Las Vegas and Valley of Fire

Kris had a work conference in Las Vegas, so I tagged along! I've been here twice for work myself, and once we spent the night here on the way home from visiting three national parks in Utah. This time was definitely the most time I spent in the city.

Mirage and casinos

Kris' conference was at the Mirage, which had a volcano that erupted every night for a few hours on the hour. You could feel the heat of it, and it lasted about four minutes. I was very entertained. We walked down to the Bellagio to watch the fountains, and there's just something about water dancing to music! Totally worth seeing. This also happens every ten minutes with different songs, so you can watch for a long time.

What I didn't like - this isn't a place I'd bring my kids. I went running off the strip and went right back because there were so many druggies. Both on the strip and off, there are a lot of cracked out people. The street performers are also pretty explicit. It's not awful - no one bothered me, but it's just not somewhere I'd bring them.  

                                            

New York, New York

I couldn't remember if I rode the roller coaster here before, so if I couldn't remember - I should totally pay the $19 to do it again! Happily, I also got to go in the front car! This was a great roller coaster - seemed long and it was fun. I'll remember it this time!

Venetian

I remembered when I came the first time that there was a room that looked like the sky. I couldn't find exactly what I remembered (is it possible things have changed in 20 years?!) but I did find something beautiful. There's a place in the Venetian called St George Square, which looks and feels like you're outside in a city square. The ceiling is painted like the sky, and it really gives that feeling. There were performers here dressed in 1800s fashion singing 'Shallow' in Italian, and it was even better than dancing water.

Ferris Wheel at Linq - High Roller

We wondered why we hadn't been on this before, and it's because it didn't exist until 2014! It cost $20 to ride, and it was worth it for the view of the city. It's the world's second largest Ferris wheel, and definitely the tallest thing in Las Vegas. It takes 30 minutes to go around, and we really enjoyed it! It's roomy, glass, and not at all scary! 

Cirque du soleil

I hear mixed reviews about these shows, but for me, it's definitely worth going. It features the most amazing athletes doing things you can't imagine...every night, twice a night! I'm talking roller blading on ramps over each other, doing tricks on trampolines, hanging from silks from the ceiling while someone bungees off of you to the floor, contortionists, people on a trapeze that circles and if they fell they would DIE because there's just a stage below them! I saw Love, and I'm not even a big Beatles fan, but I loved the performance so much. The talent!

Valley of Fire

We rented a car from the Avis in our hotel, which was one of the quickest car rental transactions I've ever had. I started driving north, and five minutes later...we were out of the city! Just desert. And there is really nothing. No houses, no signs - really, nothing. A half hour away, there was a gas station, and all the cars and trucks in front of us turned in. I get why! You better get it while you can!

Then in the middle of the desert, you can see the red rocks rising! The Valley of Fire State Park.

We went on a three-mile loop trail. We started on Fire Wave and connected it to White Domes. It was gorgeous and different the whole way. Red rocks, striped rocks, canyons, mountains, and bighorn sheep! In the wild! Vicious no doubt. 

We had no service here, so check what you want to see ahead of time. We could have seen more, but they were out of maps at the entrance and visitor's center, and we couldn't look anything up. Happily we chose a good trail, but there are things like elephant rock, petroglyphs, and other sights I would have seen if I had known about them ahead of time. 

I love that this is so close to Las Vegas, because it was a gorgeous hike. We wanted to do this AND go to Hoover Dam, but we didn't have enough time after Kris' meeting because when we came in November, the sunset was at 4:15 p.m. Not much daylight! So, I'm glad we came here, because we'll save that for another work trip!

Washington DC

I've been to Washington DC more times than I can count. Even though this was a really short trip, since it was for work, I still got to see some things (and people!) I really enjoyed.

