Author: T.Igoe

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A Mammoth Adventure

For the past two years, our family has taken a short trip over the kids’ fall break. If you don’t recall having a fall break as a child, keep in mind that you are not alone. I never had one until college, but evidently, it is common place these days, especially in private schools. The rule, apparently, is that the more money you pay, the less time your kids actually spend at the school, but I digress.

Last year, we went to Hot Springs National Park and Little Rock in Arkansas. Two years prior, we spent the break in Washington D.C. We decided that this short break is a good time to travel to National Park Service cites that are close to bigger cities. There are several National Parks near major airports or within a short drive. This year we choose Mammoth Cave.

Several factors played into this decision. For one, Mammoth Cave National Park is less than an hour and a half north of Nashville, and we were able to fly direct on Southwest from New Orleans to Nashville both ways. Second, and just as important, compared to some National Parks, Mammoth Cave has very few COVID restrictions. The park in general, the lodging and the visitor’s center were all open.

We left in the middle of the day on Friday, just as Hurricane Delta was making land fall in western Louisiana. This season has been more active than any I can recall, but so far, we have been lucky. We landed at BNA in time for dinner, and headed into town. We unintentionally ended up at a restaurant called Ole Red on Broadway. We had not planned ahead for dinner, so looked up something close to where we were that was family friendly.

While I cannot deny that Ole Red is family friendly, I was unaware that in Nashville, Broadway would be akin to Bourbon Street in New Orleans or Beale Street in Memphis. There were heavy crowds, long lines and a lot of bachelorette parties. The food was good, including the hot chicken sandwich, and they had a kids’ menu. We all enjoyed the live music, but did not linger, as we felt quite out of place. This is no fault of anyone but ourselves, and I would definitely recommend Ole Red under the right circumstances.

From there, we drove north about half an hour and stayed at a Holiday Inn. While there is often little special about a Holiday Inn, we always find them clean and accommodating. The morning of the second day, we woke up early headed for Kentucky. First off, we had scheduled a canoe trip with Green River Canoeing, Inc., on the Nolin River. Unfortunately, the rain from the Gulf hurricane followed us, and we got a call saying that the trip had to be cancelled. It ended up barely sprinkling, but I understand the need for safety.

Instead, we went straight to the park and checked into our lodge. We stayed in the park itself, at The Lodge at Mammoth Cave. While the cabins were rustic, they were perfect for out family. There was running water and electricity, but no air conditioning or TVs. It was perfect for this trip.

Since our day had to be rearranged, we went to the cave and arranged a tour. The earliest we could get was at 2:30 pm, so once we got tickets, we loaded back into the car and headed north. While it was not part of our original itinerary, it turns out that Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace is only an hour from Mammoth Cave.

This might have actually been my favorite part of the trip. The kids were able to stamp their passport books and get Junior Ranger badges, and we were all able to see the cabin in which Lincoln was born. In memory of old #16, a monument with 56 steps has been built and enshrines the cabin. The visitor’s center has a great video and there is a lot to see. While this was not part of original plan, I think it ended up being just as worthwhile as any other part of our trip.

Once we finished the tour, we turned around and headed back to Mammoth Cave. The only major COVID restriction in the park is that only one, self-guided tour of the caves is available. There are actually dozens of different tours, and if they were available, I think we would have done one each day. That said, the self guided historic tour is quite impressive, and gives park-goers a really well-rounded, broad cave experience.

I plan to touch more on the cave itself as we go on, but suffice it to say that Mammoth Cave is one of the most awe-inspiring things that I have ever seen. I relate it to an underground version of the Grand Canyon, and while it does not receive the same notoriety, it is something that every American should see.

After finishing the tour, we headed north again to a distillery that is part of the craft bourbon trail. Kentucky is well-known for producing some of the finest bourbon in the world, so my wife and I felt we would be remiss to not experience it. The Boundary Oak Distillery is also only about an hour north of Mammoth Cave. It is a small operation, but really well done.

My wife and I paid $8 a person for a tasting, which included six different bourbons, while the kids spent some time on their iPads. Boundary offers several different house-made bourbons that are each distinct, and are sold in bottles featuring icons from American history, including Abraham Lincoln and General Patton.

