South Carolina Visit - Summer 2019

MIDSUMMER

We had a wonderful time visiting the folks in South Carolina.  That would be, my parents and family.  But, you never know who might show up in the area when we are there.  We were lucky to have my 3 nieces, Grant and Jess.  And, then it got worse, Brittany from Atlanta showed up and it went downhill from there. There were projects to do around the house and fun to be had by all.  The Summer Solstice was coming up and we had to prepare for the festivities. 

We made head wreaths for the event from store bought flowers and plants from the backyard.

They took a little longer to make than expected, but look how great they are!

Everyone joined in the fun knowing there would be some fire jumping that night.

The weather was cooperating and we hoped to even see some stars.

First order of business:  Get the meat cooked!  Mr. Gibbs was there to help.

Not only was there Midsummer's events planned, but we had to get the backyard ham radio antenna set up as well.  In the above picture, you can see the antenna work going on in the background.  My dad wanted to raise the antenna 12' or so and strongly secure it.  Later, we made a trench to cover the feed line.

Brittany came over from Atlanta for 2 nights and we had a LOT of fun.  We were friends in high school in Florida, but became even better friends and dive trip buddies over the years. 

Alexis and me getting a little crazy as the night progressed. 

Katherine, Brit, and Hailey

Me, Jess, Hailey, Grant, Lindsey, Kath, Brit, and my mom running away!

Let the fire jumping begin!

(Mind you, it was already hot outside and no fire was needed.)

Alexis making it happen.

Haley with a little help.

Lindsey in the moment!

Two beauties at Midsummers!

Most likely watching American Ninja Warrior.

Rocca living the life. 

We had some time to step out for a bit.  One of our excursions took us to the local Cabela's store.  I needed some warm coveralls for the upcoming elk hunt in November.  Yes, it was hot and humid outside, but I was planning for the fall and found something that fit nicely and would be plenty warm.  And, obviously, I look great!  I just need my banjo.

Katherine and I would go out for walks at all times of day.  We never saw a snake on our walking paths, but when we took Brittany's car out for a ride, we came across this snake crossing the road.  I took a few pics, then we continued down the road.  When we came back, he was gone. 

South Carolina was a blast for sure.  We plan on visiting again over the winter holidays and creating more hysteria!  I have some plans to build an outdoor table for the backyard which my dad and I brainstormed a bit.  We'll see what happens.

Dublin to USA Final Thoughts 17

Ireland 2019 was a smashing success!  Touring a country for 17 days sure gives you a little glimpse of what it has to offer.  The Irish were extremely nice and accommodating.  Our travel group of Margaux, Andrew, Katherine, and myself worked together nearly flawlessly and smooth.  Sometimes decisions are difficult to make in a group, but we had patience and had a common goal; FUN!

Check out the Google Map below of our route.

IMPORTANT G MAN THOUGHTS

• TRASH - Ireland is a super clean country.  I noticed very little litter anywhere. Graffiti was seen around the cities of Dublin and Galway, but that was expected.  The little villages were impeccable.

• OLD PEOPLE - Many places, we saw older people walking, gardening, driving, and moving about.  Not only tourists, but the local population seemed to be quite old.  From the demographic stats I read, it doesn't seem that there are more old people in the country, but we just happened to see more of them.  Maybe just a coincidence?

• NEW CARS - Everywhere we looked were new cars.  Most cars were 3 years old or newer.  I am not sure how this could be, but everything was shiny and new. 

• ROCK FENCES - This is one of the many beauties throughout the country.  Keep them!

• LEPRECHAUNS AND FAIRIES - We didn't see them, but knew they were there.  Another trip might pay off in the future to witness them first hand.

• NEWGRANGE - This place was really cool.  Andrew gave us the idea to go see the site.  This is a must.

• MUSSELS - This is a real treat.  Try them!

NEXT TIME

(We will be back, and when we go, these are some things I would like to do that maybe we missed.)

• GOLF - There are too many beautiful courses not to try. 

• HIKE MORE - The surrounding mountains are big and beautiful.  Getting to the top of some will take planning.

• MORE MUSIC - We only heard a few groups play, but I think with more planning, you could see a live group every night, or every other night.

• DUBLIN HISTORY MUSEUM - After seeing so much of the country and hearing about the artifacts found, I would really like to see them up close in the museum in Dublin.

• SPEAK MORE IRISH - The Gaelic language is beautiful and I think time spent learning how to say a few things would be beneficial and well worth the effort.

• HIT THE NORTH - I know we only scratched the surface of the south, but getting up higher in latitude would be a real treat. 

• TAX RECEIPTS - The Irish have a cool way to get your VAT back when you depart the country.  You get a little card that you register online with your own credit card.  When you buy something, the shop adds the VAT tax info to the card, and when you are at the airport, you just run the card and it puts the money back on your credit card.  If you plan on getting lots of items, it's a must.

WHAT WE WOULD HAVE CHANGED

• Review our packing list.  We had laundry facilities and could have brought even less.

• Stayed a day longer in places like Killarney and Galway

• Brought binoculars

• Come to Ireland many years ago.  We can't wait to get back!