The National Mall

I love the setup of the National Mall, because it's designed so perfectly. Everything is so symmetrical! Aimee drove four hours from Raleigh to pick me up from the airport, Alicia drove from Annapolis, and they parked on the street near my hotel so we could walk there. We walked to the World War II Memorial, along the pool, up to the giant Lincoln Memorial, and by the Vietnam Memorial. We also walked past the National Monument. Basically, walking anywhere here you're going to see something historical! 

Gardens and art

We saw the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden and walked around admiring the art. Then we went inside the Hirshhorn and saw among other cool sights, Laurie Anderson's exhibit, which is descried as an 'immersive audiovisual experience.' I loved it! 

District Wharf

Part of my conference was located here, but Alicia, Aimee and I hadn't been here. Later, I found out that it's because it's new! They've created an entertainment area by the water. We ate here at Kirwan's On the Wharf, but there are a lot of choices. Later that night I went to the conference event right on the water here, too. Super nice area.

Honestly, I've met up with these girls in various states and countries, so the fact they'd drive to Washington DC just for lunch shouldn't surprise me, but it did - just so awesome to see them. 

                                 

Museums

I love museums, and I love that they're free here! I was walking to the Capitol Building and passing right by the National Gallery of Art. How could I resist? It was about 15 minutes to closing time, so I just went in to spend those minutes walking around. 

The amazing thing about being in this museum is that sometimes in them I'm struggling to find something I find interesting. There's always something, but in smaller museums you sometimes have to work for it. But this one...room after room...you could get lost in it, it's so huge, and full of amazing art! I also love going to museums by myself, because I can go anywhere I want and stay as long as I want (or at least until it closes.)

I walked past a hallway and a picture caught my eye, and it was like seeing someone you recognized. It was Ginevra de' Benci by Leonardo da Vinci, which my mom has a replica of in her house. She used to go to DC a lot with my dad for meetings, and she said when she came here, she would always visit the painting to stare at it, because she loves it so much. I was so happy to happen to see it, and I stared at it too.

                                               

Capitol Building

I love visiting capitol buildings in our state capitals, and since they often share the same style, but wow - this one always seems so huge.

Running

                                      

I always like to run in other cities because you always get a different feel. The first morning I ran here, a rat jumped out of a planter and ran alongside me for a few steps. Ah, cities. I had to go early, and it was pitch black and cold. I ran to the Lincoln Memorial. The mall pathway was lit, but it was just a pool of darkness beyond it. I wondered about the safety of running there by myself, but it seemed fine. There was not one person in sight, so when I visited Lincoln, it was just him and me. You don't always get touristy spots to yourself, and I really liked the early morning visit. Not only was he a great leader, but that is one beautiful statue. 

                                               

Work

Since I was there for work, we stayed at the Marriot, and ate at Bobby Van's Steakhouse and Proper 21. I had a good time with my work friends, too.

There are a million more things to do in DC when you have time! I've ridden the hop on and off bus, explored the Smithsonian and other museums, and done the night scene. I'll be back, I know ... because my kids haven't even been here yet!

Summer in Michigan

I love summer in Michigan. Not only did I go to Lake Michigan an unprecedented five weekends in a row, but there are so many other great places! There's so much to see and do in my little state. This summer I hit up:

Saugatuck

My favorite beach used to be Oval Beach. It was always white sand, empty, beautiful. It cost $10 dollars to park there, and I felt like that cut down on the crowds. Well, no longer! We came here twice this summer and it was super packed the first time, and even more packed the second time. Both weekdays! 

This is what I love about Oval Beach - you can park right in between giant dunes and the beach, and you can easily go back to your car anytime you want, so you're not walking a mile to get sunscreen or food. 

We also climbed up Mount Baldhead, which is a series of many steps that leads to an outlook. Always a good time. We always also eat at Dairy Daze, where they give you giant - I'm not joking, giant - portions of ice cream. 

Luther, Pine River & Silver Creek State Forest Campground

We did something new this year, and we joined our friends in a big group on their annual canoe trip. They've been going for 20-some years, and so they had everything planned so perfectly! They camp at Silver State campground. They rent from a place they like, and they know just how to figure the cars so that there are the right amount at the end of the 7-hour trip! 

