Family island getaway

Southern Living, Jul 2003 by Stith, Mark G

Just off the coast of Hilton Head, Daufuskie Island makes a perfect summertime retreat.

For the family or couple needing a quiet Lowcountry vacation, we've found an ideal escape. Daufuskie Island Club & Resort, 1 nautical mile southwest of Hilton Head Island, couldn't be more convenient. It has that sense of remoteness that you want, without feeling as if you're on an episode of Survivor.

Although there are no bridges connecting the island to the mainland, you're hardly escaping civilization. The island resort's private passenger ferries embark from their Hilton Head Island dock for a 40-minute ride to paradise. Here's what's in store.

* Daufuskie Island Club & Resort's oceanfront, antebellum-style mansion boasts 52 elegant and spacious rooms, most with dramatic ocean views. Or you could stay in one of the fully furnished two- or four-bedroom cottages.

* What's to do? Plenty. First, there's the beach: 3 miles of white sand stretching on the Atlantic side of the island from the Beach Club to Bloody Point.

* The Beach Club features three cool pools and a fitness center, as well as basketball and Volleyball courts. The Water Sports Center rents kayaks or personal watercrafts and offers sailing, dolphin cruises, and ecology tours.

* Explore the island by walking, riding a bike, or scooting around on a golf cart. Daufuskie measures 2 1/2 miles wide and 5 miles long, and it's deeply forested. If you need to shop, hop on the water taxi for the 10-minute trip to Harbour Town on Hilton Head Island.

* Two championship golf courses challenge all levels of playing skills. The Melrose Golf Course, designed by Jack Nicklaus, is a 7,081-yard, par 72 course with Bermuda grass tees, fairways, and greens. The Bloody Point Golf Course lies along the Mungen River and Intracoastal Waterway.

* Try the tennis at the Stan Smith-designed Tennis Center, with eight clay courts and two lit stadium courts.

* The Equestrian Center plans 90-minute beach trail rides ($90 per person), as well as 45-minute jaunts around the resort ($45) depending on the season. This is our favorite way to explore the woodlands.

* If all the above activities wear you out, the resort also provides a full-service spa with a variety of soothing treatments, including massages, facials, and skin-care programs.

* With all this running, riding, or paddling around, you're sure to work up an appetite. For elegant dining, there's the Stoddard Room at the inn. Try the fresh catch of the day or executive chef Dave Mason's recommendation, the Steak Mason, a filet on a blue cheese potato cake ($32.95). More casual options include Jack's Place at Melrose Clubhouse; the Sportsman's Lodge in the Equestrian Center; or the Beach Club, which overlooks the pools, Calibogue Sound, and the Atlantic Ocean. Now, this is one getaway that gets it: capturing the feel of a faraway island retreat, yet being near enough to make it quite accessible.