In July, the Lowcountry rolls out the red carpet for the thousands of visitors who flock here — mostly for a week at a time. Many Beaufort County residents work hard to make sure these visitors have a wonderful time — about 30 percent of Beaufort County jobs are directly related to tourism. Despite some traffic headaches, we’re grateful that so many families want to spend their free time and vacation dollars here.
Personally, I take pride in our slice of paradise, and I love the look on people’s faces when they see the sunsets, beaches and wildlife that locals enjoy year-round. This issue of Monthly is full of suggestions for summer fun, from kayaking on Broad Creek to biking along our leisure trails and zip lining through the trees. These are all great ways to get up close to the Lowcountry’s natural beauty.
Speaking of beauty, the saying “beauty is as beauty does” proved true in our story and photoshoot this month with Lowcountry natives Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave and Justice Mellencamp. In addition to being both gorgeous and famous — they’re musician John Mellencamp’s daughters and Teddi stars on the reality TV show “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” — the Mellencamp sisters were a delight to work with and completely down to earth. We enjoyed our time with them and thank Downtown Deli, Forsythe Jewelers, Saks Off Fifth and photographer Krisztian Lonyai for making the magic happen.
Reality TV seems to agree with us here in the Lowcountry — Hilton Head Island also was the scene of three recent episodes of “Southern Charm,” which gave our waterways, beaches and even our local seafood national exposure. Check out pages 44-45 to see what happened on the show.
Then keep reading to celebrate summer with our fashion spread, features and news about bountiful burgers, the Bluffton Inn, and the brand-new bright green trolley that’s going to make getting around the south end of the island a lot easier.
Looking ahead to next month, I’m happy to report that it’s time for our annual “Cutest Pets of the Lowcountry” contest. I can’t wait to see the flood of adorable dogs, cats, guinea pigs, horses and other creatures that you nominate each year. Please upload photos of your pets by July 10. After the voting period, we’ll announce the winner online and in next month’s Monthly, so stay tuned.
