There is a certain light quality that prevails during winter in the Lowcountry. Crisp, golden, illuminating…it reveals whatever was indistinct through the long hot haze of summer. Those who live on Hilton Head year-round, or who visit during the off-season, can appreciate things the typical tourist may not.
For example, the grandeur of the marsh grass dying back: it stretches away like a vast plain of gold, interspersed with cobalt waters, as though someone had thrown an exquisite gilded tapestry over the land. Or how about oysters? Winter is the season of oyster roasts, a charming Lowcountry pastime that brings friends together over cold beer and slimy mollusks with horseradish.
Many things that seemed too intense during the sweltering heat are happily enjoyed in winter-bike rides, long beach walks, and explorations of the forest. Gone (mostly) are the ticks, snakes, poison ivy and chiggers that made hiking in summer less desirable. Birds that spent the last few months “Up North” are now arriving to repopulate the little hammocks and islands, giving ornithologists plenty to observe. Even in the dead of January, an unexpected warm day may dredge up an alligator from his depths to bask in the midday sun.
There have been Christmases warm enough for boat rides, and New Year’s Eves suitable for celebrating outdoors. February 14 may be so cold and rainy that you have no choice but to cuddle before a fire with your sweetheart, or it may be perfect for a picnic. You never know in the subtropics.
Despite the popularity of Hilton Head’s resorts in summer, there is a select segment of the population who are in on the secret of winter. Year-after-year, they leave the dismal cold “Up North,” trading parkas for windbreakers and snow shovels for sunhats. While Southerners are shivering in their snake boots, these so-called “snowbirds” are walking around in flip-flops and shorts, inhaling the balmy air.
Some vacationers have even more specific reasons for making the migration. Brenda Neurell of Philadelphia has been coming to Palmetto Dunes with her husband every January and February for the last 10 years. They have only one thing on their minds. “We are tennis players and that is the main reason we come down here,” she explained. “Everything else is secondary. If we can’t play tennis, we’re not happy campers.”
They’ll never be unhappy campers as long as they keep returning to Palmetto Dunes. With 23 clay and two Nova ProBounce courts, eight of which are lighted for night play, top-notch tennis buffs are understandably attracted, meaning the competition stays friendly but fierce. In fact, PD’s rating as an “outstanding facility,” according to a trusted tennis book, was what first drew the Neurell family to the area. Other factors kept them coming back.
“It seems like there’s a camaraderie that exists with the people here,” said Neurell. “Everyone’s very friendly, and the receptionists at the tennis courts are always helpful and glad to see us. We’ve really grown fond of them, and they’ve grown fond of us.”
Above and beyond tennis, the Neurells enjoy Hilton Head’s shopping, dining, ocean views and bird life. Occasionally, they’ll visit Savannah or Fripp Island, or they’ll go out to the movies. And of course, the weather is a tremendous plus: “When we left Philadelphia on the last day of January,” Neurell said, “there was three or four feet of snow on the ground. Then we got to Hilton Head and it was clear and warm; the contrast was night and day. We’ve already made arrangements for this February.
“We have the best of both worlds,” she continued. “We have the spring, summer and fall in Philadelphia, which is nice. Then we come down here and rent a place in winter, and by the time we go back in March, the weather’s starting to change and we’re outside again.
“We always look forward to coming down,” Neurell said. “The people at Palmetto Dunes have been very accommodating and cordial. They try to give us whatever we want, and we really appreciate that.”
by: Michele Roldan-Shaw