It’s high summer in the Lowcountry, the time of year when happiness smells like sunscreen and locals joke that Hilton Head Island might sink from the weight of all the visitors. So much fun is packed into the long days that end in soft, golden evening light.
July is when the staff at local restaurants, bike rental companies, charter fishing boats and other businesses work long hours to make sure that every customer’s experience is top notch. Here at Monthly, we too worked hard on this issue to bring you the very best of Hilton Head Island and Bluffton people, events and opinions.
We’ve got lots to celebrate in this issue. First, we have a new editor. Carol Weir comes to us by way of The Island Packet, where she worked for 12 years, first as a reporter and then as special sections editor.
She has worked writing compelling stories, shooting and editing photos, laying out pages, editing and proof-reading during her 20-year career in journalism, both in the U.S. and in Costa Rica. There she was the managing editor of a weekly newspaper and wrote for Fodor’s travel guides. Carol also taught Spanish for four years at Bluffton Middle School, and she’s the mother of two teenage boys. So her nerves can handle the last-minute crunch involved in putting together a magazine. Please join us in welcoming Carol to Hilton Head Monthly.
Secondly, we are excited to announce our new office location. Our move to 14 Westbury Park Way in Bluffton will put us in the heart of the rapidly-growing Lowcountry power triangle. Increasingly, Hilton Head Island, Bluffton, Beaufort and Savannah are converging to form a single metropolitan corridor, and we want to be in a position to serve the larger community. We’ll be open for business at our new location on Aug. 1.
In this month’s issue, we celebrate summer with a fashion spread, grilling tips, and a wrap-up of fun activities that don’t involve salt water. We also report about growth in Bluffton, environmental education opportunities at the Port Royal Sound Foundation’s Maritime Center, and much more.
Looking ahead to next month, I’m happy to report that it’s time for our annual “Cutest Pets of the Lowcountry” contest. I’m looking forward to the flood of adorable dogs, cats, guinea pigs, horses and other creatures that fill our inboxes every year. Please email pet photos to editor@hiltonheadmonthly.com by July 10. We’ll announce the winner in next month’s Monthly.
Finally, we want to hear more from you, our readers. Social media is about encouraging dialogue, so we’ve posted a question on our Facebook page which we hope you’ll take the time to answer. “What’s the best thing about getting older?” is a topic that can be answered by everyone—whether you’re 40 or 80. I can’t wait to read what you have to say.
Enjoy,
Anuska Frey, Publisher
