Full Throttle Saloon is a bar as well as a reality TV show that débuted on TRU TV in November of 2009. It followed biker and bar owner Michael Ballard who runs the world’s largest biker bar in Sturgis SD during the 10 days in…Read More

Full Throttle Saloon is a bar as well as a reality TV show that débuted on TRU TV in November of 2009. It followed biker and bar owner Michael Ballard who runs the world’s largest biker bar in Sturgis SD during the 10 days in August for the largest bike rally in the world.

In 1999 Michael purchased 30 acres of property in Sturgis in order to open the world’s largest biker bar. But it would be only open the 10 days of the Sturgis rally. Meaning Mike had to make his years salary in 10 days. Michael is the owner of Full Throttle and in charge of running the place. He is joined by his fiancée, Angie Carson, as marketing director. She also helps Michael run the bar. In addition Angie is over her own dance group know as the Flaunt Girls. Jessie James Dupree is Michael’s business partner as well entertainment director. Jessie is also known throughout the world as the lead singer for 80’s metal band Jackyl.

The show, which is a hit on TRU TV, follows the crew through all the preparations and the 10 days of the Sturgis rally. About 300,000 patrons go through the bar in the 10 day event. There is an indoor and outdoor bar, several stages for concerts, burn out pit, zip lines, tattoo parlor, wrestling ring, restaurants and stores. They also offer cabins for rent for biker patrons. The bar is tended to by scantily dressed bartenders. They have a number of concerts throughout the event including Jackyl. And they have appearances by the Flaunt girls, a burlesque type troop.

Now the premise of this is that Michael and Angie have to make all of their money for the year in 10 days. When they started I am sure that was the case. But these days Michael and Angie are not hurting for money. In addition to the bar the have their TV show, merchandise that can be ordered on line, and the rest of the year they attend bike shows and hold Throttle Fest at other bike rallies. Nick and I met them this past winter at a bike show in Charlotte and then they sponsored the Throttle Fest held at the House of the Blues in Myrtle Beach.

This year’s event included several competitions, vendors, a video shoot with Jackyl, concerts, and the final event was a concert with Nigel Dupree Band (Jessie’s son) and Jackyl as well as an after party with the band.

After Nick and I left the hospital, we stopped by the House of Blues with the original intend of just picking up concert tickets. When we get there, the parking lot is full of row after row of beautiful bikes. There is a vendor street set up with everything to appeal to the biker. Leather, clothing, jewelry, and of course anything and everything for your bike. Nick and I go over and look at some of the vendors but decide to leave everything as is. We go on inside and purchase our tickets and find out that out in the outdoor bar there is going to be a video shoot for a Jackyl video. Having never been to one and it was free, we decided to go on in and join the party.

The outside bar is reminiscent of the bar seen on Full Throttle including the scantily dressed bar tenders. We order some drinks and go on down and enjoy the video shoot. The video features Jackyl with Darrel McDaniel’s of Run DMC fame and the Flaunt Girls. Later there are chances to meet the Flaunt Girls, which I gladly let Nick do. In a bit the bands come out and I get the chance to meet Jesse James Dupree (who I still have a major crush on). And were lucky enough to be friends with the guys from the Nigel Dupree Band and go and hang out with them. There will be more going on later so we go back to our room and rest so we can come back that night.

After resting we return to the House of the Blues and grab a bite to eat and end up with Jesse having fun by pretending to be our waiter and having Darrel McDaniel sit down with us for a while. We go outside and there are concerts going on by some really great bands. There are brass poles on the bar and there are several girls pole dancing. Several of the girls are quite acrobatic and quite talented. Others are just doing the basic stripper moves and twirling around a pole. But I do check out their boots. Both bands come out offering a chance to meet and hang out with the bands. Nick and I go over and check out the Full Throttle merchandise. After purchasing a few things he head back to our hotel and call it a night.

Saturday was the highlight of Throttle Fest..the Jackyl concert. Jackyl is a southen rock.metal band from GA that have been around since 1990. Some of there songs include "Down on Me" "I Stand Alone" and "Dirty Little Mind". There are also known for their song "The Lumberjack" which ends with Jesse pulling out a chainsaw and sawing up a stool and throwing it pieces out to lucky fans in the audience. The current line up includes lead singer Jesse James Dupree, guitar player Jeff Worley, Jeff’s brother Chris on drums, and bass player Roman Glick. In 1992 when their self title album debuted it contains some XX rated sounding songs and when Kmart refused to play them, the band pulled up at the Kmart in Kennesaw GA where they were from and played an impromptu concert on the bed of a semi. In August of 1993, Jesse posed nude in Playgirl magazine. In 2010 he was offered $500,000 to pose again. This time he refused saying he felt he was past his prime to be in Playgirl. Female fans everywhere disagreed. Jesses son Nigel has his own band, the Nigel Dupree Band, and they often tour together. Nigel has managed to get his dads good looks.

