South Carolina Vacations

No self-respecting South Carolina vacations bypass the hauntingly beautiful landscape of the state's Low Country. Rich in history and beauty, the four counties of that area--Jasper, Hampton, Colleton, and Beaufort--have been home to people for 10,000 years. The tribal names of the area's earliest inhabitants remind us today of that history, though in the last 50 years the area has become especially well loved among vacationers.

Low Country South Carolina Vacations

South Carolina's tidewater stretches south from Charleston to the Georgia state border and runs inland perhaps 50 miles. Rich in American Indian, colonial, Revolutionary War, and Civil War history, South Carolina vacations often touch first on Charleston. Settled in 1670, it was the first settlement in the state. Beaufort came next, about 30 years later. Farmers and plantations took hold in the rich soil of the Low Country and thrived.

Hilton Head Island lies just off the shoreline of Beaufort County. Surveyed by an English sea captain in 1663, from whom it took its name, Hilton Head is one of the high points of South Carolina vacations. Its 42 square miles are boot-shaped, with the toe of the boot almost resting on the Georgia border. Swept by Atlantic breezes on three sides, and connected to the mainland by a 1956 bridge in the ankle of the boot, Hilton Head is a mecca for vacationers.

It is flanked by 12 miles of wide beaches on its east side and countless marinas on its west side, crossed by countless creeks, and dotted with saltwater marshes and freshwater wetlands. Aside from this naturalist's delight are the many sporting activities, which include tennis, para sailing, golf and fishing. Golf is particularly attractive on Hilton Head, with four of its 24 courses rated among the nation's top 100.