Swinging On A Hammock At Pawleys Island, SC-That's My Story And I'm Sticking To It

Looking for an unspoiled, unsophisticated, casual place where you can stick you toes into some soft sand or stretch out in the sun and take in some tanning rays? A place where a shoeless, carefree, laid-back life style swinging in a rope hammock is the norm? Look no further than the small, non-commercial resort island situated on the coast of South Carolina. It is 20 miles south of Myrtle Beach and twelve miles north of historic Georgetown. Pawleys Island is known as one of the oldest summer resorts on the East Coast and carries a reputation for being "arrogantly shabby".

The four miles long and a quarter of a mile wide island was first inhabited by the Waccamaw and Winyah Indians. In time the area became populated with rice plantations on the creeks and backwaters during the colonial era. To escape the mosquitoe infestation and malaria common in the salt marshes, the planters sought refuge on this little breezy island. A man named George Pawley owned it during that time and sold portions of it to those rice planters.

It was the Cypress sided cottages built on the island that gave the community one of its monikers: arrogantly shabby. The island has stayed unpretentious with a ban on commercial and industrial buildings, allowing only a condominium complex and a few inns to be built. Some of the oldest, most classic homes have stayed, such as Beachaven, owned by William Brigham Sr., and the PCJ Weston
House, which is now the Pelican Inn. One for the record, Pawleys is the birthplace of the rope hammock, which was invented by Joshua John Ward in the late 1800s

The accommodations on Pawleys vary greatly, some brand new and modern, others simple and rustic. The list include the Sea View Inn, a 20-room Inn serving three meals a day, the Pelican Inn, an 8-room bed and breakfast and Pawleys Pier Village, a 42 unit Condominium Complex and many residential homes for weekly rental. All cater to the family experience. Other accommodations for Pawleys Island.

There is crabbing in the adjacent creeks, fishing, surfing, and stories of ghosts. Just ask any local about the "Gray Man". If you are looking for nightlife action, Myrtle Beach isn't that far away and Charleston is only a little over an hour south. The spring and fall seasons are magnificent and offer uncrowded beaches and nature at its best. So, take the plunge and swing on down, or up, whichever applies.-Vacation Rick Travel

Cypress Gardens In Berkeley County, SC-Nature And A Movie

When I moved to the Summerville area of South Carolina and first heard the name Cypress Gardens mentioned as a place to visit, Florida automatically came to mind. Little did I know, at the time, there was a Cypress Gardens right here in the surrounding area of Charleston. So, I checked it out. No glass bottom boats will you find there and if you are also thinking the Florida connection, I have come to learn the Cypress Gardens of Florida is now closed, but the Cypress Gardens of South Carolina, is alive and doing great.

Spring is an ideal time to visit Cypress Gardens with its beautiful azaleas in bloom along with a host of other wildflowers common to the area. Birds and butterflies too numerous to mention in a blog also begin to make their presense known as the weather begins to warm in the month of March and continuing on into April when the azaleas are at their peek and the dogwoods abundant with color. Every month from there on out will bring its own steady procession of plants in bloom and new arrivals of the bird kingdom as well as butterflies and a host of other wildlife, including the earth-shaking bellowings of the territorial, breeding alligator in June.

Cypress Gardens is composed of approximately 80 acres of open swamp filled with bald cypress and water tupelo trees and 3.5 miles of beautiful nature trails for you to explore. Flat-bottom boats that hold 4-6 people are provided for your use to be paddled along a marked route through the shallow swamp. You can listen to a guide tell about the swamps history and its aquatic residents. A large greenhouse called the Butterfly House filled with flowering plants, live butterflies, birds, a pond, an arthropod exhibit, and an observation beehive is located on sight along with the Swamparium, an aquarium/reptile center, with tanks and terrariums featuring fish, amphibians, and reptiles (including venomous snakes) native to the swamp and nearby waterways. As you leisurely walk the trails you will find interpretive and plant identification signs all along their route widing around the black water swamp.

Cypress Gardens has been featured in numerous national magazines. It has hosted over 16 major movies and television series. While taking the guided tour through the swamp I learned various swamp scenes in the movie, "The Patriot", were filmed there. Other notable movies were "North and South", "Cold Mountain", and "The Notebook". On the humerous side, who would have thought "Swamp Thing" was also filmed in its swamp. Go figure. Engage yourself in a challenge. Visit Cypress Gardens and then rent the movies out to see if you can identify those particular scenes.

Beautiful Cypress Gardens in Berkeley County, South Carolina is worth your time and be sure to bring your camera. Check upcoming events, admission, and directions. Located at 3030 Cypress Gardens Rd., Moncks Corner, SC 29461. Phone: 843-553-0515.-Vacation Rick Travel

What's New At The South Carolina Aquarium-Penguin Planet

The South Carolina Aquarium is one of the most visited attractions in Charleston, SC. The newest addition to its numerous exhibits is Penguin Planet. The South Carolina Aquarium is drawing attention to the fact that many penguin species are in peril. Of the17 species of penguins worldwide, 13 of them are declining in population and three species are already listed as endangered. It would be a shame to see these magnificent creatures disappear. Some of the things that endanger them are overfishing, oil spills, and climate change. Overfishing is depleating their food supply for their young. Climate change, warming ocean temperatures, causes the small fish and krill the penguins feed on to change their migration patterns and habitats. Visit the Aquarium to learn more about penguins and what we can do to ensure they will always be here. Meet Waddle, a Magellanic penguin or go online and view the Penguin Cam. Visit Vacation Rick Travel.

Charleston's Most Visited Attraction

When visiting Charleston make sure The South Carolina Aquarium is one of your top choices to see. The latest addition of exibits was on March 21, 2009-Penguin Planet. On August 20, 2009 6p.m. to 10p.m. you can participate in a Vacation-style Sustainable Seafood Dinner with the South Carolina Aquarium and Wild Dunes Resort. An evening of seaside dining and sustainable education. Enjoy not one, but two, well-known restaurants that are part of the South Carolina Aquarium’s Sustainable Seafood Initiative at Wild Dunes Resort on the Isle of Palms. More event information here. What else can you do? You can relax on the Riverside Terrace as you take in the magnificent views of the Charleston Harbor or dine with hundreds of aquatic guests beside their two-story Great Ocean Tank. What else? Much, much, more and then some. See South Carolina's landscape and wildlife as you follow the path through the Aquarium Galleries. You have a great vacation. More information on Charleston at Vacation Rick Travel.