We ate at a BBQ place called Mark’s Feed Store. This is a local chain, and to say that the staff was friendly is an understatement. Frankly, I hope that people from Louisiana treat visitors as well as the Kentuckians; a more hospitable group would be hard to find. The food was great, and was really a perfect way to end our first day in bluegrass state.

We woke up early on Sunday and set out for a quick hike. One of the great things about Mammoth Cave NP is that it offers dozens of miles of above ground trails appropriate for all ages, in addition to the underground wonders. We combined the River Styx Spring Trail, the Green River Trail and the Dixon Cave trail to make about 1.5 mile trail that offered beautiful views of the river and another smaller cave entrance in the area.

Around noon, we drove to the Double J Stables, where the kids and I did a five mile horse ride through the north end of the park. One of my main goals on these trips is to continue to familiarize the kids with outdoor living. Getting them on the water, getting them on a horse, getting them on the trails is something that I hope builds character and helps them to grow to be well-rounded adults.

We drove back, and at the suggestion of the guides from the stables, embarked upon the Sinkhole Trail. Aside from the cave itself, this was the most striking thing we saw. It was 1.5 miles round trip, but included over 150 stairs. The entire area is a sinkhole, and this trails leads all the way down to the bottom whilst staying above ground. It was definitely more taxing than any of our other hikes, but the payoff was fantastic.

There are not a whole lot of restaurants in the area, but we initially found what sounded like a decent steak house. I am a bit embarrassed to say that when we found out that they did not serve alcohol, we decided to go elsewhere. Say what you like, but sometimes, you just need to be able to sit down and have a drink. We found a Mexican restaurant called El Mazatlan, and while it was nothing special, it hit the spot. We actually saw several other families that were staying in the park eating there as well.

On Monday, our flight was not until the early afternoon, so we made a reservation for a zip line tour with Adventures of Mammoth Cave. The actual tour was great, but the guides showed up 45 minutes late, to the point that we almost left. My wife and kids said it was worth the wait though, so I guess we cannot complain too much.

While the three of them zipped through the sky, the baby and I set off on our own adventure, a short hike nearby, less than half a mile, called the Sand Cave Trail. Shocking enough, this trail leads to the entrance of Sand Cave. Of note, one can only go to the entrance but not inside, as several years ago, a man became trapped and actually died in the Sand Cave. It seems to me like the cave should have been renamed after that, but those decisions are not mine to make. That said, this is an easy trail with a cool payoff at the end, so I definitely recommend it if you are looking to add something.

I picked up the rest of the family, and we headed back to Tennessee. We had a bit of time, so instead of stopping in Nashville, we went through to Murfreesboro where we stopped at the Stones Creek National Battlefield. We did a short driving tour, and the kids got their passports stamped. We inquired about the Junior Ranger program, but the rangers present were not particularly helpful or friendly, so we decided to go without.

The flight home was uneventful, which is always nice with a three-month old, and we made it home safely. I recall having a great time at Mammoth Cave as a six year old, and this trip did not disappoint. The cave is beautiful, and the surrounding area provided us with plenty extra to do. If you are looking for an easy but memorable trip, Mammoth Cave should definitely be on your list.

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Orange Beach in Turquoise

This is the fourth year in a row that my family has spent the Labor Day weekend in Gulf Shores, Alabama. This area is actually comprised of several different regions, and we have recently stayed in Orange Beach. Each of the past four years, we have gone down with two or three of our friends from college, all of whom have younger kids, and have stayed at a beautiful complex called Turquoise.

The resort is comprised of two high-rise buildings (we were on the 12 floor this year) overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. It also has a gym, a restaurant and bar, indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts and a lazy river. One member of our group does his best to not leave the Turquoise the entire time, and if that is what you are looking for, it is not difficult.

In the past, we have gone with three other couples, but this year, only two could attend. We booked the condo about two months out, for about $1,200/couple for three nights. Since our families are getting bigger, we went with a four bedroom, but could have squeezed into a three. The condos are fully furnished, with large bedrooms, bathrooms and living spaces. The wrap around balconies have grills and hot tubs, and are just as much a draw as anything else.

