A shoe-shaped island of gated resort communities splayed with tennis courts, golf courses and bordered by 12 miles of beach, Hilton Head has a history that belies first impressions. This barrier island on the South Carolina coast was a bit player in the human story of the continent well before the first resorts were planned. The remnants of enormous shell rings created thousands of years ago by nomadic Native American tribes can still seen on the island. During the antebellum era, Hilton Head was home to rice, cotton and indigo plantations. The Union army took over the island during the Civil War and gave property deeds to many of the slaves who used work the plantations. Up until the mid-20th century, Hilton Head was still a relatively isolated place, mostly inhabited by small pockets of people who were the descendants of those slaves, still working plots of land and practicing the specialized Gullah traditions handed down to them.
Gullah Celebration, Feb. 1-28
This month-long event takes place at various locations on the island and celebrates the living history of the Gullah people who still live here. Gullah culture and its West African roots can be experienced through music, lectures, storytelling, gospel choirs, rhythmic dance demonstrations and art exhibits. The 2011 event kicks off the evening of Feb. 1 with a reception at the "De Aarts Ob We People" exhibit at the Walter Greer Gallery. One of the most popular events at each year’s festival is the two-day Arts, Craft and Food Expo that features cultural demonstrations such as sweetgrass basket-weaving and vendors selling Gullah crafts and food. Other highlights include a Gullah film series with screenings at various theaters on the island and "A Taste of Gullah" at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina with authentic cuisine and live entertainment. The festival is presented by the Native Island Business and Community Affairs Association, an organization that promotes the cultural and economic development of the minority native islander population on Hilton Head who carry on the Gullah traditions. Visit www.gullahcelebration.com for more info on the festival.
Arts, Culture & Historic Sites
For a place with a year-round population equivalent to a small town, Hilton Head boasts a surprisingly vibrant arts and cultural scene. The island has its own symphony orchestra, repertory theater, dance company and many art galleries. The Arts Center of Coastal Carolina is a large performing arts center that brings many plays and concerts to Hilton Head. The Coastal Discovery Museum has two locations on the island, one a small exhibition gallery and gift shop that shares a space with the welcome center near the bridge; the other a 68-acre parcel of land that includes gardens, boardwalks over salt marshes and museum galleries featuring local arts and crafts and touring exhibits. You can see the remnants of the large Native American shell rings -- believed to be 4,000 years old -- in Sea Pines Forest Preserve on the grounds of The Sea Pines Resort and on the north end of the Island off Squire Pope Road.
Bluffton
Hilton Head has grown so much over the last few decades that the town of Bluffton across May River on the mainland is now considered part of the island's tourism district. If you need a break from the modern resorts and shopping centers that cover much of Hilton Head, the old village section of Bluffton offers a nice respite with its 19th-century houses and oak-lined streets. Two "don't miss" sites in Bluffton are the Heyward House, an antebellum home that also offers guided tours of the town, and the wooden chapel of the Church of the Cross at 110 Calhoun St., consecrated in 1857.
Stay
South Beach Inn. At the southern tip of Hilton Head adjacent to a marina, shops and restaurants. 232 S. Sea Pines Drive, Hilton Head Island. Rates $54-$186. 843-671-6498; www.sbinn.com.
Palmetto Bluff. A sprawling, luxurious resort property on the river in the Bluffton area modeled to resemble an old fashioned coastal town. Rates start at $429. 476 Mount Pelia Road, Bluffton. 843-706-6500; www.palmettobluffresort.com.
Eat
Skillets Grill and Cafe. Surf and turf restaurant with a Southern flair. Entrees start at $10.95. Coligny Plaza, 1 N. Forest Beach Drive, Hilton Head Island. 843-785-3131; www.skilletscafe.com.
Cahill's Market & Chicken Kitchen. Southern comfort food in Bluffton. Meat & three meals are $9.50 1055 May River Road, Bluffton. 843-757-2921; cahillsmarket.com.
Tourist info
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Welcome Center. 100 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head Island. 800-369-6610; www.hiltonheadisland.org.
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