What are you tracking

Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort, which is located on the Longview Island region of Hilton Head, actually has a permanent guest. Her name is Shadow, a golden retriever. As the story goes, a pup on the construction site of Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort always found a way to be mischievous. Though trouble seemed to be her middle name, she frolicked her way into the heats of the Imagineers, construction crew, and cast members, so that they felt they had no choice but to give her a magical home and a name, Shadow.After searching, unsuccessfully, for Shadow the entire weekend, my wife was convinced that perhaps Shadow had moved on to a better place. She was unable to dissuade me however, and I continued to follow the evidence, Shadow’s shadows if you pardon the phrase. After spotting her dog house on the porch, and her doggie door near the Broad Creek Rentals, I went in search of more substantial clues.

The first sign Shadow left behind was a paw print in the foyer of our room. Clearly her ill-timed antics had caused damaged to the tiles, but we felt it simply made the room feel more lived in.

Shadow’s paw prints were a key find, not only were they in the room, but also along a path near the Big Dipper Pool. Clearly she had innocently been on her way for a dip in the pool to cool herself off when she happened upon the drying cement.

Shadow knew that I was on her tail, and she is very proud of the fact that she can mystify guests. So, to mock me, or because she was flattered and wanted to flatter me in return, when I returned to our room the next day, Shadow had left me a set of four balloons and a birthday card. Shadow signed the card herself.
As we were preparing to leave the following afternoon, a Sunday afternoon, we found Shadow had been rounded up for her weekly bath. I had a heart to heart, or rather nose to muzzle, with Shadow before we had to get on the road. Shadow had, like the cast members, Imagineers, and construction crew members before me, found her way into my heart.

Should you find yourself in search of this pup one day, remember these helpful tips:

~Traces of Shadow can be found throughout the resort, just keep a keen eye out
~Even during off-season, Shadow has a bath on Sundays, about mid afternoon
~When in doubt, speak with the cast members, they know Shadows habits better than anyone