When we re-set our watches in March and sprang forward into daylight savings time, the suddenness of the new season was a little surprising. Yes, it took a day or two to adjust, and yet most of us are thankful for a little more time to play a round of golf after work or to grill supper on the patio. Even before the time change, the sun was coming a little sooner  and staying a little longer.

Our friends from Detroit serve as great examples of what this extra time in the sunshine can mean. With a lot of winter to put behind them, we noticed that some folks there belong to not one, but two softball teams that play after work. Situated as they are on the very western border of the Eastern time zone, some of our Detroit friends can still hit a fast pitch at 9 p.m. in the fullness of summer. Many others can get in a full 18 holes after work.

The Perspective of Paradise

This is one of the things that Swallowtail owners enjoy about having a vacation every year that they can count on, in the center of all that’s best about America’s favorite vacation island. The joy comes from the things we learn from each other, as well as the fun things to do nearby. From Ontario and Upstate New York, we met folks who made a point for coming her for a month at a time, sometimes two, after their children were grown up and out of school. From some hardworking folks in Atlanta and Charlotte, we saw that even getting away for just a week in midwinter was a welcome break from a demanding career.

Yes, the things to see here go even beyond the natural beauty, the history and heritage, and the art and culture that people cultivate when they get a taste of paradise. It is a feeling that can stick with you and a point of view that can grow wider and deeper, too.

Something Special to Offer

The RBC Heritage Classic in April serves as a celebration of what we feel grateful to enjoy all the time on Hilton Head Island. Even longtime residents tell us that the tournament reminds them and refreshes their appreciation of the good things we see all around us, here in the center of Sea Pines. And yet, between and behind the weeks of high season here, some lesser-known weeks of perfection await a visit, from people in the know.

The weeks between the RBC Heritage and Memorial Day are like a trade secret among experienced Hilton Head Island visitors. And autumn offers more of the same. The sun is nearly as high here on America’s favorite vacation island, but the traffic is low, when the rest of the world is seeing Spring and Fall. In fact, a Golf Digest researcher once called the time after Labor Day on Hilton Head Island the ideal golf getaway. Yes, every season has something special to offer on America’s favorite vacation island. The insiders know them all – and you could be one.

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