Update 48: Myrtle Beach, SC

Update 48: Myrtle Beach, SC  Dec.8-12

Hello South Carolina!

23,000 people make up the population of Myrtle Beach the largest city on the Grand Strand.  From its northern tip to the southern end 12 distinct communities dot the 60 miles of coastline. We were surprised by the size of Myrtle Beach. Shoppers can chose from three major malls, two Tanger outlet centers, three Wal-Marts, and a Costco, plus Great Clips (I look for each month for my hair cut), and even a Camping World..  The usual beach stores: souvenir shops, swimwear boutiques, arcades, open air stores and bars and blinking neon signs  line miles and miles of  Business 17 the main drag. Every major restaurant is represented including Planet Hollywood and the Hard Rock Cafe. Over 1000 restaurants meet every one's taste. Several  pay-one-price smorgasbord restaurants have replaced some of the older greasy spoon restaurants. Many of these offer 120 items in their seafood buffet. 

 A variety of theaters provide live performance shows similar to those found in Branson, MO. There is even a Carolina Opry, similar to Nashville and a choice of several nightclubs too.

Of the 54 golf courses around Myrtle Beach, 10 area courses met the standards for Golf Digest's 2007 list of the "Top 100 Public Courses in America." Promoters brag having more golf courses per-capita than any city in the world.  The first course began here in 1920. If you prefer the miniature form of golf at least 50 putt putt courses can be found on the Grand Strand.   Myrtle Beach is quite a destination for a great time, no matter what you prefer.

We stayed at Ocean Lakes Family Campground which offers 893 pull through sites. The RV directories indicate this park offers 3447  spaces to camp.

They also have 300 rental units.  The rental units are close together.  Some face ponds and a few have beach views. The office looks like the lobby of a large hotel with eight or so stations to deal with reservations.

They offer activities on a daily basis. Two swimming pools, bikes, golf carts and all kinds of things are available to have fun. The laundry room has 56 washers and 56 dryers. A large grocery store and a small burger place offer amenities to guests without having to leave the resort. Near the beach a summer concession stand services those on the beach.

Our site at the end of a row had our atrium facing the ocean.  Awesome! Only a road separates us from the beach. At night we can hear the wave lapping against the shore. Fifty rigs decided to camp here at this time of year. This photo shows the top of our RV from the beach view.

The beach here is beautiful, even on a cold winter day. Myrtle Beach looms in the distance.

 A large variety of shells litter the beach.

One of our first jobs in Myrtle Beach was refilling Derrille's prescriptions. They were available in less than 24 hours. We also found the post office to mail off a couple of packages and our Christmas cards. As a side note, many of the post offices we have used lately are little store fronts found in strip malls.

We decided to take an afternoon and drive a few miles west to the little town of Conway, established in 1734.

The downtown area retains the quaint charm of an old town. Just beyond Main Street, this Spanish moss laden tree dwarfs the large two story house.

We went to see the River Walk.  Derrille and I walked the length of the wooden boardwalk that follows a portion of the river.  Spanish moss swayed in the breeze.

The angular design of the boardwalk created an interesting path to follow.

The posts each had an emblem on it.

Some of the trees reminded us of the Louisiana swamps as the stained roots create a foundation for the trees in the water. The sun was out on this cold day, and the wind blew briskly, but the walk along the river still felt enjoyable.

An interesting part of the walk included a gazebo with rocking chairs.

In an effort to find the tall buildings we spotted from the beach, Derrille and I searched for Ocean Blvd. in Myrtle Beach.  My map only showed some roads. Thus we ended up in an exclusive neighborhood north of downtown. 

We enjoyed being lost in that neighborhood.

Eventually we found Ocean Blvd. with its towering hotels and condos.  Several buildings were closed for the season, but some had quite a few cars in their lots. Some of the huge units claimed to have 10 or 11 pools. I  didn't go in to prove this claim. 

Beach stores and restaurant line up across the street from the high rises. Many of the businesses are closed for the season.

A newly remodeled boardwalk runs between the big buildings and the dunes. Several piers extend out in the ocean.