Along the way we saw cliffs, we climbed a giant dune, and we enjoyed the company of our friends. This was canoeing, different than kayaking for me, because it's so much less stable. It also was a more challenging river than just floating. It was awesome.

Old Mission Peninsula

We visited Kris' cousin Melissa and her husband Tom, and they have the good sense to live in Traverse City on Old Mission Peninsula, right on Lake Michigan. In fact, the road between their house and the lake is closed right now, because part of it is crumbling into the lake. It made it even nicer for walking and running, though obviously the residents aren't thrilled - not the ones that live in the middle of it, anyway.

We walked up to a high point and could see vineyards all around us. There's just something about the ordered rows of a vineyard that I find incredibly beautiful. 

Tom and Melissa took us on their boat across the lake to Elk Rapids, where we ate lunch. We spent the rest of the time kayaking and paddleboarding and hanging out by the water. Nice area to visit!

South Haven

Right when we got to South Haven, we went to South Beach and were delighted with how empty it was! We noticed a lot of police, looked it up, and saw that a guy had just shot two people on the pier and then himself. South Beach is NOT like this, but then the next morning we got the paper at our Airbnb and it talked about a shooting at a party. I went to run and Kris was like ... be careful. But it was not like that at all ... just another nice beach town, but sad events, for sure.

We went here with Kris' family for a vacation weekend all together! Since it was Kris' sister, her husband, their two kids, and Kris' parents, plus us five, we got an Airbnb house that was a mile from the beach. It was fantastic. It was at 914 Phoenix Street, and not only was it giant, with a great backyard, she also had TOYS for us. A beach tent, bodyboards, bikes, scooters, wagon, beach toys - it was amazing.

We loved the farmers market on Saturday morning, running to the pier, checking out the downtown shops, eating ice cream, and going to Two Blondes for lunch. I loved South Beach and North Beach - North Beach had amazing, wild waves one day, while South Beach remained relatively calm. There was paid parking on the beach - $10 for the day, so it was easy to get to if you're not staying over, too.

One funny thing was the drawbridge. It kept not working. Once we waiting in our Jeep for a long time before deciding to turn and find another route, but one time we were on bikes waiting. We eventually just crossed!

Kris' parents went back for their anniversary two weeks later, so they liked it too! It surpassed Oval Beach as our favorite, but it's just a liiiiiitle farther from home.

Berrien Springs

Kris and I took the boys camping at Shamrock Park when they were not-one and three. Of course, they didn't remember it. This time we went without Kris, because of harvest.

We camped right along the river. Spots 74-79 seem like the best ones. We bought bait at a sketchy store right outside the campground, we fished, we waded in the water, and then we decided to go to Lake Michigan, you know, since we all love it. It was just a 12-mile drive straight west from the campground. We got there and saw it was called Weko Beach, and it was attached to a campground. You have to pay to get it, but the attendant just waved us in because it was 5:00 p.m.

Don't go to Weko Beach. There were dogs running around, and their owners weren't doing anything to control them. We saw a German Shepherd go after a dog that was walking by, and then when we walked by, the dog started chasing Max and barking like crazy. I ran in between them and yelled at him to go away in my meanest voice. The owners did nothing. Nothing. Max ran into the water to get away from the dog and it followed him into the water and bit him! I said, "RUN!" and we four sprinted away down the beach away from that dog and those terrible people. It broke his skin, but not his bathing suit, so I knew there was no dog bacteria in him, but that's not a fun vacation activity.

We got ice cream afterward at Scoops. Max didn't cry or scream and basically acted like he gets bitten by dogs every day. The ice cream helped me, anyway.

Our tent was inexplicably under a mercury light. We tried very hard to light a fire, but since the fire pit was open underneath, we couldn't do it. We went out to the river after dark and shone the flashlight into the river to see lots of creatures. The next morning Cole blocked the bottom of the pit and built a beautiful fire at 5:00 a.m., despite me shushing him.