One of the main draws for us is that Orange Beach is less than four hours from New Orleans. Prior to leaving, we coordinate with our group on who is bringing what, in terms of food. We load up the car on Friday afternoon and get out of Dodge as fast as possible. Since this is a heavy travel time, we try to leave as early, but the tunnel at Mobile always gets backed up for about half an hour (if you are willing to cut in line, you can drive most of the way at a steady pace in the right lane and cut over in the last mile).

Once we arrive and unpack, we call down to the beach and reserve chairs and umbrellas. These go fast, so you want to book them early, as they are a must in terms of having a place to relax and stay cool by the water.

On Day 1, Friday, we spend a lot of time in the car and a lot time unpacking. We try to eat most of our meals in the condo, and when we do a three night trip with three couples, we try to each take responsibility for one night. On the first night, we ordered pizza, which is easy because every American likes pizza. You have to order early though, because it can sometimes take an hour and a half to get the food delivered.

After that, once it got dark, we took the kids down the boardwalk to the beach to go ghost crab hunting. The kids used to be scared to pick the little crustaceans up themselves, but the older kids, including JR and Eileen, have gotten adventurous enough to go for it themselves. They are fun to catch, and the kids love looking at them in the buckets, but we always let them go after a few minutes of captivity.

One Days 2, we ate breakfast in the condo and headed down to the beach. The sand in Gulf shores is soft and pure white, and really fun to play in. The water is clear, but not as clear as a place like Destin. It was also a bit jellyfish heavy this weekend, which made our kids a bit skittish. Frankly, anytime anything brushes against their leg in the ocean, they think its a jellyfish, but because of this, they usually only last an hour or two in the ocean at any given time.

Once they’d exhausted themselves, we headed up to the pool, where they played until lunch. The pool is great, as it never gets deeper than a few feet, so kids our age require minimal supervision. At noon, we ate a quick lunch in the condo, and then headed out to a nearby boat rental company called Happy Harbor.

One of the coolest features about Gulf Shores is that it features access to both the gulf and the bay. On the bay side, you can participate in all sorts of water sports. We rented a pontoon boat, which we were able to drive ourselves (with almost no experience) that had a slide coming off the back of it. The rental was $350 for four hours and was totally worth it.

We took the boat into the bay from the harbor to a restaurant/bar called Pirate’s Cove. It is only a few miles away by water, but it took us quite a while to get there. The motor on the boat was only 60 horsepower, so it felt like we were crawling, but we eventually made it.

Pirate’s Cove is a restaurant that you can dock at and get drinks, food, use a bathroom or just hang out. When we arrived, it was packed, to the point that we almost didn’t stay, but a boat pulled out right in front of us, so we sneaked in. Once we docked, several people got bushwhackers, a unique, Alabama, alcoholic milkshake, and the kids started using the slide.

The slide attracted a lot of attention, and by the time we left, a half dozen other kids, who were screened only by asking if their parents knew where they were and can they swim, had gone up and down several times. We stayed for about half an hour and then cruised back. This is a great way to add some variety to a beach heavy vacation, especially with the older kids.

That night, we grilled in the condo. We brought a few sausages, cubed cheese and crackers, as well as barbecue seasoning and sauce from the Bar-B-Q Shop in Memphis. For me, this is the best seasoning in the world, and when you grill a sausage, slice it thin, put it on a cracker with cheese, the sauce and the seasoning, there’s little that can go wrong. We also grilled steaks and had twice-baked potatoes. Making these nights in the condo an event helps to make the vacation seem more significant, it makes it seem like it lasts longer.

On Day 3, Sunday, we went down to the beach early again and this time, spent almost three hours playing in the ocean and building sand castles. Prior to coming to the beach, we bought a waterproof sling that allows you to go into the water with the baby, but still have access to both hands. This makes going into the ocean with an infant, and with young kids, a lot more manageable.

On Sunday, we decided to go out for lunch. In the past, we have gone to a place called The Gulf, which offers multiple vendors and great options for everyone, as well as waterfront views. This year we went to Cobalt, which has a big menu, solid food and really cool outdoor patio with views of the bay. While we like to eat most of our meals in the condo, going out once is a nice change of pace.

