Rainy day or need to get out of the sun? Channel your inner artist and paint some pottery, check out a museum or family entertainment center, go boutique hopping, or visit a brewery. By all means, hit up our local restaurants for food, fun, and entertainment galore. On the following pages, you’ll meet a few of the faces behind some of our favorite activities. Read on and discover a world of summer fun!
Nate Jones | VP, GM
Broad Creek Marina & Adventure Hilton Head
Explain a little bit about your business and how it brings fun to our island visitors.
No place on Hilton Head Island offers these three outdoor adventures—go karts, ziplining and ropes courses—plus family-friendly, affordable waterfront dining. We showcase the natural beauty of the island plus get kids outside and interacting while having blast.
What do you personally like to do for fun in the Lowcountry?
Fish and play with my kids on the beach.
What is the most frequently asked question you get from our visitors?
“Where do we park?” or “How do you get to the Frosty Frog?” (in awesome Kentucky voice).
Besides having fun at your place, what other activities would you recommend our tourists do before they leave town?
Get in the saltwater or out on the saltwater.
Favorite local restaurant and why?
Other than Up the Creek Pub & Grill, Hudson’s or Charlie’s—quality food and quality people.
Ginny Whitehead
The Art Café
Explain a little bit about the business and how it brings fun to our island visitors.
The Art Café is a pottery painting studio offering a bazillion pieces of pottery. What makes it fun for island visitors is the hundreds of Hilton Head Island-inspired pieces: mermaids, dolphins, seashells, pirates … in addition to the typical pottery plates and mugs. We help transform handprints into mermaids and footprints into fish! Our “Kid’s Night Out” is a big hit and unique to the island. The Art Cafe’ teams up with Rockfish Seafood & Steaks. Kids paint and dine upstairs while parents dine alone downstairs at Rockfish
What do you personally like to do for fun in the Lowcountry?
I love doing the many Lowcountry outdoor things together as a family: beach going, bike riding, and boating, to brewery hopping. I’m fortunate to have all my kids and grandkids here in the Lowcountry.
What is the most frequently asked question you get from our visitors?
When will my pottery pieces be ready?
Besides having fun at your place, what other activities would you recommend our tourists do before they leave town?
Go enjoy our island on the water, whether it be kayaking or fishing or a dolphin tour.
Favorite local restaurant and why?
Rockfish Seafood & Steaks! Not only does it have great food, but it’s owned and operated by my family.
Tom Richardson with Kelly, Hayley, Will, Sara, Abby, Taylor, and Tucker (the dog)
Moss Creek Equestrian
Explain a little bit about the business and how it brings fun to our island visitors.
Our welcoming horse stable offers boarding, lessons for ages five and up and all levels, camps, homeschoolers, group outings and special events to everyone in the Lowcountry. We love having vacationers come by for a lesson or multiple lessons and camps or just to say hi to the horses. Some of our favorite times are when horse-loving kids convince their parents to join in and take a lesson with them; it makes for a wonderful vacation memory to be added to all the traditional beach and pool pictures.
What do you personally like to do for fun in the Lowcountry?
Anything outside with the family. One of our favorite days was when we took the whole family and our horse trailer full of horses over to Huntington Island. It combined all our loves into one place: our love for horses, the beach, beautiful weather and each other.
What is the most frequently asked question you get from our visitors?
Are your programs open to the public? We are absolutely open to all! We’ve had amazing support from the Moss Creek Community, who encourage everyone to see and experience our little slice of heaven.
Besides having fun at your place, what other activities would you recommend our tourists do before they leave town?
Go on a boat tour, rent a boat, rent kayaks or paddle boards—anything to get out on the water. You’ll experience an entirely different island when you see it from the water.
Favorite local restaurant and why?
You can’t beat the views from the restaurants along Skull Creek! There’s nothing better than eating on the docks at Hudson’s, gathering with friends at Boathouse or checking out the new hidden gem at Driftwood Eatery.
Jon(Gumbo) DeLoach
Polecat Fishing Charters
Explain a little bit about your business and how it brings fun to our island visitors.
I have been chartering for 24 years on Hilton Head Island; I own a 27-ft. catamaran. I provide fishing charters year-round for those who desire either inshore or offshore experiences, while angling for different types of fish.
What do you personally like to do for fun in the Lowcountry?
