Daufuskie Island Resort & Spa on Daufuskie Island south of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Julie Register celebrated another anniversary (a little early) at this island resort in South Carolina in July 2003

Another year, another wedding anniversary! In 2002, it was celebrated in Bermuda. Because of circumstances beyond our control in 2003, we could not be together on the actual day of our anniversary - the first time in 28 years. We decided to celebrate a few weeks early on another island - at Daufuskie Island Resort & Spa on Daufuskie Island, the southernmost point of South Carolina. This private island is only accessible via ferry from Hilton Head Island, one mile away. 

Daufuskie Ferry at the Embarkation Center on Hilton Head Island

Tree Covered Roads on Daufuskie Island

Jeff and I drove 12 hours from Delaware to the Embarkation Center on Hilton Head and caught the ferry to Daufuskie Island (it departs every two hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. with one last run at 10:45 p.m - 48 hour advanced reservations required). We were entertained by dolphins swimming alongside the ferry and the time passed quickly. On Daufuskie Island, a bus was waiting to whisk us to the resort along tree-covered roads and past fairways, ponds and fountains. Minutes later, we arrived at The Inn, our home for the next few nights. Our room was spacious and comfortable, but we actually spent very little time in it. That night, we had an excellent seafood dinner at Jack's Restaurant, a short walk from The Inn across a charming footbridge.

The Inn at Daufuskie Island Resort & Spa	Guest Room at Daufuskie Island Resort & Spa
Guest Room at Daufuskie Island Resort & Spa South Carolina	Guest Room at Daufuskie Island Resort & Spa South Carolina
View from Guest Room at Daufuskie Island Resort & Spa South Carolina	Footbridge

After a bountiful buffet breakfast at The Inn the next morning, we parted ways. Jeff headed back across the footbridge to the Melrose Clubhouse to play 18 holes on the Melrose Course. I waited with three other guests for the resort bus to take us to Breathe Spa on Bloody Point, a 15-minute drive away. There are two resort buses - one goes to Daufuskie Landing and the other to Bloody Point where the Bloody Point Clubhouse and Restaurant, Bloody Point Golf Course and Breathe Spa are located. Unfortunately, the Bloody Point bus was not running that morning. After waiting 45 minutes, the front desk arranged for resort security to give us a ride to the spa. 

Golf Course at Daufuskie Island Resort & Spa

Breathe Spa at Daufuskie Island Resort & Spa

I arrived at Breathe Spa with plenty of time to check in at the reception desk, have a tour of the Women's Changing Room, enjoy the steam room and sauna, as well as peruse the many interesting books and drink some strawberry/pineapple-infused water in the Co-Ed Lounge.

Breathe Spa Lobby	Breathe Spa Reception
Women's Changing Room in Breathe Spa	Steam Room in the Women's Changing Room in Breathe Spa
Steam Room in the Women's Changing Room in Breathe Spa	Sauna in the Women's Changing Room in Breathe Spa
Shower in the Women's Changing Room in Breathe Spa	Co-Ed Lounge in Breathe Spa
Co-Ed Lounge in Breathe Spa	Refreshments at the Co-Ed Lounge in Breathe Spa

I had a lovely spa day ahead of me - a Surf and Sand Body Polish, an Herbal Bath, a Deep Lavender Pedicure, a Spa Manicure and a Breathe Spa Signature Facial. Gregg came to get me in the lounge and escorted me to one of the spa's two beautiful wet rooms. Deep orange-red walls, warm earth-colored slate walls, soft lighting and a whimsical frog in the wall made me feel relaxed before I got on the table. The Surf and Sand Body polish started with an exfoliation using a combination of sand, jojoba beads, apricot seeds and ground loofah suspended in a creamy base. Gregg rinsed the mixture off with the Vichy shower and then massaged in a moisturizing lotion. I was returned to the lounge while Gregg prepared my next treatment, the Breathe Spa Signature Herbal Bath. While I waited, a long, warm pillow was brought to me to go on my neck, back or any other place that could use some deep heat. When the bath was ready, Gregg escorted me to the hydrotherapy room - another beautiful slate room, this one in cool blues and grays with a whimsical turtle in the floor. The tub was filled with aromatic water infused with sage, sea fennel, rosemary, orange, lavender and other herbs known for their cleansing and healing properties. Gregg let me choose the pattern of the hydrotherapy tub. I chose one that gently started on the feet and worked up the body, getting more intense with each cycle. Gregg gave me a glass of water and left me alone to enjoy the massaging action of 150 air jets and 58 underwater jets for about twenty five minutes. It was extremely relaxing. The water smelled wonderful and it left my skin feeling silky.

