2009 South Carolina Roadtrip

Hop in the car and buckle up because you are going with us to South Carolina on a virtual roadtrip this week. The actual trip was from October 17 to October 25. Yes, that's right we just got home yesterday afternoon. But we can pretend we are taking the roadtrip this week. All kids love to pretend and old folks love to pretend too. Old folks especially like to pretend that they are young kids or teens heading down the road of life.

This is a two car caravan to South Carolina. Jack and Joann are in the lead car. Jennifer, Jeanine and little Jack Aidan are in the follow up car. Take your pick of the car you want for the drive. Jack's car is quiet. Jennifer's car is not because Jack Aidan is squealing in the back seat constant demands: go faster, turn right, turn left, crash the car, I'm hungry, sing the spider song, read to me, get me milk, etc. You may get bored riding in Jack's car. You will not get bored riding in Jennifer's car but you may end up with food in your lap.

Going down and coming back we will spend a night at a hotel/motel in North Carolina. It may be drizzling rain when we leave our Virginia home but soon the sun appears in North Carolina and the weather turns warmer. We are happy because we will not experience any rain on this trip except for one midnight shower and the weather will reach the high 70's on Monday and Tuesday and then head up to the 80's for the rest of the week. Great weather forecast for October. So let's get to South Carolina.

But first we must pass at least three dozen billboard signs for South of the Border for the last 75 miles to the South Carolina Border. South of the Border is a tourist trap just like The Thing on interstate #10 in Arizona and The Wall on interstate #80 in South Dakota but we will make a quick stop or else someone in the caravan will think that they have missed the Holy Grail. Turn left when you see Pedro's sombrero in the next photo on interstate #95.

Now wasn't that something. Every imaginable trinket and toy from China and Mexico was there with a whole lot of fast food and gas and beds for spending the night. What is really worth observing out the car windows are the fields of white cotton and beige corn and golden soybeans that still need to be harvested from southern Virginia to coastal South Carolina. All that white cotton looks almost like snow. Best of all enjoy the autumn leaves on the trees. Wow! Look below out the windshield. Autumn in all its spendor.

Ok, we have left interstate #95 and have traveled on state route #501 east to Conway where we can now pick up coastal #17 to take us to Myrtle Beach and The Grand Strand. We are almost to the wide beaches of South Carolina. Let the good times roll!

Here's our first view of the ocean at Surfside Beach on the southside of the Grand Strand. Feel the sun and that seabreeze. Let's kick off our shoes and walk in the sand.

Let's find a beach umbrella and stretch out and relax.

We can let little Jack Aidan fill his beach bucket with sand and shells.
It's going to be a great week. Tomorrow we will head to the best tourist attraction in the Mrytle Beach area: Brookgreen Sculpture Gardens.