We went to Warren Dunes State Park and climbed up the giant dune, and we went to the beach for a few minutes, then hit Western Michigan University on the way home to show my kids where I went for undergrad.

St Joseph

Our friends Erin and Jay live in St Joseph on Lake Michigan, and we try to visit them every year. I've lost count of how many times we've been there. We've done a lot of things in St Joseph, but this year we did some new things! For one, their yacht club had a huge party with a live band after a regatta race. There were so many people there, and it was super fun. 

The next day Jay took us to a hike at Grand Mere. I loved the hike. It went through pavement, then woods, then mud, then dunes, then to Lake Michigan! The beach had really steep dunes, and it was beautiful. Then Jay drove us to Three Oak, another new town, and we went to Journeyman Distillery, which is a restaurant in an old stay factory. While you waited for your table, they had an 18-hole putting green! This delighted me, as I've never seen that, and it was so fun to play. Hopefully this will become a commonality at restaurants.  

Mackinac Island

I went to Mackinac Island for a conference, so I despite the countless times I've been here, I did all new things! We stayed at the Grand Hotel (this for sure never would have happened), to social events on the porch, to yoga, and on a behind-the-scenes tour. 

For the first time in my life, I rode in a horse and carriage. We went to the Woods, the back nine of the golf course at the Grand. It was a scramble, and Kris and I had amazing partners. I also made two birdie putts, with one of them being a 30-footer, so they were fooled into thinking I was good, too!

All in all, it was a wonderful summer in Michigan. If you ever have any questions about a location, please don't hesitate to contact me! 

Oval Beach with cousins

Grand Hotel

Secret Garden in front of Grand Hotel

Mackinac Island

Grand Hotel porch

Pine River

Grand Mere hike

Grand Mere trail

Warren Dunes State Park

Lake Michigan, Traverse City

Kayaking on Lake Michigan

With all the Wardins in South Haven

North Beach

Camping

Mammoth Cave National Park and Nashville

Why Mammoth Cave? Why not? Stephanie and I started talking in January about where we wanted to go, and it seemed close, domestic, and a little different. And it was!

Day one - Detroit to Nashville to Mammoth Cave National Park

Kate, Stephanie and I were in the very back seats of the plane, and ... there weren't windows. It was so disconcerting not being able to see where we were! But we made it just fine and stood in the long line for the rental car from Thrifty.

I'd like to note here that renting a car is never quick or easy. Even if you have a reservation, it takes forever. I just heard about Turo, which is like Airbnb for cars, and I'm going to try that next time. But it made it all worth it when we walked out to our car and it was a ... Chevy Spark! It was the smallest car I've ever driven. Luckily Kate is a little pocket person and she could fit in the back seat. That thing could turn on a dime!

We drove immediately to Kentucky, close to our lodge, and ate at El Mazatlan in Cave City. It was great, and as we found out later, the only real restaurant in town.

We stayed at the Mammoth Cave Lodge right inside the park, and after we waited out the rain, we started off on a hike from our hotel.

There was some police tape over what looked like a really cool path, so we chose to ignore that and check it out. It led us to an amazing opening to a cave! There was fog hovering over it, and a waterfall over the opening! It had stairs leading down into it, and we went down them as far as we could until there was a locked door. There we saw - this was the entrance to Mammoth Cave! The fact that we didn't know where it was and it was just a little way from our lodge was extra cool. We later found out this path was called Heritage Trail.

We went on a hike to Sunset Point, Sinkhole Trail, and the River Valley Trail. It was green, lush, and humid - sort of like a rainforest. The most amazing thing to me was that we stood on top of Mammoth Dome, which looked like a sinkhole, but we knew that not far under the earth, there was a giant, 192-foot deep hole! 

(In Yellowstone, I was amazed that everywhere we went, the ground was bubbling, steaming, and simmering. In Mammoth Cave, the ground kept trying to sink in everywhere, because there are over 400 miles of caves underground. The sinkholes looked like giant drains that had sucked in all the trees and dirt. So cool!)