Hydrotherapyt Tub in Breathe Spa

Whimsical turtle in the Hydrotherapy Room Floor in Breathe Spa

Samantha took over after the bath. She collected me from the lounge and escorted me to a pedi-spa for a Deep Lavender Pedicure. While I played with the intensity of the massaging chair, my feet soaked in a warm lavender bath. Samantha gave each foot and lower leg an exfoliating salt scrub to eliminate any dry or callused skin. Next, she applied a nourishing peppermint masque, wiped them clean with warm towels, then gave me a foot and leg massage. She topped it off with a polish application. My feet felt fabulously refreshed and pretty! While the polish dried, my hands were given the same treatment with a Spa Manicure at a manicure station.

Manicure Stations in Breathe Spa

Pedicure Stations in Breathe Spa

I headed back to the lounge to await my Breathe Spa Signature Facial. Before long, Paige came to get me and escorted me to one of the spa's two facial treatment rooms. After tucking a bolster pillow under my knees, the first thing Paige did was massage my hands with lavender and place them in warm mitts. She asked me to choose the aromatherapy scent I like best, then she proceeded to cleanse my face twice - once with a lemon verbena cleanser, once with a lemon celery cleanser. She proceeded to give me a wonderfully relaxing facial using Essensa^® products interspersed with warm towels and a light, slow massage with heated and chilled river rocks. She placed some of the stones on my shoulders and heart chakra. She gave my feet a reflexology treatment while my face enjoyed a masque. The facial was profoundly relaxing, and my face felt wonderful afterwards. While I thoroughly enjoyed all the treatments at Breathe Spa, Paige's Breathe Spa Signature Facial alone was worth the 12-hour drive - no exaggeration. Paige is one of the handful of treatment providers I've experienced that has what I consider "healing hands." I highly recommend experiencing this facial with Paige!

Facial Treatment Room in Breathe Spa

Facial Treatment Room in Breathe Spa

I felt like I was liquid after my spa day. I flowed into the changing room and somehow managed to dress and catch the bus (which was running again) back to The Inn where I met Jeff. He had played a mediocre game of golf, but thought the course was very nice even though it was quite wet from recent rains. We walked along the beach path past the General Store and Ocean View Cottages to the Beach Club. We walked around the pool, whirlpool, fitness center and ended up in the restaurant for an early, casual dinner. We walked back to The Inn along the beach and decided to rent a golf cart for the following day. We had a couples massage scheduled at the spa and wanted to get to Bloody Point early to explore the beach. Having a golf cart would allow us to enjoy the wooded trail between The Inn and Bloody Point. That evening, we drove around the resort seeing the Melrose Golf Course and the Equestrian Center, as well as egrets, herons and alligators (little ones floating in the ponds). 

Hammock on the Beach	Beach Club Pool
Beach Club Whirlpool	Fitness Center
Equestrian Center	Please Don't Feed the Alligators Sign

SPATIP: I highly recommend renting a cottage golf cart or bicycles to get about the resort. That way, you don't need to depend on or be tied to the resort's bus schedule.

Cottage Golf Carts

Bicylces

The next morning we worked out at the Fitness Center and drove the golf cart along the wooded trail to Bloody Point. We ate lunch at the Bloody Point Golf Club and took a long walk past the Bloody Point tennis courts, pool and whirlpool to Bloody Point Beach. We had the beach completely to ourselves. The tide was out, and we could walk way out and around the point. It was just beautiful. While it was lovely and peaceful now, it's name comes from a skirmish in the 1700's between the Yemassee Indians, allies of the Spanish, and a patrol of English scouts on the southernmost tip of Daufuskie Island.

Fitness Center

Fitness Center

SPATIP: If you crave privacy, head for Bloody Point. We found the expansive beach sparsely populated and a lovely location for long, romantic walks. The pool and whirlpool near the Bloody Point Clubhouse and Breathe Spa had far fewer people than the Beach Club.

