Myrtle Beach, South Carolina & Environs

[giradman]

Myrtle Beach SkyWheel & Brookgreen Gardens (return visit) - Part 1

Our last full day in Myrtle Beach - activities included a ride on the Myrtle Beach SkyWheel, then a repeat visit to Brookgreen Gardens (for lunch and viewing the Gardens - a ticket allows a 7-day visit), and finally a dinner in Murrells Inlet (which was disappointing and will not be discussed - unfortunate - left a TripAdvisor review).

But for this post, I'll simply discuss the SkyWheel - located in the older and a little 'run-downed' area of Myrtle Beach - our first visit and ride to this 'new age' ferris wheel - 180 ft off the ground and 200 ft above the beach - the cars are air-conditioned and fit up to 6 people - price of admission included 4 round trips (I believe) of the wheel - the views were spectacular - pics below mostly my own except the first one - the last is Susan & I taken on a 'blue screen', i.e. the usual pre-ride pic - we usually never buy these but this one was nice (at least in our opinion) - fun ride; also on the boardwalk was an old and large gaming arcade that brought back memories of my youth. Following posts will be about the Gardens. Dave
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[giradman]

Brookgreen Gardens - Revisit - Part 1

There are so many activities at the Brookgreen Gardens that a day (or several) is just not enough, so since our ticket included 7 consecutive days, we decided to return - had a fine lunch at their Pavilion Restaurant and then toured the Gardens (see map earlier in this thread) - there are so many wonderful areas to visit, i.e. isolated garden sites, indoor and open air buildings, and walks to the water where our pontoon boat ride floated by the observation tour. I took a LOT of new pics (some duplicated in the earlier posts of this thread) and will simply repost - so hope that those looking will enjoy. Dave
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[giradman]

Brookgreen Gardens - Revisit - Part 2

Just some more wonderful pics - we took the trail to the waterway where our previous boat trip toured - fortunately did not encounter any alligators (but they are there!) - for those viewing this thread and especially those who may live in the area or have visited, please add a post or two - Dave
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[scifan57]

Brookgreen Gardens - Revisit - Part 1

There are so many activities at the Brookgreen Gardens that a day (or several) is just not enough, so since our ticket included 7 consecutive days, we decided to return - had a fine lunch at their Pavilion Restaurant and then toured the Gardens (see map earlier in this thread) - there are so many wonderful areas to visit, i.e. isolated garden sites, indoor and open air buildings, and walks to the water where our pontoon boat ride floated by the observation tour. I took a LOT of new pics (some duplicated in the earlier posts of this thread) and will simply repost - so hope that those looking will enjoy. Dave
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Brookgreen Gardens - Revisit - Part 2

Just some more wonderful pics - we took the trail to the waterway where our previous boat trip toured - fortunately did not encounter any alligators (but they are there!) - for those viewing this thread and especially those who may live in the area or have visited, please add a post or two - Dave
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Thanks for another excellent travel story. This is definitely a place I would visit if I were in the area.

 

[giradman]

Thanks for another excellent travel story. This is definitely a place I would visit if I were in the area.

Thanks SciFan.. - the Brookgreen Gardens are certainly worth a visit and 2 days are really needed for a full appreciation. I love the Live Oak Allée - the 'Old Kitchen' is nearby (now a snack/drink shop) and I suspect that those magnificent oaks likely lined the entrance road up to the planation house (which no longer exits) - in fact, on the four plantations only the chimney of the Laurel Hill Plantation rice mill (shown below) still is standing; the mill building was torched during the Civil War - we saw the structure on our Trekker Tour.

In the Brookgreen Gardens gift shop, we bought a number of items, including a bag of Carolina Gold Rice which is being produced in South Carolina on a limited basis - so will be a 'flashback' meal when Susan cooks up some of the historic coastal grain - she has a nice shrimp gumbo dish w/ okra and rice - maybe I'll suggest that one first! Dave
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[giradman]

Carolina Gold Rice - Our First Try and Delicious!

Last night, Susan made a rice pilaf w/ peas, mushrooms, herbs, and shrimp - rice from our bag bought at Brookgreen Gardens - the rice was plump, creamy (like a risotto), and delicious - looking forward to our next meal. Below some web pics - ripe 'golden' colored rice in a South Carolina field (hence the name); brief description from the Anson Mills Website; risotto dish (not ours but an easy recipe from the link just given).