That afternoon, we went back to the beach and then back to pool. The complex offers sno-balls (or as non-New Orleanians call them, snow cones) poolside, and our kids took full advantage. That night, we had chips, queso and margaritas, and we made ground beef tacos.

We brought several games with us this trip, but never got to playing any, which is a good sign, as we were too busy with other adventures. I personally spent a lot of time reading on the balcony and reading on the beach, and for those of you that enjoy a book, this beach is a great option. In past years, we’ve done several other things, including taking the kids to an arcade or going to Lambert’s.

On the morning of Day 4, we usually get up early and make our way home. If we leave after 9, it can take hours to get out of Gulf Shores and through Mobile. The other option is to vacate the room at checkout time but stay at the pool for several hours. If you don’t leave early or you stay late, you end up spending hours in the car.

As an addendum, less than two week after our trip, Hurricane Sally hit Gulf Shores and devastated much of the area. We are hopeful that they will be able to regroup and rebuild, and that we will be able to go back next year for another amazing Labor Day.

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A Voyage to the North

I wish I could say it was my idea for us to visit Voyageurs National Park, but that would be inaccurate. Certainly, it falls under the umbrella of the trips that we like to take, but it wasn’t really on our radar. That is, until a certain episode of Wheel of Fortune. Those of you that aren’t fans of the Wheel probably need to see a therapist; those of you that are know that they often give away really interesting trips. During last year’s National Parks week, a contestant won a trip to Voyageurs, houseboat included, and the trip looked so amazing, that we started to plan a trip of our own.

When I was young, my family took a trip to Minnesota, and I loved it, but neither my wife, nor any of the kids had ever been. In terms of hitting every state, this was a great opportunity. In planning this trip, we had to work our way through traveling during COVID, but this trip was one that we were able to manage.

For those of you that have traveled a lot, you know that planning the trip is almost as much fun as taking the trip. Planning this one was a bit more difficult than usual, as my wife was pregnant up until a month prior to departure. We had to hold off on booking just about everything until Alyson gave birth. This made it difficult to book everything that we ideally wanted, but it was still totally worth it to take our kids, including the newest edition, on a great vacation.

The first step was deciding how to get from New Orleans to Minnesota. The obvious was to fly into Minneapolis, but for those of you that are interested in hitting all 50 states, there was another option. It turns out that Fargo, North Dakota is no further from Voyageurs (give or take), than is Minneapolis. On top of that, the route from Fargo to the north goes directly through Itasca State Park, which is one of Minnesota’s great attractions.

So in our abbreviate planning phase, we chose North Dakota. There are no direct flights from New Orleans to Minnesota or Fargo, so that did not factor into the decision. One of the nice things about flying to Fargo is that flying into a small airport can be so much easier than a large one. We were able to walk off the plane, to the baggage area, to the our rental, all within 15 minutes. We did not have to take any shuttles, security had no lines, and everyone was very friendly.

In our planning phase, we had hoped to secure a cabin on one of the lakes, but late July/early August is the peak time for Voyageurs. The lodging options are also very limited, so when we went to find a cabin, everything was already booked. We were able to make reservations at a a really interesting hotel in Ranier, MN, which is as close to Canada as one can be, and within a 30 minute drive of all three Voyageurs visitors centers.

Admittedly, we also had a hard time scheduling things for the kids to do. We found a guide in the area that offered boat tours, sunset tours and kayak tours, but by the time we were ready to book, he had no availability. The Voyageurs National Park website has several links to potential guides who offer various services, but we really had to work through them to find what we wanted.

On day one, the Friday that we arrived at around 2 pm, our goal was to get to Itasca State Park and explore the area. For those of you who are not familiar, Lake Itasca is the headwaters of the Mississippi River. I visited once at a young age and it really stuck in my memory. This time around, I was not disappointed.

The lake where the river begins is quite large, but the river itself starts as almost a trickle. It is demarcated by a line of rocks, from where you can walk down the Mississippi River for quite a ways. For this walk, I highly recommend water shoes and a bathing suit. The river gets deep faster than you would think, and it is very rocky. As people who live near the river in New Orleans, visiting the cold, clear stream that becomes the muddy river was almost like a pilgrimage.

