posted 05-19-2005 12:42               

How long a bike ride is it from GO to Harbourtown?

What is Sea Pines and what is the access fee for? Do GO folks get a pass?

Any jelly fish issues? I have seen mixed observations

How is the Marriott Compass Club there – any highly recommended activities?

Are sparklers/fireworks on the beach OK?

I appreciate your feedback - LNOG LIVE TUG!

posted 05-19-2005 13:34               

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Originally posted by megadoo1:
How long a bike ride is it from GO to Harbourtown?

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What is Sea Pines and what is the access fee for? Do GO folks get a pass?

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GO owners can get a pass - at the GO bike rental shop - that allows no-fee access for the biking group or for any runners/walkers who want to venture into Sea Pines.

Unless the rules have changed, the bike passes are not available to exchangers.

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Any jelly fish issues? I have seen mixed observations

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Yes. Normally not bad, but you can pretty much figure that a couple of people will get stung almost every day in front of GO. On really bad jellyfish days, the lifeguard stationed in front of GO will put up a warning flag - but I don't think it specifically designates jellyfish as the reason for the warning. You have to ask the lifeguard.

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How is the Marriott Compass Club there – any highly recommended activities?

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Are sparklers/fireworks on the beach OK?

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If you are asking if you can bring your own and set them off on the beach, the answer is no. Although some fireworks are legal in SC, they are not legal in Beaufort County, which includes Hilton Head.

posted 05-19-2005 21:48               

My wife and I stayed at the Grande Ocean in Nov/Dec 2004 - We rented bikes onsite and were given complimentary bike passes for the week which allowed us free access to Sea Pines for the week.

Go to this site for Hilton Head Island Beach regulations, http://www.shorebeach.com/ordinances.htm

Suggest you plan on arriving during daylight hours if you've never been to HHI. Finding your way in the dark on HHI is a challenge if you're not familiar.

Call the Hilton Head Island/Bluffton Chamber of Commerce - 1-800-523-3373 (in USA only) and ask for an Official Map of Hilton Island (there might be a nominal fee). You can also
check www.hiltonheadisland.org

The Grande Ocean is a great place - I think you'll have a good time.

posted 05-21-2005 10:20               

I've exchanged into Grande Ocean several times over the past five years. Some of the exchanges were from other Marriott resorts, a couple were not.

Every time I have, part of the check in package was a Sea Pines vehicle gate pass.

When we have been biking, showing that pass to the guard at the Sea Pines gate has been good enough for entry. Never had any challenge or suggestion that I needed some other kind of bicycling pass.

Art

posted 05-23-2005 19:29               

There is a bike trail that runs parallel to South Forrest Beach Drive (SFBD) on the west side of SFBD. When exiting the main Marriott Grande Ocean parking lot, simply cross SFBD, make a left onto the bike trail which will take you down to the SeaPines Plantation rear gate - probably about a half-mile ride. Just flash your Sea Pines bike pass and proceed through the bike entrance onto Sea Pines Plantation bike trail. Now, I'm not sure
of the traffic that Marty is referring to - but if he's talking
about auto traffic on SFBD - you miss the traffic if you're on the bike trail - and if he's talking about traffic on the bike path, the probability of your meeting bicycle traffic coming the opposite direction from Sea Pines is low.

If after crossing SFBD from GO and you make a right turn onto the bike path, this will take you up towards Colingy Circle. Making a left turn prior to getting to the circle will take you to the Bi-Lo Supermarket. You're not going to do major food shopping with the small bike-baskets, but you can do a milk run and get some exercise to boot.

If you want to ride your bicycle on the beach - it's much easier to access the beach with your bike directly from GO than to ride down to Sea Pines Plantation for beach access.

So, it depends on what your bike-riding plans are - if you only want to ride on the bike paths in Sea Pines Plantation, then Marty's plan is a viable one. Incidently, there is another bike rental company a relatively short distance from the Plantation Club Bike Rental Company - it's down Lighthouse Road towards Harbor Town in Sea Pines Center.

If you don't want to get into your car to drive to Sea Pines Plantation, if you want to ride your bike on the beach or if you want to ride to other destinations on HHI, including the grocery store, then renting bicycles off Plantation is probably a better option.

Another consideration is cost - the following comparisons all include baskets and locks. In 2004, it cost $50 + tax to rent 2 bikes for a week from the Marriott GO bike center. It cost $36 + tax to rent 2 bikes from an off Plantation Bike Rental Company (Pedals) that also offers free delivery and pick-up. There are bike racks throughout the GO parking garages and in the parking lot. I seem to recall that when I checked on rental fees at the Plantation Club Bike Rental Location attached to the Plantation Club Golf Course, their charge was about $55 + tax to rent 2 bikes for a week. I'm not sure what the fees are from the bike company in Sea Pines Center but my guess would be they're similar to the Plantation Club. We just came back from a week at Swallowtail on Sea Pines Plantation - we rented bikes from Pedals again and their free delivery and pick-up was very convenient. However, they've had a price increase - $42 + tax for 2 bikes for a week. I did see some bike company adds with somewhat lower prices than Pedals but we've been happy with their bikes and service and decided to stay with them.

So enjoy your biking, whatever your bike rental decisions are -

posted 05-24-2005 05:53               

I agree with both of you.

The convenience of renting at GO, the immediate access to the beach and the proximity of Coligny by bike suggests that renting at GO is a better decision.

However, renting at GO means an extra four-mile round trip just to get to the point where Marty rents his bikes. Thus, if one wants to bike primarily in Sea Pines, especially if one isn't used to sitting on a bike, Marty's choice might come out on top.

posted 05-30-2005 02:06               

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Originally posted by megadoo1:
Family and I (wife, kids 11 and 9) are renting at Grande Ocean directly from an owner the week of 7/23. After reading the REVIEWS section, I still had a few questions:

How is the Marriott Compass Club there – any highly recommended activities?

Are sparklers/fireworks on the beach OK?

I appreciate your feedback - LNOG LIVE TUG!

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Compass club for Kids - great setup for kids activities, even teenagers. Our boys last year (14 & 9 then) both did multiple activities with Marriott. They liked the college kids that ran things. Some activities are pricey, but having Marriott take the kids on the Zodaic dolphin cruise was cheaper than me going too as an adult must accompany them. The boys like the pool volleyball, Zodiac ride, and t-shirt tye dyeing best based on 5 years experience.

I am not sure about the legality of sparklers on the beach in SC but our boys and their friends from NC go out every year and either use sparklers or see other kids with them. Please just make sure the used sparkler wire gets into the trash can.

Good luck and enjoy the beach.