http://www.bettertravelersnow.com Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:20:38 EDT http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/32/16/plenty-of-sun-lots-of-fun-perfect-days-in-myrtle-beach.html http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/32/16/plenty-of-sun-lots-of-fun-perfect-days-in-myrtle-beach.html As many of you know, I’m a big fan of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I travel to this not-so-distant beach destination year round, and each season, there is always a good time for the active traveler, the sand and foam enthusiast.

As I have previously reported, I spend many 4-day weekends away at the beach in the autumn and winter, when the rates are lower and the folks are sparse in company. This last trip, I spent 3 days in Myrtle Beach. In the very late spring of early June, and it wa... Read More]]> Mon, 21 Jun 2010 17:09:50 EDT http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/29/10/every-picture-tells-a-story-don-t-it-part-ii.html http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/29/10/every-picture-tells-a-story-don-t-it-part-ii.html Beginning in Spring, We Stroll Through Winter

In this second article, we will examine a more familiar world - the one within our everyday reach. The world where I step from sheltering abode, and explore the realm that exists upon my property, whether I am there to witness it or not, it wakes upon the optimism of the rising sun, and feeds upon what it needs to exist.

When I no longer exist within this this plane of my existence, this environment of revolving color and smaller living beings wi... Read More]]> Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:09:45 EST http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/28/10/north-carolina-s-coastal-region-beaufort-county.html http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/28/10/north-carolina-s-coastal-region-beaufort-county.html "Every Picture Tells a Story ... Don't It:" Part I

In this article, we will explore a bit of Beaufort County through a stopped moment in time. These pictures, a dozen at a clip (in this inaugural issue, we offer a bakers' dozen), of animate, but mostly inanimate objects, tell very short stories of a thin moment in time, that is no more, and can never be restored.

The Bonner House in Bath, North Carolina, in early spring, before the blossoms bring so much new life as the seasons will change. ... Read More]]> Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:07:01 EST http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/30/16/myrtle-beach-south-carolina-part-ii-the-off-season-beach.html http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/30/16/myrtle-beach-south-carolina-part-ii-the-off-season-beach.html The "Redneck Riviera" is a Wonderful Respite in the Early Off Season

Myrtle Beach is a wonderful vacation destination, but somehow better, when most of the summer tourists have long left for home. Few adults, even less children, and still some nice days; some warm enough to swim in the ocean. That is why I will always love the off season, and will try to make Myrtle Beach a vacation destination during that time period.

On a lovely Saturday, with the temperature about 78 degrees, you see th... Read More]]> Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:07:01 EST http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/27/10/north-carolina-s-coastal-region-washington.html http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/27/10/north-carolina-s-coastal-region-washington.html Gateway to the United State's Second Largest Estuary, The Pamlico Sound, Washington, North Carolina is Gaining on its Past

Washington, North Carolina is my town. I have lived other places, but Washington, as the western most incorporated municipality, sitting at the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 17 and U.S. Hwy. 264, in my home county of Beaufort, is my home. It is the county seat of Beaufort, which is one of the oldest counties in North Carolina, established in 1712; with the village of Bath as... Read More]]> Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:05:45 EST http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/26/10/north-carolina-state-parks-part-i-south-mountains-range-part-i.html http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/26/10/north-carolina-state-parks-part-i-south-mountains-range-part-i.html South Mountains State Park

Rising high from the foothills and lower piedmont of North Carolina, the South Mountains Range of North Carolina is a unique geological formation that boasts streams leading to waterfalls, such as the High Shoals Waterfall that I visited, and some elevations approaching 3,000 feet above sea level. South Mouth Mountains Range, where once gold was mined beginning in 1826, comprises 100,000 acres (156 square miles) located in three counties: Burke, Cleveland and Rutherfo... Read More]]> Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:04:01 EST http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/25/16/myrtle-beach-south-carolina-part-i-the-seasons-in-change.html http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/25/16/myrtle-beach-south-carolina-part-i-the-seasons-in-change.html It May be the Known as the "Redneck Riviera" But Myrtle Beach has Something for Everyone

In all seriousness, I have known about this moniker for some time, and still I love Myrtle Beach. I am not a golfer, which is sad because Myrtle Beach boasts over 100 area golf, yet I am drawn to Myrtle Beach's lovely beaches. In the summer I love to swim and body surf for long periods, and in the winter, I enjoy the serenity of the surf as we take long walks on Myrtle Beach's sandy shores. When I am at ... Read More]]> Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:03:45 EST http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/23/17/williamsburg-virginia-part-ii-colonial-williamsburg-part-i.html http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/23/17/williamsburg-virginia-part-ii-colonial-williamsburg-part-i.html Williamsburg is a Renovated Reminder of our Colonial Past

The Commonwealth of Virginia, along with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, are the cradles of English civilization in the New World. Jamestown, Virginia was established in 1607, Plymouth Rock was established in 1620.