Finally, a short book Carolina Gold Rice which I bought as a Kindle edition a few days ago (already read), written by a retired Savannah eye surgeon who was instrumental in restoration of the historic rice culture of the Carolina-Georgia low country - a final pic of the author and his son, Dr. Richard Schulze. If you are a lover of rice, order some Carolina Gold and try the recipes in the first link. Dave
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[giradman]

Myrtle Beach - Return Visit - September 2019 - Jay Leno Show!

After several years, we arrived in Myrtle Beach today and staying at the Marriott Resort - our return is again a show w/ someone we enjoy - this time Jay Leno at the Alabama Theater this Saturday night - below a couple of pics from our oceanfront balcony w/ a pano (decided just to bring my new iPhone and not sure of all of its features, so a learning experience) - ate at a new place tonight for us, i.e. Bimini's Oyster Bar - shared a dozen oysters on the half shell for starters - Susan had the shellfish steam pot and I a couple of snow crab clusters - some of the best that I've ever eaten; the meat just slipped out of the shells intact - delicious (this will be a repeat at the Flying Fish restaurant before the show!) - may not post much since the thread is full of many pics and attractions, BUT if something new comes up, then I'll be back! Dave

P.S. made a short but nice movie w/ sound from the balcony - plays great on the iPhone but when transferred to my MBAir - the pic is distorted and there is no sound - need to explore the video formats; again trying to use this phone as my 'camera' - any suggestions/links/etc. would be appreciated.
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[scifan57]

Looks like you’ll have a wonderful time.

 

[giradman]

Looks like you’ll have a wonderful time.

Thanks Scifan.. - looking forward to seeing Leno & eating some good shellfish! May do more relaxing on this trip but who knows - the weather looks quite good so maybe another visit to Brookgreen Gardens; we can always return there. Dave

 

[giradman]

Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge - River Boat Tour

Today, we decided to escape the Myrtle Beach atmosphere and see some of the natural beauty of the area - took an excellent river boat tour of just a small portion of the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge, briefly described below from the link; chose the Waccamaw River Tours (see first images below) - the Waccamaw River originates in southeastern North Carolina and enters the Atlantic Ocean just below Georgetown, SC (see second quote) - the river is of historic importance for many reasons, including the rice plantation culture of a few centuries ago (discussed previously in this thread); now the river along w/ man-made canals are part of the Intracoastal Waterway.

The ride was on a pontoon boat w/ about two dozen guests - the narrator Rick was outstanding and talked for nearly two hours providing just a wealth of information about the history of the refuge and the flora and fauna - some of our observations included multiple turtles on logs, several osprey and numerous nests at the tops of cypress trees, and well over a dozen alligators the longest being 10+ ft in length (all in my pics - no specific order but show the beauty of the region) - a wonderful choice for the day. Dave

Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1997, is a recent addition to the United States National Wildlife Refuge system. It is located in parts of northeastern Georgetown County, South Carolina, southern Horry, and southeastern Marion counties, and contains lands adjacent to the Pee Dee River, the Little Pee Dee River, and the Waccamaw River near their confluence. Currently the size of the refuge is 22,931 acres (92.80 km2) but plans call for the total refuge to be over 50,000 acres (200 km2). It was founded to preserve valuable undeveloped coastal wetland and adjacent uplands that provide habitats for many species of wildlife. One endangered species that is given a home, primarily on longleaf pine forest on Sandy Island is the red-cockaded woodpecker. It is also a nesting area for swallow-tailed kites and bald eagles.

The Waccamaw River is a river, approximately 140 miles (225 km) long, in southeastern North Carolina and easternSouth Carolina in the United States. It drains an area of approximately 1110 square miles (2886 km²) in the coastal plain along the eastern border between the two states into the Atlantic Ocean. Along its upper course, it is a slow-moving, blackwater river surrounded by vast wetlands, passable only by shallow-draft watercraft such as canoe. Along its lower course, it is lined by sandy banks and old plantation houses, providing an important navigation channel with a unique geography, flowing roughly parallel to the coast. (Source)

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[giradman]

On our arrival, I made a short movie on my iPhone and have only tried to upload a few in the past - so embedded in a YouTube video - the high resolution from the phone's camera was lost (sorry) in the transfer but the sound of the ocean remains - Dave

 

[giradman]

Yesterday - Saturday was our day to relax at the hotel, then venture out to Barefoot Landing, a huge complex of shops, rides, restaurants and a number of theaters. In the morning, we both did a short time in the fitness center and then headed for some relaxation and reading by the pool, plus a walk on the beach - light lunch at the outdoor cafe.

