Hilton Head Beauty

October was our second annual visit to Hilton Head Island where we enjoyed a dazzling sunrise, gorgeous skies and fabulous flowers.

At first there wasn't much of a show due to the cloud cover.

After a short period of time we were mesmerized.

The clouds really add to the beauty.

The evening skies also have much appeal.

Some kite flying was going on.

The color was constantly changing.

Autumn still sees a delightful variety of flowers on the island.

Then there are these little guys, the sandpipers. Adorable to watch! This first cutie appeared to have only 1 functioning leg but he managed to keep up with the others with some hopping around.

Have a marvelous day/evening (wherever you are on the clock)! ~Val

Myrtle Beach

I had a craving for a walk on the beach and a sunrise viewing so Jim and I headed to Myrtle Beach for a night at the end of April.

We were here after school spring vacations and before the tourist season. The weather was perfect and the crowds were lacking!
 

Our hotel room was on the top floor with a balcony which was fantastic!

The boardwalk is lit at night.

The sunrise was beautiful. There were only a few other people watching at 6:33am.

These photos are in reverse order of the sun coming up.

There she is peeking up behind Pier 14.

The boardwalk is 1.2 miles long. We had it to ourselves in the morning. Luckily Starbucks is something we can all count on to be open nice and early for us! Normally we support local mom and pop coffee shops but the earliest one did not open until 8am.

Above is all new weather friendly boardwalk material. 

Here is what the old boardwalk sections look like. The wood is in rough shape in places so it was great to see this is in the process of being replaced.

Part of the boardwalk is filled with typical touristy beach things like gift shops, arcades, pizza, ice cream, etc.

Heading away from the hoopla, the walk turns into a winding concrete path in front of hotels.

I love the use of canopies for occasional shade.

Although after a cold winter and wacky April, I was loving the sunshine!

 I channeled Alice when I was there.

We had fun as we always do. However Myrtle Beach was not quite our style. It reminds us of the New England beaches where young people drive up and down the strip with music blasting while getting drunk. Yes I was once one of those youngsters once but I am almost 50 now. 

Even though this is more of a party place, it is also very family friendly with tons of amusements for the kids including rides, Ripley's Believe it or Not fun, mini golf and so much more. In conclusion, an awesome place for those under 30!

Have a marvelous day/evening (wherever you are on the clock)! ~Val

Sunrise on Hilton Head Island

The highlight of visiting Hilton Head Island was the sunrise. The unfiltered photos speak for themselves.

I love the silhouettes of the strangers and how they change slightly throughout the series.

The disk is starting to show!

The intensity of the light was breathtaking!

Simply a perfect moment in life we will never forget.

Have a marvelous day/evening (wherever you are on the clock)! ~Val