HOB offered fans a crash the front line ticket for $5 extra which included a meal of hot dogs and hamburgers and then those fans were let into the concert venue first. Nick and I took advantage of that special and were joining by friends of ours. After our meal we headed downstairs. Our friends that had been in the motorcycle accident were with us and they were given a reserved sit-down area. They go and sit down while Nick walks me down to the stage and asks two guys beside of me if they can keep their eye on me and returns to sit down with our friends.

The show started with the Flaunt Girls. I could care less about that but did enjoy the girls doing the acrobatic moves on the long satin fabric pieces hanging from the overhead bars. After that the Nigel Dupree Band performed for about 45 minutes followed by a 90 minute performance by Jackyl. Jackyl is still one of the best bands around performing some of their biggest hits before a packed crowd. As always both Nigel and Jesse show up in each others performances. The show ended with Jessie and his chainsaw.

After the bands were doing a meet and greet followed by an after show party. Nick and I opted to just go on over to the outdoor bar at HOB . In addition to everything else Jesse has going on, he has his own bourbon. So guests were able to sample Jesse’s bourbon. While waiting for the bands guests were able to enjoy music and dancing. Jackyl has always been known to fans as being very approachable and friendly to their fans. As soon as the bands arrive, guests gathered around to talk to the bands and gather autographs and pose for pictures. Nick and I go over and talk to Jesse and get pictures taken and signed. I go back over and spent time talking with Nigel and the rest of his band and showing off my gun shoes. In a bit I go over and start talking to Jeff Worley and end up sitting down and we talk for an hour about our families, a movie he is doing with Matthew McConhey and Mark Walburg, and I tell him all about the Monsters of Rock cruise. The former groupie in me can’t believe I am just sitting around talking with this incredibly talented and kind guitar player. Soon the crowds die down and Nick and I say our goodbyes and head back for the hotel tired but happy fans.

Websites:

www.fullthrottlesaloon.com

www.rockmerollmejackylmeoff.com

You can find Full Throttle as well as Jackyl and Nigel on Facebook.
Close

Since 1940 bikers from all over the country have converged every May (but one) for the cities famed bike week. The event draws over 200,000 bike enthusiast for a week of biker fun. The event is held the week before Memorial Day week. In 1980,…Read More

Since 1940 bikers from all over the country have converged every May (but one) for the cities famed bike week. The event draws over 200,000 bike enthusiast for a week of biker fun. The event is held the week before Memorial Day week.

In 1980, black bikers began what is now known as Black Bike week. It usually starts the week before Memorial Day. It was created as a backlash to the discrimination that black bikers often felt during the regular bike week. It is the largest African American biker rally in the country. More than 400,000 bikers converge on the city during the week long celebration. In 2006, the NAACP sued the city for discrimination but the city settled without the city paying damages. But only under the understanding that the traffic rules would apply to both rallies. Though you generally will find bikers of both races at both events.

It should be noted that one of the attractions to bike week is the belief that bikers over 21 are not required to wear helmet. South Carolina does not require IT’S citizens over 21 to wear helmets. But technically you are supposed to follow the rules of your state. So if your state requires helmets (like we do in NC) then you are supposed wear a helmet. But this rule generally is not enforced. But anyone under 21, no matter where you are from, is required to wear helmets.

In 2009 the Myrtle Beach government enacted 15 sanctions aimed at preventing bike rallies. In 2010 the mayor canceled bike week using the new laws set in place sitting that the rally caused problems to the city including accidents, vandalism, noise problems, and lude acts. In June of that year the SC Supreme Court overturned the laws including the one to require all bikers to wear helmets. Bike groups and business owners gathered together to bring the rally back into town and it has been going strong ever since. Bike weeks provide millions of dollars in tourism dollars every year.

Unfortunately bike accidents are a part of bike week. Every year there are several bike deaths and dozens more of bikers injured. But the problem is generally from the car driving population, and not the bikers. Most often bikes are hit by people turning or changing lanes and not looking. You would think in a city frequented by bikes any time of the year, but especially during bike week, that drivers might be more alert to bikes on the road. Our first night of our trip was spent in the hospital with 2 friends who were injured when a car turned right in front of them without even looking. While waiting in the hospital with our friends, there were others coming in waiting for their friends/family that had been injured all who seemed to have been involved when someone in the car was paying attention.

