Hilton Head Activities in Autumn

During our online chat (most Mondays at 2 p.m.), you ask and we answer your travel questions . . . mostly. Here's one we couldn't get to last week.

My husband and I are visiting Hilton Head, S.C., in mid-October. We're not golfers. Will it still be beach and pool season? What kinds of activities or day trips would be fun for a 30-something couple with no kids?

October is shoulder season in Hilton Head, with daytime temperatures in the 70s: a little cool for swimming but perfect for beach-walking, hiking and biking. More than 50 miles of bike and nature trails crisscross the island, and many rental companies will deliver bikes to your door. The sand is hardpacked, so you can ride right on the beach. Also popular: dolphin cruises, Gullah heritage tours and restaurant hopping at the island's 240 eateries. For day trips, don't miss the historic town of Beaufort, about an hour away, and the 19th-century arts community of Bluffton, about a 30-minute drive. For more info: http://www.hiltonheadisland.org.

-- K.C.S.