# HH Surfwatch: Riding Bikes/Visiting Resort Communities



## tf2275 (Mar 28, 2010)

Maui owner visiting Hilton Head for first time.  Have read all strings about bike riding, but still have a few questions.

Originally thought we would rent bikes for the week delivered to Surfwatch, but understand we can't ride bikes into Sea Pines/Palmetto Dunes or other communities.  Seems like bike paths ouside Sea Pines are on major roads. What to see riding on major roads?  Any recommended paths more scenic around Surfwatch? 

How many miles on bike path from Surfwatch to Grande Ocean?  If we want to see Palmetto Dunes/Sea Pines areas, are we better off renting bikes inside those communities on a daily basis even though cost is higher?

Finally, can one access all resort communities by car by going to a restaurant or shopping?

Thanks
Terry


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## Art (Mar 28, 2010)

The resort communities (plantation is the HHI name for them) are gated.  If  a plantation is solely residential, one essentially has to be invited in by a resident of that community.

If there are commercial businesses within the plantation (SeaPines is the best example), one can buy an automobile pass for $5 (could be more since that is old data).  The one minor anomaly is that those staying at Marriott Grande Ocean which is outside the SeaPines gate receive an automobile pass to enter SeaPines.

There is one other free alternative for getting into SeaPines and that is to ride ones bike in along the beach.  One cuts over to the beach somewhere in the vicinity of MGO, rides on the beach for a couple miles to the area of Marriott Monarch and then rides over a path to Sea Pines proper.  The requirements here are a bike suitable for riding on sand, an interest in riding on the beach, and a willingness to explore Sea Pines on bike or foot.  It is not a particularly small place.  There is always the chance that you will be asked if you have a pass.

I do not recall ever going into Palmetto Dunes far enough to encounter a gate.  With the restaurants and hotel there, access might not be limited - unless there is private residential area that I am not familiar with.

Art


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## tlwmkw (Mar 28, 2010)

You can ride all over the island on a bike but some distances are quite far.   If you go to the welcome center (just as you get onto the island) then you can get a bike trail map for the bike trails on the island.  There are bike trails that go pretty much everywhere and you are not actually on the roads but are on the sides- sometimes with no separation from the road other than a curb (like on a raised sidewalk) and sometimes quite far from the actual road with trees and grass between the road and bike path.  We've ridden all over the island and it is fun.  If you have small children going all the way from Surfwatch to SeaPines will probably be too far but you could easily get to ShelterCove or some of the shops along the way.  If you have folks who love to ride bikes then you could easily go all the way to Sea pines without difficulty.  It is flat all the way so the riding is very easy.  Riding on the beach can be quite hard because of the friction from the sand.  You cannot ride continuously from Surfwatch down to Grande Ocean because of the streams  that run down into the ocean- you can't get your bike past these.

tlwmkw


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## tf2275 (Mar 28, 2010)

Thanks for the responses.  Not too interested in riding miles on the beach. Sounds like we should at least drive into Sea Pines and rent bikes there for a day separate from having bikes in Surfwatch.

How about Port Royal Plantation?  Assuming it is gated, are there businesses (shopping/dining) there where you can drive in through security?

Any suggestions for not-fancy restaurants close to Surfwatch?

Terry


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## FlyerBobcat (Mar 28, 2010)

Check out this HHI Pathways web site, which includes a link to a pathway pdf file.
Sea Pines, however, is not covered in the .pdf file.


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## jme (Mar 28, 2010)

tf2275 said:


> Maui owner visiting Hilton Head for first time.  Have read all strings about bike riding, but still have a few questions.
> 
> Originally thought we would rent bikes for the week delivered to Surfwatch, but understand we can't ride bikes into Sea Pines/Palmetto Dunes or other communities.  Seems like bike paths ouside Sea Pines are on major roads. What to see riding on major roads?  Any recommended paths more scenic around Surfwatch?
> 
> ...