Bike week brings a number of events to this beach paradise. Everything from concerts, bike runs (generally for charity), contests, BBQs, fashion shows, and this year included Throttle Fest (I have a separate review). Yes there are other things such as wet t-shirt and tattoo contests often associated with the biker lifestyle. But for an ever increasing portion of the biking community, the event is a family affair with families and children in tow. So there are family friendly events throughout. And there are all types of bikers out there so there are events aimed at particular groups such as professional (meaning primarily white collar workers) and Christian bikers. There are of course plenty of vendors sat up at of course bike shops as well as many restaurants and bars with sales on everything from T-shirts to leather to accessories for your bike.

There is a newspaper disturbed throughout Myrtle and North Myrtle Beach as well as surrounding areas with all the events going on as well as on the Myrtle Beach visitor’s website. You can find the newsletter at hotels, bars, restaurants, stores, and visitor’s centers.

If you are thinking about coming in for bike week there are a few things you should know:

• Advanced reservations are highly suggested. Especially on the weekend. And if you are planning on Black Bike weekend, then you will defiantly want to make reservations as Black Bike weekend is over Memorial Day.
• Most of the major restaurants such as HOB, Hooters, and many of the theme restaurants are busy. When dining look for smaller restaurants. These are also often the places biker families visit.
• You don’t need to have a bike to participate. There are plenty of people (like us) who come in cars.
• If you would like to be a biker for the week/weekend, the bike shops will gladly rent one to you. Just note that you do have to have a motorcycle license in order to rent a bike.
• Just about every place in the city carries Bike Week souvenirs. So look around before you buy them at the events or bike shops.
• Stores, restaurants, and bars welcome bikers.

If you have the antaquainted idea of outlaw bikers, well then enjoy them on the FX show…Sons of Anarchy (like I do). But "bikers" are generally friendly people who are glad to talk to you about their bikes. While we were here, I never saw anything ever get out of hand. So come on out and enjoy this beautiful southern paradise and stay for the biking fun!

Website: www.visitmyrtlebeach.com
Close

Nick and I headed back out to Myrtle Beach with friends to enjoy the highly anticipated Bike Week held every year throughout Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach. Bikers come from all over NC, SC, and the county to participate in the major bike fest.…Read More

Nick and I headed back out to Myrtle Beach with friends to enjoy the highly anticipated Bike Week held every year throughout Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach. Bikers come from all over NC, SC, and the county to participate in the major bike fest. Everyone from outlaw bikers to the modern white collar MD biker to those who come without bikes (no you don’t have to have a bike to participate) enjoy the display of these beautifies and have a great time.

Nick and I headed back over to the House of the Blues for Full Throttle Fest. The event was held with the Full Throttle Saloon cast that can be seen on TRU TV’s show of the same name and included Angie..Mike..Jesse..the Flaunt Girls..and the scantily clad bartenders. There were smaller concerts and even a video being filmed by the band Jackyl and special guest Darrel from Run DMC. The event ended with a concert by Jackyl at the House of the Blues. And the reason Nick and I were in town.

But we did take the time to enjoy some other activities besides being faux bikers for the weekend. We took a helicopter ride with Helicopter Adventures. The ride was pleasant, but hardly worth the $80 we paid for less than 10 minutes we spent in the helicopter.

Before we left we headed out to spend some time at the actual beach. We headed towards the boardwalk and enjoyed some time on the amazing Sky Wheel which gives you a bird’s eye view of the magnificent grand strand. Then we headed out to Pier 14 where visitors can gain access to the pier which goes out over the ocean and gives you magnificent views of the beach.

While here we had dinner once again at the House of the Blues and was even surprised by our guest server..Jesse James Dupree.

Nick was craving some pizza, so we tried the highly recommend Kings Pizza located near our hotel and it did turn out to be a pretty good pie.

While in the grand strand area we headed over to New York Pizza before we spent time enjoying the views of magnificent Myrtle Beach while safely tucked inside the glass gondolas of the Sky Wheel.

Before checking into our room, we stopped by Broadway at the Beach and enjoyed some fun and awesome dining at Carols N Charlie’s.

Suggestions.

As you might guess, because it is always my first one....go to the official visitors website. Just simply go to www.visitmyrtlebeach.com. They have all kinds of info on all there is to do in the Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach area. You can also get a hard copy of their visitor’s guide which is what I still love.

As you are driving in to the area you will start noticing visitors center where you can get something to drink and get discounted tickets. Just be careful because as you might guess, these are often places that will give you free or very cheap attraction tickets but you have to tour a time share place. But there are lots of people who will sit aside an hour or so for free tickets!

Pretty much from spring until Labor Day, advanced reservations are highly suggested. During the summer holidays, you pretty much better have reservations made months in advanced. Also believe it or not, around Christmas the place tends to fill up since they have a number of holiday events going on. Myrtle Beach is a major spring break destination. April includes the food and wine festival as well as the SOS (Society of Shaggers) Spring Fling. May is a busy month with the start of the summer holiday season and before that, bikers from all over come for bike week. There are 2 bike weeks with the first being right before Memorial Day and the Black Bike Week being the following week.

