New Dining places

Those of you who've followed us around the country know that we like to check out local coffee shops and restaurants.  We've found a couple of new favorites.

Valentino's in Surfside Beach, SC

We found this one purely by accident, when reading one of the local free flyers.  It sounded good and who doesn't like Italian.  T & I, along with my sister Lisa went there  on a Friday night about 4 weeks ago.  They have a singer, Gene, there on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings.  Gene was wonderful. He sings Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin types of songs.  The owners Sal and Mo are awesome and the food is great!  We went again last weekend with Lisa and her husband and had a wonderful evening. Valentino's is definitely a winner.

Lisa & Sal

Lisa, Gene & Glo

Toffino's Bakery at Market Commons in Myrtle Beach, SC

I rode by this place at least a dozen times when out for my morning bike ride and each time I went by I thought, "We ought to give this place a try."  Well we finally went there for coffee and pastries Sunday.  T loved it, especially because they have BIG ceramic coffee cups.  Coffee was great and Ally our server was a sweetheart.  We took a look at the menu and decided we needed to try it for lunch, so we did yesterday.  We were not disappointed.  They make all their pastries fresh daily.  It's been in that location for 10 plus years, but was just a small building until about a year ago.   We will make this a regular stop when going out for coffee and people watching.

Daily life goes on

Chililympics (otherwise known as a chili cook-off). Oct 11

We spent the afternoon tasting chili in all kinds of flavors, hot, mild, seafood, chicken... you name it. This took place along the marsh walk in Murrells Inlet.

Fishing on the pier

Though nothing I could take home, I had a great time!

Trout too small to keep

Stringray
watch out for the tail!

Rain and flooding in the park

October 1-4
It began raining early in the week and it continued off and on until the weekend and then it really began to rain.  The water was rising and the beach was closed.  The governor asked that people stay off the roads.  So... we sat tight in our coach and watched the rain come down and the water rise all around us.  The park was closed for 3 days as we waited for the water to recede and the sewers to clear.

Water all around us.  We were beginning to wonder.

Here we are high and dry.

When the rain stopped, I walked on the beach.

Beach erosion

Beach erosion

Brook Green Gardens,Murrells Inlet SC

Life is good here.  We are enjoying our work, if you want to call it that, and our play.

Sculpture @ entrance to Brook Green
Done in Aluminum by Anna Hyatt Huntington

Brook Green Gardens

 It was founded by Archer Milton Huntington, stepson of railroad magnate Collis Potter Huntington, and his wife Anna Hyatt Huntington to feature sculptures by Anna and her sister Harriet Hyatt along with other American sculptors. Brookgreen Gardens was opened in 1932, and is built on four former rice plantations, taking its name from the former Brookgreen Plantation.^[3]

Brookgreen Gardens is one of the few places in the United States to have earned accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums as well as being designated a National Historic Landmark and listed on the Register of National Historic Places.

It is considered one of the finest outdoor collections of American figurative sculpture in the world. 

It is a magnificent place!  T & I went there in our youth, and as all children thought it a great place to place outdoors.  If you are ever in the Myrtle Beach - Georgetown area it is a must see.

What I remembered most about Brook Green were the magnificent oaks.

Walkway and gardens

We spent an entire afternoon there and loved every minute of it.  Taking the sculpture tour, walking the Low Country Trail and viewing animals in the zoo and visiting the Butterfly exhibit.  The zoo is like no other.  It features native wildlife in their native habitat. 

Rather than write more I’ll let you take a tour through photos. 

Diana of the Chase
Anna Hyatt Huntington
Bronze 1922

The Fountain of the Muses
by Carl Milles
Bronze 1949-1954

Butterfly up close and personal on my hat.

 

Daily life at Myrtle Beach

Last Friday we had the pleasure of volunteering at Huntington Beach State Park to help with their 40th Annual Atalya Art Festival.  Though the weather was a little gloomy, the rain held off.  It was great seeing some old volunteer friends and having the opportunity to enjoy some great "beach music,"  as well and lending a hand.

T & Glo enjoying the music.

On Saturday we took in St. John's 24th Annual Greek Festival.  Great Food, music and dancing.

From reading this you might think all we do is go to festivals.  Not really.  We "work", if you want to call it that, five days a week for about 4 hours every day.

We are bracing for rain and wind this weekend.  Hurricane Jauquin is out there in the Atlantic creating lots of rain and flooding in Horry County and surrounding areas.  I took this picture on the beach around 2:00 pm today.  As you can see no one is on the beach.  Many of our campers are leaving early to beat the rain.

Deserted beach just before the rains of Jaquin.

Evening at Murrells Inlet

We spent the day "organizing" things in our new home.  Downsizing from 39 feet to 36 feet has been a little challenging. To say the least!  However, we are gradually getting there and the more we "organize" and get rid of unnecessary things, the more we like our new home.  As with all change in life, it takes a little patience and perseverance.  LOL

After a day of "organizing" we spent the afternoon relaxing at Starbucks and then met T's sister, Peggy, at Creek Ratz for dinner and a stroll on the Marsh Walk in Murrells Inlet.  The weather was cool and the sun was setting.  What a great way to end the day.

