Hilton Head Business

South of the Mason- Dixon line, we aren’t known for our wines and there is a very good reason for that. We have a strong tradition of whiskeys and corn liquor in our fair South. But we do produce good quality wines from our thick-skinned native grape known as the Muscadine. When most people think of wines they think of California and thinskinned grapes similar to table varieties. No one thinks of the barely cultivated grape South Carolina is known for.

This ugly and perfectly round grape looks more like over-sized buckshot than a wine grape. Growing up here I called them “bullets” for this very reason. That old name has been around for quite some time in these parts, but today, there are wineries in our state producing top quality wines from these long ignored treasures.

AS THE YEAR WINDS DOWN, THE NATIONAL HOUSING MARKET HAS HAD ITS HIGHS AND LOWS FOR 2014.

The year started slow, gained momentum and is ending slower than expected. Our local market has felt the same wave. We will report on the final number for the year in January.

Today’s buyer should be prepared when shopping in today’s market.

With lower inventory, multiple offers are not uncommon. If you require a mortgage, the first order of business is to start the application and qualification process with a lender before you begin to search for a property.

Local volunteers are the superpowers behind Hilton Head Heroes, a nonprofit that gives families with critically ill children a week’s vacation from hospitals and heartbreak.

It’s no surprise caring about children is central to the lives of Gregg and Lindy Russell. For decades, Gregg has entertained families under the Liberty Oak in Harbour Town with his original songs.

HILTON HEAD HEROES
Gregg and Lindy Russell are shown with the Tillotson Family earlier this year. The Tillotsons have twin girls, both with Down’s syndrome. Both are being treated for leukemia.

Think back to the last concert or festival you attended. Did you spot a remote-control helicopter hovering above the treetops? Did you wave and smile? There’s a good chance that you were on camera being filmed by someone embracing the new trend of drone photography. The new technology is an inexpensive way to capture stunning aerial images with a bird’s-eye view.

“Advances in modern electronics and digital technology allow the device to be lightweight, portable and relatively easy to use,” says professional photographer Jack Davis.

I thought it might be fun to take a good look at the midterm election results and think about how they might affect Hilton Head Island residents. In the words of President Barack Obama, “(he) wasn’t on the ballot but his policies were.”

So how did election night feel, Mr. President? The pundits and talking heads, even the ones on Fox News, didn’t see the magnitude of voter dissatisfaction with the White House or Congress. According to exit polls, the major driver of dissatisfaction was the state of our economy.

Hilton Head Island company’s outdoor clothing made to last a lifetime

When Curtis Hart set out six years ago to make a duplicate of his beloved cotton canvas “duck” cloth field coat for himself, he had no idea that endeavor would blossom into an extensive line of outerwear that would sell in outfitter stores across the South.
Hart said a friend of his dad’s gave him the coat in 1964 and he wore it constantly until he could no longer get it clean and his wife, Mary, told him it was too disreputable to wear any more. He said the coat had been made in 1943 at the Dux Bak Co. in Ithaca, N.Y., which went out of business in 1948.

Josh Boyles loves fishing so much that he doesn’t always watch the clock when out on the water guiding customers to hot fishing holes aboard his 20-foot bay boat.
The owner of Southern Drawl Outfitters in Moss Creek Village, just across the bridge from Hilton Head Island, Boyles charges $100 an hour for a half-day trip from 8 a.m. to noon, which he said is the average rate almost nationwide for an inshore guide. That fee typically will be prorated down a little bit for longer outings, he added.

Nestled on 24 acres in Hilton Head Island's Sea Pines Resort, Lawton Stables is home to one of the most prestigious equestrian schools in the United States – the International Riding Academy.

Since Andrew Carmines took over as general manager at Hilton Head Island seafood restaurant Hudson’s on the Docks, he’s been working on cutting out the middle man. He believes in purchasing his products directly from the source, giving the customer the freshest product available.