Speaking of SOS..shagging is a official dance of both Myrtle Beach and South Carolina and is performed to beach music. Also official music of the grand strand and South Carolina. Want to try it? It is rather easy but many of the clubs offer free shagging lessons during the day.

Take the time to venture out beyond Myrtle Beach. Georgetown is about 30 minutes away and where you can find the luscious Brookgreen Gardens, historical houses, and boat trips.

Have a smart phone? Then Myrtle Beach has an app for you. And it’s free!

Myrtle Beach is a food lover’s delight. You will find everything from pizza to seafood here and N. Kings Highway is even known as restaurant row where you will find plenty of seafood buffets.

Just about every hotel lobby is chocked full of brochures and discount booklets. Make sure you pick up several which offer up all kinds of savings.

For golf fans, this is a major golf destination. You will find greens all over the place and attached to resorts. If you prefer to chase the little white ball through a windmill, this is also the place to find miniature golf as well.

Getting around.

Myrtle Beach has its own airport (MYR). You can go to www.flymyrtlebeach.com for more information. Once here you really need a car to get around. You can rent one from the airport.

Or what about renting a Harley? Yep you too can be a biker for the week or weekend. Just check the visitor’s website for more information.

Speaking of bikes, this is a big destination for bikers..and as you might guess especially during bike week. Please be mindful of bikes when stopping or turning. Nick and I were in Myrtle Beach this year for bike week and our friends were involved in an accident on their bikes. And while we were at the hospital there were 8 more accidents!

You should know that despite what everyone thinks, the rule on bike helmets is that you are supposed to follow your own states rule. But SC does not enforce headgear and it is generally accepted at the beach no matter where you are from. But do you really think if your head hits the pavement without one, that you will be OK?

Again I suggest joining AAA. They are great if you need a tow. They also have some really great hotel rates for members. And you can show your card and save at places such as the aquarium and the Hard Rock.

When putting in address in your GPS….always check the city. There is a difference between Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach. When I used to work at OnStar I had a lot of confused people show up at the wrong place because there were looking for an address in North Myrtle Beach but put in Myrtle Beach, or vice versa.
Close

When our friends in the Motley Crue/Poison tribute band called us to tell us they were playing at the House of the Blues and invited us to come and see them, we decided to go down and make a weekend of it. Nick and I…Read More

When our friends in the Motley Crue/Poison tribute band called us to tell us they were playing at the House of the Blues and invited us to come and see them, we decided to go down and make a weekend of it.

Nick and I stayed at the Super 8 Barefoot Landing. The hotel is great. The rooms are nice, clean, and inviting. They are in a great location, located only 5 minutes from Barefoot Landing. You are 5 minutes from North Myrtle Beach and about 15 minutes from Myrtle Beach.

We had dinner at the House of the Blues restaurant before heading next door for our concert. The restaurant offers some terrific food and if you here on Sunday, then you will want to check out the renowned Sunday Gospel Bruch.

The House of the Blues is the brainchild of actors Dan Ackroyd and Jim Bulishi. The entertainment complex is a popular concert venue in the Myrtle Beach area. Bands run the gamut from country music to metal and since you at the beach, of course beach bands perform here as well.

Before we headed out that evening to the concert, we spend the day enjoying the cute at cuddly critters at the Ripley’s Aquarium. The fascinating aquarium features creatures from all over the world and guests can step onto the gliding steps which take you through the underwater tunnel and get you up close to a variety of fish, sharks, and turtles.

After enjoying all the cute critters at the aquarium, we headed across the parking lot to the Hard Rock Market Beach. The café is located within the Broadway at the Beach complex and can easily be spotted by the 70 foot pyramid.

As we were heading out of town, we were both starving and looking for something good and inexpensive on the often pricy restaurant row. Lucky for us, we spied the New China Buffet which offers up some great food but still keeping your wallet in tact.

About 30 minutes outside of Myrtle Beach heading towards Charlotte, you can find one stop souvenir shopping for all things Myrtle Beach related. Sparky’s is a massive store when you can take a bathroom break, pick up something to eat, and pick up all kind of kitschy do dads and souvenirs from South Carolina and Myrtle Beach.

Suggestions.

As you might guess, because it is always my first one....go to the official visitors website. Just simply go to www.visitmyrtlebeach.com. They have all kinds of info on all there is to do in the Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach area. You can also get a hard copy of their visitor’s guide which is what I still love.

As you are driving in to the area you will start noticing visitors center where you can get something to drink and get discounted tickets. Just be careful because as you might guess, these are often places that will give you free or very cheap attraction tickets but you have to tour a time share place. But there are lots of people who will sit aside an hour or so for free tickets!

