Family Activities
Surprise Visit from One of My Favorite Chick-A-Dees!
We got a surprise from one of my favorite Chick-A-Dees!!! She told us that there was a “chance” she might be flying to an airport near us for a few minutes within the next 24 hours. It was a totally unexpected blessing! There were some adjustments to the schedule due to plane availability but she made it to GMU – Greenville Downtown Airport. YAY!!!
It had been an incredibly crazy week and this special time with one of our girls made my Momma heart so very happy. We only got to spend a few minutes with our sweet girl but it was worth every second. We got in a few hugs, gave her some water & snacks, and had a quick chat before she was off flying high into the bright blue sky again. Thank you Chick-A-Dee for taking the time to fly in for a quick “hi” and give us some hugs.
It is such a surreal feeling to watch one my Babies fly in and out of the airport. So very proud of our Kiddos for all their hard work in their industries. It is amazing to get a first hand view of that training in action. They are doing and accomplishing skills that I have never learned or even tried before. If I had to help fly a plane or work with certain animals, bees or other tasks they are doing right now I wouldn’t even know where to even start.
It is fascinating and cool to hear what they are doing and learning. Our “littles” are certainly growing up. We look forward to seeing and hearing about the big adventures they will be experiencing next.
Grateful for these types of spontaneous blessings our kids choose share with us. These precious moments are treasured!
Keep up the good work Chick-A-Dees! We love you very much!
Family Friendly Bowling Alley (Easley, SC)
Over the past few months we have gone to Rock Springs Impact Center Bowling Alley several times. We have gone for part of a date night, when my parents were in town visiting and when the kids were home for Spring Break. The bowling alley is open throughout the week. There are days when it is only $3 per person / game, including rental shoes. If you need some munchies when you are there they have a concession stand that serves a variety of snacks and drinks.
We typically go in the evenings after dinner on a week night because it fits easier into our schedule. It is a nice family activity for a reasonable price. I can’t say that I will win a bowling game any time soon, but I do have fun. If you are looking for a good activity in Easley you should check it out.
Robert Redden Footbridge, Harvest Moon Cafe & Courtyard Rome Riverwalk (Rome, GA)
We were recently visited one of our kids and hung out in Rome, Georgia. One of the footbridges in the town has a huge lighted American flag. It is the former Central of Georgia Railway swing bridge called the Robert Redden Footbridge. The bridge crosses the Oostanaula River and can be seen from various spots near downtown Rome. It is where the Oostanaula River and the Etowah River come together to form the Coosa River. The bridge once rotated on its central pier to allow steamboats to pass. At the end of one of the streets near the river you see a Steamboat as a reminder of the history.
While in Rome, Georgia we ate at Harvest Moon Cafe in downtown. Harvest Moon Cafe is a cute family restaurant with a nice menu and great atmosphere. The food was delicious! They use locally sourced food, including beef from livestock from Berry College. If you are looking to host a party in the area Harvest Moon Cafe has a room you could rent out with food, drinks and games like cornhole, darts and more.
Rome has a cute walkable downtown with various shops and restaurants. There are plenty of walking and biking trails even near the river in downtown. We have been to Rome a handful of times now and have always enjoyed visiting various places downtown during our stays.
While we were in the area we stayed at the Courtyard Marriott Rome Riverwalk. It has a brightly lit parking garage, a walking bridge over the river to the downtown, across the street from the athletic field, and pretty views of the river and the Robert Redden Footbridge.
If you are in the area or near Rome, Georgia you should check it out!
Off Season at Folly Beach (Folly Beach, SC)
We recently went to Folly Beach, South Carolina while visiting one of the kids at college. It had been several years since we had been to Folly Beach. The area had grown a good bit and even in the off season the best place to park was the metered parking along the beach.
We got out, walked, collected a few shells and enjoyed some time together at the beach. A purple shell and whole sand dollar were the favorite finds during our walk on the beach. We found a variety of neat shells. It was a cool and overcast day. There were still a good number of people on the beach but very few people swimming in the water. About the only people that dared to go into the water were kids that day.
If you like the beach, can find decent parking and want a place to get out and walk for a little bit Folly Beach is a nice place to stop near Charleston, SC.
Charleston Tea Garden (Wadmalaw Island, SC)
We were able visit the Charleston Tea Garden on Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina when we were in the area visiting one of the kids. It was during the off season so we did not get to see as much of the farm activities during our visit but it was still interesting to see the gardens.
The visitor center and gift shop was out of some of their standard items like a sampler tea gift, key chains but they did have a good number of other fun items for people to purchase. They had a variety of both hot and cold tea for visitors to try during their time on the farm. Since it was a cooler day I went for some samples of the hot tea. My favorite were the Carolina Mint and Cinnamon Spice Tea. Another favorite hot tea in our party was the Charleston Breakfast Tea. Some of the other people in our party tried the sweet cold teas and said that they were great too. If you are there go ahead and try some of their tea!
We took a farm tour which was informative and interesting. We rode on the big red trolley. Since it was off season there was only about ten of us on the tour. The guide did a good job on the tour. We saw the tea fields, learned about the history of the farm, visited the green house, took some photos and more fun. Their harvester was in the shop for repairs so we did not get to see the “Green Monster” that cuts the tea leaves.
Tea fields in the winter and dormant stage. The leaves typically grow seasonally in Spring in late April or May through late September or October. They say when the flowers bloom and it looks like white popcorn all over the fields. It would be neat to see the flowers blooming and the harvester in action.
Interesting sign showing how many miles to various tea plantations around the world. It was neat to see the distance to different locations.
If you enjoy tea or learning about the process of making tea it is worth at least checking it out if you are in the area.
