I finally got my toes in the sand. The last time I was near a large body of salt water, on the Gulf, somehow there never was an opportunity to get to the beach and take off shoes and socks. But I've just been there and done that. The weather has been beauty-full, remarkably cool for mid-September, clear and breezy, perfect for beach walking.We are located within easy walking distance of the surf, and the city has many boardwalks and paths built out through the dunes for easy access to sand. Along with more tourist attractions than I can recall ever seeing, since no one took me to PCB as a kid when I my eyes would have glazed over from all the flashing neon, blinking lights,and garish souvenir shops, where everything is 75% off.
Beach access here, in between the high-rise motels and condos reminds me of being a visitor on Tybee where the community welcomes tourists and wants them to come and visit, especially since they bring pockets full of quarters in parking meters. There was a recent article in the news, revealing the price for metered spaces on Tybee has doubled, along with fines for leaving your vehicle in a slot where time has expired. Probably a great, easy way to raise funds in this era of economic crunch.
We went today back to the SC state park we visited yesterday. Due to the fact that 'someone' had peeled off T-shirt, to sit in a tank top in the sun and write postcards. Then forgot the T-shirt. The 'failing-to-remember' was mostly legitimate, since I had been tempted by the Squish-a-Penny machine in the snack bar. And left the shirt on top of the machine while it was making an imprint of Myrtle Beach on the flat copper. Got back to the motel, when pondering the MIA shirt, and finally remembered where it was located. So I looked up the number for the park (the old fashioned way: in the actual phone book) and called to ask if they would save the shirt for us to pick up this morning. Yesterday was just as pleasant as today, walking out to the end of the wooden pier on the sun, talking to the geezers about their fishing.
We did go back to get the missing clothing, and surprisingly did not have to pay another fee for entry. So went on farther south to another park, hoping for another fishing pier to stroll. But found an old un-kempt mansion instead. At Huntington State Park, built in the 1930's by a couple from New England as a 'winter retreat'. Husband was excessively wealthy, spent his life giving money away that he had inherited from his family or made from good investing: as my mom would say 'it takes money to make money'. The wife was a well know sculptor, and developed a garden that is now registered as a National Historic Site, with lots of exotic plantings imported from elsewhere, and pieces of her art work displayed. The mansion is open for tours, but in complete disrepair. There is an arts/crafts show sale that honors and supports the home each fall.
The couple of state parks we have visited nearby remind me of the ones along the GA coast that have areas that have been left in their natural state, probably some land that developers would love to have access to. But it is plainly been left with only minimal land clearing, and road making, though they do have campgrounds and boardwalks for beach access. And amenities for visitors, offering snacks, showers, etc.
We will go to another show tonight, and possibly head back to GA on Thurs.
No comments:
Post a Comment