Blufton & First week in Hilton Head

We’ve spent this week settling into our apartment in Hilton Head.....at just over 500 sq ft - it’s small - but with a little rearranging, we have the place organized to suit us!
On the third and top floor of the building, we have a large, private balcony that gives a peek-a-boo view of the beach and ocean. Facing the ocean, this building has an attractive pool area - and with a walkway through the dunes that gives direct access to the beach - it’s ideally situated. Across the street, at the front of the apartment building, is a fair size shopping area with a variety of shops, cafés and restaurants - including a grocery store.....so for many visitors there is no reason to wander very far from the immediate area.
After arriving in hot humid weather, a thunderstorm on the first night brought us a week full of clear blue skies with lots of sun and warm, comfortable temperatures. Towards the end of the week we spent a good few hours sitting under the umbrella as it got progressively warmer....but during the first part of the week we did some walking around in order to become familiar with our immediate area.
Hilton Head Island has a rich history, dating back thousands of years, when it was occupied by Native Americans. Much later there was European exploration and cotton trade. After the Civil War, when it was an important Union base, it became home to many ex-slaves - many of whose descendants, known as the Gullah or “native islanders” continue to live here and have managed to hold onto their ethnic and cultural identity.
Today this barrier island is know as a popular vacation spot, featuring 12miles of beachfront on the Atlantic Coast. With over 2 million visitors a year and tens of thousands of permanent residents the island has a policy of eco-friendly development which minimizes and governs the style of buildings and how they’re situated amongst the existing trees. The result of this policy is that the area has an unusual amount of tree coverage in comparison to the buildings.......sometimes even finding a store can be a challenge - most are set well back from the roads and hidden behind thick foliage!
Although the island has 16 gated communities - many covering very large areas with houses, condos, golf courses and resort-style hotels - there are also over 20 public parks and 8 public beach areas with free parking. In addition to the obvious attraction of the beach & ocean, there are miles of paths throughout the island - great for walking, but mainly used by cyclists, which is a popular pastime here.....bike rental is easily available - with delivery and pick up of the bikes often included in the rental price. With summer temperatures in the high 80’s and winter temperatures that rarely drop below 60F there are many reasons for this island’s popularity.
By mid-week we were well-rested & ready to venture out on the road again. We visited the small town of Bluffton - just a 30 minute drive from Hilton Head Island, situated on a bluff overlooking the May River. Large plantations were built here, after earlier settlements were destroyed by the British during the American Revolution. The many tidal coves and inlets provided good locations for building - higher ground was chosen as an escape from the unhealthy conditions of the area’s rice and cotton fields. After the Civil War brought destruction to 75% of the town, re-building was slow, and it became primarily an area of summer homes.....but as the popularity of Hilton Head grew, so did the refurbishing of Blufton.
Now a National Historic District, the one square mile of The Old Town contains the original 9 houses and 2 churches that escaped destruction + 19 post Civil-War homes .....restoration is on-going. With its small village streets this historic area is also a place for art galleries, boutiques and restaurants. Our visit was on the day of the weekly Farmer’s Market - with local vendors & musicians adding to the town’s charm.
We stopped by the local tourist information office, which is located in an historic house in the style of a Carolina Farmhouse......and after picking up a self-guided walking tour, we set off to explore. With almost 30 properties listed in the historic area, it’s a great way to see the Old Town. Small streets, some leading down to the river, are shaded by huge moss-draped trees - the atmosphere is calm and peaceful.
I don’t think that we managed to see all of the properties, but we did see the majority of them.....all are attractive, but a couple of standouts were:- the Heyward House, which serves not only as the tourist office, but also as a museum - it was built in the early 1840’s. Seven Oaks, The Fripp House and The Card House are also lovely - all built between 1830-1850. Seven Oaks was a boarding house during the 1920’s, The Fripp House was used as a bed & breakfast in the 1990’s and The Card House - according to to local legend - was won in a poker game back in 1840! All are now private residences.
We were able to see inside The Church Of The Cross - a striking building close to the May River. Built in 1854, it was one of the buildings spared by Federal troops during the firing of Bluffton, but during a storm in 1893 is sustained a lot of damage. Repaired and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 it’s now “open for business.” With a copper roof, diamond-paned rose glass windows, lots of wood - inside and out + palmetto-frond shutters it is an exceptionally attractive building.
We spent a little more time by the river, where there’s a small shaded park, fishing docks and an old oyster factory that operates as a retail fish store. Before leaving Bluffton, we walked back through the main village street and the market in search of a little European style bakery named Twisted. Situated in a small house just on the edge of the village, the bakery is set amongst shaded trees and has a charming porch where “treats” purchased at the bakery can be enjoyed......we did just that!
While munching samples of European style cookies and pastries we opted for a cone containing “Leopold’s” ice-cream......something of a Savannah legend that we intend to pursue when we visit Savannah......the ice cream was quite “legendary!”