Here's a link to googlemaps showing approximate trip from Surfwatch down to Palmetto Dunes Plantation Entrance Gate. Since the entrance doen't have a specific address, i used a small shopping center location ONE BLOCK past PD entrance, so it's essentially the same. Instead of going to this shopping center, just turn LEFT into Palmetto Dunes. 

Regardless, it's a trip of 2.5 miles; imho, too long to ride bikes along a boring and busy and unattractive Hwy 278. 

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou...7962,-80.71269&spn=0.033777,0.076303&t=h&z=14 

A trip from Surfwatch to Marriott Monarch in Sea Pines is given as a second destination...it's 12.7 miles, MUCH TOO FAR. Monarch is a short distance within the Sea pines gate, and a mile still short of the Harbour Town area, a favorite biking destination you don't want to miss. Stop in at the Country Bear Store for an ice cream after you get there and park the bikes!!!!

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou...091,-80.727367&spn=0.033784,0.076303&t=h&z=14

My personal choice (even when we stay at our home resort of Grande Ocean near the SP gate) is to go inside Sea Pines, continue past Monarch, and rent bikes at a place nextdoor to the Plantation Club, ...over near the golf course,  turn right on Lighthouse Rd, and you'll see a green and white canopy on right, at far end of parking lot...that's it.  Nice bikes. 

(Another place in SP is near Truffles Restaurant at a shopping center past the firehouse, across the street from Swallowtail resort. Also good bikes, centrally located in SP.)

From there (near original bike rental place near Plantation Club), the bike paths we love go in three different directions, and are about equidistant.....one into Harbour Town (a great bike ride, and our favorite), a second into South Beach (instead of turning right on Lighthouse Rd, continue straight, straight, straight (yes, just stay straight) a good ways into SB, another wonderful destination, home of Salty Dog t-shirt shop & many other shops/restaurants), and a third if you go toward Harbour Town on Lighthouse Rd, but turn right on Plantation Rd, heading then thru a long canopy of tall, moss-covered oaks toward Lawton Stables, along a winding path...awesome.

Those three bike paths are our favorites. Anything outside of Sea Pines is OK, but not as many GOOD options.  If i had to choose a second area, it would be inside Palmetto Dunes, one of the larger and more beautiful gated plantations.  The paths in there are very nice also.  There IS a guard gate well into Palmetto Dunes, just about where the Marriott Hotel & Spa is located. If you veer right at the Hotel along Ocean Lane, the guard gate will intercept you. Not sure about biking policies in there, but down Ocean Lane is definitely where you want to ride....it's quite beautiful, and has numerous huge condos and hotels. long nice road. 

Here's Marriott Hotel location in PD:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...726,-80.717325&spn=0.016892,0.038152&t=h&z=15

Hope this helps.  Listen to others, too, tho, because we like our routine, and have not varied it, so there may be other varying options, but ours is a can't miss, if you want to try.  Sea Pines and Palmetto Dunes both offer a leisurely day of scenic and safe bike riding thru winding paths, under oak canopies and over lagoon bridges.  (f i weren't going to be at Grande Ocean NEXT WEEK, i probably wouldn't have been able to type this. Would just be too painful.....)

IMHO, biking around Surfwatch, or out of Surfwatch,  is not where you want to spend your time, given the wonderful alternatives........enjoy, jme


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## Berea1 (Mar 28, 2010)

*Rent your bikes at Marriott Grande Ocean*

When we stayed at  MGO in Sept., 2009, my understanding (I could be wrong) was that there were some Marriott Surfwatchers and Barony Beachers who rented the bikes at MGO for $25 for the week.  You were given the pass to bike into Sea Pines.  You were given a chain to lock up your bikes at a bike rack at MGO.  So, you drove over to MGO, parked at the visitor's parking lot, walked to whatever bike rack (or even a tree) that you had secured your bikes to, and rode the bike path into Sea Pines and Harbortown.