Penguins Winter Family Puzzle
Every year we typically do a puzzle during the winter. This year “Penguins” was the puzzle of choice! I enjoy doing the puzzle, but if it stays out for a really long period of time it starts bothering me so usually we try to do it in a timely manner. The various members of the family can walk by and put in a puzzle piece here and there. Also, during family movie time the puzzle gets some more work done on it. Once we finish we will leave it out for a few days, take a photo of the puzzle then we donate it. Does your family have a winter activity you do together at home?
Atalaya Castle (Murrells Inlet, SC)
Hallway through the center courtyards, the water tower is in the middle
During our stay at Huntington Beach South Carolina State Park our family visited the Atalaya Castle. There is a small fee to tour the house, if you want you can purchase an audio tour for an additional fee. We choose to do the tour on our own.
Atalaya has a neat history! It was built by Acher and Anna Huntington during the Great Depression. Archer was their philanthropist from New York City and Anna was an artist. They built the house in South Carolina as a place to stay during the winter after Anna was diagnosed with tuberculosis. They designed the house after Spanish and Moorish architecture. The house has 30 room with a center courtyard full of native plants and a water tower. The Huntington’s insisted that the house be built by people from local community to help boost the economy in that area during the Great Depression. The house was once on 9,000 acres of land.
If you are in the area and have some extra time we recommend stopping by for a visit.
One side of the inner courtyard
Touring the castle
Anna was a sculpture and she designed these wrought iron pieces to cover the windows. They are both decorative and serve as protection from hurricanes.
Entry doorway
Vine growing up through the window
In the kitchen….
My crew!
Outside of Atalaya Castle
Marshes & Campground at Huntington Beach (Murrells Inlet, SC)
Peaceful
We had nice walks along the boardwalks near the marshes at Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. The boardwalks went out over the marshes where you could see a variety of wildlife and enjoy the beautiful weather. There was at one point a nature center, but it was currently being rebuilt when we were there. It will be another great addition to the park once it is complete. There were not a lot of bugs in the evenings when we went for walks which was really nice. It was a good place to visit, explore, and spend time together with the family.
The Huntington Beach campgrounds were nice. We had electricity and water hookups at our campsite. There was only one trash dumpster in the whole campground and it is near the visitor center / gift store so depending on where your site is located you may have a good hike to get rid of your trash. The bathrooms only had 2 showers and there were not a lot of bathhouses on the campground. We went after school started so it was not the busiest season but there were still lines to get into the showers most days. Overall it was a great park and we enjoyed it. The biggest improvement would be in the bathhouses, they could have been a little cleaner and larger.
Sunsets were beautiful
We stayed at campsite 111. It was gravel and level
Nice walk at dusk through the marshlands
Awesome boardwalk that takes you through a good bit of the marshes
Sun is going down
The clouds looked pretty neat
Enjoying the last few rays
Sunset reflecting off the clouds
Quiet day at the marshes
Last rays of the sun going over the horizon
Huntington Beach State Park Chairs
Love this sign!
Beach Fun at Huntington Beach State Park (Murrells Inlet, SC)
Enjoying the rain on the beach!
We had a wonderful time on the beach at Huntington Beach State Park. It was a mix of sun and rain! The rain didn’t stop us from heading to the beach for some fun in the sand and water. We stayed at the Huntington Beach Campgrounds, it was a nice walk to the beach. Access to the beach wasn’t too far from our campground and it was pretty quiet. Only a few families were on the beach near us. If you walk further down the beach it got a little bit more crowded especially on the nicer days. Thankful for an opportunity to get away together and enjoy some time at the beach.
Digging in the sand and watching the little critters
On the run
Fun on the beach
Birds, Sand and the Atlantic Ocean
Sand art
My crew
All smiles
On the move
Atlantic Ocean
Dusk walk on the beach
Sun is going down and the rain clouds are moving in now.
Enjoyed our time at Huntington Beach
Kit Carson County Carousel (Burlington, CO)
Kit Carson County Carousel Wooden Token
This is the second time we have visited the Kit Carson Carousel. It sits on the edge of the Kit Carson County fairgrounds in the small town of Burlington, Colorado. The first time we visited the carousel we were driving Interstate 70 from Colorado to Kansas to visit family. We were looking for a good place to stop for a little bit and stretch our legs. It was such a neat place to visit we told other family members about it and the next time we were driving through we stopped to share the experience with them!
The carousel was #6 of the 74 carousels made by Philadelphia Toboggan Company. It was made in 1905 for the Elitch Gardens amusement park and was used until 1927. In 1928 Kit Carson County purchased the carousel for $1,200 (the price included shipping).
The carousel animals are stationary with three animals per row. The original Wurlitzer band organ has been restored and plays music when the carousel is in motion. The carousel is inside a 12 sided framed building on the edge of the fair grounds with a museum and small gift shop beside it. It is the only antique carousel that still has the original paint on both the panels and animals. Most modern carousel go approximately 8 mph, however, the Kit Carson one goes a whopping 12 mph.
The carousel has quite an interesting history. During the Great Depression the carousel spent several years in storage. They local town stored grain inside the building that housed the carousel. At one point 3 of the animals were stolen and later found in another state. It was designated a National Historic Site in 1978 and National Historic Landmark in 1987.
If you are in the area or driving through on I70 we would encourage you to stop and explore this neat carousel. It only costs 25 cents to ride the carousel and $1 to visit the museum.
Riding the Kit Carson County Carousel
Flowers at the Kit Carson Carousel
Going for another ride on the carousel!
All smiles!
Kit Carson Carousel building
Other side of the wooden token!