Pretty much from spring until Labor Day, advanced reservations are highly suggested. During the summer holidays, you pretty much better have reservations made months in advanced. Also believe it or not, around Christmas the place tends to fill up since they have a number of holiday events going on. Myrtle Beach is a major spring break destination. April includes the food and wine festival as well as the SOS (Society of Shaggers) Spring Fling. May is a busy month with the start of the summer holiday season and before that, bikers from all over come for bike week. There are 2 bike weeks with the first being right before Memorial Day and the Black Bike Week being the following week.

Speaking of SOS..shagging is a official dance of both Myrtle Beach and South Carolina and is performed to beach music. Also official music of the grand strand and South Carolina. Want to try it? It is rather easy but many of the clubs offer free shagging lessons during the day.

Take the time to venture out beyond Myrtle Beach. Georgetown is about 30 minutes away and where you can find the luscious Brookgreen Gardens, historical houses, and boat trips.

Have a smart phone? Then Myrtle Beach has an app for you. And it’s free!

Myrtle Beach is a food lover’s delight. You will find everything from pizza to seafood here and N. Kings Highway is even known as restaurant row where you will find plenty of seafood buffets.

Just about every hotel lobby is chocked full of brochures and discount booklets. Make sure you pick up several which offer up all kinds of savings.

For golf fans, this is a major golf destination. You will find greens all over the place and attached to resorts. If you prefer to chase the little white ball through a windmill, this is also the place to find miniature golf as well.

Getting around.

Myrtle Beach has its own airport (MYR). You can go to www.flymyrtlebeach.com for more information. Once here you really need a car to get around. You can rent one from the airport.

Or what about renting a Harley? Yep you too can be a biker for the week or weekend. Just check the visitor’s website for more information.

Speaking of bikes, this is a big destination for bikers..and as you might guess especially during bike week. Please be mindful of bikes when stopping or turning. Nick and I were in Myrtle Beach this year for bike week and our friends were involved in an accident on their bikes. And while we were at the hospital there were 8 more accidents!

You should know that despite what everyone thinks, the rule on bike helmets is that you are supposed to follow your own states rule. But SC does not enforce headgear and it is generally accepted at the beach no matter where you are from. But do you really think if your head hits the pavement without one, that you will be OK?

Again I suggest joining AAA. They are great if you need a tow. They also have some really great hotel rates for members. And you can show your card and save at places such as the aquarium and the Hard Rock.

When putting in address in your GPS….always check the city. There is a difference between Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach. When I used to work at OnStar I had a lot of confused people show up at the wrong place because there were looking for an address in North Myrtle Beach but put in Myrtle Beach, or vice versa
Close

Every year, we do what thousands, if not millions, of Americans do and use a portion of our tax refund to take ourselves on a much needed vacation. This year, we went to Myrtle Beach. I must say, it’s not a destination that we placed…Read More

Every year, we do what thousands, if not millions, of Americans do and use a portion of our tax refund to take ourselves on a much needed vacation. This year, we went to Myrtle Beach. I must say, it’s not a destination that we placed high on our list of places to go. In fact, I often make fun of it. (I’m sorry, I just can’t get the image of Jake Gyllenhall’s mother saying that she’s going to move there in the film "October Sky" out of my mind whenever I think of it.)

Anyway, with me being pregnant and supposedly on bed rest and us wanting something different we decided to do the regional thing this year. I’ve always kind of viewed Myrtle Beach as the place to go when you can’t really afford to go anywhere else but you want to feel as though you’re going someplace tropical. I went there once as a kid (in January, no less) and I thought it was fun, if not kitschy, even at the time and even at my grand old age of 12.

But, off we went.

First, I got lots of conflicting reports and opinions about where to stay. We don’t normally "do" condos because, frankly, the idea of cooking on vacation turns my stomach. Isn’t the point of going on vacation being able to get away from household chores? But someone recommended a place to us that had apartment type units, while still having daily housekeeping, a pool, and other amenities and it was right on the beach. Tired of sifting through the hundreds of other choices, we booked it.

The trip itself was…interesting. The hotel was nice and we loved our view from the 16th floor. We also loved the fact that we could literally walk right out the back door and have sand at our feet.

Going there in March had us facing difficulties: some that we had thought of beforehand and some that we didn’t consider until we got there. For one thing, it was cold. We expected that. But not only was it cold, it rained almost every day and was very windy. This didn’t stop us from playing in the sand a couple of times, but it did mean that we couldn’t spend a lot of time outdoors.

Unfortunately, most of what Myrtle Beach has to offer is outdoors. Had it just been my husband and myself this would have been fine. He’s from England and has never spent time on a warm beach. Trying to explain to a 4 year old why we couldn’t go swimming in the "cool" pool with dragon, do a lot of the outdoor games, go to the amusement park, or do a variety of other things because they were closed for the season was depressing.