Call MGO and ask if you can still do that.  Patrick


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## FlyerBobcat (Mar 28, 2010)

I recall "Dave M" mentioning that MGO owners pay extra in their yearly MFs for that Sea Pines priviledge.  So it doesn't seem right that it would be open to all others...  I recall last year that bike passes at MGO were a little scarce....  I had to beg for one...


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## jme (Mar 28, 2010)

Berea1 said:


> When we stayed at  MGO in Sept., 2009, my understanding (I could be wrong) was that there were some Marriott Surfwatchers and Barony Beachers who rented the bikes at MGO for $25 for the week.  You were given the pass to bike into Sea Pines.  You were given a chain to lock up your bikes at a bike rack at MGO.  So, you drove over to MGO, parked at the visitor's parking lot, walked to whatever bike rack (or even a tree) that you had secured your bikes to, and rode the bike path into Sea Pines and Harbortown.
> 
> Call MGO and ask if you can still do that.  Patrick



If done this way, if it's allowed,  it would be approx 1.8 mi from MGO into the Marriott Monarch Resort area in Sea Pines, from which I described the various trail options emanating from JUST PAST that point. Maybe a very good option, thanks Patrick.  
A trip to Harbour Town would be a nice long ride, but still a great way to rent & store bikes at MGO, plus MGO might give a free Sea Pines pass if you rent; otherwise it's $5 a day. Those who stay at MGO always get the free SP pass for autos and bikes for the week.

here's a link to help see:    enjoy, Marty (jme)

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou...75347&sspn=0.033795,0.076303&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=15


jme


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## MULTIZ321 (Mar 29, 2010)

Terry,

If you decide to bike-ride within Sea Pines Plantation (regardless of where you rent your bikes), and you decide to ride down to South Beach Village within Sea Pines, be sure to stop at the Stoney-Baynard Ruins which are on the way to South Beach (follow the markers). The story of the Stoney-Baynard ruins. 

Sea Pines Plantation is a large place encompassing more than 5000 acres. So you may decide to do several bike-trips in Sea Pines Plantation -  a separate trip to explore Harbour Town and the Hilton Head Lighthouse and perhaps another trip to the area around Lawton Stables.

Not too far from the Marriott Surfwatch Resort and an easy bike ride, just a tad north near the southwest corner of Mathews Drive and Hwy 278 is the Zion Chapel of Ease and Cemetary Historical Marker. Inside the small cemetary behind the marker is the oldest intact structure on Hilton Head Island, the Baynard Mausoleum, built in 1846. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 - William E. Baynard Mausoleuum.

Also, at this location, on the east side of Hwy 278, Mathews Drive changes names to Folly Field Road. You can follow the bike path on Folly Field Road
and it curves  and heads north and takes you the back way into the Marriott's Barony Beach Club and the Westin Hilton Head Island Resort and Spa which are both within Port Royal Plantation. Alternatively, you can follow the bike path north on Hwy 278 to the formal entrance of Port Royal Plantation and follow the bike path into Port Royal proper.

If you're interested in the History of Hilton Head Island and/or Civil War History, you can bike to the Battle of Port Royal Historical Marker
8 other markers are within walking/biking distance of this site. See the other
hyperlinks within the Port Royal Historical Marker link for more info.

Enjoy your visit to Hilton Head.


Richard


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## kjd (Mar 29, 2010)

There are businesses and restaurants at Port Royal Plantation but they are outside of the gates.  Turn left about 100 feet past the main entrance and you'll see them.  One of our favorite restaurants, Frankie Bones, is located there.  Commercial buildings are hard to find on Hilton Head because of their sign ordinance and the landscaping requirements.

You can go beyond the Port Royal gates if you have a tee time at one of the golf courses.  Other than the golf clubhouse restaurant the area behind the gate is mostly residential.