Barefoot Landing (see link above) is a must visit (at least once - the shops are not that good in our opinion BUT others may love them?) - we dined early yet again at the Flying Fish Market & Grill - started w/ a mix of oysters (local & Malepeques from PEI), followed by the snow crab special, just as scrumptious as we had there two years ago - highly recommended. At 7 PM, the Jay Leno show started at the Alabama theater - nearly 2 hours of standup w/ such a variety of stories and jokes - the audience was often just 'in stitches' - he was quite entertaining and worth our trip down to Myrtle Beach. Dave
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[giradman]

Brookgreen Gardens - Yet Another Must Return Visit!

This thread is full of posts about this remarkable property and a MUST visit for anyone in the area - if you don't want to return, then some sort of therapy may be in your future!

There are some 'new' attractions to describe and also a few places that we had missed on previous visits (several upcoming posts) - but to begin, we first purchased tickets for the 2PM boat excursion, and lunched at the excellent Azalea restaurant seated w/ an outside view of Orpheus w/ his lyre (see pic below); next we toured a portion of the outside gardens (many pics below) - I especially love the Palmetto Garden and the Live Oak Allée - at the latter were many amateur artists painting pictures.

In the past, I had not paid much attention to the marvelous Swamp Chestnut Oak w/ plenty of Spanish moss; the leaves are much larger that those of the commoner Live Oaks - Susan is shown taking pics and also having yet another discussion (vs. 2 years ago) w/ Bernard Baruch (he seems to be reading the same book). The boat ride is worth doing mainly because the rice culture of the 18th century is thoroughly discussed and these waters surrounded numerous rice fields - just a few pics from the boat including a recreated rice trunk which regulated the water into and out of the rice fields depending on the tides. More to come about this magnificent property, and for those locals or visitors, please look back to my previous posts on the gardens. Dave
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[scifan57]

Most people think of cotton plantations when they think of the old south. Your posts show that is not always true with rice being an important crop in this area.

 

[giradman]

Most people think of cotton plantations when they think of the old south. Your posts show that is not always true with rice being an important crop in this area.

Hi Scifan.. - for a century or more from the late 1600s until the 1790s, cotton and indigo were the main money crops along the southern Atlantic Coast, particularly in South Carolina which was the wealthiest state during colonial times and had the wealthiest people in the plantation owners; of course tobacco was another early cash crop (started w/ John Rolfe, husband of Pocahontas, in the Jamestown colony, early 1600s).

During the halcyon days of the rice culture, cotton was only a minor crop until Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin in 1793; by the ante-bellum period (meaning pre-Civil War) of the 1800s, cotton became king! The predominant states producing cotton were those of the deep south, later to become the Confederate States of America (see map) - more on the history of cotton in the US below. Cotton is still being grown in eastern North Carolina which we see on our drives to Wrightsville Beach; also Carolina rice has made a comeback and can be purchased in various forms, as discussed in one of my previous post(s) in this thread. Dave

The Cotton Belt is a region of the Southern United States where cotton was the predominant cash crop from the late 18th century into the 20th century. Before the invention of the cotton gin in 1793, cotton production was limited to coastal plain areas of South Carolina and Georgia, and, on a smaller scale, along the lower Mississippi River. The cotton gin allowed profitable processing of short-staple cotton, which could be grown in the upland regions of the Deep South. After 1793 the Natchez District rapidly became the leading cotton-producing region in Mississippi. Natchez planters developed new cotton plant hybrids and a mechanized system that fueled the spread of the cotton plantation system throughout the Old Southeast. The demand by European Americans for land to develop for upland cotton drove the removal of Native American tribes from the Southeast after 1830. The central part of this area, extending into Texas, became known as the Black Belt for the fertility of the soil and later the high proportion of slave population. (Source)

By the middle of the 19th century, the Cotton Belt extended from Maryland to East Texas. The most intensive cotton production occurred in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi, together with parts of Florida, Louisiana and Texas. High productivity depended on the plantation system and slavery combined with fertile soils and a favorable climate. After the Civil War and the abolition of slavery, many freedman families worked as sharecroppers rather than hire out as laborers; this generally replaced slavery as the primary source of agricultural labor. Cotton production in the region declined in the 20th century due to soil depletion, invasion by the boll weevil, development of alternative markets, and social changes in the region as urban, industrial areas developed. Cotton is still grown in parts of the region, but agricultural land in the region is now used primarily for commodity crops such as corn, wheat, soybeans, and livestock; and commercial timber production. (Source)