Further down the street the buildings aren't as big, and look a bit older. Modest home occupy the neighboring streets.

The next day we planned to visit the Brookgreen Gardens.  However the gardens didn't open until 3 PM on special event days.

So we drove on to Georgetown.  The downtown shops looked inviting.  Angled parking adds to the quaint look. The buildings attach to each other. Some showed dates of origin.

The town clock is now a museum.

Just beyond downtown, a mammoth metal building looks like a rusty, dilapidated factory. However, it is not falling apart. In fact the factory actively processes Long Carbon, According to my research; long carbon refers to the creation of a longer carbon molecule used in steel production for a stronger product.

A paper mill is right across the road from the steel mill.

The historic neighborhood offered us many photo ops.  Several homes had dates on them.

Some were built in the 1700's, 1800's or early 1900's. 

This is one from the 1800's.

A large number were built 1903-1906. Remembering what we learned on Ellis Island, during that time period our country experienced some of the highest immigration numbers.

A few houses had their gabled sides toward the street and the front of the house facing what we traditionally think of as the side yard.

Several old churches are on the historic roles.  Prince George Episcopal has the green dome.

Three of these occupy a corner near each other. Bethel has the square top. The Catholic Church has Mary in front.

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As we drove through the historic district reading the posted signs, we discovered this fabulous old tree. The sign state in 1940 the estimated age of the tree was 500 years. It stands 120 feet tall with a circumference of 23 feet. The crown is said to be 125 feet wide.

After Georgetown we headed north again driving through Pawley Island. The causeway crosses the marshes and puts you on this small island. The houses look pretty much like other beach home on stilts.

We had driven through Murrell's Inlet's town on the way out.  We then returned to explore the peninsula of land that forms the eastern boundary of the inlet.  Following outer bank designs the homes here sit high on their piling foundations.  Some seem even higher than we 've seen before. We saw some wooden pilings and some concrete block pilings used as stilted foundations. 

One houses surrounded the pilings with a brick wall.  Most of the homes have little signs with a name displayed.  The Hugo's Revenge sign brought back memories. If we remember correctly, Hurricane Hugo did immense damage in this area.

 Many of the lovely homes stood empty, just waiting for the next "season" of occupancy.

We ran a couple of errands and returned to Brookgreen Gardens about 3:30 to view "A Night of 1000 Candles". This annual event actually lights 5000 candles throughout the garden. The garden's design highlights more than 725 bronze and granite sculptures by 19th century and modern artists.  Paths lead through landscaped areas and garden room to set off specific sculptures. Many sculptures sit in the middle of shallow ponds.

The 9000+ acres formerly four rice plantation were created by railroad heir Archer M. Huntington and his artist wife Anna Hyatt Huntington. More than 2000 plant species fill the garden. Many plants bloom from early April through September. Beyond the gardens a wildlife preserve can be explored by boat or safari-type vehicles. This sculpture is of Anna and Archer. A poem is engraved on the back. Poetry is found throughout the garden.

A lovely gift shop of pretty things provides a variety of items to entice the visitor. I purchased some tea light holders for my electric tea lights purchased in Williamsburg.

Derrille and walked through the garden while the sun began its downward journey. Pegasus, Diana, and The Muses seemed most memorable. 

Although a solitary statue of St. Francis, along the path, caught my eye. Most of the gardens of winter look like this. I can't remember the name of the plant.

The colorful lights and sculptures for kids in the Children's Garden could be a favorite too.

The gallery of sculptures extended through three sections.   The semi enclosed building held only the art pieces.

As night descended we went to the food tent.  The menu included Shrimp &  Grits, tomato based chowder and other soups. Derrille chose peel and eat shrimp.  Oysters on the half shell or roasted were offered. Platters included shrimp, flounder, BBQ pork or chicken with slaw, fries and hush puppies. Something called Chicken Bog, which is a mixture of chicken, rice, sausage and I'm sure what else seems to be a local favorite. A choice of side items and beverages were included. Desserts of red velvet cake, carrot cake and a chocolate something looked good as well. Derrille and I were pleased with our selections. For a tent meal, the food was excellent.

