Thanksgiving rolled around a few weeks ago, so that meant it was time to pack up the van and hit the road! The cast of characters on this long weekend getaway was the fam plus my nieces, mom, and stepdad. Seven people smooshed into a Toyota mini-van for an eight-hour drive. When two of the seven are teenagers, that meant some snoring from the back and a little peace and quiet for the rest of us, lol. We chose to drive out before the Thanksgiving traffic rush hit, which made a huge difference.

Our destination this year was Hilton Head Island in South Carolina again, as it has come to be a favorite place to spend the holiday kick-off weekend. We stayed at Disney’s Hilton Head Island resort as we’ve done in the past and loved it, despite not being able to get a room for the first night of the trip. The Best Western Ocean Breeze Inn was our home for the first night and likely won’t be our resting point in the future. Nothing major was wrong with it, other than it had a motel layout and definitely wasn’t Disney. A benefit of that property was that it was reasonably close to Coligny Beach Park, a great place to go out to the beach itself through a public beach access. It had nice swings and a welcoming vibe, even though it was freezing cold that day.

Beautiful old oak trees with Spanish moss shining in the sun

I love the old Oak trees that cover Hilton Head Island, with Spanish moss dangling from the branches. One of my favorite things to photograph while visiting. I think that’s part of what makes Hilton Head so unique… you have the beach but you also have the Southern woodsy comfort just steps from the sand. Love it!

After we moved over to Disney’s Hilton Head Island resort, we checked in to our lovely two-bedroom villa. The touches that Disney adds to its rooms in all of its resorts is truly amazing. There was a bench in the entryway of the villa and, upon further examination, we saw two sets of carvings. The first was a ‘W.D’ for Walt Disney, of course, and the second was a Minnie and Mickey heart. How cute!

Mickey and Minnie were here!

It’s the little things that make the difference. We enjoyed some storytelling, making tie-dye shirts, hanging out at the Beach House, collecting shells, watching a mermaid on the beach (um…yeah. Even I can’t fully explain that one), and meeting Shadow!

Meeting Shadow is always a treat!

Dinner at the Salty Dog Cafe for Thanksgiving, The Black Marlin on our last night, and Italian delivery from Giuseppi’s all hit the spot. Of course, breakfast each day was filled with the classic Mickey waffles!

Whether you pack up the fam for a getaway over the holidays or hang close to home, remember to enjoy your time together!

Until next time!

Amber