Bike the Neck

The Waccamaw Neck Bike Trail ( AKA Bike the Neck)

Today Bruce and I rode the newly completed section of the Bike the Neck Trail  between Murrells Inlet and Sandy Island Road.  I  felt so much safer knowing that we no longer have to compete with traffic on  Highway 17. 

The Waccamaw Neck Bike Trail  runs from Murrells Inlet to Pawleys Island is a 20 mile point-to-point trail located near Pawleys Island, South Carolina.  Some of it is separated from motorized vehicles, some is not.  Hopefully someday there will be a dedicated trail the entire length of the Waccamaw Neck.

The final northern  link in the Bike the Neck chain of South Carolina Bike trails was forged to literally bridge the section in Murrells Inlet SC ,  to the portion in Huntington Beach SC.   A wooden bridge now connects the bike lane along U.S. Highway 17 in Murrells Inlet, and the recently constructed bike trail along the edge of Huntington Beach State Park, which in turn connects to a trail leading all the way into Litchfield, SC. 

The section  through Murrells Inlet still shares use  of Hyway 17  bypass with the bike lane being marked along road,   until one reaches the new bridge. ( But at least bicyclists are no longer forced into traffic on the narrow bridge)

The Huntington Beach State Park portion of the trail is paved and meanders through gorgeous wooded and wetland sections of the park. This separate flat trail parallels US 17 through the woods  from Murrell’s Inlet to Sandy Island Road near Huntington Beach State Park. 

From  Murrell’s Inlet the trail follows US 17 Business south. for 6.0 miles of continuous trail  through Huntington Beach SP and two sections of approximately 4.0 miles. of Litchfield 

 For Maps, videos and related information about the Waccamaw Neck  Bike Trail,

  see the attached link  :

 http://www.us17coastalhighway.com/2010/08/waccamaw-neck-bikeway.html

Cypress Gardens 10 '11

This realistic looking demolished  chapel is a left over  film prop

Today we visited Cypress Gardens.  This well know tourist attraction has been featured in numerous national magazines, popular television shows and motion pictures.

BJ stands beside an artificial cypress movie prop

Many of the  props from the filming of the movie "the Patriot" were left behind  in the gardens, giving one the sense of having stepped back in time to the revolutionary war era.

More props left behind from films made here.

The Gardens feature a large Cypress Swamp which can be viewed  from the water by boat afoot on  well maintained hiking trails.

Guided boat and land tours are available, but we decided we would prefer to see the gardens at our own pace.

 Perhaps he just didn't trust my rowing ability, but BJ wanted to do the oaring. What every his reasons  I was grateful to have my hands free so I could take  reference photos.

There are beautiful reflections,

and interesting views everywhere we looked.

I got a little nervous when we noticed somethings that looked suspiciously like  alligators among some waterlilies.

Fortunately they were just a logs.

After touring the wetlands by boat, we decided to take one of the along 3.5 miles of walking/hiking paths which loop through the swamp and gardens. Stroll along original dikes from the rice-growing era, keeping an eye out for wildlife.

BJ enjoyed inspecting the rice which the Garden's Staff  has planted  in a manner similar to  the cultivation methods which would have been used on this land in Colonial times.

Next we visited the  Cypress Gardens 

"SWAMPARIUM"

Inside large tanks and terrariums feature fish, amphibians, and reptiles (including venomous snakes) native to South Carolina swamps and nearby waterways.

Just outside the Swamparium door is where Cypress Gardens  keeps it live  alligators.   Thank heavens, the beasts were safely contained behind steel bars; these guys are REALLY BIG.

After learning from those exhibits what is potentially lurking beneath the waters surface , I was not nearly as inclined as I usually would be to venture too close  the lotus pond.  This time I let my zoom lens do the work, and kept on moving toward The Butterfly House

This large greenhouse filled with flowering plants, live butterflies, birds, a pond, an arthropod exhibit, and a observation beehive.

I especially appreciated the Garden's focus upon native butterflies like the Zebra above

 and the Buckeye below

The Exhibit also show cased butterflies  that migrate through our area like Swallowtail and Monarchs

Cypress Gardens is located on Cypress Gardens Road,  which is close to the Goose Creek area. It is approximately 25 miles north of Charleston, SC.