I enjoy taking in the sights and sounds of Bluffton on my golf cart, spending time with family and friends, and visiting the dog park with my canine, Ziggy.
Besides having fun at your place, what other activities do you recommend our tourists do before they leave town?
Other fun activities for tourists include checking out Savannah, Beaufort, Bluffton, and boat cruises to Daufuskie. I also recommend checking out the Coastal Discovery Museum as it offers a variety of tours.
What is the most frequently asked question you get from visitors?
I’m often asked how long I have lived here; my answer is since 1977.
Favorite local restaurant and why?
Identifying just one favorite restaurant is difficult as there are a number of fine eating establishments along Skull Creek that I enjoy. Not only is the food great, but the water views and spectacular sunsets are an added bonus. For successful fishermen, I would like to point out that these restaurants will prepare, to your specification, your catch of the day! Nothing like enjoying the fruits of your efforts soon after you return to the shore.
Nancy Fowler Fish
The Sandbox Children’s Museum
Explain a little bit about the business and how it brings fun to our island visitors.
The Sandbox Children’s Museum is the only hands-on interactive children’s museum in the Lowcountry. It is a great opportunity for visitors ages 0-12 and their adults to spend some down time playing with our exhibits and learning more about the Lowcountry.
What do you personally like to do for fun in the Lowcountry?
Anything with the beach and water! Whether it’s riding my bike or walking my dog on the beach or going out in a boat or kayak, outdoors is where I have my fun!
What is the most frequently asked question you get from our visitors?
What else is on the island for young children?
Besides having fun at your place, what other activities would you recommend our tourists do before they leave town?
Playing putt-putt at Pirates Island or taking a dolphin tour!
Favorite local restaurant and why?
I hate to play favorites, but you can’t beat the view from Hudson’s!
Gary Smith
Hilton Head Outfitters
Explain a little bit about the business and how it brings fun to our island visitors.
Kayaking through the 11 miles of winding lagoons in Palmetto Dunes is a relaxing way to see our natural environment up close. There are a wide variety of native birds to observe, or if you are feeling adventurous, try your hand at fishing.
What do you personally like to do for fun in the Lowcountry?
I’ve lived here for 23 years, and I really enjoy going to the beach and meeting our island visitors on my days off.
Besides having fun at your place, what other activities would you recommend our tourists do before they leave town?
Definitely play some golf. We have three courses right here in Palmetto Dunes—or just hit balls at our new Toptracer.
What restaurant do you recommend our island visitors try?
There are a lot of incredible restaurants on this island, but if I had to choose just one, I would head over to San Miguel’s in Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina. Or head over to the Dunes House for their fish tacos.
Where do you like to vacation?
We go to Costa Rica every December.
What is the most frequently asked question you get from our visitors?
Where should we eat?!
Jason Bullock
Carolina Rides
Where are you from?
Parkersburg, West Virginia
What brought you to Hilton Head Island?
Life is too short not to live by the beach.
Why should someone rent a bike from you while they are here for the summer?
We are the largest and one of the longest serving vacation bike rentals and equipment rentals companies on the island. We have about 5,000 rental units. When all the other bike companies are out of rentals, call us; we have inventory. We have a wide variety of bike styles to match everyone’s budget, needs, and expectations. In addition to bike rentals, we can help with things you need for the beach such as chairs, umbrellas, carts, coolers, beach games, and high-end rental fishing items.
What do you like to do in your free time when you have a day off?
Boating! I like to sit on a back of a boat in one of our many creeks and enjoy time with my family and friends.
Favorite place to vacation?
We absolutely love where we live, but when we vacation, my family and I like to vacation and boat in South Florida in January and February.
Most frequently asked questions by our visitors?
(1) Where is my bike? We have a convenient phone app that helps our guests find their rented bikes quickly.
(2) Where are some fun places to go eat and drink?
I always answer Pool Bar Jim’s and the Tiki Hut.
(3) How much does it cost to rent a MOKE for the Day? $250 for the day.
Brody Bouknight
SCK Zone (Smart Company Kids Zone)
Explain a little bit about the business and how it brings fun to our island visitors.
The SCK Zone is a great choice for an all-day adventure—and there’s a lot of fun to be had, rain or shine. The Smart Company Kids Zone is a creative way to teach financial intelligence to young people. It’s also a family entertainment center for all ages, featuring escape rooms, laser tag, a four-lane ninja course, baseball cages and a bullpen.