While Itasca is not a National Park, it is an impressive state park, and something that I feel is a can’t miss part of Americana. What I did not realize is that the state park is massive and offers much more than just the headwaters of the mighty Miss. The one thing on this trip for which we did very little research was Itasca. We spent less than three hours there, but had we wanted to, we probably could have spent two days exploring the park.

From there, we drove about an hour to Bemidji and stopped for dinner at a restaurant call the Turtle River Chophouse. We were able to sit outside next to an open field that actually had several deer in it. There was a great kids menu, and my wife and I both had burgers that were well above average. They also had several great beers from Bemidji Brewing, which were a great cap to the day.

From Bemidji, we drove onto the hotel in Ranier. We stayed at a Wyndham called the Cantilever Hotel. It is 30 room hotel in the same building as a distillery and restaurant. The hotel itself was very cool, with a roof top deck looking across to Canada. I would definitely recommend this hotel, if you cannot get a cabin, but it did have some issues. My major complaint is that hotel was not very kid friendly, despite the fact that several kids were staying. We asked for a pack and play or portable crib for our newborn; what we were provided was a playpen. Since we had no other option, we made it work, but it was basically like having the baby sleep on the floor.

The restaurant in the hotel was also a bit disappointing. The food that Alyson and I got was good, but there was no kids menu. Amongst other hipstery options, they served nachos and burgers, and it seems like in a hotel, it would be very simple to offer a grilled cheese, a kid’s burger and kid’s version of the nachos. Overall, we enjoyed the hotel, but there are a few changes they could make that would really broaden their appeal.

Enough about the hotel, let’s get to the National Park. On Saturday, we made our way to the Ash River Visitors Center, where the kids stamped their passports. Even though the visitors centers were not open, they had the stamps out for just this reason, which was fantastic. A few minutes away was a short trail called the Beaver Pond Overlook. This was a really fun, less than half mile hike to a lookout point that offered a great view of the park.

From there, we headed to the Kabetogoma Lake Visitors Centers, where we met up with Bill. A little bit of research led us to Voyageurs National Park Tours, a guide service that offers multiple great options. We booked the five hour boat tour, which encompasses most of what he offers. You might think that five hours on a boat would be too much for a one month old, but you would be wrong. Clara handled it like champ, and the big kids loved it.

The first stop on the tour was the Ellsworth Rock Garden, a huge collection of rocks put together by Mr. Ellsworth long ago. It has recently been restored and is a really cool place for the kids to run around. Evidently, while Ellsworth was still alive, it was even more significant, but the park service has been committed to making it something tourists do not want to miss.

From there, we cruised around the lakes, into various coves and around various islands until we made it to Kettle Falls. Kettle Falls is an old dam and an old hotel that is the only place that you can actually stay within the park; it can only be reached by water taxi. We stopped in for a snack and a beer, and I am glad that we went. I do not think we would have wanted to stay there, as the hotel does not seem to have been serviced for several decades, but it is a cool piece of park history. Walking out to the dam and looking into Canada (again) is another worthwhile feature. We actually crossed the Canadian border several times during the boat ride, which is only debatably legal (especially during COVID), but it was nice for Clara to check off her first country.

When we got back, we drove to a nearby trailhead, the Echo Bay Loop. This was a doozy, and while I would recommend it for avid hikers, it is not one of the best maintained trails we have ever walked. I am not certain if it is due to COVID or just the way the trails in Voyageurs are, but it was very overgrown. Additionally, it did not really go anywhere. It was a cool loop, but we really like hikes that lead to something. We are big fans of overlooks, waterfalls, rivers, etc. This is good hike, and we saw a deer from about 15 feet away, but there is no big bang at the end.

That night we ate in a local restaurant called the Blind Pig; great barbecue, great local beer, and it was filled with local fishing guides. They had several options from the Surly Brewery and the Lake of the Woods. There are not a lot of restaurants in the area, but the ones that we found were all very satisying.

