I woke up well rested following our day on the water with our pontoon boat rental. I enjoyed my quiet morning ritual blogging on the couch. Today was by far the chilliest morning of our trip thus far. Through the window I could see that the water level was higher than normal. The combination of high tide and the wind had the water level completely covering the marsh grass. I opted to stay inside and enjoy the warmth of the villa.
The boys relaxed in their room until hunger took over, luring the zombies into the kitchen for breakfast. With nothing official on our agenda for the day, we basked in our inactivity. Today was Glen’s departure day so we finally all got ready so we could enjoy his final hours at the resort. Glen requested a morning visit to the Beach House, which he had yet to see.
Chilly Morning at Disney’s Beach House
The low temperature and high winds eliminated our desire to bike the the Beach House. Instead we hopped in the car and made the 5 minute drive across the island. When we arrived, Emily, Glen, and their parents walked around exploring the Beach House and taking photos. The boys were excited to play a game of pool so I hung out with them. The Beach House has an outdoor pool table as well as ping ping. The visit was a short one as the cool winds off the ocean motivated us back to the car.
We returned to the resort, and Glen packed the last of his things in the car. We met him at Big Murggie’s Den near the front desk area to say our goodbyes. Sawyer wanted to get a photo with Glen at the photo booth machine in the lobby. The snapped a few silly photos before it was time for Glen to depart. We all wished Glen safe travels and waved as he exited Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort.
Lunch at Hilton Head Diner
Although it was only 11:00, we were hungry and ready for lunch. One of our favorite travel activities is finding unique and delicious restaurants. The majority of the time, we leverage phone apps like Yelp or Google to review ratings before selecting a location. While this tactic normally leads to success, we often overlook perfectly viable options. In recent trips to Hilton Head we haven’t been wowed by too many dining locations. One location we have always passed by due to middle of the road ratings is the Hilton Head Diner. Well today, we decided that after 10 years of visiting, we were going to give the Hilton Head Diner a try.
When we stepped into the diner we were surprised at how busy it was for 11:00 on a Tuesday. The place looked a little old school with a non-working jukebox in the corner. While the outside of the restaurant had a cute diner charm, the inside… not so much. Emily commented that it looked like the stained ceiling was going to fall in on all of us. Aesthetics aside, we were all excited to warm up with some soup and grub from the Hilton Head Diner. The menu was enormous, with breakfast, lunch and dinner served around the clock. Kee, Emily, and I ordered the clam chowder which was meaty and tasty. Colonel and I ordered gyros for our main meal, and Hunter and Em split a french dip sandwich. Caving-in ceiling aside, we were actually quite pleased with the Hilton Head Diner and our waitress was awesome as well.
Back to Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort
After lunch we returned to the room as Grandma took a chill break while the rest of us played a competitive game of Apples to Apples, Disney edition. Emily won but it went down to the wire. After the game the boys went to hang out with Grandma and PopPa and we took a much needed nap.
When we arose from our slumber, our stomachs indicated it was time for a snack. What better snack for a villa vacation than homemade Chex Mix! Emily had prepped the bag of ingredients before we left so it didn’t take long to throw together. While it was cooking in the oven we had outdoor family game time around the resort. Our first stop was the basketball court at the request of Sawyer. He has really enjoyed his trips to the court and, after discovering that we can lower the hoop, he has enjoyed his ability to actually make shots even more. We spent some time with Em, PopPa, and the boys shooting around.
Em headed back to check on the Chex Mix while Colonel, the boys, and I continued on to play a few more games. Our next stop was Bocce Ball, where Colonel and Hunter beat Sawyer and I in a best of three match. It came down to the wire as Hunter threw the game winning ball. We went on to play a game of cornhole at the court next to our room. Again, Colonel and Hunter beat Sawyer and I there as well in another closely contested battle.
Mellow Mushroom – Dinner & Game Night at the Resort
For dinner I headed out to pick up some Mello Mushroom pizza and wings and brought them back to the resort. We enjoyed our cozy dinner and followed it with family game night where we played Double Ditto (very similar to Hit or Miss). This was a game Hunter got for his 10th birthday at Hilton Head , but this was the first time we were playing it. I finally won a game against this competitive bunch.
We said our good nights to Grandma and PopPa and tucked the boys in for a good night’s rest. Emily and I quickly got to work setting up for Hunter’s birthday which was the following day. Emily had brought an assortment of decorations that we creatively hung around the room. Emily had pre-wrapped Hunter’s presents which we put out on the kitchen table. I have to give it to her, she certainly knows how to make birthdays special! We have a few decorations that are staples for every family birthday (and a ceremonial Mickey ear hat, and a “special day plate,” and… you get the gist). After we completely redecorated the room it was time for us to go to bed. Emily actually stayed up to watch the new episode of This is Us but I was quick to bed. Can’t wait to celebrate Hunter’s 12th birthday tomorrow!
