out back. Plus there is a beautiful marsh area and we got some great quick family photos at sunset!
One day we drove over to the lighthouse on Hilton Head and did the tour inside. At $4.95 per ticket, it was worth it to walk up to the top and see the awesome views.
If you enjoy golf, Hilton Head is famous for its great golf courses as well. While visiting the lighthouse area, grab some ice cream and do some shopping in all the cute shops around it! There is also an amazing park that my kids LOVED right by the parking area of the lighthouse.
While in the lighthouse area, be sure to stop by Stoney-Baynard Ruins for a stroll through history. These are the ruins of a plantation from the 1790’s. It is a free and quick historical site that has some great trees too. My kids were not looking forward to this visit but actually really enjoyed it.
On our last day, it was a bit cloudy and only in the mid 60s, so we took the hour drive over to spend the day in Savannah, Georgia! We had a great day strolling through the gorgeous foliage in Forsythe Park, and also doing some shopping on the Historic River Street. We also visited the Battlefield Memorial Park in Savannah, which was a battleground from the Revolutionary War. This is a free place to visit and a great way to teach the kids some history. Other that eating lunch out, we spent no money on this awesome excursion!
All in all, with finding a great price on flights and being willing to drive in from Atlanta, using Thrify car rental, and shopping around for a good price on the condo, and by utilizing the free and cheap attractions in the area, we had a fantastic 5 night trip for a family of 5 for under $1500 (not including food since you have to eat at home anyways!) Happy Travels!!
Knoll It All Travel 