We did play a lot of mini golf, though.

Since so much stuff was closed, we ended up blowing most of our money on lavish meals. Myrtle Beach has some expensive dining going on! I think we sampled a little bit of everything. We also managed to do some shopping at the outlet mall.
In the end, it was a nice trip. Our son enjoyed looking for shells and we liked hanging out and enjoying the balcony and the low rates that we got for the week. We all liked having the beach virtually to ourselves.

If we returned, however, I think we would try to go back in season.
Close

John and I made a return trip to this amazing capital city for the weekend. While our first day was one disaster after another, it ended on a terrific note. After a side trip to the muffler shop, we headed to Adventure Carolinas…Read More

John and I made a return trip to this amazing capital city for the weekend. While our first day was one disaster after another, it ended on a terrific note.

After a side trip to the muffler shop, we headed to Adventure Carolinas to take an intertubing trip. It turned out to be 3 hours of hello without the o! The company its self is great. It is just this intertubing trip isn’t anything like the ones found at the lazy rivers at the theme parks (imagine that). By the end were cold, tired, and ready to leave by any means possible.

We were here mainly to visit the wonderful Columbia Museum of Art . This time we were here for their stunning exhibit, Imperial Splendor…Renaissance Tapestries form Vienna . These amazing tapestries are just simply stunning and have managed to hold up despite their age. I also wanted to see their new Chihuly instillation . As with all Dale’s work, it was simply breathtaking.

After our disaster that was our intertubing trip, John and I stopped in at Tony’s Pizza to fill us up before we went into our hotel and crashed for the night. The pizza was amazing and much needed.

Before heading out on Sunday, we stopped off at The Rib House for some rocking ribs. I even had some left over that evening for dinner.

After we left the museum and before our stop at the Rib House, we stopped in at Cupcakes for some divine eatable works of art. These cupcakes are just ooohhhh so yummy. And I also recommend their Charleston SC location if your travels have you that way.

This time we would stay the Residence Inn which is part of the Marriott family. Our room was amazing and that bed…oh my. After the day we had we dove right in and hardly moved for the rest of the night.

If you’re ever in Columbia just stop by and enjoy the grounds of the SC State Capital Building . There were plenty of people enjoying the grounds on this beautiful day. It is a great place to photograph and wile away a few minutes if you arrive before the museum opens up.

One place I do not recommend is Gotham Bagel Café . I had eaten here when it was another restaurant on a prior visit. I wasn’t too impressed but I said I would give it another try before declaring it not recommended. Well I did and now I am not recommended it. It is right across from the museum and by the time we walked back from the courthouse I was dying of thirst and my throat was killing me as I had my tonsils removed some months prior. I was just trying to get a drink. There is a crowd waiting to order food, so I just grab my drink and go to the line to pay. There are 3 girls in front of me. An employee comes out an announces something is wrong with their stove and the can not cook anything. I could care less since I just wanted me drink. It took forever to ring these 3 girls up. Then I am next and the employee walks off and starts helping someone else. So I promptly put my drink back in the cooler and walked out. And will never step foot in the place no matter what.

Suggestions

First start of by going to the visitor’s website at www.columbiacvb.com and looking around or order a visitors guide.

This is a great place for a meeting or a sports weekend. It is also a great place to just get away. Don’t think it is just the capitol of the state, it is also a fun, awesome place. John and I have made several trips here and have yet to see the same thing twice. Except for the art museum, but I am always seeing a new exhibit.

It is a college town, so during game time (especially if you’re going to see the Gamecocks play) you will need to plan well in advanced. The same with attending anything at nearby Ft. Jackson.

For more ideas read my previous journals. I have lots of great ideas and I still have one more to go!!

Getting around

Columbia airport (www.columbiaairport.com) is about 20 minutes from downtown. You can pick up a rental car here and there are several locations throughout Columbia to pick up rental cars. If you are flying in and will be staying downtown you will be ok since most everything you need can be found downtown. But if you are venturing beyond downtown you will need a car. If you are going to Ft. Jackson you will certainly need a car.

Once you here you can get around by foot, car, canoe, or kayak. Just forget about intertube!

Like most other cities, parking can be a pain in the downtown area. Make sure you have change with you and the meters are paid meters (except on Sunday and holidays). There are a number of parking lots in the area as well.
Close

Overview. John and I took our nephew, Elijah away for our weekend trip that we do with him every year for his birthday. This year we took him to Greenville SC for his 8th birthday. We started out our day at the Greenville Zoo…Read More

Overview.

John and I took our nephew, Elijah away for our weekend trip that we do with him every year for his birthday. This year we took him to Greenville SC for his 8th birthday.

We started out our day at the Greenville Zoo . The zoo is celebrating their 50th anniversary this year. While not as big as Columbia or Asheboro, it will still bring fun to the whole family.

