by Wendy

Let’s rewind to late May/early June and the first vacation of the season: the always anticipated family trip to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. We’ve written about this locale previously – I particularly love Dad’s post on HHI,  Jack’s wine pairing, and of course the shared recollections of a beach house getaway. I can’t top any of that, but have a few more details to cover on the topic of food (of course), as well as a stopover in Savannah, Georgia.

 Jack and I kicked off the holiday by flying from DC into Savannah on Friday afternoon. We rented a car at the airport so we could join the rest of the group arriving in HHI on Saturday.

We cashed in some of our Hyatt Rewards points to book a room at the Andez Savannah, conveniently located in the historic district. We accepted a complimentary drink upon check in, dropped luggage off in our nice room and sat by the pool for a bit in the scorching heat. We freshened up and then set off for a walk in the slightly less hot evening, under a pretty sky.

Of course we had to buy a to-go peach sangria, then proceeded to our dinner reservations at A.Lure. We thought this place was a gem. Several of the staff were transplants from New Jersey who channeled plenty of southern hospitality. The modern spin on low-country cooking was interesting and delicious. We tried the recommended rabbit ravioli appetizer, and I ordered the combo of smoked duck breast with brie egg roll and cole slaw, while Jack chose the meatloaf with foie gras. We went the whole nine yards with pre-dinner cocktails, wine with entrees and dessert and coffee, and it was an excellent date night.

As enjoyable as all of this was, it was only a preview to the fun of being in Hilton Head with more family members. Walking on the pine-lined sidewalk to the beach beats walking around downtown Savannah. Lounging by the rental house pool or floating on the “cat head island” my niece brought wins over the hotel pool. No contest between the peach sangria and Dad’s famous margaritas. And there is nothing to rival my nephew’s cool trivia quiz, not to mention a good family card game where my niece and nephew start winning hands of poker.

And the food was every bit as awesome as a trendy restaurant in Savannah. We continued the tradition of taking turns cooking dinner several nights, and the menus were outstanding! Mom and Dad made perfectly grilled steak and shrimp with broccoli cheese and potatoes, while Sunny and Jimmy served a juicy salmon with baked potato and green beans.

April and I partnered on chicken fajitas, and we used Jack’s technique for baked nachos loaded with cheese, tomatoes, onion, jalapeños, and cilantro. Jack had to be back at work on Tuesday and regrettably missed out on these meals – though he did contribute to the tradition by serving up the perfect poolside hot dog lunch, with slaw and macaroni and cheese. 

Every time I look at these photos, I feel hungry, and also nostalgic for the beginning of summer. I remember how fun it is to discover a new restaurant in a new setting with your sweetheart, then retreat to a beach house enclave with sun outside and a refreshing pool and worries far away and indulging in about 15 different varieties of chips and riding bikes on the shore and being cozy on the couch watching Jeopardy and silly shows and sharing great food and drinks and talking and laughing with those you love. Thanks everyone for another fun family vacation!