The next day, Eileen, JR and I got up early and met Brent from Rainy Dayz Guide Services for a fishing trip. We thought about taking the baby, but the guide service recommended against it, and they were right. It took about an hour for us to find the fish, but once we did, the big kids were in heaven. Neither of them had ever been fishing before, and they both committed to it like champs. They both helped bait the leeches, they both caught multiple fish, and with some encouragement, they both held the fish they caught.

Alyson and Clara met up with us, and we stopped at the Rocky Ledge Resort for lunch. The pizza was pretty straight forward, nothing special, but sometimes that’s all you need. After we ate, the Igoes set out on the Blind Ash Bay Trail. This loop claims to be 2.7 miles, but my daughter’s Fitbit said it was 4.2. We learned our lesson from the first hike and all wore long pants and loaded up on bug spray. This made the hike much more enjoyable, and the overlook at the end was fantastic. We did have to stop to feed the baby mid-hike, but aside from that, she hung out in the Bjorn and enjoyed the ride.

At 5 pm, we made our way south to the Vince Shute Bear Sanctuary. The history here is very interesting, as Vince used to shoot the bears to keep them away from his logging operations. He finally got fed up to the point that he came up with an alternative. He realized that if he started feeding the bears, he could keep them where he wanted. This is no longer a recommended way to treat wildlife, but at this stage, there is no going back.

The sanctuary is a 2.5 acre circle where wild bears come in and out, interact with the staff and eat in peace. We saw over 50 black bears, and while it is not exactly like seeing a bear in the wild, it is not the same as a zoo, either. The sanctuary was about an hour away from Voyageurs, but if you are looking for something different, this is a good option.

That night, the kids ate Dairy Queen, and Alyson and I ate at the hotel. I woke that night at 2 in the morning to see if we could see the Aurora, but had no luck. Even so, the night sky in northern Minnesota is breathtaking. Ranier could do a little better turning off the lights, but the view was still amazing.

The next day, we stopped again in Bemidji to take a picture with Paul Bunyan, then headed back to Fargo. We got there early enough to eat, and stopped for lunch at the Würst Bier Hall. This is a really unique restaurant with all sorts of brats and beers. Alyson and I both got an Iron Horse from Fargo Brewing. We were also able to find several options with which the kids were happy.

We got back late on a Monday, exhausted and satisfied. Overall, this trip was fantastic. The whole family got to check off North Dakota, we visited a bucket list National Park, and we found out some things about our travel options. One, we discovered that we are able to take the baby on a trip, on a plane, on a boat, and all enjoy ourselves. Two, we discovered that a short trip, three to four days, was enough for us to be able to visit a big park. All said and done, I could not more strongly recommend Voyageurs National Park; in the heat of the summer, it was a fantastic getaway.

As usual, do not forget to check out our Top 10 list for kids and our travel playlist. If you want to check out the itinerary that we put together pre-trip, that has been posted as well. See you next time that the Igoes go a-traveling.

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Hilton Head in the Time of COVID

    Most years, the Traveling Igoe’s take a trip with my parents and brothers, the original traveling Igoe’s.  My mom usually picks the location and books the house, and it is then on the rest of us to get there.  This year, mom picked Hilton Head.  We have actually all been to Hilton Head before, and South Carolina several times, but a trip to the beach is a trip to the beach. There are few beaches as nice as Hilton Head.

    This trip turned out to be a fine adventure, and every adventure starts with a first step.  Prior to disembarking, we bought a few beach/kid specific provisions. Boogie boards and a collapsible wagon from Dick’s Sporting goods were essential parts of our vacation.  The wagon will come in handy with the new baby, Mardi Gras and just about every car trip.  The boards were under $10 a piece, and will probably not make it back with us from our upcoming trip to Gulf Shores. For $20, two trips worth of entertainment for the kids was well worth it.

    We left at around noon from New Orleans traveling east, and made it all the way to Columbus, GA.  This part of the trip was at the same time quite easy and quite disappointing.  For those of you who do not know, our family loves the National Parks and everything associated.  Between NOLA and Columbus, one has the chance to pass through Tuskegee, Alabama.  Tuskegee is home to two parts of the National Parks Service, the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site and the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site.  Both of these sites offer really interesting looks at some very pertinent parts of America’s history, and both were closed.