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## mlfrancis (Mar 29, 2010)

*just back from SurfWatch last week*

we rented our bikes at Grande Ocean, they charged them to our SurfWatch account.  You get a free weekly pass to Sea Pines - ask the bike rental person for a Sea Pines map.  You can take several different paths thru Sea Pines - go to South Beach one day, to Harbour Town another, etc.

And be sure to do the Nature Preserve (the turn is just after the main gate you use when coming from MGO).  Also I agree heartily about the Baynard Ruins.  

Also right inside the gate is the best place to see alligators - may be due to the time of year, but that first lagoon had several adults, about 10 "babies" and at least 30 turtles sunning on the far bank - some turtles snuggled up to an adult alligator!

You can leave the bikes chained at MGO and just come and go as you please, showing your SW parking pass.  The biking is much better in Sea Pines than it is at the other side of the island (which is often along business 278 and other main roads).


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## pedro47 (Mar 29, 2010)

Which plantation is SurfWatch located on?


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## jme (Mar 29, 2010)

*no plantation there*

Surfwatch is not located within a gated plantation community at all. Simply turn in off Hwy 278 (Old William Hilton Pkwy) onto Burkes Beach Road, and it's on the left.  

There are a few very nice private homes in the immediate area, along with some not-so-nice ones, but essentially Surfwatch is along a stretch which is heretofore undeveloped by "resorts". IMHO, it's an area which will be very nice in a few years as more happens there. The area around the highway there begs for development, and it will come....it's about the only place left.

There is Port Royal Plantation (with Barony Beach Club, Westin Hotel, etc.) a mile or so before Surfwatch, and another a couple of miles past (Palmetto Dunes, plus Shelter Cove area development across the street), but SW stands alone.  jme


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## pedro47 (Mar 30, 2010)

jme thanks for the information. We have two weeks in October @ SW.


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## john_olson_aqrj (Mar 30, 2010)

We just got back from SurfWatch and had a great time last week.  You can rent bikes at both SurfWatch (MSW) and Grande Ocean (MGO) for the day and charge it your villa.  It is a nice bike ride along the beach from MSW to Barony Beach where you can eat and get drinks before riding back.  It is a "good" AM walk too for a coffee.  Early morning is amazing with all the birds out and welcoming the sun; just check the tide tables BEFORE you walk or ride.

Please stop by Pool Bar Jim's at Grande Ocean even if you don't rent bikes there.  He has been at the south pool longer than Marriott and is the "best tropical bartender" that Marriott has worldwide.  His drink book is amazing and he only uses FRESH fruit for drinks and smoothies.  Once you have been there, every other Marriott beach/pool bar seems a step down.  You can also charge everything there (drinks, hats, T-shirts) to your room.

As for close restaurants, there are several by the BiLo/Sam's Club that is just up Bus 278.  O'Reilly's Irish Pub, Plantation Cafe, Hot dog, and pizza places are all next to each other.  We enjoy these restaurants in order: the Sage Room off Pope Avenue ($$, leave kids to MAZE staff for a date night, $2 snow pea martini); Hudson's by the Dock's (FRESH shrimp, have Leah or BORG wait on you, fun for kids); and Salty Dog inside Sea Pines at South Beach (3 restaurants, great T-shirts, get Salty Dog/HHI premium ice cream, fun for kids & dogs).

We shop for food at Publix in Festival Centre (on Bus 278) as my wife thinks Publix is the best grocery chain on the island.  Wal-Mart is next door and is great for "I forgot" items and and "plastic junk".  Sam's Club is very good on wine $ and large quantity food items.

The tree pruning crews were allowed to work at SurfWatch and Grande Ocean this fall and really cleaned up the views (at last !!).  The resorts look great; all clean and freshly painted for the season.  The new tennis and gold programs for MSW in conjunction with Barony and Sunset Pointe are very good.  You can use the spa at Barony and charge it to your room.

Enjoy your stay at one of the best beaches on the east coast.