Wooden Boat Show in Georgetown SC '11

 Wooden Boat Show held third weekend in Oct  is one of the nation's premier wooden boat exhibits. These activities all take place on the waterfront and in Historic Downtown Georgetown.

North Front Street exhibits

 Much of the activity takes place on the North and South ends of Front Street in Georgetown SC

South Front Street exhibits

 The street scene  features wooden boat exhibits, a boat building competition, kid's model boat building, boat raffles, maritime arts & crafts, food and music including a booth where my friend Maria Delaney has were work on display.

Art for sale

Georgetown Harbor

 One block away,  Georgetown's  River front  is a hoping place as well  with  boat tours

Two Mast

 Historic boats

A local shrimp boat

 Working vessels

 And long boat oaring lessons

You can learn more about Georgetown's  Wooden Boat Show at http://woodenboatshow.com/

New painting at Charlston Artist Gallery '11

"The Crab Cake Lady's  House"

I delivered this 9" x 12" plein air oil painting  to Charleston Artists Gallery today to replace the painting  that sold yesterday.  It looks great on the wall with all  my other paintings other local landmarks

Georgetown Wooden Boat Show '11

Georgetown South Carolina is a hardworking community built on the banks of the Wynyah Bay.

It has been an important commercial harbor and seafaring community since the earliest European colonists settled the area in the early 1600s.  Every autumn, Georgetown celebrates its seafaring history with a Wooden  Boat Show

Wooden Boats come in from all over the Eastern seaboard to participate in the event

Special pontoon walkways are set up so visitors can view these beauties up close..

Visitors are given lessons in how to oar a long boat in the stiff currents of the  tidal rivers.

Shrimpers tie up with pleasure craft  some even welcome visitors aboard for the day.

Two masted schooners and many private vessels are moored  in the river for the day.

Bruce exploring Front Street

The main Front Street is lined with  handcrafted boats, tent stalls for children to race toy boats,

and of course vendors selling boat related  merchandise.

My friend Maria Delaney was in one of these showing people her beautiful photographic artwork.

Jamestown VA '11

Sunday, Oct 9 saw us visiting Jamestown VA.  Jamestown was a settlement in the Colony of Virginia. Established by the Virginia Company of London as "James Fort" on May 14, 1607, it was the first permanent English settlement in what is now the USA, following several earlier failed attempts. It would serve as capital of the colony for 83 years (from 1616 until 1699).  In 1699, the capital was relocated from Jamestown to what is today Williamsburg VA, after which Jamestown ceased to exist as a settlement, existing today only as an archaeological site and living history museum

The living history museum has a full blown building with movies and exhibits depicting the N.A. Indians  and colonist life at the time of the settlement.Indian   

Outside the museum grounds one can walk through a N.A. Indian village to see how the native Americans ate, slept, cooked, hunted and socialized 

There is also a full scale replica of the original Jamestown fort and all of its known buildings.

You can walk through all of the buildings

. Craftsmen in costume go about doing the chores that would have been done at the time and answer visitor questions about life in the colonies

A few of the more prominent homes had some small luxuries like tile floors and fireplaces. 

 Most of the buildings are mud daub wall constructing with dirt floors and thatched roofs and minimal furnishings.    

 A short drive beyond the Jamestown living history museum is the site of the actual settlement.  All that remains are some crumbling foundations and the remains of the third church constructed in the fort before the area was abandoned.  The US government owns the land and gives tours of the digs.

Replicas of the three ships that brought the settles are anchored in the harbor.  Visitors can walk through every part of the ship including the crew’s quarters 

One thing I learned is that rank did not always equal luxury.  Above is the captain’s  living quarters... Cramped small and sparse at best.

Above is the ship cook’s quarters and  below the galley… Far more spacious and comfy.

One thing we  definitely learned from this trip is that our colonial predecessors lived a very harsh existence.  They were built of a lot hardier stuff than most oft my generation., that’s for sure