Where we’ve been…All 48 lower…Where we are…Extensively traveling…Working and having a blast!

Where we’ve been…All 48 lower…Where we are…Extensively traveling…Working and having a blast!
LIFE IS GRAND!

Sunday, March 23, 2014

What a Difference a Few Days of NO Rain Can Do…

Finally after being cooped up in the RV for the entire time we have been in the Myrtle Beach area we were able to get out and see the area.  We had to take full advantage of it for these few days since they are once again forecasting rain for the next 4 to 5 days.

Our first day of no rain we chose to take a short bike ride to the beach and then along the beach to the nearest Pier which was about 20 miles round trip.  We have been having issues with our bike batteries and chargers so we did not want to push it and it was a good thing since Jerry’s bike limped back home and he barely made it.




It was nice to walk out on the Cherry Grove Pier and take in all the ambiance of the Atlantic Ocean.  They do charge $2 per person for an all-day pass to either just walk or fish on the pier but it was something we wanted to do.




We found an advertised bike route but soon found out there really isn’t one.  We were either on a major highway with only sidewalks, very narrow ones with obstacles everywhere, poles in the middle of them and sidewalks abruptly ending into a sandy path which bikes do not travel very well in them.  So we were cautious.  Along the so called path next to the beach was just us riding on the road which was alright because the speed limit was 25 to 30 and we could go that fast, plus the traffic was light but we would not recommend it during busy season. 

During one of the attempts to avoid an obstacle I did not quite maneuver correctly to get out of the way, or should I say my flip-flop did not make it without scraping along the cement block next to the pole.  It got my attention and I have to admit…I cried but it will heal and even though I left a few layers of skin on that block I will survive.


Since the weather was going to cooperate again the next day but the bikes and paths were not, we decided to take a much shorter trip. 

Directly next to the Briarcliffe RV Resort, Inc. where we are staying is the Barefoot Landing.  It is a unique place where you can find Dining, Attractions, Night Life and Shopping or just sort of hang out as we did and find some neat things to do.




We parked our bikes and just wandered around checking out the stores, many had souvenirs and lots of unique gifts and we checked most of them out.







The Carolina Vineyards Winery was one of our stops that we were looking forward to since we have noticed that many of the local wines are much sweeter than they are in the west and even though many wines in the grocery stores are more expensive the tastings are not.  We paid $3 for 7 tastes which is unheard of in the west.



They offered the dry and semi-dry Merlot’s, Syrah’s, Cabernet’s, Chardonnay’s, and Pinot Grigio’s but we stayed clear of them as we usually do but being east we may try them at the next winery we visit since we immediately noticed how much sweeter the wines were in this area and they offered a much bigger variety of them.



We tasted Riesling’s and Gewürztraminer’s that were sweeter than any others we had tasted.  We tasted a few of their own such as the Southern Belle, Tropical Escape, Wanda’s Fruitcake and our favorite of all, Ocean Breeze.


Most of the wines were sweet, so sweet that we actually began going to the medium sweets since we had 14 tastes to do between the two of us.  We tasted Raspberry Rieslings, Pomegranate, Cherry, Strawberry, Blackberry, and even Mango.  Some were great, while others were not, but all were interesting and different which is what we always look for in any wine we taste.  We had a great time and would highly recommend others to check them out whenever you are in the area.



After our wine tasting, we found The Olive Shoppe where tasters are welcome so we did just that.  They have a website that once we arrive in Maine we will order and have them delivered because we tasted some awesome oils and vinegars that would work perfectly on Lobster and we look forward to trying them.  The host was superb and had us taste some great combinations.





We wandered around more stores and finally arrived at MaggieMoo’s for ice cream where we had a 2 for 1 coupon.  It’s like a Stone Cold Creamery but better as our wonderful ice cream creator pointed out to us.  She had an infectious smile that was so inviting that we appreciated and told her so, and she makes a mean ice cream creation too.




All in all this was a perfect time out and it’s amazing what you can do without spending a whole lot of money.  We usually do not purchase many things since we live full time in our RV but we would have liked to eat at one of the many restaurants they have and possibly bought a few bottles of the goodness at the Winery or the Olive Shoppe but it's okay because soon we will be rolling in the dough once again and continue having the time of our lives.

This entire area would be highly congested during season and we would not enjoy it as much as we have during this time of the year and if we ever plan to visit again it would be during off season. 

We have one week left here and there are only a few days where they are not predicting any rain at all so we may venture out again.  Otherwise we will be staying close to home catching up on a few things and soaking in some rest since once we leave we have a very busy April planned.
 
·        Work the Auto Fair at the Charlotte MotorSpeedway for a week
·        Attend the NASCAR race as fans at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina (tickets purchased back in December)
·        Work the Ford Mustang 50th birthday celebration at the Charlotte Motor Speedway for a week
·        Work the Carlisle Collector Car Swap Meet in Carlisle, Pennsylvania for a week
·        Work the summer in Scarborough, Maine as a cook and baker
·        Work the winter in Florida working a Kiosk in a Mall selling Sports Memorabilia

As you can see we will be very busy going forward so a few days of rest is definitely in our plans and since we took so many photos of the area, please check them all out at our Google + Web Albums.

2 comments:

Wanderin' said...

Sounds like you're definitely having a marvelous time and hopefully the weather will continue to cooperate.

Carol K said...

Good to hear that you were finally able to get out and see some local sights!