Beach Vacation 2008

Hilton Head Island, July 2008

Once again, the Huff family (sans Alyssa, who was on the island of Trinidad) headed to the Lugaila’s “Beach House” in Palmetto Dunes, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Branden and his girlfriend drove a second car behind ours, so we split the drive into two parts, rather than the normal 12-hour all-day grind that we normally do.

The weather and tide were absolutely perfect the first week of the vacation. William and the girls absolutely loved playing on the beach and in the warm waters of the Atlantic every day.

Beach at Palmetto Dunes, HHI

Every morning, Laurie and I would get up and wish we could go run or ride a bike together,  but instead, we’d cook breakfast for the kids (usually pancakes,  sausage and bacon – the normal Huff breakfast!). Then, we’d spend the next 30-45 minutes putting suntan lotion on the kids, packing up drinks and toys, and then head to the beach…always at least 1 hour later than we wanted to go!

But, once we were there, it was perfect. The hot sun, the soft sounds of the waves, ahd kids running around and squealing with happiness. We’d setup the tent usually, to provide extra shade for the kids that got my (fair) skin. And, then, William would want pulled on a boogie board in the surf, and the girls would want to go out into the water. So much for sitting down and relaxing on a chair, or so much for Laurie tanning!

Kids at Hilton Head (without Alyssa - Trinidad)

So, after building sand castles, or homes for their Polly Pockets, and swimming, Branden would come down and do some surf fishing. He’d catch a few small sharks, and get them off his line before the nearby life guard could come and make him stop fishing! We’d also use the castnet and catch some other small fish. Well, I never caught any, but Branden always seemed to.

Then, it would be lunch time. We’d head over to the Hilton Buoy Bar, and spend a mere $100+ for lunch. But, it was fun, and the food is really good – especially the hamburgers. The highlight of this trip was always William and Emily feeding the huge fish that swim around the bar.

Some mornings, we’d get on our bikes and do about a 1-hour ride. My favorite was to ride out of Palmetto Dunes, turn towards the mainland on the trail beside 278, and then, at the park, turn right and go back on the beach. The first time we tried this, we had to cross a small river, which Laurie and Jessica (on her tag-a-long behind Laurie) plowed into, and Laurie soaked her new running shoes! Rachael and I crossed in a shallower place and kept our shoes dry!