Jamestown served as the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia until the 1676, when the State House was burned during Bacon's Rebellion. The Commonwealth's government was temporarily relocated to Middle Plantation, whi... Read More]]> Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:02:01 EST http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/21/8/williamsburg-virginia-part-i-busch-gardens.html http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/21/8/williamsburg-virginia-part-i-busch-gardens.html If You Love Roller Coasters, Make Busch Gardens a Summer Destination

Almost everyone loves Disney World. I do, my wife does, and my children do. While my children and I still love the Disney experience, but we also love roller coasters, and there are no better assemblage of these rides in the South that are equal to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia. Busch Gardens is located on the south side US Hwy 60 North from Newport News where it is easily seen from the Highway as one drives towar... Read More]]> Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:59:45 EST http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/20/8/orlando-florida-sea-world.html http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/20/8/orlando-florida-sea-world.html Great family friendly park for all ages

It just so happened that my brother was on this side of the country on business in late February/early March about the same time I was planning on taking a trip down to Florida with my family. The original plan was to go a little later, but once we found out his schedule we decided to change our plans so that we could enjoy Orlando and its scenery while catching up with family that we hadn't seen in a few years.

So we made all of our arrangements online... Read More]]> Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:59:01 EST http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/19/10/the-outer-banks-north-part-i.html http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/19/10/the-outer-banks-north-part-i.html Nags Head North to Corolla

For me, Nags Head is the jumping off point for exploring North Carolina's Outer Banks. From this central locale; one can quickly move 3 to 4 miles south on US Hwy. 12 and be at the northern end of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore; or head 4 to 5 miles west on US Hwy. 64 across the Roanoke Sound and be on Roanoke Island, where Manteo is located, or move north about 25 miles on US Hwy. 158 and then to US Hwy. 12 all the way to Corolla. Check your map: Nags Head is ... Read More]]> Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:56:45 EST http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/18/10/tybee-island-georgia.html http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/18/10/tybee-island-georgia.html The Keeper of the Mouth of the Savannah River is Tybee Island ...

And it has been since 1736. In that year, British General James Oglethorpe understood the imperative need to mark the entrance of the river, so he ordered a lighthouse constructed at its mouth on Tybee Island. General Oglethorpe considered the defense of the river also a priority, and therefore, he had a small fort constructed to insure the control of the Savannah River for his British Citizens upriver.

Tybee Island would la... Read More]]> Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:56:01 EST http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/17/17/national-parks-part-i-the-cape-hatteras-national-seashore.html http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/17/17/national-parks-part-i-the-cape-hatteras-national-seashore.html North Carolina's Ribbon of Sand Buffeted by Two Big Brothers of Blue

On any clear sunny day along North Carolina's eastern most shore, known simply as "The Outer Banks," the curious traveler can enjoy this geological oddity on most all days in all seasons. As the new year begins in Winter, the sand blown coast shudders some days, sunny or not, from the cold northern winds blowing in off the Atlantic Ocean. On other days, the winds blow in from a more southerly direction, usually bringing a war... Read More]]> Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:54:45 EST http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/16/8/walt-disney-adventures-part-i.html http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/16/8/walt-disney-adventures-part-i.html Walt Disney Adventures: Part I, Animal Kingdom

Whether one loads up the family into the minivan and heads down Interstate 95, or they pile into the SUV and head down Interstate 75 to the sunshine state of Florida, what they have in common is that they're heading south ... deep south: where the air is hot, the men well fed and the women are better looking. Where the hordes often congregate is Central Florida, and there are advantages. Advantages such as: Interstate 75 and Interstate 95 converg... Read More]]> Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:54:01 EST http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/15/15/savannah-georgia.html http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/15/15/savannah-georgia.html The Grand Lady of the Old South is Preserved for Posterity

