Hmmm … shouldn’t this little guy be an ant?
96 1/2 in the Morning
I’m still editing the many, many photos I took during my 48 hour trip to Charleston and I’m looking forward to sharing some of them with you. Until then … something about this old home, and it’s address, caught my eye in the early morning light.
Dusk
My Other Bike
It’s no use denying it … since I fell in love with motorcycles, my other two wheeled bike sits unused and collecting dust. In 5 years, I have ridden less than 100 miles on the bicycle that I chose carefully and used to ride almost daily, 12 miles before work and more on the weekend. Charleston is the perfect place to explore by bicycle and I loved riding it over The Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge.
Just a few … Charleston
What a joy to be in Charleston in the spring! Temperatures in the 70s, and the smell of Jasmine everywhere.
The Final Myrtle Beach Post: The Beach!!!
This is the fourth and final post about Myrtle Beach Bike Week and my experience as a first timer.
One of the things that was a bit of a surprise to me about my trip to Myrtle Beach is that actually going to the beach did not seem like much of a priority. Me? At the first sign of the ocean, I pulled the bike over, breathed in the ocean air and relaxed into the view. I’m an Outer Banks, NC kind of woman … the Outer Banks is “beautifully natural, formed by centuries of wind, water and sand blown from the Atlantic Ocean, and home to a rich history; a place that inspires a true sense of adventure” (http://www.outerbanks.org/)
Even though Myrtle Beach is vastly different than a less developed beach community, it was during the very early morning hours that I found the ocean experience that I love.
We rode our bikes to the 2nd Avenue Pier, enjoyed breakfast at the Pier House Restaurant, and marveled at the view.
There’s just something about a beach, whether developed or more remote and quiet, that makes me so incredibly happy.
As did this fun time away with friends that I adore.
Rhodies in the Evening Light
Sometimes I’m home at just the right time to catch the evening light on the rhododendrons outside my front door. I wish I could take credit for them being there, but they came with the house when I bought it 16 years ago.
Different Colors / Different Evenings.
Myrtle Beach on the Bike: The Bars, Restaurants, and Music (and Pay to Pee!)
This is the third in a series of posts about Myrtle Beach Bike Week and my experience as a first timer.
No doubt, the people and the bikes are a big draw to Bike Week, but it is also the bars, restaurants and music that make for happening times. Our first stop was SuckBangBlow, the bar whose website boasts the fact that “you can ride through the front doors, right up to the bar, and order a cold one!”.
The food at The Dead Dog Saloon was so yummy!
And there is an entire wall devoted to photos of beloved dogs that have passed on.
At The Beaver Bar, Brooks Paul, The Prince of Rock, the 12 year old lead singer of a rock band (the rest of the members are adults) played Journey, Foreigner, Queen, The Who and Led Zeppelin.
Almost as soon as I got to Myrtle Beach, my friend Billy told me that he had a few things he needed to teach me about Bike Week. One of those lessons? The folks who keep the Porta Johns clean expect to be tipped.
Need to pee? Bring a dollar! I’d never heard of such a thing!
On the other hand, I’ve used a lot of Porta Johns at football games and outdoor concerts and it can be a scary experience. These potties? Sparkling clean! And you get to choose from a variety of hand cleanser, lotion and sunscreen once done! Great Deal!
At the Causeway Grill and Bar, we heard the Josh Brannon Band.
And finally, on a beautiful Monday evening, we heard Sunny Ledfurd at The Boathouse.
This little one enjoyed the music as much as we did!
Warm summer days and nights. Inexpensive beer. Music, outdoors, with no cover charge.
No complaints!
Coming up: The Fourth and Final post – The Beach of Myrtle Beach
“Aren’t Daisies the Friendliest Flower?”
Myrtle Beach on the Bike: The People and The Bikes
This is the second in a series of posts about Myrtle Beach Bike Week and my experience as a first timer.
Myrtle Beach Bike Week – motorcycles, music, people, bars (some only in business during bike week / 2-3 weeks per year) and restaurants – so many sites to see and things to do. I was there for less than 48 hours and still managed to walk on the beach, log some miles on the bike, listen to fun music, enjoy good food and drink, and spend time with great friends.
People watching is a favorite activity. Find a rocking chair, a beer, and watch the bikes and people go by.
The problem I had with the rows of rocking chairs is that they were lined up right in front of where I had to back the bike into a long line of bikes. Do you know how unnerving that is? Angle the bike wrong and the whole row goes down … or at least that was my fear. Knowing everyone was watching made me even more nervous. Deciding to make a positive out of a potential negative, I jokingly asked the crowd for a little love. Everyone began to cheer and clap and I backed in without problem. Phew!
Once the bike was parked, I was able to grab a cold one, hang with my friends and get down to some serious people watching.
Juli and I with our multi-tatted friend
Then there are the bikes! The models, colors, styles, and sheer individuality of them would keep you busy for hours.
Of course for me, the best part was having an unplanned, extra day off from work and using it to spend time on the bike and with friends. It was a fabulous mini-vacation!
Next Post: The Music, Bars, and Restaurants
Life on the Bike and other Fab Things 