From there we head out to the Falls Park at the Reedy . This unique entertainment area in downtown Greenville includes shops, restaurants, and hotels that sit alongside several greenways. There are several beautiful bridges and smaller waterfalls. But the main attraction is the pedestrian Liberty Bridge that connects both sides of the greenways and overlooks a waterfall.

After resting at our hotel, we walked down toward the baseball stadium, which was only 15 minutes from our hotel by foot. Since my nephew plays baseball, we took him to see the Greenville Drive . This time we had a much nicer evening for a game.

The next morning we had a few things still on our agenda before we headed home. We first stopped by to see the Gabrielle-Austin house which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. But since the gates were closed, all I got to see was the roof.

Trying to find an easy trail for my nephew, we found a ranger at the station at Caesar Head state park. He sent us to nearby DuPont Forest where we would be able to find several waterfalls that were just off the pathways. The first was Hooker Falls . Just a short and easy ¼ mile hike from the parking lot and a flat pathway to follow. Can’t get an easier. Once you go back out to the parking lot and across the bridge, you can take the stairs down and hit the ½ mile trail to the Triple Falls .

Our hotel could not have been more perfect. We stayed at the wonderful Courtyard by Marriott Downtown . They are right across from the Peace Center and around the corner from Falls Park. They are only about a 15 minute walk to the Drive stadium.

We followed in Guy Fieri and his Dinners, Drive Ins and Dives and went to the Beacon Drive In . Just step up and make sure you know ‘what you gonna have" before you order.

For some great food with spectacular views, stop downtown at the Overlook Park which is right the Falls Park and you can get lovely views of the falls and the bridge.

After the game, we stopped in the Mellow Mushroom in Greenville. Seems like baseball and the Mellow Mushroom go together. Since this was twice in a month we have ate at the restaurant at baseball time.

After visiting the falls, we were starving. We had a time finding food. We finally found dining in Columbus and tried the Peruvian Cowboy . Unfortunately it was overpriced and not worth the money.

Suggestions

You know where I always start..go to the CVB and order one of their visitors guides. Their website is www.greenvillecvb.com and look around.

Trying staying in the downtown area, everything here is within walking distance.

You are only 30 minutes away from the NC Mountains and just about 15 minutes down the road and you are in the SC Upcountry. So this is a popular place to stay during the fall months and advanced hotel reservations are highly suggested.

Don’t discount this as a weekend get away. This is one amazing town offering plenty to do.

Getting around

Greenville-Spartanburg Airport is about 20 minutes away (www.gspairport.com) and soon SouthWest Airlines is calling this place home.

If you are staying within the downtown area, you will be ok without a car. Everything is within walking distance and there are plenty of restaurants and entertainment to be found. If you want to go out to the upcountry and further, you will need to rent a car,

Once you’re here you can get around by foot, trolley, or horse drawn carriage,

Close

Introduction:Arrogantly shabby is the them when a person visits Pawleys Island, SC. A person will notice the old beach houses that many visitors use for vacation. People running on the narrow roads that drivers must slow down, so they don't run over the runner. One…Read More

Introduction:
Arrogantly shabby is the them when a person visits Pawleys Island, SC. A person will notice the old beach houses that many visitors use for vacation. People running on the narrow roads that drivers must slow down, so they don't run over the runner. One thing that many visitors will notice is the numerous fishers. Whether they are there to catch the big one or finish for fun, a person can't go through Pawleys Island without seeing a person fishing. I decided to be a fisherman for a day with my friend, Tom.

Preparations:
To fish here, Tom and I had to get fish licenses. We went into a fishing store to get the licenses. For $11 per person, we got licenses to fish. Moreover, to help us get fish, we got the local bait. Minnow fish tends to be the bait to catch fish at Pawleys Island. If you don't know what a minnow is, look it up on Yahoo search. My friend Tom got a container to hold the fish in. He got a dozen minnows. Once we got our licenses and bait, we set out to fish.

Getting There:
When we were driving to the beach with our families. I noticed the wonderful scenic route. I saw the old beach houses, and the fishing docks that a person can rent. Tom told me many stories about how his family rented houses. He told me how cheap they were and amenities that came with the houses; I plan on doing vacation here when I get the chance. The roads are narrow, so Tom had to drive really slow since there were people riding bikes or running. I saw the beautiful creeks that would lead out to the ocean. The weather was very hot when we got there.

