I have many friends who regularly travel to Hilton Head Island for a beach getaway and last month, I joined their ranks. I imagined white sand beaches and lots of yummy seafood, and Hilton Head did indeed offer all of that. But what I didn’t expect — what no one has ever mentioned — is that there’s a color scheme to the buildings on Hilton Head Island. They are all some variation of brown.

Dunkin Donuts is brown.

McDonald’s is brown. (Or maybe this was Wendy’s. Or Taco Bell. They all looked the same…)

The playgrounds are brown.

Even Walmart is brown.

Frankly, I found it monotonous. People who like things nice and orderly probably love it here. Everything is uniform and neat. I suppose that could seem peaceful to people seeking rest and relaxation; people who want to golf and play tennis someplace new. To me, Hilton Head Island is like one grand gated community with strict HOA building guidelines.

Not the place for me.

It wasn’t until I got to the tip of Harbourtown in the Sea Pines Resort area that I could finally enjoy some color. A red and white lighthouse! It was definitely the brightest spot in South Carolina’s earth-toned resort. Good thing they didn’t make the lighthouse the same bland brown that fades into the background; otherwise ships would be crashing into shore all the time.

Harbourtown Lighthouse, Sea Pines

Harbourtown was the place to be for me. Colorful red rocking chairs for people to enjoy while they gazed at the marina. Lots of little shops and restaurants where you could wile away the hours.

Harbourtown Marina

And then — back to brown. Where your new brown “Rainbow” flip flops fit right in…

There were no other colors but brown! Really?? “Rainbow” brand??

I am still stunned that no one has ever mentioned this fact to me! Did you know that Hilton Head Island’s decor is uniformly brown?