    We were aware of this going in, as the coronavirus has temporarily shuttered a lot of doors, but it was still hard to pass through knowing we were missing two cool stamps for our passport books, and two more Junior Ranger badges for the kids.  Unfortunately, this is just part of the deal when traveling during the time of COVID.

We made it easily to Columbus and got dinner at a local BBQ shop, Country’s Barbecue.  A very family friendly establishment, Country’s was very affordable, and the portion size was absurd.  While we enjoyed the BBQ, it had little to do with the reason we actually stopped in Columbus.  Less than an hour south is Providence Canyon State Park, one of the country’s truly unique canyons.  We spent several hours there on Sunday morning, but all of that is detailed in another post.

The next leg of our journey got us quickly into Hilton Head, arriving before the rest of the Igoes.  We did a quick grocery run for the essentials, and headed straight for the beach.  While our house was not directly on the water, it was only four rows back and less than five minutes by foot.  I would recommend, if possible, trying to get a house on the water.  The difference in price is not insignificant, but neither is the difference in the experience.  Our house four rows back had a pool, a ping pong table, a game room, all sorts of amenities, but the one experience it did not offer was the ability to sit on the porch and do nothing.

    A house that has a water-front view is an activity in-and-of itself.  Sitting on the porch, listening to water, reading a book or watching a storm roll in is one of the most amazing parts of going to the ocean. While this house was great, in that respect, it was lacking.

    We arrived on a Sunday afternoon and left early the next Saturday, so had five full days to enjoy the beach, and anything else in the area that was open.  Every morning between 9 and 10 am, we made our way down and stayed by the water for at least two hours.  The Hilton Head beaches are truly something special.  While our beach access was not private, it was far enough from the nearest public parking that it was populated by local residents only.

    There are two things that we found remarkable about the Hilton Head beaches.  The first is that the current is different every day, or even at different times of the day. Our first day in the water, the kids were getting pulled to the south at a rate so rapid that either Alyson or I had to stay close the entire time.  Other days, the surf was so mild that we could spend two hours going in and out with waves without having drifted more than a few feet.

    The other thing that I found fascinating was the vast difference in the water line between high and low tides.  When the water goes all the way out, it leaves behind a vast stretch of wet but firm sand, almost the length of a football field.  At this time, the sand is perfect for riding a bike.

    The kids, my brothers, my brother’s girlfriend and my parents, we all spent at least half of our time at the beach.  We brought chairs and umbrellas, read books, road waves, threw an Aerobie, threw a baseball, basically spent every morning being beach bums.  As the days went on, we even spotted several different types of wildlife.  Unfortunately there were jellyfish, but only JR got a significant sting.  My brother the Monk (Dan), actually stepped on a ray, but was fortunate that it just swam away. Most impressively of all were the dolphins.

We saw several dolphins surface each day, but on Thursday, three of them put on a rare show.  Eileen and JR were swimming with Uncle Jim and his girlfriend, Andalee, when we noticed a small pod dolphins much closer to shore than normal.  Eileen said that they were so close that if she had dived, she might have been able to reach them.  As they approached the kids, one of them ‘porpoised’ and launched itself five feet out of the water.

Several beach-goers noticed and ran to the water’s edge when out of nowhere, it happened again.  Twice in less than a minute, a dolphin launched itself into the air and made splashdown within a few feet of my kids.  After the second flip, everyone in the crowd had their phones out, but the show was over, and the dolphins moved on.  My wife and I were fortuitous enough to see both jumps from the beach, but my kids were within a few feet, and were awestruck for the next several minutes.

While my kids love the beach, they are not the type that can spend all day at one. Each afternoon, we tried to plan at least one activity to get the kids out of the house.  On Monday, we found a great mini-golf course and arcade called Adventure Cove.  There are actually two courses at this park, and the whole family played both (I shot 3 under par).  Afterwards, our family stayed and played in the arcade for about another hour.