Mornings At The Beach

The weather has finally cooled down and the humidity isn't so bad, at least it isn't 80% or above.  We actually had one day this week where it was only 35%.  Thank the Lord.

Our days consist of taking a morning walk; sitting outside having coffee while chatting with passers by.  We then head to "the hill" and work 3 or 4 hours checking in new campers, after which we take a stroll through the campground and pickup what little trash there might be.  At this point we need a nap, so back to the coach for a bite to eat and a nap.  Then more walking and visiting with other campers.  What a life!

A morning walk on the beach with Molly.

our new home

Myrtle Beach

We started our volunteer "job" at Myrtle Beach State Park on Sept 3rd.  Though we'd visited the park many times in the past, this is our first time as Camp Host.  Our "job" consist of "working the hill", which means we man the check-in booth and check in campers.  Great fun, meeting people from all over.  So far the furtherest visitors were from Canada.  

As we get settled in, I'll take pictures of the area and post them. We will be here at Myrtle Beach State Park until the end of November at which time we'll move down to Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet, about 15 miles south.

We are looking forward to visiting with friends and family while in the area.

Where are the Hills' now? What were they doing most of the month of August?

After weeks of traveling and sightseeing none stop, we were ready for a rest in a cooler place.

We headed to Hendersonville, NC.  The weather was great!  In the low 80's with a nice breeze and cool at night.  Our intent was to stay a week or two, but we got the bug...  Not the kind that makes you ill. 

After traveling with friends who traveled in a motorhome and seeing how quickly and easily they setup and broke camp, and after driving separately for 3 1/2 years, we decided it was time for us to take the plunge.   We headed down to Tampa FL to visit the World's Largest RV dealer, Lazydays.  

After a few days of looking, we purchased a brand new 2016 Georgetown motorhome.  Thought we'd love it, but alas, it was a P.O.S.  There were so many things wrong with it...  We had it seven days and never left the dealer's lot.  Unfortunately we had signed all the papers and they had been processed, so..o...oo 

We traded it in for a 2013 Tiffin Allegro Open Road.  If you are an RVer, you have some idea.  The Allegro is quality in every way.  Being a used coach, Lazydays had their mechanics go over the coach with a fine tooth comb.  They warrant the coach for 30 days, which is very rare.  We spent 3 days transferring our belongings before moving over to the RV park, where we had full hookups and could test the rig completely.

Our New Home

As luck would have it, the transfer box, whatever that is, went out late in the day on Saturday.  Not being able to get the part until Monday, we had to wait to have the part replaced.  Once the part was replaced we felt it wise to wait another day before leaving, just in case.

Lazydays provides Motorhome driver's education.  T & I both took the class which consisted of classroom as well as actual driving.  Driving a 36 foot motorhome is not like anything you can imagine.  After the course we both felt confident in our ability to drive the monster.

We pulled out of Lazydays RV Park on Tuesday, September 2nd, two days after we were to be in Myrtle Beach to volunteer at the Myrtle Beach State Park.  Our maiden voyage was wonderful.  Though we were tense at driving this big thing we felt ready and we LOVED being together rather than driving separate vehicles.

Elkhart IN (Aug 4-5) Bowling Green & Cave City KY (Aug 6-8)

Being RVers, we had to go to Elkhart, IN to see where half the world's RVs are made.  We toured the Thor factory and the RV Hall of Fame.  What did I like best?  Seeing some of the antique RVs.  It's amazing how far the industry has come.  I know it does make us sound a little dorky, but what the hey...

RV Hall of Fame

The world's oldest travel trailer
1913 "Earl" Travel Trailer  & Model T Ford

1929 Covered Wagon
1st production travel trailer in the US

This amazing machine was lived in from 1950 until February 2013.

1947 Westwood Coronado

After leaving Indiana we headed to Bowling Green to tour the Corvette Factory & Museum.  They don't let you take pictures in the factory.  If you are ever in Bowling Green I would recommend the tour.  The quality assurance and detail that goes into a Corvette is amazing.

How does a Corvette look on me?

T grinning from ear to ear.

Results of 2014 Sink hole

Since we were so close to Mammoth Cave, we went back and took a different tour of this amazing cave, the world's longest cave at over 400 miles.

T & Glo in Mammoth Cave

Holland MI. (Aug 1-3)

Holland is a beautiful little city with lots of art, culture and history and flowers in bloom everywhere on the streets.  While there we took the walking art tour of the many statues around town.  We went to the DeKlomp Wooden Shoe & Delft Factory, where they make wooden shoes.

Angie & Ben Franklin

Glo & Joy of Music

Pledge of Allegiance

The Valentine (This one reminded me of T & I)

Wooden shoemaker

Gardens

And of course we visited a winery.

Glo & T & Fenn Winery

And The Big Red Lighthouse at Holland Harbor

The Big Red Lighthouse 

This ended our world wind tour of Michigan.  What a beautiful state!!