June 24, 2019

AMERICA’S OLDEST CITY: THE CHARMS OF HISTORIC ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA

Stu and I attended the 2019 Florida Birding and Photo Fest in St. Augustine, Florida and were totally captivated by the birds, the city, the food and the residents of America’s oldest city!     The charms of historic St. Augustine, Florida will keep you enthralled, no matter what your interests! St. Augustine is America’s oldest city and has 400 years of history and culture to enjoy! This city dates from 1563!     Of course, we had heard of Juan Ponce de Leon, Sir Francis Drake, Henry Flagler and the Timucua Indians. What we didn’t know is that all are a part of the history of the coastline between…

June 17, 2019

A “DON’T MISS” STATE PARK IN UTAH: DEADHORSE POINT STATE PARK

Don’t bypass our American state parks!     The most awe-inspiring state park we have visited, to date, is the incredible 5,362 square acres of Deadhorse Point State Park in Utah! When you enter, Deadhorse Point State Park is a tease. It is so unassuming UNTIL you reach an overlook!     This state park is a neighbor to Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. It rivals the national parks in every way!     Driving the Deadhorse Point Mesa Scenic Byway (U-313) was spectacular! This road took us through miles of red rock canyon country. The Byway is 35 miles long and takes 2 hours to drive at the…

June 10, 2019

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO PAT CONROY’S DAUFUSKIE ISLAND, South Carolina

If you know the books or movies entitled, “The Great Santini” and “The Prince of Tides,” you know of author Pat Conroy. After graduating from college at The Citadel, he took a job in 1969 teaching in a one-room schoolhouse on the isolated island of Daufuskie. Daufuskie is a small island about three miles off the South Carolina mainland and, to this day, there are no bridges to the island. It is the southernmost inhabited sea island in South Carolina.     A young white man, Conroy was enraged by the substandard education being given the native children on the island. He spent a year teaching the students about the wider world…

June 3, 2019

QUIRKY, ARTSY AND HISTORIC OLD BLUFFTON, South Carolina

Do you love quirky little towns? Do you love the low country of South Carolina? Do you love communities with festivals and events all year round? If so, get yourself to Old Bluffton, South Carolina! Bluffton has been called the “last true coastal village of the south.”*     Bluffton was named the #5 “Happiest Seaside Towns” by Coastal Living Magazine. Bluffton, originally a resort area during the summer for inland planters, it was a ferry stop between Savannah and Beaufort, SC. It is only a 12-minute drive from Hilton Head!           The arts community and historic preservation communities are alive and well in Bluffton. Shops and galleries give…