Tuesday afternoon, I took the kids to play tennis while Alyson rested at home.  There are over a dozen tennis courts on Hilton Head, many of which are open to the public without reservations. This was a nice way to give my wife a few hours to relax and to get the kids some exercise.

On Wednesday, Alyson, Eileen, JR and I packed up and drove the two-plus hours to Congaree National Park.  This is a rarely visited but really cool park in the heart of South Carolina. It was home to many Native Americans and also was a place where runaway slaves could find sanctuary.  The park was not completely open, due to COVID, but if you are interested in learning more about it, please read our Congaree-specific post.

On Thursday, we took a dolphin sightseeing tour.  The tour was provided by Hilton Head Dolphin Tours, and it was definitely worth the money.  We saw a lot of wildlife, and although none of them flew through the air, simply getting to ride around the intercoastal waterways with a guide was a great time.

On our last full day, we drove into Harbortown and visited the lighthouse.  We also went to the Salty Dog Cafe where my daughter got a sweatshirt and we all got ice cream.  If this is to be part of your trip, I recommend that you keep in mind that there are two Salty Dog shirt shops within about 30 feet of each other.  I suggest you go to the second one, as the line was far shorter.

    Every night we dined at home, with different family members taking turns cooking.  On our night, we did a play on a low country boil that one can do on a grill.  This is a tradition we have taken to recently, each family cooking on a different night. It takes the pressure off of one individual, and makes planning and cooking an activity within itself.

As many local businesses were still closed due to the pandemic, our lunch options were limited.  We did find two nice local restaurants that we really enjoyed. The first, Stu’s Surf Side, was within biking distance of our house, and had some really good sandwiches.  The food was solid, but the best part of this meal was that one the way back, we saw several alligators in the wild, lurking around their hometown marshes.

The second place we ate out, The Skull Creek Boathouse, was about a fifteen minute drive from our rental, and had a great waterfront patio.  The food and atmosphere were really unique; we sat a few feet from the water, and my son actually ordered the surf and turf off of the kids’ menu.

On the way back, we stopped at the Coastal Discovery Museum.  While the museum itself was closed, there are several boardwalks that lead to really unique views of the local marshlands. Under normal circumstances, they offer a lot of our programs that our kids would really enjoy.

    We left on Saturday morning, and in another effort to fill our passports, stopped at Ocmulgee Mounds National Historic Park.  This site preserves over ten millennia of Southeastern Native American culture.  While their website said they were open, on a limited basis, their locked gate said that they were only open from 1 pm to 5 pm, so all we got to see was the sign.  If we ever go that way again, we will try for a full tour, but for now, I am letting the kids count it.

    Following our lack of success there, we traveled down past the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site (which was closed) to the Andersonville National Historic Site.  At Andersonville, the Visitors’ Center was closed, but you could still download the online driving tour.  If you have never visited Andersonville, I highly recommend it.  It is the site of a Confederate prison where over 45,000 Union soldiers were held captive, and where over 13,000 of them died.

    We all found the rows and rows of headstones extremely moving, and were actually able to find a few with my wife’s maiden name (White) from the region where her family lived at the time (Kentucky).  If you are interested in learning more about Andersonville, please read our Andersonville-specific post.

    This post concludes as we arrive at the house of our college roommates, Matt and Dorothy, who are also married and live in Fairhope, AL.  They just had their second child, but I made sure to let my goddaughter, Eleanor, know that she is still my favorite.  If you are ever passing through the Fairhope area, I strongly recommend staying at their house; the hospitality and amenities are hard to beat.

    Our trip to Hilton Head was a great one.  While the availability of unique and amazing things to do was limited by the coronavirus, we still had a great time.  Considering the circumstances, a beach trip was the perfect option.  Since we were road warriors on this trip, I have attached a playlist, and as with every trip we take, we have attached a list of great things to do with kids in Hilton Head.

    While we have been traveling our whole lives, this was our first trip as The Traveling Igoe’s.  Please be patient as we improve our blog and help to offer more insights into how we travel as a family unit and with our extended families.  Please send us any messages, comments or questions, and we will do our best to respond.  Thanks for reading, and if you are interested in seeing more, please check out my son’s YouTube channel (keep in mind that he is eight).