Fishin' For Fun:
Tom got the fishing rods and baits. We found a little spot to fish and started to fish. I haven't fished in a long time, so when I threw my bait into the water, I noticed my bait was not going to the area I wanted to put my bait at. IN fact, I hit, almost, a girl because I couldn't control my rod. Fortunately, Tom shown me how to throw my rod, so I could throw it correctly.
As I said earlier, the weather was hot, and I took of my shirt to cool off. I decided to put my feet in the cool water. Once in the water, I was relaxed. I started to feel my string on my rod pull, and I was excited. I pulled out my string with my bait only to find a crab eating my bait. The crab was my first catch, but it wasn't what i was looking for. After more than an hour of fishing, I couldn't catch anything. Even though I didn't catch any fish, I did catch a wonderful time at the beach of Pawleys Island.Close

One of the most popular day trips from your base on Hilton Head is to Savannah, Georgia. Depending on your time constraints, the trolley tours give you a lot of info and scenery for the money. The restaurants in the city are well…Read More

One of the most popular day trips from your base on Hilton Head is to Savannah, Georgia. Depending on your time constraints, the trolley tours give you a lot of info and scenery for the money.

The restaurants in the city are well known for their diversity, but my favorite food - steamed blue crabs - is not easy to find, especially early in the spring. Crab season traditionally starts around Memorial Day and goes through Labor Day. Since we visited early in May, steamed crabs were not to be found. We gave up and went shopping instead.

From the City Market trolley stop, it was an easy walk to the restaurant owned by Food Network's own Paula Deen. The line outside the "Lady and Sons" can be formidable, but, if waiting for your food is not your style, there is a store attached to the restaurant where all things Paula Deen can be purchased. We found bibs for the babies, marinades for the aspiring chefs in the family, and beautiful shirts with the Paula Deen "logo" on them.

We also stopped on River Street and window shopped for a few minutes. An ice cream treat topped off the day and we continued our trip on the trolley.

You will notice that many of the buildings on the tour have the SCAD influence. The school is one of the leaders in rehabilitating old ( read "decrepit") buildings and giving them more modern uses.

Savannah is a beautiful and historic city and well worth a day or two of your time.

Close

I don’t know what wild bug possessed us to decide to drive from Virginia to South Carolina, rather than flying, but seven hours in a car makes me a bit bonkers. So, to entertain myself, I began taking note of the exits and sights along…Read More

I don’t know what wild bug possessed us to decide to drive from Virginia to South Carolina, rather than flying, but seven hours in a car makes me a bit bonkers. So, to entertain myself, I began taking note of the exits and sights along Interstate 95 so that other hapless travelers might benefit from my boredom.

Keep in mind that I’ve written this in the southerly direction on I-95, coming from Virginia. So if you had the mind to drive from South Carolina north, everything would be backwards.

I also haven’t written about every exit and every gas station along the way. There are already books for that. I’ve just mentioned the highlights – and lowlights – that I had along my own journey.

Make sure to stop at the first rest area across the North Carolina border, if for no other reason, than to get a picture with the "Welcome to North Carolina" sign. (I have a picture of me with every state sign of every state I’ve visited.) The bathrooms here are immaculate – possibly the nicest I’ve ever seen. There are snack machines, plenty of grass for the pets and benches to just sit on and sip your soda.

Once you get back on the road, you’ll see signs for the Premium Outlets and the J.R. Outlets, though they’re still about an hour away. You’ll find the Premium Outlets at exit 95, featuring stores like Hilfiger, Coach, etc. You’ll also find a good selection of restaurants to chose from – we picked Texas Steakhouse for a good meal (and clean bathrooms – I have a thing about nasty public bathrooms.) The exit just before, exit 97, is where you’ll find the J.R. Outlet, featuring cigarettes for cheap (save money while you kill yourself slowly), and other less-name-brand-y kinds of stores. Pick your poison, I guess.

The next big stop is about 2 or so hours later, when you cross the state line into South Carolina. There, at exit 1, you’ll find the gaudy, neon South of the Border, calling you in like a lure calls a fish. It’s like you lose all brain function when you see the twinkly neon lights that call out "Shopping! Mini Golf! Game Room!" You think you’d be numb to their charms after seeing a billboard every 20 feet announcing that Pedro and his South of the Border were coming up in 100 miles. However, your sense of fun and love of all things gitchy make you stop. Resist the urge if you possibly can. The stores are cheap, the bathrooms are horrible and it’s nothing but a drain to watch your money go down. The gas is even more expensive here, but we’d already stopped, so why not?

Instead, consider locking the doors until you travel a mere two more exits to the South Carolina Visitor’s Center. Here, you can have a photo op with the "Welcome to South Carolina" sign, visit a much nicer South Carolina gift shop and tinkle in a well-maintained bathroom. However, I will note that the bathrooms that are inside the nice visitor’s center are closed after 5 p.m., so you’ll have to make to with the ones around back after dark, which seemed kind of backwards to me.

From there, unless you have a nervous bladder, it should be a straight shot to Charleston. Make sure to cross the suspension bridge – it’s gorgeous!
Close