Welcome To Blues Travels

OK, so it’s been a while since my last entry. In fact, it’s been too long. But I cannot help it. I was too busy relaxing to write.

Really, I was.

At the advice of one of my most well traveled friends, I left Charlotte for Wilmington, North Carolina. He told me this was a town I had to see. He also told me to stay in the historic district if I could. He said I would really have fun. And he would have been right, had I been able to find a downtown area to stay in, and had I stayed more than 12 hours. As fate would have it, neither of those things happened. And the rest is …well….you decide.

Let me just put it this way, if you want to go absolutely nuts with stress and anger, visit Wilmington, North Carolina. This “use-to-be tiny” coastal town has grown like a cancer into a hugely over populated city with stress levels I have encountered before only in New York City. And I like stress. Just ask my psychiatrist. :doze:

But seriously, Wilmington was amazing. True, the historic district, if you can see it, is beautiful, but in my view a glimpse at the historic district of Wilmington, when compared to the traffic and thousands of people in your way at all times, is like having to walk barefoot to Colorado - in the summer, dragging a telephone pole behind you - just to see what a mountain in Colorado looks like. Do yourself a favor: get a book instead. I mean it. I was in Wilmington for all of 15 minutes when I decided I wanted to leave and go home, or shoot myself if I could find a sidearm lying around somewhere. It was that stressful. There were traffic accidents everywhere you looked. I was always on the verge of being hit myself, or hitting someone else. Bumper to bumper does not describe the traffic adequately. It was just a mad house.

Holiday Inn Express and The Litchfield Beach and Golf Resort

So, I left. I went south, with the intention of going to Charleston, South Carolina. I didn’t make it past the South Carolina border, because I stumbled across a town tucked between Myrtle Beach and Charleston, called Pawleys Island. I fell in love with this town, and its people! :blush:

I stayed at two places while I was there. A Holiday Inn Express and Litchfield Beach and Golf Resort. I enjoyed them both, and sadly I have no photos. I think I enjoyed the Comfort Inn the most. Litchfield Beach and Golf Resort was nice, don’t get me wrong. I just felt the rooms should be upgraded a bit and the price was a tad high. On the other hand, the Holiday Inn was quite up to date and reasonably priced.

The town of Pawleys Island is purported to only have 200 fulltime residents, with the rest of the several hundred folks being retired or semi-retired golfers and golfers wives. I would guess the average age to be around 69. I like older people, so I am in heaven while in Pawleys Island. I mean, granted, I will not be having many dates in this town, but there is something relaxing and calming about sleeping in a town where you are the youngest person at the tender age of 42. In addition, there is very little crime, and the diners and restaurants are simply terrific.

Holiday Inn Express Pawleys Island
11445 Highway 17 South
Pawleys Island, South Carolina 29585
(843) 235-0808

Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort
14276 Ocean Hwy
Pawleys Island, SC 29585
(843) 237-3000

Island Cafe and Deli

As an example of the fabulous foods, I ate at an upscale diner called Island Cafe and Deli. I got a simple turkey and pastrami sandwich on rye. I could not believe my eyes when the waitress brought me the sammich! This thing was literally 3 inches thick with meat. Add to that veggies and bread and you end up with a sandwich that requires you use a surgical rib spreader to open your mouth wide enough just to take the first bite! And the meats they use are Boars Head Meats…tender, juicy and just plain good in every way. Eating breakfast or dinner at any of the nearly 100 eateries in Pawleys Island could give you a similar experience just about every time.

Island Cafe & Del
www.islandcafeanddeli.com
10683 Ocean Hwy
Pawleys Island, SC 29585
(843) 237-9527

I have gotten spoiled with the foods in the southeast. Food here in Charlottesville Virginia tastes so bland to me now. I am home (in Charlottesville) for Thanksgiving, and already I miss my southeast hot spots! I am going to head back south as soon as Thanksgiving is over.

Oh, by the way, Pawleys Island also has a fantastic health club owned by the local hospital. In addition, there are several really great places to stay. The name of the fitness club escapes me at the moment, and I worked out there 4 times! Theirs is the only commercial health club in Pawleys Island though, so if you visit, just ask for someone to point you in the direction of the fitness club and aquatics center. Everyone knows where it is.

And the beds? Well, the beds I slept in at both the Hampton Inn and Litchfield Inn were the most comfortable beds I have slept in since having begun my trip. I am getting sweepy just tinkin bout it! Zzzzzzzzzzzz

At any rate, I will fill you in on some changes to be made to this web site, God willing, as well as my travel plans!

God Bless and thanks for stopping by!