Carolina Living - Hilton Head

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Oh what a beautiful morning! Just being on Hilton Head Island is a delight. Paddling with friends and getting your exercise on the water within sight of that iconic lighthouse? Priceless.
Photo by David Soliday.

	Bluffton

	Hilton Head Hotels

	Hilton Head Island Chamber of Commerce

	Greater Beaufort Chamber of Commerce

	Town of Hilton Head Island

	Carolina Coastal Living


	click on this book image to read more about ... tideland treasure: the naturalist's guide to the beaches and salt marshes of hilton head island and the southeastern coast written by todd ballantine.

Hilton Head Island

fter living in San Diego, California, for nearly 30 years, Dave and Sandy Schwiebert pulled up stakes and traveled all the way across the country to retire to Hilton Head Island, S.C. Switching coasts was not that difficult, they said, because they were leaving behind the smog and the traffic.

Good-bye, California – Hello, South Carolina!

Using the computer and a system of four tests (Amenities, Ambience, Affordability and Climate), the Schwieberts narrowed their search for a retirement home to two locations. Once they visited Hilton Head they knew they had found the right location.

“The feeling we got here was a lot better than anywhere else we went. And I think it’s just the way that they’ve done the landscaping and the natural vegetation – it’s really pretty.” Mrs. Schwiebert says.

Plus, they have been extremely impressed by Southern hospitality and courtesy. “Compared to California,” said Mr. Schwiebert, “the courtesy you get here in businesses is just awe-inspiring.”

Being both golfers and tennis players, the Schwieberts enjoy choosing from twenty public golf courses and 300 tennis courts. Experts say the area has the best clay tennis courts in the Southeast U.S.

The couple chose to build a home in the Sun City Hilton Head Island community. They knew that they wanted a Del Webb community because Mr. Schwiebert’s parents had lived for 30 years in the original Sun City in Phoenix, Arizona, and they liked the quality and amenities of Sun City.

The community offers so many amenities within the neighborhood, that trips to town are almost unnecessary. In fact, the Schwieberts decided that “one car and one golf cart is all that we need,” since they can go via golf cart everywhere within the neighborhood, including two golf courses, tennis courts, biking and hiking trails, two fitness centers, indoor and outdoor pools, art and crafts studios, a computer lab, two restaurants, a dog park, and more.


	There's no neon, no streetlights, and you can see the stars at night.

But the area is much more than the amenities it possesses. Hilton Head Island and the Bluffton area have a rich history from the discovery by Spanish explorers in 1526 to the modern age when electricity came to the island in 1951. It is the second largest barrier island on the East Coast of the United States at 12 miles long and five miles wide, with a total of 25,000 acres.

History buffs could dedicate many days to exploring what remains of the past including Honey Horn Plantation dating from pre-Civil War, Bluffton’s Old Town and much more.

In addition to the historical wealth, the Hilton Head Island area is also blessed with an abundance of natural flora and fauna unique to the area. It is ideal for bird watchers and nature lovers, with the beach, lagoons and wooded areas that have been wisely preserved by those who have planned the community.


	Despite the island's growth, citizens have stood firm against flash.

Animals in the area include alligators, deer, egrets, osprey, wood ducks, quail, wild turkeys, wood storks, woodpeckers, a variety of water creatures and migratory birds, not to mention what the tides wash in and the ocean holds.

The Schwieberts are involved with a birding group in their neighborhood. Their goal is to position and maintain new bluebird and purple martin houses throughout the area and to evict any unwanted occupants. They also encourage hummingbirds by placing feeders for them, as well.

The permanent population of Hilton Head is around 35,000, but in the spring and summer months that number can swell to as many as 150,000.

Carol Weir and Carlos Chacon are married, with two young boys. They have lived in the Hilton Head Island/Bluffton area for about five years. Ms. Weir, who is Special Sections Editor for The Island Packet newspaper, grew up visiting Hilton Head Island as a child. She loves the way the town has so many parks, open spaces, beautiful old-specimen trees and public parking for the beaches which are all free.

Ms. Weir’s husband, Carlos Chacon, a native of Costa Rica, is the Natural History Manager at the Coastal Discovery Museum and also works with the Sea Turtle Protection Project. Both are very interested in protecting and preserving the natural environment and care about the future of the home they have chosen.

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