Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, September 22 - 26

It was a nice, easy drive from Dillon to Myrtle Beach on the back roads.  It had been a few years since we were in Myrtle Beach, and we were surprised by all of the beach-front renovation going on.  Several of the older hotels on the north end of town had been demolished.  The town was hopping.  I love the boardwalk in that town.  It sits up above the sand between beach front hotels and the surf.  The thing I love about east coast beaches is the wild grasses that grow on the edge of the sand farthest from the water.  There are plenty of places to exit the boardwalk to walk on the sand, and lots of benches for sitting and enjoying the view.  We had a relaxing day and got caught in a downpour, which was actually kind of fun.  Here are some pictures of the beach:

One of our favorite shopping places in MB is a place called Broadway at the Beach.  It is an outdoor mall with a ton of entertainment attractions on the premises?  There is a lake in the center of the complex that is a mile and one-half around.  There are no major anchor stores, and all of the stores are little independents for the most part.  New this year was The Stupid Factory.  The name was enough to draw me in.  As soon as you walk through the front door you are greeted by people laughing all over the store.  Here are some pictures of some of the merchandise they carry:

Here are a few shots of the lake:

Our RV resort was real nice.  It had its own marina and a nice dinner cruise left from the dock.  The bike paths in the park made for a nice bike ride in the early morning or after dinner.

Myrtle Beach was fun, but we are anxious to get to Charleston.  We've heard they have had a lot of rain, hope it's over by the time we get there!

Dillon, South Carolina September 16 - 22

We chose a quiet park on Bass Lake, just over the the North Carolina border, to spend  our last week of summer.  The lake was quiet with a couple ducks, a white egret in residence and lots of frogs and turtles.  There was a trail all around the lake and we walked it a few times.  There was also a 1/2 mile frontage road attached to the park, so we got a bike ride in almost every day.  

Dillon is a pretty sleepy little town, whose economy has been devastated.  There is an old downtown area with an Ace Hardware for the big draw.  Our exploration of the area took us to a place about 7 miles away called South of the Border, so named  because it is just south of the North Carolina border.  It was developed in 1949 by Alan Schafer, who founded a beer stand at the location because it was adjacent to a dry county in North Carolina.  The business expanded with Mexican trinkets and kitsch items.  He turned into a tourist mecca and economic empire.   It grew to over a square mile, requiring its own infrastructure, and has its own fire and police departments.  It was fun to hang out there for a few hours in search of a shark tooth for our little Dominic.

The best part of our week in Dillon was a visit from my brother Ken and niece Heather. Heather was doing some recruiting for her firm at her alma mater in Raleigh.  It was fun to have company to prepare a meal for, and spending time with the two of them was awesome.  The hardest part of this trip, fod me, is not seeing people that I know.  I'm grateful for connections on facebook and email, and phone calls and snail mail really make my day;  but seeing friends and family in person is the best!

 

We really miss the Ocean, and are anxious for our next adventure.  We are headed to Myrtle Beach in the morning.  Even though today is the first day of fall (Happy Fall y'all!), Myrtle Beach commercials on TV boast 60 more days of summer.  Looking forward to barefoot walks on the beach and 82 degree ocean water.

Stay tuned for more living.

Charlotte, NC

Charlotte was  real chill week for us.  There was a big Nascar event going on so the city was hopping.

We did not have wifi for the week we were there, so I spent a lot of time  reading and working on art projects.

There was a beautiful huge mall near where we were staying, and it was fun to walk the mall when it was raining.  The food court was amazing and the mall was divided into six different neighborhoods.

Charlotte is the second largest financial center in the country.  They call their downtown area Uptown!

The intersection of Trade and Tryon streets, now known as The Square, historically has been the heart of Uptown and serves as the center of commerce.  Past, present and future are displayed in Raymond Kaskey's four bronze statues, found on the four corners of the square.  The statues tell Charlotte's story:A gold miner illustrates commerce, a female mill worker depicts a strong textile heritage; a railroad builder shows Charlotte's significance as a transportation hub; and a mother lifting her child skyward  represents hope for the city's future.

We OD' on tomato sandwiches and  homemade tortillas while in Charlotte.  I love roadside vegetable/fruit/peanut vendors!

We had a great time exploring Charlotte and loved the beautiful art in the parks, street entertainers, food trucks, art museums, old buildings and churches, stadiums and old Victorian neighborhoods.

We loved our time in Charlotte, and are ready to hook up with my brother, Ken,  next week.  

Stay tuned for more living.