We wanted to eat dinner at the Green River Grill at the Mammoth Cave Lodge, but it was only open 5-7 p.m. (So short?!) We got there at 6:45 p.m. so they wouldn't seat us did let us get takeout, which was great.

Day two - Cave tour and hiking at Mammoth Cave National Park

The only way you can go into the cave is to book a tour, and you have to book them as soon as they open the tours - like a month ahead of time. (They didn't have any open tours for another week.) 

I chose the Extended Historic Tour, and we really enjoyed it! Highlights included Mammoth Dome and Fat Man's Misery - which was a small area we weaved our way through. Also, even though I'm not a fan of graffiti, people have been touring the caves forever, and at one point the guides would help people nail a candle to a stick and write their names and the date on the ceiling of the cave. So we saw dates from the 1700s and 1800s, and even the guide that mapped out a lot of the cave. If I were to go again, I would have booked two or three tours of different areas, because you really can't see it all on one tour! 

The Spelunker's Cafe at the lodge had everything we needed for breakfast - candy, sandwiches, etc. We grabbed some food there and drove and parked to go on three hikes just outside of the park - the Cedar Sink Trail, Sloan's Crossing Pond Walk, and Turnhole Bend Nature Trail. (We got a map at the Visitor's Center and the parking lots for all of them were well-marked.) Cedar Sink Trail was my favorite, and as we were looking at the sinkhole with a tiny pool of water at the bottom, we actually saw part of it break off and drop into the water. Sinking! 

We went back into Cave City, went to Reyna's Tavern and Grill, and then ate again at ... El Mazatlan! It's hard to beat good Mexican on an outside patio, and also there were limited choices.

Day three - Kayaking on the Green River and Nashville

We rented kayaks from Adventures of Mammoth Cave. We went there, followed them in our car, parked, then got in their van pulling the kayaks. That way it didn't matter when we finished, because our cars were where we ended. We chose the Dennison Ferry to Green River ferry trip.

I really enjoyed the kayaking. We got to go into a little cave! Stephanie pointed out the worms on the walls and ceilings, which added to the adventure!  The owner had told us where to spot an eagle's nest, which we did and it was giant. Kate later spotted the eagle, which was perched on a dead branch right along the river! We saw lots of turtles, too. The current was quick, and it was a nice paddle down to the Green River ferry. 

We drove straight to Nashville, where we had rented an Airbnb. We changed from hiker/kayakers into city girls, and we had a great time! Kate had been in Nashville the weekend before, and she suggested where we should go on Broadway. It seems like it would be hard to go wrong, because Nashville is similar to Austin, New Orleans, and Memphis - every place is wide open, with great bands playing in every bar! We went to Whiskey Bent Row, Tin Roof, Kid Rock's Honky Tonk (we ate here), Miranda Lambert's Casa Rosa, and Mellow Mushroom. All good bands and dancing - of course! 

Day four - Nashville to Detroit

We ate breakfast at First Watch, which was right next to our Airbnb, and it was fantastic. We went to a few shops and boutiques because we had a little time before we went to the airport, then it was back to the airport and home sweet home. 

Tybee Island and Savannah, Georgia

My friends Alicia, Aimee, and I have been travel partners for years. I met them in 2002 when I lived in North Carolina, and in 2003 we took our first trip together, along with Laurie, another friend - to Miami. Over the years we made it a point to travel together ... we've been to the Outer Banks several times, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Belize, Italy, and lots of places in the U.S. - they visit me in Michigan, we've met up in Chicago, New Mexico, Pittsburgh, Florida ... and other places I'm forgetting that they will remind me about later! Other friends have often also gone on these trips, too, which is super fun. 

This year we decided to go to Tybee Island, Georgia. Aimee could drive there, we could all work there (since I just started a new job), and it looked pretty in pictures! 

