RESORTQUEST HILTON HEAD ISLAND PROUD SPONSOR OF THE 2009 HILTON HEAD ISLAND WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL

Each March, Hilton Head Island is home to one of the eastern seaboard’s foremost culinary events, the Hilton Head Food and Wine Festival. ResortQuest Hilton Head Island offers nearly 500 vacation rentals, condos and private beach homes in the premier resort destination, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and just moments from the tasty treats of this gastronomic spectacle.

February 17, 2009 Hilton Head Island, SC – ResortQuest Hilton Head Island, in conjunction with the Hilton Head Island Hospitality Association, presents the 2009 Hilton Head Food and Wine Festival. The festival will be held March 11 – 15 at the Sea Pines Country Club and Coastal Discovery at Honey Horn. This signature event features the exquisite culinary delights from the island’s nationally recognized chefs paired with over 1,500 wines from across the globe.

The medal winning wines have already been announced for the 2009 event and include:
Best of Show Bubbly Champagne: Pascal Doquet NV Grand Cru Blanc de Blanc Best of Show Red: Alexander Valley Vineyards 2005 Cyrus Alexander Valley Estate and Best of Show White: Chasing Venus 2008 Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough
View a full listing of 2009 award winners at ResortQuestHiltonHeadIsland.com.

The Festival kicks-off on March 11 with the Pol Roger Champagne Tasting and Welcome Dinner, to be held at The Studio on Hilton Head Island and is presented by the Hilton Head Island Chapter of the American Institute of Food and Wine. Dinner events and wine tastings continue at venues around the island, including Wine Times 4, WiseGuys bar and restaurant, Aqua Grille & Lounge, the Old Fort Pub, Red Fish restaurant and the XO Lounge. The Grand Wine Tasting event takes place on Friday, March 13 at the Sea Pines Country Club from 5:30 – 7:30 pm. Cost for the Grand Tasting is $150 per person (plus $5 gate pass). Featured wines include La Crema Anderson Valley Pinot Noir 2005, Cliff Lede Poetry 2005, Miner Oracle 2005 and the Rombauer Diamond Select Cabernet Sauvignon 2003.

The most popular event at the Wine & Food Festival is the public tasting, held this year at the Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn, Saturday, March 14 from 12 noon – 4 pm. Cost is $40 per person, and includes entrance to all of the featured tasting events, such as the Tailgate Gourmet Challenge and the Grey Goose Best Bartender Challenge.

For more event details, tickets and a full schedule of events, visit the Hilton Head Area Hospitality Association website at hiltonheadhospitality.org.

ResortQuest Hilton Head is an official sponsor of the 2009 festival and is offering a full selection of discount Hilton Head Food & Wine Festival lodging packages including free tickets to the Public Tasting and vacation rental accommodations throughout Hilton Head during the event. Enjoy the comfort and privacy of resort accommodations, complete with kitchen, living and dining areas and scenic golf course and ocean settings.

Guests can experience 3 nights lodging in a 2 bedroom, 2 bath condominium or villa, plus four adult tickets to the March 14 Public Tasting event from as low as $180 a per person* (restrictions apply). All ResortQuest Hilton Head guests enjoy free tennis, discounted golf, free DVD rentals and the exclusive ResortQuest Recommends program offering deals and discounts on over 160 restaurants, shops and activities. All vacation rentals offer fully-equipped kitchens and immediate access to beaches, tennis, golf and water sports. To claim this offer, visit the ResortQuest Hilton Head Island lodging website or contact a reservations specialist at 800.653.9638 and mention promotion code REF WFF.

Throughout March, ResortQuest Hilton Head is offering 30% off lodging as part of the ResortQuest “More For Your Money” promotion. To claim this offer, visit the ResortQuest Hilton Head Island lodging website or contact a reservations specialist at 800.653.9638 and mention promotion code REF MYM.

Help for Hilton Head in a Tough Economy

With many people scaling back in the face of tough economic times, 2009 is a year when value is going to be the key to spending, particularly when it comes to vacations. Folks are still traveling but they're being really choosy about where they spend their hard-earned money. The Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce hopes a $200,000-plus ad campaign beginning next month will encourage those within an easy drive of the island to do just that.
Much of the ad campaign, with money from The Town’s crisis reserves, is focused on advertising on Internet sites used by people in key demographics in the two closest, affluent drive markets: Atlanta and Charlotte. Both cities also offer direct flights to Hilton Head Island Airport and Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport as an option.
The campaign will also include electronic billboards and radio spots during drive-time hours and a small number of print ads, and promotional banners and 3D models at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Those will focus on branding the island as a place to relax, recharge and reconnect with loved ones.
This is a key booking time right now and most lodging properties are not at the same pace right now as last year. The Internet campaign should allow the chamber to expand its large database of people who have either visited the island or expressed interest in taking a vacation here in the recent past. The chamber sends everyone in the database a monthly newsletter in order to keep the island fresh in people's minds.

Hilton Head Wine & Food Festival

For more information on the Hilton Head Wine & Food Festival, visit ResortQuestHiltonHead.com.

RESORTQUEST HILTON HEAD WELCOMES WORLD CLASS PIANISTS TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina welcomes the Hilton Head International Piano Contest, a special presentation by the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra. This event brings together talented musicians from across the globe to compete for over $33,000.000 in prizes. ResortQuest Hilton Head offers over 500 vacation rentals and condominiums on Hilton Head Island and is proud to support the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra.

February 10, 2009 Hilton Head Island SC – This March, Hilton Head Island and the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra welcomes the talented musicians of the Hilton Head International Piano Contest. This world-class event takes place March 2 – 9, 2009 at the First Presbyterian Church of Hilton Head Island and is presented by the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra. It brings together international pianists and judges for a week of extraordinary performances by pianists ages 18 – 30. Participants compete for over $33,000 in prizes plus coveted concert placements.
For more information and tickets to the contest, contact the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra at 843-842-2055 or visit www.hhso.org.

The Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra is entering its 27th year on Hilton Head Island and for over a quarter century has remained true to their goal of bringing an unparalleled orchestral experience to the visitors and residents of Hilton Head Island. The 2009 performance schedule focuses on the work of the Masters, with major pieces by Bach, Beethoven, Berlioz, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Sibelius, Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky in eight classically themed concerts.

ResortQuest Hilton Head Island is a strong supporter of the local arts and culture of Hilton Head Island. Guests visiting Hilton Head Island during the 2009 Symphony season receive special lodging rates through ResortQuest Hilton Head Island. ResortQuest's "More for your Money" March promotion gives guests 30% off any March stay. Guests must mention booking code INT MYM and book no later than March 1, 2009. The promotion is valid for any stay between March 1 and March 31, 2009. To book the “More for Your Money” March Hilton Head special, visit www.resortquesthiltonhead.com.

The Hilton Head Island condominiums and private vacation homes offered by ResortQuest Hilton Head Island offer the space, amenities and location ideally suited for any destination vacation. Guests enjoy free tennis, discounted golf, free DVD rentals and the exclusive ResortQuest Recommends program offering deals and discounts on over 160 restaurants, shops and activities. All vacation rentals offer fully-equipped kitchens for family meals and immediate access to beaches, tennis, golf and water sports.

Events Hilton Head

Wakeboarding on Hilton Head

For those of you who like a little adventure Hilton Head is a great place to go wakeboarding. Wakeboarding is a water sport in which a person attached to a wakeboard is being pulled by a rope from behind a boat using techniques that are similar to water skiing, snowboarding, and surfing. Wakeboards are made of buoyant foam and coated in fiberglass and measure about 4 to 5 feet long on average. Boots are attached to the board that your feet slip into with your toes facing the side edge, like a snowboard.
Wakeboarding is a relatively new sport being that it was invented in the late 1980's after the advent of ski boarding. In 1990 the Hyperlite wakeboard was introduced at the World Ski Board Championships and was a phenomenal hit. Since then wakeboarding has been growing in popularity and been embraced by water sports enthusiasts and sports competitions nationwide, including the X Games.
Wakeboarding is an exhilarating and challenging sport because you are being pulled by a rope from behind a boat traveling at about 20-30 mph. You can also move left and right over the wake that is being displaced. Wakeboarding is fun for all ages because you can make it as simple or as difficult as you like. Simply riding behind the boat and moving left to right is always an option, but you care to up the ante you can also utilize the combination of speed and wake to attempt an array of tricks and jumps.
Hilton Head is a particularly good place to wakeboard for multiple reasons. It's a good excuse to get out on the boat and see the gorgeous low country scenery and wildlife from the water. Our area is particularly unique because there are tiny islands that surround and protect the coastline. Not only do they provide a pretty picture but they block movement from the tides providing a glassy calm ocean surface which is ideal for smooth riding.
While on your Hilton Head Island vacation you are interested in giving wakeboarding a try, I would head down to Palmetto Bay Marina. The marina hosts boats for rent and is also the headquarters of the Wakeboarding and Waterskiing School of Hilton Head.

Parasailing

Parasailing - Granted, I would not classify this particular activity as the most extreme of water sport options, but it is pretty darn cool.

Parasailing is a recreational activity in which a person is harnessed into a parachute that is flying behind a boat at anywhere from 500-800+ feet in the air. It might seem death-defying considering the height, but in actuality Parasailing tends to be a very relaxing and a beautiful experience.

Hilton Head is a particularly great location for parasailing as it is one of many barrier islands that protect the coastline of South Carolina and Georgia, and thus setting the scene for all so the unique and breathtaking sights the low country has to offer.

Do It Factor: Definitely DO IT! Perfect for people of all ages-Just ask the world record holder, a 92 year old grandmother who in July of 2008 parasailed with her 10 year old grandson for her 6th consecutive year. Added bonus, parasailing is in some instances handicapped accessible. Check out our ResortQuest Recommends Parasailing partner: Sky Pirate Parasailing

Charter Fishing on Hilton Head

Hilton Head Island is home to some of the best fishing on the southern shore board as, depending on season, you can fish for Cobia, Spanish and King Mackerel, Shark, Red Drum, Tarpon, Wahoo, Dolphin, Marlin, Amberjack, Barracuda and Trout. This is not recommended for penny pinchers as participating in these excursions is a pricey affair, but is truly worth every cent. Be sure to sign up for a charter with a USCG Licensed, if not master licensed, captain, and preferably one with years of experience at this destination such as the Catmandoo and Bayrunner Charters http://resortquesthiltonhead.travelscreamforum.com/www.hhifish.com 843 683-4768 out of Shelter Cove Marina.

Having an experienced captain at the helm ensures safe travels throughout the marsh/oyster beds during low tide, will provide all the equipment, bait, licensures and knowledge of the best fishing spots. The length of your trip can depend on how far out to sea you actually travel, but leaving the sight of land is not incumbent on your good time. Being that Hilton Head is home to some of the largest shark breeding grounds in the world and is well known for inshore fishing, it is not uncommon to catch 60-100 lb sharks, reel in over 70 red fish and see the Tarpon roll all within sight of shore.

Do It Factor: DO IT, it will become a tradition before you know it. It is one of the island's most underrated activities. Not only is it extremely fun and interactive it is perfect for families and provides feelings of accomplishment amongst the patrons. Adults and kids alike will enjoy reeling in the big catch of the day, learning how to cast the line or bait a hook and holding up a huge shark for the camera.