Bloody Point Beach	Bloody Point Beach
Bloody Point Pool	Bloody Point Whirlpool

We arrived at the spa with time to enjoy a steam and sauna and relax together in the lounge. Unfortunately, one of the massage therapists we were to have for our couples massage was unable to get to the spa for our treatment. Our other massage therapist, Gregg, gave us each a lovely massage in a single massage treatment room, one after the other. We enjoyed our time in the spa even though it wasn't what we had originally planned. 

Breathe Spa Couples Treatment Room

Breathe Spa Massage Treatment Room

Breathe Spa offers the following extensive list of treatments:

• Facials: Breathe Deeply (Deep Cleansing Facial), Breathe Easy (Express Facial), Youthful Glow, Aromatherapy Spa Facial, Gentleman's Face Treatment, Sportsman's Face Treatment, Breathe Spa Signature Facial, Deep Cleansing Back Treatment
• Hand and Foot Treatments: Aromatherapy Manicure, Spa Manicure, Sports Hand Treatment for Men, Express Pedicure, Deep Lavender Pedicure, Sports Foot Treatment for Men
• Massage: Swedish, Stress Buster, Sports, Prenatal, Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Shiatsu, Remineralizing Bliss, Couples 
• Body Wraps: Sea Mud, Lavender Dream, Green Tea, Firming, Pick Me Up, Woman's Sanctuary, Corporate, Hydra Quench
• Exfoliation: Sea Salt Glow, Citrus Body Quencher, Botanical Body Buff, Surf and Sand Body Polish
• Hydrotherapy: Mud Bath, Mineral Bath, Cleopatra Bath, Breathe Spa Signature Herbal Bath
• Enhancements (Incorporated into facial or body treatment during masquing time): Reflexology, Revitalizing Eyes, Herbal Scalp Treatment, Multivitamin Power Treatment, Multivitamin Renewing Hand Treatment
• Waxing
• Packages: Spa Sampler (Stress Buster Massage, Express Facial, Aromatherapy Manicure), Executive Escape (Sea Salt Glow, Swedish Massage, Corporate Body Therapy with Reflexology Enhancement), Stress Buster (Botanical Body Buff. Pick Me Up Body Wrap, 25 Minute Massage, Deep Cleansing Facial with Reflexology Enhancement Or Gentleman’s Face Treatment with Reflexology Enhancement), Cleopatra's Day (Cleopatra Bath, Youthful Glow Facial, Aromatherapy Massage, Spa Manicure, Deep Lavender Pedicure), 19th Hole (Mineral Bath, Sports Massage, Sports Foot Treatment), Take My Breath Away (Herbal Bath With Scalp Treatment, Breathe Signature Facial, Remineralizing Bliss Massage, Deep Lavender Pedicure).

Daufuskie Island Resort & Spa features 190 rooms including Inn rooms (each with sitting area and dressing area, most with an ocean view), as well as two- and four-bedroom marsh and ocean view cottages with private baths, kitchen, washer and dryer, living/dining room, porches and some have fireplaces; four restaurants and lounges providing fine and casual dining experiences; the Island House, a 16,000-square-foot state-of-the-art executive conference center for groups of up to 300; two championship golf courses - Jack Nicklaus-designed Melrose (rated 4½ stars by Golf Digest in 2002) and Tom Weiskopf/Jay Morrish-designed Bloody Point; Don Trahan "The Swing Surgeon" Golf Academy; three swimming pools and Beach Club; three miles of white sand, pristine beach; an equestrian center; a state-of-the-art Stan Smith-designed tennis center; supervised children's programs at the Kid's Kottage; bicycle rentals; boat charters; cottage cart rentals; fishing; lawn games; movies; volleyball; and water sports. Several quaint, antebellum towns are just a ferry ride away from Daufuskie. Places filled with historical architecture and sites - Bluffton and Beaufort, SC and Savannah, GA. Spend an hour or two learning about Southern history and culture in one of the museums or tour a magnificent plantation home. Plan an entire day just to shop in the historic district, fish and swim in the river or relax on a beautiful beach. Shopping is a ferry ride away to Hilton Head. Harbour Town is a water taxi ride away. Check with the resort for current activity prices.