The most enduring commentary on Savannah's citizen's commitment to preserving their past, and the legacy of their ancestors, is the preservation of the park squares and the architecturally significant structures that are prevalent throughout the downtown of one of the South's busiest seaports. Savannah is located atop a bluff, along the southern banks of the Savannah River, in the low country along the northeastern shore of Georgia's ab... Read More]]> Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:52:45 EST http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/14/17/national-parks-part-ii-the-c-o-canal.html http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/14/17/national-parks-part-ii-the-c-o-canal.html Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park

From Rock Creek Parkway on the west side of Washington proper, the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal runs through Georgetown, and further west through the District of Columbia, and further west through Maryland north of the Potomac River to the crest of the rocky falls of that great river resides the C & O Canal National Historic Park. This National Historic Park is located at the locale of the "6 Locks at Great Falls." Within the boundaries of the park... Read More]]> Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:51:01 EST http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/13/17/washington-dc-part-i-arlington-cemetary.html http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/13/17/washington-dc-part-i-arlington-cemetary.html Arlington Cemetery

Washington, District of Columbia is one of the most important cities in the world. It is a young city, even by The United States of America's standards; but considering the legislation and executive decisions that have been made within its limits over the last 70 years, it is inarguably, the most important city in the world over that period. The southern Virginia side of Washington, D.C. is the most significant: architecturally and in regards to the city planning and design... Read More]]> Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:38:45 EST http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/12/17/national-parks-part-iii-the-cape-hatteras-light-station.html http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/12/17/national-parks-part-iii-the-cape-hatteras-light-station.html North Carolina's Outer Banks Again: Destination - Cape Hatteras Light Station

Living less than an hour and fifty minutes from Nags Head, my staging area to the National Seashore, I am regularly drawn to the beauty of one of the most beautiful and unspoiled seashores on eastern coast of the United States of America. On this quick trip to the seashore, my wife would not accompany me. I was alone, but I would be undeterred.

On that fine spring morning, after a beautiful sunrise and with... Read More]]> Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:37:01 EST http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/11/10/national-parks-part-iv-the-blue-ridge-parkway.html http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/11/10/national-parks-part-iv-the-blue-ridge-parkway.html The Misty Mountains of North Carolina

Rising up from the adjoining foothills and valleys stretching up from northwestern Georgia to southeastern Pennsylvania is the Blue Ridge Mountain chain. The Blue Ridge Mountains comprise a collection of the highest peaks of the Appalachian Mountains, making the Blue Ridge the highest peaks east of the Black Hills in South Dakota. The concentration of the tallest and most massive mountains in this hazy scalloped ridge, that rise up like the big blue shoul... Read More]]> Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:33:45 EST http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/9/9/time-share-a-discussion-part-i.html http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/9/9/time-share-a-discussion-part-i.html Time Share is Not for Everyone, But You Gotta Stay Somewhere

"Weekend getaway; two days and three nights, and a gift worth 100.00 in show tickets or food out. Of course, to hold your place, you need to send us a small fee of 99.00, and to just keep it exciting, you must sit for a short 45 minute presentation of our new project." You check in Friday evening, you meet for the presentation at 9:00 am, and by 12:00 pm, they've either signed you up, while preaching to you about the need to take ex... Read More]]> Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:24:45 EST http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/8/15/washington-dc-part-ii.html http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/8/15/washington-dc-part-ii.html Pictorial Expose' of One of the World's Most Important Cities

Every trip of mine to Washington, DC for a conference involves me taking a measure of my time, often limited, to visit southern the sector of Washington, DC. On these short visits to the United States of America's national capital, I try to vast one or two of the exhibits, museums, or a national points of interest. As is my usual practice, I exit the Metro (Washington, DC's subway) into the Mall designed by Pierre L'Enfant at ... Read More]]> Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:01:01 EST http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/10/10/hilton-head-south-carolina.html http://www.bettertravelersnow.com/post/10/10/hilton-head-south-carolina.html Great Big Beaches, Swimming in Warm Waters Well into October ...

Or you could just play golf or tennis. Hilton Head Island, the island that resembles a basketball shoe, is world famous for its number of championship golf courses, including The PGA sponsored Verizon Heritage Golf Tournament held at the Harbour Town Golf Links, located on Calibogue Sound near the southern toe of the island.

I am not a golfer; however, and it was too hot to play tennis when I visited in June and August, so I spe... Read More]]> Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:01:01 EST