To celebrate the holiday two glass rooms showcased  Christmas items. One showed carousel animals from 1870 to the 1920's and trees made of flowers.

 The Christmas Cactus Tree used 70 plants in its creation 

 JOY was shown on two walls, one had the word made of wreath materials and the other from pine cones.

The poinsettia tree stood ceiling to floor. The over 225 plants in this 12 foot creation was simply stunning!

The second glass room displayed Gingerbread houses, a scene from an old fashioned Christmas and several decorated trees.

Luminaries lit the walkways as we toured the garden by night. Strings of white lights dripped from the enormous old Live Oak trees. Stars with sprays of light filled spaces here and here.

Glass chimneys with lit candles floated in the ponds, their reflections doubling the number. White, Asian, paper balloons illuminated some spaces.

In Diana's garden colored sticks of light twinkled back at us in the reflecting pond. The Muses's pond bubbled with colored lights that changed colors. A background light also rotated colors. Pegasus' white stone seemed more intense under the white lights in his garden.

The Children's Garden felt alive with whimsy as colored lights twinkled everywhere. Colored luminaries encircled the pond while colored paper balloon danced from tall poles around the pond.

The Night of 1000 Candles will remain a memorable event.

Next:  Mt. Pleasant and Charleston, SC

Update 47 Hubert NC

Update 47  Hubert NC  Dec. 5-8

The place I wanted to stay to explore this part of the outer banks closed Dec. 1st.  So I took a place called Hawkins Creek in Hubert, which is really just south of Jacksonville, NC and the Lejeune Marine Base.
When I called for a reservation the man at the other end of the phone said he was the mailman, but he would write it down. I'm not sure I heard him correctly.

The day we left Rodanthe, hoping for somewhere warmer, the sun shone brightly.

We drove south  around the Alligator River Wildlife Refuge.  A creek like body of water flowed next to the road. The scrub bushes of the beach gave way to trees and the swampy lands. 

We  passed several houses with snow on their roofs. The sun was out, but it was still cold!  The road conditions were good, but we were the only people out here. I think we only saw a couple of cars in over 50 miles. What we didn't expect this close to the coast were field upon field of farm land that looked like it produced cotton and tobacco.

We were looking for a gas station too.  We had bought diesel in western North Carolina for $3.23.  Most of the station since then advertised diesel at $3.15 and up.  Waiting to see if South Carolina was cheaper would be pushing it too far. So we gave in and bought it at $3.15.   We will later discover that South Carolina runs $2.98 to about $3.06.

 Hawkins Creek RV sits tucked in behind mobile and modular home park and one really nice home. Just beyond the main gate to Camp Lejune Marine Base you turn down two side streets, follow two questionable roads and enter the RV Park.  A big sign says find a spot and someone will come to collect money.  We drove around looking at this dumpy RV Park.  Finally we found the only place big enough to fit us comfortably. I had receive a voice mail earlier in the day but didn't check it until we had arrived in Hawkins Creek RV. The caller left no identifying information. When my return call went to voice mail, I explained that I didn't know who called, but I was returning the call.  Almost immediately my phone rang and the man from Hawkins Creek was wondering when we would be in. I said we were here.  His response: "Gol, durn!  You here already? Where are ya'?" We gave him the site number. "Oh, I see ya now.  That's right where you're suppose to be. I'll be over in a minute".  I knew he wanted cash money so were ready.  Cheap rate.  Cash only.  No receipt. No paper work.  (grins)  I was glad we only had this night and one other.

The house was the only one of its kind in the neighborhood. A large RV is next to the house.

From this site we explored the Crystal Coast, the Barrier Islands, in this part of the state.  Driving east we passed the cute community of Swansboro. We assume that with this community just a few miles from Camp Lejeune Marine Base, military families and government workers probably live here.

Cedar Point lies across the bridge from Swansboro. In Emerald Isle I spotted the RV park I'd hope to say at....much nicer than our current place.

Brightly painted homes towering over the road from their stilted foundations caught our attention as did several gated condo communities. I'm not sure what happened to this photo, but I may have taken it as we rounded a corner.

