Lowcountry, part 4

For our first full day in Hilton Head, I needed a new start after the drama from the previous night. I wanted a workout so I walked the five minutes outside and up two flights of stairs to the gym. I arrived at 6:55 and the sign said the gym opened at 6 am. My key wouldn't work. I tried again, wouldn't work. I went down to the front desk and I was told the gym was actually supposed to open at 7. So I went back, and again, my key wouldn't work.

An elderly joined me, trying to get in also, and her key didn't work either. So we got maintenance down there and they opened the gym. But I had lost so much time that I only had 30 minutes to lift weights because we had a kayaking reservation set for 8:30.

Mom and I both had single kayaks while the rest of our group was all in doubles. It was a fun two hours, I got the hang of the kayak really quickly. We saw periwinkles on the grass, blue herons, and spitting oysters (when they jump out of the water to breathe). Apparently, a few people in the group caught a glimpse of a dolphin, but I wasn't so fortunate. Then again, when I was in Destin the previous October, I saw about 40 dolphins, so it wasn't like missing a bald eagle. Maybe the coolest part was seeing a roseate spoonbill, which looks like a flying flamingo. Turns out these are birds are usually white like swans, but they eat a load of baby shrimp, and turn more progressively pink as they continue to eat the shrimp. Is it weird that I felt a little competition with those birds to get my teeth on some shrimp?

Just as we were about to finish, the rain started and it change from a sprinkle to a deluge within a few minutes. We headed over to Coligny Plaza, which has 50 or 60 nice outdoor shops. And I like that they have good shops for guys, not just a bunch of antiques, bags, jewelry,and shoes for the ladies. Onto lunch at Sandbar in the Plaza. So with a crazy rain coming down in Coligny Plaza (typical mid Atlantic rain, it come down like crazy for 30 minutes, then the sun came out and the temperature got even hotter), we sat outside under their covered deck, since the part of the inside area looked like a construction zone with buckets of paint and plywood scattered on the floor.

Since Mom was somehow in the mood for nachos, I gave in and went with it. The server said they were the best on the island and that he wasn't saying it just because he worked there. That was good enough for me. About 10 minutes later, a mountain of homemade tortilla chips topped with beer cheese, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, Mexican street corn and a good portion of steak chunks showed up. I really liked the extra salsa that came on the side, I could taste the fresh cilantro and spices, which make all the difference in the world. Those nachos were super filling, the two of us knocked out nearly the whole plate. A few chips were left over, but I made sure all the steak and guacamole were eaten, and aren't those the two most important parts of any good plate of nachos? I do wish they had been a little bit spicier, some jalapenos would have helped out.

We also each ordered a bowl of she-crab soup, it seemed to hit the spot on a cooler summer day. It was quite thick and rich, I didn't understand why croutons were added into the middle, maybe a garnish?

I wish I could have eaten a few other items, but with those nachos, there just wasn't room for much else. Service was quite friendly, the server did a god job of bringing iced tea and water refills even before we had to ask.

After a meal that heavy, Mom was wiped out. She later mentioned she had indigestion, she's just not used to eating that way. Strange considering ordering nachos was her idea! So we hung out on the outside patio and played Quibble for about 20 or 30 minutes. Of course, with a lot of people heading back down to the pool and beach, I really wanted to get some sun. I hit the beachside pool for an hour and drank a double mojito. $16, but the combo of fresh mint and lime are always worth it.

I hit up the putting green for another half hour before a shower and dinner at Old Oyster Factory. This place looked like everything I would want in a restaurant in Hilton Head. Great view, inviting atmosphere, menu with variety. For the most part, I was pleased, but I have to say it could have been a little better.

As we pulled into the parking lot, they had attendants guiding us in, which was quite helpful. As I went inside, I noticed the dominantly wood interior, which gave the place a hint of of a log cabin feel. For a place that was a little off the beaten path, that made some sense.

The restaurant definitely didn't observe social distancing, we were really close to the other tables. Most people at least wore masks by the host stand, but not once they were at their tables. I wasn't too bothered, but my mom, who's in her 60s, certainly was overcome with concern.

For my drink, I nursed a $13 pineapple jalapeno margarita. It was not your typical margarita glass, this one was pretty large, so I could kind of justify the price. And the heat was pretty strong, I'm pretty sure the seeds were in this cocktail. A little more heat than sweet, but it was solid.

We were given a basket of honey butter and hot fresh hush puppies. There must have been ten in the basket. I ate three, but after my lunch nachos, I knew I had to limit myself! To start off, I got a bistro salad, which is a pretty standard house salad but with caramelized shallots and balsamic roasted mushrooms and I got feta cheese instead of gorgonzola. I really liked the combination of flavors, it would have been a perfect lunch with some tender sliced filet on top.

My entree was the broiled seafood platter with four local shrimp, two lightly breaded scallops, Oysters Savannah (bacon and cheese), Oysters Rockefeller (spinach and parmesan), salmon, mahi mahi, garlic parmesan rice, and veggies (sliced carrots, zucchini, squash). 28 bucks for all that food was a pretty sweet deal. I would say the scallops and Oysters Rockefeller were the highlight. The fish was all cooked nicely, but could have used a little more seasoning, especially the shrimp. I think I used the entire lemon wedge between the seafood and veggies. Mom had the combination of Savannah and Rockefeller oysters and despite not feeling too great, she had no problem polishing off all six.

The views are marvelous and it's fantastic that the restaurant is arranged in a way so that nearly every table can have a nice view of the water. The food is quite good, but not the best seafood restaurant I've ever experienced.

We got home just before the next Carolina summer storm hit and spent the night watching Restaurant Impossible and cooking shows on Netflix.