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## john_olson_aqrj (Mar 30, 2010)

*UPDATE on highway names for MSW - Business US 278*



jme said:


> Surfwatch is not located within a gated plantation community at all. Simply turn in off Hwy 278 (Old William Hilton Pkwy) onto Burkes Beach Road, and it's on the left.
> 
> There are a few very nice private homes in the immediate area, along with some not-so-nice ones, but essentially Surfwatch is along a stretch which is heretofore undeveloped by "resorts". IMHO, it's an area which will be very nice in a few years as more happens there. The area around the highway there begs for development, and it will come....it's about the only place left.
> 
> There is Port Royal Plantation (with Barony Beach Club, Westin Hotel, etc.) a mile or so before Surfwatch, and another a couple of miles past (Palmetto Dunes, plus Shelter Cove area development across the street), but SW stands alone.  jme



UPDATE:  SurfWatch is off Business 278 (Old US 278) and the road is still called just "Hilton Head Parkway".  New US 278 is the Cross Island Expressway that goes across the "top of the tennis shoe".  Please check a map, HHI literally looks like a tennis shoe.

The MSW resort sign is on the east side/ left side coming on island, is very small, and is hard to see at night.  At night we get into the left turn lane after the first traffic light south of Port Royal entrance/curve (by Adventure Cove) and pray we can see the poorly lit intersection with Burke's Beach Road.  The Sherman Williams sign is 50 feet PAST the intersection. Please be careful of the construction work there on the bike path (as of 3/25/10).

The actual MSW entrance is 150 feet down Burke's Beach Road and then left 500 feet down 5th Street; which is a narrow, poorly lit lane that looks like a driveway.  The gatehouse is hard to see until you are almost there.  GET a good GPS and LISTEN to it to find your way around HHI at night.  

VERY IMPORTANT - ALL left turns from MSW onto Bus 278 should be made at the traffic light by the Exxon, which is on the road parallel to Burke's Beach, but on the other side of the town park.  Please drive southwest through the park via 2nd street FIRST, then turn right to get to the light.


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## tf2275 (Mar 31, 2010)

*Bikeriding in Hilton Head*

Jme:

Thanks so much for all the good information.  

Terry



jme said:


> Here's a link to googlemaps showing approximate trip from Surfwatch down to Palmetto Dunes Plantation Entrance Gate. Since the entrance doen't have a specific address, i used a small shopping center location ONE BLOCK past PD entrance, so it's essentially the same. Instead of going to this shopping center, just turn LEFT into Palmetto Dunes.
> 
> Regardless, it's a trip of 2.5 miles; imho, too long to ride bikes along a boring and busy and unattractive Hwy 278.
> 
> ...


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## pedro47 (Mar 31, 2010)

John Olson agrj thanks for the update on the resort location.


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## FlyerBobcat (Apr 9, 2010)

An update to the issue of renting bikes from Grande Ocean...

I exchanged a few emails with the GM of Grande Ocean, Bob Spear, and I decided to summarize his discussion of the overall policy:


typically do not rent to anyone who is not staying at Grande Ocean, and
they do not provide passes to guests staying at other Marriott resorts on the island
the bike shop does not accept cash or credit cards... so you have to have an active account to rent bikes 
passes are limited based upon contract with Sea Pines but MGO is currently working to obtain more in the future

He closed by stating that he I would be naïve to think that they are perfect..... and will continue to work to improve. 

[I certainly like this guy.....]


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## SueDonJ (Apr 9, 2010)

Tom, it's great that he responded to your questions, sure.  But mlfrancis isn't the first person to post here that GO does rent bikes and give Sea Pines passes to folks staying at the other HH Marriott resorts.  Didn't somebody post also that GO's bike rates have gone up $5 more this year than the other resorts?  Perhaps that's an attempt to recoup the $5 SP admission fee with rentals to offsite guests, but isn't it one that effectively charges GO owners twice - in their dues and in their rentals?