Savannah 

Aimee picked me up at the Savannah airport. We parked in Forsyth Park, where they were having a farmers market. We spent the day walking around the beautiful city. Spanish moss hangs from the trees, making them look fancy and providing fantastic shade. There were lots of historical monuments and statues that we would read about, and there were tons of people getting wedding pictures taken! 

We walked to the river area, and we stopped at Service Brewing Co. and Two Tides Brewing Company. Neither of them offer food, so we ate burritos from Orale Tacos before going to pick up Alicia at the airport. After we got her, we drove to our Airbnb on Tybee Island. We took a looooong walk on the beach. 

Tybee Island - weekend

We rented standup paddleboards from North Island Surf & Kayak. (You should probably try to rent this earlier than the morning of...we were able to get them here, but some places said they were already booked.) We put in from their dock, and we paddled to a nearby lighthouse, and then to a sandy beach. Sometimes we were against the current, and you really had to paddle! While we were out there, Alicia pointed, and like we hoped, we saw dolphins! They came very close - close enough to hear them breathe out and in when they surfaced. I don't think I could ever get tired of that - it was magical. 

Tybee Beach at night and in the morning is beautiful. Long, white, wide, pretty, and quiet. During the day, though, it was packed! It was a very good people watching beach, especially at the beach pier, where we got concessions and hung out in the shade. (Being on the beach in the shade is what my burny skin likes best.) 

We chose to have dinner at The Deck Beach Bar and Kitchen, which was right on the beach. It was great, and walkable from our house, and always nice to walk home when you're still warm.

Tybee Island - weekday

After work, we rented bikes from Tim's Bike & Beach Gear, which was very close to where we were staying. Aimee and I rode all over the island - to the lighthouse, to get ice cream at the Sugar Shack, and to eat at the North Beach Bar & Grill, where I had a really great salmon salad. And I didn't even really know if I liked salmon! 

Tybee, like Hilton Head, is a beach where it's firm enough to ride your bike on the beach. So I went from not even knowing this was a thing to now having done it twice in two places in two months! Big fan.

Aimee and I swam in the ocean, and it was so warm, and the waves were just right, and it was wonderful. I love, love swimming in a warm ocean. Then we just hopped right back on our bikes to dry off! We swam in a less busy part of the beach. Near the pier = super busy. Everywhere else = not busy.

Alicia finished work, so we went to Sea Wolf to eat. We'd heard about it from a server at North Beach, but when we looked at the site it said it was closed. We gave it a shot anyway and ... it was open! They change their menus every two weeks, we were outside, and the weather was perfect. Our server there mentioned that he liked going to Huc-a-poos, so we walked there after dinner, and we liked that place too!

  

Back to Savannah

I set my alarm to run one last time on the beach. Tybee Island is known for its sunrises, and it was beautiful. Since Alicia hadn't been to Savannah, we decided to walk around there before we headed out. We had lunch at Treylor Park, and then we walked around different places we hadn't seen before. I haven't been this hot in awhile. I forgot how hot the south can really be! Of course, I'm writing this from home and it's 42 and rainy today, and I would rather be hot. And in Georgia. With my friends. So...on to the next trip! 

Hilton Head, SC

I wasn't sure if I could drive to Hilton Head in one shot, because it was a 15 hour drive. The longest I'd driven before by myself was 12 hours. But - it was a breeze! It actually took 16.5 because of traffic, and the last two hours I was kind of tired. The way back Kris went with me and it took 15 and the point is ... driving far is awesome, and I should do it more. 

Beach

You can ride bikes on the beach. I can't get over this. I've never been to a beach that was firm enough to ride a bike on it! I am drawn to the beach like a magnet. I love to run, walk, swim, look at it, and now - bike on it. 

We got out there at high tide, and it was like riding on wet cement. It was super hard. We went again at low tide and it was a like a paved street. I didn't make that mistake again! We stayed at the Marriott SurfWatch (thanks to our friends Brian and Jenny) and they rented bikes for $30 a week, which I thought was reasonable. We just got two and took turns.

