Crazy Crab Hilton Head Island

 What to do when you've been out shopping in Harbour Town on your BIKE, and it starts raining?  Hubby says, "you hungry?"  Great plan, let's have lunch here instead of riding our bikes back to the condo (Marriott's Monarch), and maybe by the time lunch is over...the rain will be gone.  Normally riding a bike in the rain isn't a big deal.  Unless it's cold, which it wasn't.  But, I had just purchased a nice wool sweater and really didn't want to get the new sweater all wet in the ride back.  Doesn't the Bloody Mary look awesome?  It was!

 And how perfect is this?  Naturally a beachy place for lunch is the place to stop.  The Crazy Crab in Harbour Town isn't the only Crazy Crab on the Island; but this location is perfect for shopping, eating, and sight-seeing.

 The menu is quite diverse, from simple things like my Fish N Chips to Lobster.  The place really rocks at night, I'm told.  It's quite large with several different rooms.

 Now this is the best fish n chips I've ever eaten.  Truly.  Not the last bit greasy.  I'm not a lover of fish at all and enjoyed every bite.  The slaw was fabulous and even the tartar sause and cocktail sauce were special.  I highly recommend you put this on your must eat list.  Hubby had, I think blacken grouper which was also fabulous. 

When lunch was over, it was still raining a bit.  So the manager double bagged my new sweater to help me keep it dry while I made my way to the bike rack.    However, hubby had gone ahead and brought the car back.  He was already wet and being nice thought it silly for 2 of us to be wet, so I drove the car back and he road my bike back.  What a guy!

I've mentioned this restaurant in a previous post, from an earlier trip, HERE; but this is the first we've eaten.  It won't be the only time though.  We do plan to return.  It's family oriented, casual, but has a nice upscale menu for adults in the evening.  Service was excellent.

*next Menu Monday is February 3, 2013.*


 

Alligators on Hilton Head Island Alive and Well

 How many alligators do you typical see when you're out for a bike ride?  One, two, or maybe three?  At least 3 would be my answer.  This is one pon/lagoon, one sunny spot further down the bike path/trail/road another pond/lagoon had 3 or 4 more.  They were further away so I wasn't able to get a picture.  I saw alligators several days in row, almost in the same spot.  Now being from Ohio, I'm not accustomed to seeing alligators.  But, after spending 2 weeks on Hilton Head Island, it began to seem the "norm".

The one in middle almost silver.  The one on the right was huge.  Probably can't really tell that from my little point and shot camera...AND, no......I didn't try to get closer for a picture.  Males are typically about 12 feet long and weight around 500 pounds, though last May, 2012 a 13 foot male weighing 1,000 was found in Bluffton which is about 45 minutes from Hilton Head.  Female's are smaller, around 160 pounds, but regardless of the size they have 40 teeth and can produce 3,000 pounds of pressure with their mighty jaws.  Normally they hibernate in the winter months, trying to stay warm in their mud dens from October to May, so my seeing them almost everyday in January is a apparently unusual.  I've seen them other trips there, also in January; but nothing like the number I saw this time round.

They will eat almost anything, and anybody if provoked.  There are signs everwhere warning people to stay away, to not feed them, and not harass them.  When out west in places like Yellowstone where wildlife abounds....you always see some idiot who thinks the sign means everyone but him or her.  I would imagine the same thing happens here on Hilton Head Island.  If you feed them, you will be heavily fined.  And once you feed them, you can almost bet the gator will have to be killed.  Why?  Because once fed by humans they will approach and become aggressive.  Even when not provoked small pets and children are at risk and should not be around lagoons, particularly not the edge.  In addition to the wild life they've been known to eat rabbits, small deer, and dogs.

The are cold blooded animals, so warm themselves with the sun, and cool themselves with the water depending on the time of the year.  Though they are a fresh water creature, they will travel through salt water to get to better food so can be found even on the beach, or in the marshes.  Spring and Fall is suppose to be the best time to see them.

Mothers protect their young.  Alligators can protect their young up to 3 years, and even a non aggressive Gator will go after anything and anyone without fear if they feel their young are in danger.   So, even if you don't see the Mother Gator; chances are she is there and you should be ware.

Alligators are very quick and very fast, they can outrun most people, even a horse for a short distance, something around 50 yards.  If you're being chased by one; you should run a zig zag pattern; as they can't make turns very fast.

Though the population is prevalent on Hilton Head Island, large gators are removed to protect humans on The Island.

Makes me wonder about Alligator shoes, and hats.....