I guess my question is, did Bob Spears leave things with you that GO's bike rental policy isn't perfect, or did he make it clear that GO will no longer allow bike rentals to offsite guests?  What you've posted is ambiguous, and I can see it leaving the door open for folks to claim at GO that they just want what's been given to others.  But you're right, that's not fair to GO owners.  The double charge is the more important negative, but not having enough bikes for everyone is another.


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## FlyerBobcat (Apr 9, 2010)

SueDonJ said:


> Tom, it's great that he responded to your questions......



I intentionally did not -- and do not -- plan to post my personal emailings with him, as that was not the intention of the emails, and feel it can only lead to stifle future email communications....

But that being said,  I will add that I asked him first about the policy, based on the scenario(s) mentioned here on TUG.  When his reply on the policy did not align what was reported here, I copied several postings to him, including the mlfrancis one you mentioned.  
In response, he mentioned that the information I sent may be used as a "training tool".   I did not get the impression at all that overall policy will change -- just that it may be enforced differently....

But who knows...


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## SueDonJ (Apr 9, 2010)

Fair enough, I don't repost private emails with the GM's either unless I've asked permission from them to do so.

I think you and I are on the same page here, Tom.  I'd like to see GO stop that practice of renting to offsite guests because I think it's unfair to GO owners who have paid for Sea Pines access in their dues and might suffer from reduced inventory.  But it seems kind of odd, as in routine, that the other HH Marriott employees suggest it and that the GO employees know how to charge the rental fees to those resorts.  That's why I asked if Bob Spears has said definitely whether or not the practice will continue.  It's just another one of those things that Marriott doesn't seem to enforce one way or the other, and those are the kinds of things that drive me bonkers.


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## mlfrancis (Apr 12, 2010)

*just convenience*

The Sea Pines pass isn't the real attraction for renting bikes at MGO, it's the convenience of leaving them there and being able to come and go during the week.  I'd be happy to pay for the Sea Pines pass if that's the real issue (other non-MGO owners may not agree with me, tho!).  I totally agree with MGO owners that it's not fair if that fee is part of their maintenance.  So hopefully they'll still rent them to other Marriott owners and just not give us the pass.

As an aside, I was told by our SW sales guy (no longer there!) that we could rent bikes at MGO. Typical, they just answer the questions the way they think you want them to.

Mary


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## SueDonJ (Apr 12, 2010)

Mary, you mention that your sales guy told you it could be done.  I don't have a problem with any employees at the other Marriott resorts telling their guests that bikes or bike racks are available for rental/use at GO because it appears that there is a working system in place to do exactly that.  My problem is that the system appears unfair to GO guests and should be changed.

I can't remember if there was a time that SW and the others didn't have bikes available, and maybe that's why the arrangement was made?  If that's the case it doesn't seem fair to continue it because bikes are available at all resorts now.  Maybe a fair compromise could be that guests at the other resorts rent their bikes there, but GO's bike racks could be used as a courtesy for proximity to that end of the island?  Offsite guests could be responsible for their own Sea Pines passes and getting their bikes to GO, although SW and the other Marriott resorts could use their vans for transport.

This is probably all too much thinking and it will remain forever one of those unstated Marriott things that's applied inconsistently.


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## mlfrancis (Apr 12, 2010)

*availability not an issue*

it had nothing to do with SW not having a bike rental facility, we bought pre-construction when there was nothing but a cleared lot.  It was more like "any Marriott owner on HHI can use the facilities at any other on HHI and charge them back to your SW villa" - and I specifically asked about bike rentals at MGO as it's so convenient and we've stayed there many times (as well as at Barony).  

I agree with your comments about fairness.  I have never been at MGO, tho, when there weren't tons of bikes sitting in the bike rental area, so I don't think availability of bikes would be an issue.  Again, I'd be more than willing to pay for the Sea Pines pass.  We rarely ride anywhere else on HHI, other than maybe up to Coligny.  I'd hate to think we'd have to go to an independent bike rental place rather than renting thru Marriott.

Mary


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