After completing our stay in Savannah, Georgia (which you can read about here) our road trip led us up the coast to and onto our next set of destinations. South Carolina was a state that we spent quite a few days in. We had so many things to do and places to see!

Traveling during a pandemic looks very different than traveling in the past. With safety as our main focus, we took great precautions by abiding by these rules throughout our entire trip:

• Wearing Masks (only taking them off for eating and occassional photos)
• Constantly Using Hand Sanitizer
• Staying 6+ Feet Away from Others
• Choosing Locations based on Crowd Levels/The Business’ Implemented Precautions
• Spending Limited Time in Public (2-5 Hours Max)

If you do choose to travel during a pandemic, I highly suggest taking similar actions and discussing a game plan with your travel partners. Be as safe, mindful, and aware as possible!

Our next destination was only a short drive away from Savannah, Georgia!

 

Hilton Head, South Carolina

Drive Time from Savannah, GA: 1 hour

Accommodations: Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort

 

It would be very out of character of us to pass a Disney Resort without stopping by for a visit. So of course, it was a no-brainer that we would spend the duration of our first segment of South Carolina at Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort!

Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort is a Disney Vacation Club Resort with all of the amenities and charm we know and love – it’s just on location versus being near a theme park! The room layouts are similar, there’s still a Resort TV channel, you can purchase Disney merchandise in the gift shop… it’s truly a lovely getaway for Disney fans everywhere!

 

Here are a few photos from our Deluxe Studio Guest Room at Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort:

 

And, of course, a gorgeous view from the balcony:

 

Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort Activities

We had the intention of taking it nice and easy in Hilton Head and found the perfect activities to do so. They kept us entertained, relaxed, and in vacation-mode. Such activities included:

• Walking around the grounds and admiring the gorgeous views, as well as spotting the vintage signs that are displayed on various buildings for theming.

 

• Utilizing the grills and having a delicious cookout! There was a grocery store (Kroger) right down the street so we were able to purchase fresh food and bring it back to the resort. We grilled turkey burgers and zucchini! We took our food back to the room and had dinner on our massive porch with a stunning view.

 

• We bought Mickey Bars because how often do you get to eat an Official Mickey’s Premium Ice Cream Bar in a state that isn’t Florida or California?

 

• We also utilized recreation activities such as relaxing by the pool, participating in (socially distant) trivia, and renting DVDs from the gift shop to watch in our room!

 

Hilton Head Dining

The Salty Dog Café

Considering we had such a quick stay, we did not spend much time eating in Hilton Head. (surprisingly!) On our way out, however, we stopped for dinner at The Salty Dog Café! I have seen t-shirts from this restaurant for years and it was about time to see the place first hand.

 

There was tons of outdoor seating right along the water. Our food was very yummy, particularly the Buffalo Shrimp!

 

I couldn’t leave without buying my very first Salty Dog Shirt, which I got in pistachio green! (unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture, but I am extremely happy with my purchase!) This place truly has brilliant marketing and it was cool to see it all in action.

 

 

Charleston, South Carolina

Drive Time from Hilton Head, SC: 2 Hours and 11 Minutes

Accommodations: Staying with Family

 

While staying with Steven’s family in South Carolina, we had the opportunity to take a day trip out to Charleston, South Carolina!

 

Activities in Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston is a charming city with so much vibrancy and character. It feels a bit like Savannah in that sense but definitely has its own unique personality. Since our time was limited, all of these activities were done over the course of one afternoon:

• Walking up and down Rainbow Row and taking beautiful photos with the colorful houses.

 

• Taking advantage of gorgeous photo opportunities!

 

• Enjoying our time walking along the water.

 

• Walking through Battery Park. They had similar trees to Forsyth Park in Savannah, and boy, were we thankful. It was hot that day – the July heat in Charleston is no joke! It was wonderful to be in the shade.

 

Dining in Charleston, South Carolina

Revelry Brewing

We went to Revelry Brewing for a rooftop bar experience and some out-of-this-world tacos. We got one chicken taco and one fish taco, but I remember the fish taco being particularly divine! You truly can’t beat the aesthetic of a rooftop bar. We were there mid-day so there were barely any guests – one guy even brought up his dog! Steven loved the beer, I loved the food, and we both loved the atmosphere. So glad we stumbled upon this place!

Lewis Barbecue

Then, of course, we could not leave Charleston without eating barbecue! We chose Lewis Barbeque and indulged on some takeout options of heavy southern comfort food – pulled pork sandwiches and mac and cheese. YUM! Even though it was so hot outside, this meal still really hit the spot after walking around the city all afternoon.

They did a great job with COVID protocols here – you placed an order online, (and make sure you do it ahead of time because they had a pretty long wait time!) they had a huge outdoor seating area with socially distanced tables, giant fans to keep us cool, and a good table cleaning system. We really enjoyed our experience!

 

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Drive Time from Charleston, SC: 2 Hours

 

Our visit to Myrtle Beach was simultaneously a driving day and a destination day! First off, on our way to Myrtle Beach, we were driving down the road in Conway, South Carolina, and spotted a captivating sea of yellow sunflowers. In the spirit of road trip spontaneity, we turned around and went to go take pictures with my favorite flower. To me, that was one of the most memorable moments of the trip!

 

Our afternoon at Myrtle Beach was short and sweet but oh so wonderful. We went to Sea Captains House for lunch where we were seated right near the ocean. This restaurant was gorgeous, gave us the perfect Myrtle Beach feel, and the food was delicious.

 

We got the Bacon Wrapped Scallops, She Crab Soup, Grouper Tacos, and the Stir Fry! We were absolutely waddling out of the restaurant but the food was phenomenal. Our waitress was impressed with our choices because they happened to be all of her favorites items off the menu!

 

 

 

 

We spent the remainder of our Myrtle Beach time there at the beach behind the restaurant – far away from people, soaking in the sun, and enjoying the salty ocean!

 

Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina

Drive Time from Charleston, SC: 3 Hours and 7 Minutes

Accommodations: Residence Inn By Marriott

 

Alright, so this technically isn’t South Carolina, but our last stop in the Carolinas region was Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina! Our time there was mostly dedicated to reconnecting with family, but one unique thing we got to do was stop at Duke University! This place is intimidatingly beautiful and reminded us of Hogwarts. It truly was breathtaking – what a magnificent campus!

 

So that wraps up all of the adventures we got to take in the Carolinas! If you’d like to see the travel vlogs from this portion of the trip, I will link them below. (Hilton Head is featured in the first video, and then the rest of South Carolina makes up the entire second video!)

 

 

 

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You can follow me on Instagram to stay connected in real-time @JessicaFaye508, and stay tuned for one more blog post about the East Coast Road Trip!

Until Next Time 🙂