In most parts of the Crystal Coast the land looks about six blocks in width. At a couple of places the island narrows to allow just a house on each side of the road. One house faces the intracoastal waterway, the other faces the ocean.

Mobile home parks or individual mobile homes filled some spaces.  One resort rented only mobile homes in their park. All along the island Regional Public Access to the beach appeared with parking.  Nice to see!

Pine Knoll Shores looked upscale with beautifully landscaped entries.  Large complexes of condos stood behind addresses like Sea Spray, Southwinds, Sea Dreams, Island Quay, etc. The huge homes that sat up on their stilted bases and faced the ocean didn't block the view of the homes across the street as happens  in most places.

In Pine Knoll Shores a second dune considerably higher than the one on the ocean front, places these home higher than their neighbors with beachfront.

Atlantic Beach provided the largest city on the island. Several big name hotels located here. Shopping malls, strip malls, gift shops and a hospital filled in space between the hotels, motels, condos and homes. A Lutheran church stood out, since I hadn't seen one for quite a while.

North of Atlantic Beach on the tip of the island rests Fort Macon, one of the few forts built of brick.  In 1862 it provided a Union Artillery base for the Civil War. It was too cold to stop and visit.  The daytime temperature today is 38 degrees with a strong wind, and thus a wind chill factor making it even colder! Brrr. A large Coast Guard Station sits next to the fort. Large ocean freighter-size Coast Guard ships waited at the dock for an emergency.

We crossed the bridge to Morehead City.  Sunlight bounced off the glistening white sides of the fishing fleet. From here we crossed another Intracoastal Waterway onto Cedar Island. The town of Beaufort sign told us the city first was established in 1709.

 Cedar Island's motto states: Gateway to the Outer Banks. From the south end of the island a ferry takes visitors to Cape Lookout National Seashore.  From the north end of the island, a ferry takes visitors to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. We could have taken the RV via ferry from Hatteras to Ocracoke Island, driven down the island to the city of Oracoke Intracoastal Waterway onto Cedar Island. The town of Beaufort sign told us the city first was established in 1709.  Cedar Island's motto states: Gateway to the Outer Banks. From the south end of the island a ferry takes visitors to Cape Lookout National Seashore.  From the north end of the island, a ferry takes visitors to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. We could have taken the RV via ferry from Hatteras to Ocracoke Island, driven down the island to the city of Oracoke and then ferried here to Cedar Island. We decided to drive around, and we're glad we did. We enjoyed the inland views and the back roads. About a mile from the northern ferry dock we passed a general store and deli with a large sign on the fence. The sign read: Last clean bathrooms before the end of the island.

People both here and on the mainland either had no Christmas decorations or very few. Others seem to over decorate. It was not uncommon to see a nativity scene, 3-4 inflatable Santa displays, reindeer, snowmen, lights, etc. etc. all in one yard. The yards looked like an after Christmas clearance sale.

Along the way to the city of Cedar we passed by an assortment of home styles. Some people lived in the large plantation style homes. Other homes were small home with wood siding.  Neat and tidy brick homes, modular homes and mobile homes appeared along the way.  A few dilapidated homes barely stood on their foundations.

We passed the small blip of a town called Sealevel and another called Snug Harbor.  Snug Harbor offered Luxury Retirement Living on Nelson Bay for Active Adults over 55 years of age. It seemed somewhat appropriate that right next door to the retired community, a modern large pharmacy sat in this remote place. Then next to the pharmacy was the hospital and large medical center.

Somewhere on our way out to the tip of the island we rounded a curve and there in the creek were a flock of brown pelicans. Derrille pulled over for my photo op.  We could just hear the locals who zipped around us say, "Look at those crazy people from Washington, photographing pelicans!"

The marines have a landing zone area on Cedar Island. We had seen them doing maneuvers with their helicopters.  While in the area we had also observed them with a flying machine that has the propellers tipped upward above the cockpit on the fuselage. Derrille said these Tilt Rotor Aircraft, the Osprey perform helicopter like maneuvers. We could have swung up to Silverdale before returning home,  but chose to head back.

Goodbye North Carolina!

Next:  Myrtle Beach, South Carolina