Last walk around the park

Tomorrow (Tuesday) we’ll head north. But for now, we’ll take in more of the warmer weather. 

Pics from our last hike around the park. It was a cloudy day in the morning, then cleared up later in the day 

Thought this was interesting as we walked through the nature trail. Need to remember to ask Linda if they have these birds and whether they drill holes in a straight line. 





This is a live oak tree. Learned that the salt from the sea and the wind make these trees and other trees and bushes bend along the beach. 


Biked one last time into South Myrtle Beach. Nice bike lanes. Then a last fire before heading north. 

Wrestling begins

This is why we came to Myrtle Beach ... wrestling for Nathan. Two of his Brookville teammates also qualified - Cayden Walters and Owen Reinsel. 

Nathan had a good day. Won both matches, 7-6 against Francisco Valle from GA and 4-2 against Sebastian Garibaldi from NY. 

Here are some shots that Jillian took:

Sunday Nathan wrestles Chase Horne from GA. 

Exploring around Myrtle Beach Campground

Ahhhhh, this is the perfect time to be here in Myrtle Beach - warm but not hot. So glad grandson, Nathan was invited to the Super 32 here. 

The campground is huge, over 300 acres with over 300 camping spots. But a portion of the campground is maintained with trails as it was before it became a camping Mecca. Had a nice hike through the wooded area. 

And then to finish off our walk ... a walk on the beach. 

We wanted to see where the venue was so we packed the dogs in the bike trailer and off we went. 

It was about 7 miles one way to the venue but it was flat and easy riding. 

Wrestling starts Saturday. 

Headed to Myrtle Beach

After a long drive, we made it to Myrtle Beach SP. The campground is very close to the beach. Our camper is about 1/2 block away. 

Just in time for a short walk on the beach and watch the sunset. 

Dogs are allowed on the beach since it’s after Labor Day. They enjoyed those new smells. 

We’ll see what tomorrow brings. Andrea, Nathan and Jillian arrive tomorrow so I’m sure it will be busy. 

More hiking and history lesson

Our last full day in Smallwood SP before we head farther south to Myrtle Beach to support Nathan as he wrestles in the Super 32. 

On our hike this morning, we saw some interesting things - more fungus and Maryland’s version of goldenrod. . 

When we came to the tobacco barn on our walk, we noticed it was open. Inside was a very well done history lesson of the tobacco trade in Maryland and more about General Smallwood. 


Farther on our walk, we came to these dilapidated buildings. Don’t know anything about why they are here though. 


We had some time so went for a bike ride. Their roads have wide bike lanes. When we come again, we want to explore the rails to trails that is about 5 miles from the campground. 

Kya and Caleb has us over to their house for dinner, pizza on the grill. Yum, yum. One of my favorite foods. Then we sat around their fire pit and got to know Caleb a little more. 

This is our last day with them. I’m sure they are ready for a break from us but we really enjoyed seeing their house and spending time with them. 

A few shots of outside and inside their home. 

A visit with Kya and Caleb and hiking

Here we are in Smallwood State Park, about 15 minutes from Kya and Caleb’s home. It’s listed as a historical area. 

We all went to dinner at Foster’s Grille. They had really nice outdoor seating and the food was delicious. 

In the morning, Bill and I and the dogs took a hike on the General’s Trail. We found out a little more about the history and why the trail was named General’s. 

Smallwood SP was named for General Smallwood who was a hero during the Revolutionary War and later the Governor of Maryland. Part of his plantation is now Smallwood SP. This was his house and where he was buried. 

The General’s trail wound around through the woods. Found some really cool looking fungus. 

Kya and the dogs came for a hike and then we wet back to their house for a tour. 

See the turtles on a log?  There’s a small one on the one turtles back. They must be a family out for a day trip. 

Oakley riding in the car.  

Kya and Caleb’s house on base. 

Lots of space for some wall quilts 😁. 

Came back to the RV for dinner around the fire pit. 

Time to see Kya’s new home

Our granddaughter, Kya, recently got married in the family barn. What a treat that was. To see the over 100-year structure transformed from dust and dirt to a wedding venue was something to behold. Kya’s dad, John, started cleaning out the space to store his landscape equipment in April. Suddenly, Kya saw a place to hold their wedding. I’m sure mom, dad and Pappy Cigar we’re watching from above and approved and loved that Kya saw something beautiful in an old, dirty barn. 

All these happy memories also means that we lost our downstairs houseguest. Kya and Caleb moves to Indian Head MD to live. Caleb is in the marines and currently this is where he is stationed. 

So what do Bill and I decide?  Get the RV ready for a visit to Indian Head. We are headed there now and then on to Myrtle Beach for our grandson’s competition in the Super 32. More on both visits later. 

 

Jonesborough, TN and more storytelling

Jonesborough by day is a great walk. 

Storytelling time with Barbara McBride-Smith is always a treat. Not only is she a lovely individual, she makes us laugh and feel good. Here’s a link to a story she shared with us at the 2019 Festival - Bathing the Cat. 

Next up is Bill Lepp. He sometimes tell stories about his life that make us laugh out loud. 

Hopefully you can tell why we look forward to this Festival every year. There are many other storytellers and different types of stories and some with music. Some make us laugh. Some make us think and some bring history to life, like Alton Chung, a Japanese American.  

Josh Goforth and David Holt entertains us with music and stories. 

If we’ve whetted you’re appetite and you’re interested to hear more, search on YouTube for International Storytelling Festival. Or if you’d like to join us in Jonesborough in 2021, let us know. We’d love to show you around.