A Few Days on the Carolina Coast

Anyone know what these fields of yellow blossoms are?

The Clam Chowder Festival at Carolina Beach was really fun - music, beautiful weather and delicious clam chowder to sample.  Just a nice relaxing afternoon.  We drove from there through Georgetown and on toward Charleston.  We drove through 

Isle of Palms because we had not been there - just another pretty beach town.  I keep looking for those small beach towns from the past.  Tell me if you know of some.

When we are in the area we always go to Calabash - a little shopping and dinner in one of the many seafood restaurants.  

Charleston was beautiful with all the spring flowers and trees.  We found a parking space for Elsewhere on the street!  and enjoyed walking for a couple of hours.  There were three outdoor weddings taking place - two in Battery Park. 

Charleston Tea Plantation

Patriots Point is always a great place if you're patriotic or interested in military history.  

The drive to Wadmalaw Island was nice - like a step back in time.  The Charleston Tea Plantation is really interesting - we took the trolley tour.  It is the only place in the country where tea is commercially grown.  Met some nice people from England who insisted I should try milk in my tea - I did - don't think I like it.

Charleston Tea Plantation

I really wanted to go to Firefly Distillery - they make Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka - Southerners really like their sweet tea.  We were in the area on Monday and they were closed.  My two Seestahs and I were there a couple of years ago - a fun place to visit even if you don't buy their Vodka.

Life is good.

These were in our yard when we got home.

  

Girls Week in the Mountains!!!

One whole, complete week in the mountains with nothing to do except what we want to do.  Wish you could hear the wonderful night sounds.  We are high on the mountain overlooking a lake  in Georgia.  Such a beautiful place.

We got here yesterday afternoon - one of our bff's couldn't make it - we sure miss her.  So it's the two of us - been way too long since our last trip together - the three of us were in Charleston, 

Christmas 2011.

We have friends - good friends - but some of us are lucky enough to have "forever friends" who know us better than we know ourselves.  If we're really lucky - they are also great travel friends.  What fun.

We have all these places to see and things to do on our list - the nice thing is we don't have to do any of them unless we want to.  Today we didn't want to do any of them.  Stayed here all day - sat on the deck - talked - ate, read - cooked a simple, delicious dinner.  Talked, ate, read, watched some Netflix. 

A really good day.

This cabin has three levels with three beautiful decks with a swing, rockers, table and chairs and bird feeders.  Lots of birds - although the flying squirrels eat most of the bird seed.

I have friends who own a beautiful house in the North Carolina mountains that I've visited many times.  I thought it had the steepest possible driveway - Not!  I stopped and took a long look before I started up this driveway - will be interesting to go down tomorrow!

BIFFLE - Best Friends For Like Ever

Biffle's are one of life's blessings.  Most of us have a lots of friends, even a few good friends.  A few of us have a Biffle.  I am blessed with two Biffles!  Closer than sisters - all the good parts of sisterhood with none of the bad.


These two were not childhood friends or even high school friends.  Fate brought them to me at different times in different ways.  We are biffle's because of who we are as adults - not because of who we were as children.  We're different, but we have so much in common.  


We laugh a lot - at ourselves and at each other.  We can talk or sometimes be quiet.  We've taken short trips and some very long trips together.  I went to Italy with one biffle - the trip of a lifetime - all good.  We've spent time in the mountains, at the beach, in Arizona - the Grand Canyon, Texas and even Las Vegas of all places.  I travel some with my husband, children and grandchildren - travel a lot with my brother.  He and I took a "Road Trip" last year - over 9,000 miles.  Great times - I hope for many more.  As good as they are, nothing is quite like time with my Biffles.

The three of us spent a few days in Charleston, SC last week.  Perfect weather, great hotel - Historic Embassy Suites - unbelievably good food.  If you are ever in the beautiful city of Charleston - don't miss eating at Amen and at Jestine's.  I don't have enough good words to describe the food.  Before you leave stop in Market Street Sweets - it's worth stopping to smell the candy - as if you can resist sampling some.  Our room looked out on a beautiful square decorated for Christmas - was it just for us?   Couldn't have been any better.


Distance doesn't matter, nor does time apart.  We talk a lot sometimes - or we don't for a while.  The connection stays the same.  They are family - chosen family.   I thank God for them.