Return from Myrtle Beach

On Sunday morning, April 5th, I reluctantly began to pack and get ready to leave my beautiful condo. It had been such a relaxing few days that I wanted to extend that feeling of peacefulness for as long as possible. So after checking out of the condo, I went across the street to a little pancake house and enjoyed a Belgian waffle, bacon, and scrambled eggs while reading my book.

I just did not feel like dealing with Interstates, so even though it was a few hours longer, I decided to go home via Rt 17, and I'm glad that I did! At first Rt 17 stays pretty near the ocean and when I was about an hour north of Myrtle Beach, I saw a sign that said Topsail Island. That name sounded very familiar to me so I decided to take a short detour and explore it. I wish that I had some pictures to show, but I don't. There is a quaint little drawbridge that connects the mainland with the island and the island itself has a very relaxed feel to it. There are lots of beach houses and several very charming little shops as well as the "to be expected" seafood restaurants.

When I got home and was talking to my daughter, to my delight I learned that the beachhouse that her husband's family inherited from his grandfather actually sits on Topsail Island. Now is that cool or what? Now, whenever she and her husband go there, I will actually be able to picture in my mind what their location is like. I told my daughter that she is going to love being there. I hope that they get some time this summer to go. If they'd like they can invite dear ole Mom to come along (HA HA!). (Only so they'll have a dogsitter for Cody while they walk the beach or go out to dinner.) ;)

As I was driving through the beautiful eastern part of North Carolina on Rt 17, the song, "Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina in the morning" kept running through my mind. I passed by some really pretty towns and lakes. New Bern, NC, in particular stays in my memory.

I think that everyone should sometimes take a detour from Interstates and drive through the countryside. It is sometimes a delightful surprise as to what they will find.