We could walk half a mile to a channel of water going into the ocean, and it changed all the time with tides. All the kids loved playing in this water.

We found dead jellyfish, live sand dollars, crabs, and a live conch. The beach was always changing and fascinating.

Parks

We rode bikes in Chaplin Park, which was close to the hotel. Spanish moss! A free range chicken, and paved roads! Excellent riding through there.

We also went to Audubon Newhall Park, and although it was small, we liked it. Everything was labeled, and we saw plants and things like cypress knees that we've never seen before.

We loved Sea Pines Forest Preserve, and you should totally go here. You have to pay $9 a car to get into the Sea Pines area, and it was worth it. We walked the trails here for about two hours, and we loved seeing the trees, the jungle-like plants, the Spanish moss, the resurrection ferns, and the alligators lying in wait in the water and on land to kill us.

We'd read about the Indian Shell Ring, and we walked a long way to see it. When we got there, we had to laugh. There was a shell ring there at one point, but now it's just a slightly raised berm covered in grass and leaves. The signs made us laugh, too. "Why do you think people put shells here?" Our guess is as good as theirs! We went with 'they ate the food out of the shells and pushed them out of the way until they had formed a ring around the fire in the middle and they also can't believe there were signs leading to this trash pit.' Ha! But everything else in this park was worth seeing, including the dead snake, the vine that broke when Ty tried to swing on it, and the giant palms Max carried around.

Harbour Town Lighthouse

There's a museum in the lighthouse (costs $4.50) that we enjoyed, and you can go outside on the top and see the beautiful view from there. All around the lighthouse they have a great playground, shops to buy food and gifts, and a nice walking area along the boats.

Kayaking

We booked with Kayak Hilton Head, because they were the only ones with a spot! Dave texted me late at night to figure out details, which I really appreciated. It was touted as a dolphin tour, and when we went, our guide Doug said we had a 50% chance of seeing them, which we were all fine with. You can't depend on sea creatures. We just wanted to kayak!

He was a good guide and we enjoyed listening to him tell about the area, the houses, the neighborhoods, and the wildlife. We kayaked to a spot and waited for some dolphins for a bit, but none came, so we shrugged and headed back. Then he got a call that dolphins had passed the marina and were headed our way. And then, there they were! The swam right around our kayaks and everyone got to see them. I loved seeing them as always. Nice addition to the trip.

Then we started kayaking back. It was against the current, and the wind was against us. Oh my - I had to work really hard to make it back, and I felt if I paused I would be RIGHT back where I started! I kayaked like a rower in a competition. He had said the day before he had to tow two people who had fallen behind and I was determined that wasn't going to happen to me. We worked up a sweat and made it just fine!

Fishing and golfing

Kris and guys went fishing on a charter that our friend Matt arranged, and they caught 11 fish. They liked it, and I liked eating them. Kris and guys also golfed at Oyster Reef, which they enjoyed. There are lots of options for chartering boats and golfing.

Food

We ate in all but one meal, because there was a big group of us and we made dinner together at night. Kroger's was convenient but always packed, (and I mean like day-before-a-holiday-packed) so try and get there early or late. Reilley's was a great place with a lovely atmosphere and outdoor seating, plus reasonably priced.  

Games

Our hotel had bocce ball, basketball, shuffleboard, and horseshoes, and our kids spent hours playing these games. My grandparents were shuffleboard players, but I hadn't played, and it was great! The games were actually one of their favorite things, which makes me think we don't actually have to take them anywhere ever, just build a horseshoe pit.

I loved the trees full of Spanish moss, the beach, the water, and the general beauty of the area. I can see why it's wildly popular! A couple of people working there said that it was one of the busiest weeks in two years, which is understandable, and I still loved it. Different, pretty, and totally worth the drive anytime!

If you ask enough times, your friends will totally recreate their proposal for you.

This was the only chicken I saw!

Beach yoga

You can ride a bike! On the beach!

Note the determination. It's genetic.