Beach Week in Pictures

Surf, Sun & Son -Wash, Rinse, Repeat

Sunday Beach Day #1 - Umbrellas Up!

Up before everyone else, I tried being as quiet as possible starting a pot of coffee, exercising, stretching, etc. After a satisfying few sips, I headed off for a walk on the beach. I walked north towards the Surfside Beach pier, an attraction I hadn’t seen prior. In total, my walk was only about 2 miles, but relaxing, enjoyable, relaxing just the same. Worked up quite the sweat too. After all, let’s not forget the shock of beachside summer humidity.

Back at the beach house I was about to start breakfast, but then quickly changed course and headed back to the beach, only this time with our two new beach umbrellas in tow. Figured it a good idea to get our spot staked out before the inevitable crowds showed up. Already, the number of early set-ups had multiplied 3 or 4 fold during my 45 minute beach walk.

Happily, the umbrellas went up with little fanfare. I set up a couple folding camp chairs then headed back to start breakfast. I fried up sausage patties, hash browns, pancakes.  With such a large crew and more than half being kids, I wasn’t really sure how much to make, or who would eat what.

Breakfast went over well with all. There was something to suit everyone’s taste. Time was moving fast, already 11am, it was time to ready for a relaxing day on the beach. Having done this a time or two, Mindy and me were fanatical about lathering up with sun screen. We preached the same to the kids, but in typical fashion, it fell mostly on deaf ears. We stocked our new beach cooler with drinks – hard and soft – then walked over to our beach set-up.

After several hours on the beach, back to the beach house and the pool.

Taco night

Monday golf day with the boys @ Indigo Golf Course

Hot, steamy played only 9 holes

Burgers and dogs

Tuesday Pool Day

Double Date night with Dave & Krista @ Surfside Pier

Wednesday Beach Day

Dave Krista and crew off to M.B. amusement park – Jimindy date night

Thursday Beach Day / Pool Day

Dinner Claw House Murrell’s Inlet / Ice cream Stella’s

Last full day - Friday, Beach Day / Pool Day

Leftovers and packing – prep for early departure

Saturday up at 445am – packed out and on the road for home by 605am

Home by 415pm

Gallos by 7pm 😊

Just Beachy

2 Surfside Beach not Kenny Gs - Saturday, July 13

The Crew: Azaryah, Krista, Michael, Alivyah, Dave (son), Penelope, Adin, Me, Mindy

I was up at 645am, showered and eager for the day ahead. I checked my work phone, following up on an issue I left behind Friday AM (shouldn’t have). I checked my investment account too. I was quite pleased to have surpassed another major milestone. I spent no more than 20 minutes tops on both of my phones. Mindy woke up around 730am. I went for lobby coffee for both of us then returned. She soon suggested I go for breakfast while she readied for the drive. She wasn’t interested in the complimentary breakfast. However, she asked that I bring her more coffee. The complimentary breakfast hit the spot – sausage patties, home fries, and omelets. Yum! Before heading to the lobby to check out, I re-iced our drive cooler.

We checked out, loaded our overnight kits and drive-cooler into the CRV just ahead of 930am. Soon we were on the road for sunny Surfside Beach, SC.    ampton Inn comc

Another easy drive. We took I-77 south to 485N around Charlotte, eventually picking up I-74 east. Happily, traffic was almost nonexistent. A couple days prior, I had scoped out our route and noticed that we’d be passing right by John G’s BBQ in Peachland, NC. I figured we might stop and get some of their famous smoked brisket if the opportunity presented itself. You see, it’s a hugely popular BBQ joint that smokes a certain amount of meat each weekend. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. Sure enough, we could see it right off the highway. We did a U-turn and headed back to see if they were open. As I understood it, they’re only open on the weekend and there’s always a line of folks waiting for them to open the doors. We didn’t see any line from the highway, but once we did a U-turn and circled back, we saw a queue of about 30 people sitting, waiting in lawn chairs around the small unassuming building. Forget it! We weren’t going to wait. Frankly, was happy that we got to see it live and in-person.

The remaining drive was rather easy. In total, about 4.5 hours, the last 3 hours mostly flat, two-lane highways through NC and SC. We texted Dave and Krista learning that they weren’t too far behind us. They left CMH around 3am and were driving straight through.

Just Checking In

Arrived at the beach house right at 2pm. Unlike our Sugar Mountain getaway, I was keenly familiar with the exact location of the beach house. Found it easily, and it was just like the photos showed. Checking the key lockbox combo VRBO sent me, I was happy that it was already working even though we were technically there two hours early. Yea! No sooner had we scoped out the physical layout and returned to the CRV to start unloading our gear, Dave, Krista and crew pulled in. They couldn’t have been 5-10 minutes behind us.

Let’s get this party started!

Joyful organized chaos is an apt description of the unpack and prep process. There were nine of us in total, so assigning bedrooms, making beds, passing out bath towels was task one.  My only requirement was that Mindy & I got the upstairs master suite. The other three bedrooms were fair game for Dave & Krista and the five kids.

Many beach front rental homes on the Carolina coast no longer come with linens. Instead, one is directed to one of many linen suppliers on the grand strand. In kind, I priced a linen package customized to our particular rental home complete with bed sheet sets, bath towels, etc. It was going to run near $300. However, before locking in, I opted instead to see what we could buy via Amazon and Walmart.com. Ended up getting six 1600 count bed sheet sets (1-king, 2-queen, 3-twin) plus 12 bath towels, 8 hand towels, 12 wash clothes for $160 from Walmart.com. Mindy even washed them all before packing ‘em up for our trip. We considered that a big win. Half the cost of renting a linen set and we’d have them into perpetuity. 😊

After getting our bed made up, I helped a couple of the kids with theirs. Then I figured I could be a big help to Dave & Krista if I took the three younger kids to the beach. Adin and Azaryah were already off to the beach on their own. After all, Dave, I knew, wanted/needed a nap after an 11-hour drive that began in the middle of the night.

It was about 3pm. The skies partly sunny and waves more than decent. The kids hung mostly in the ankle-deep surf, apparently not wanting to get fully wet. Only Penelope was in her swimsuit. The other two in shorts and t-shirt.  We hung out for about 30 minutes before being joined by Krista. We might’ve stayed another ten minutes before making our way back across the street to the house and pool.

Once Mindy was unpacked, she and I soon headed off to the local Walmart to stock up on groceries. Figuring out a meal plan for nine is no easy task. We also planned a stop at Angela’s Seafood Market, too, for what has become a right of passage on arrival day. 😊

At home we never do our big grocery shopping at Walmart, but figured with our group size, it just made better sense. We tagged teamed our list, Mindy sending me off to get this and that all the while she tracked the list and searched out other goods. Spent roughly an hour in Walmart and filled our cart to the brim. Our meal plan included enough breakfast food for the entire week, and then three dinner-at-home nights – burgers and dogs, tacos, and lastly a pasta and meatball night. We also fetched some sandwich making stuff along with a variety of drinks, snacks, and other accoutrements.

I also wanted to have a few good IPAs on hand as well as some seltzers. As such, we made a quick stop at the Atlantic Ave. Kroger before our stop at Angela’s for fresh, and I do mean fresh, low-country shrimp. I sent Dave a text on our drive back to the beach house asking for help carrying our big haul up the beach house stairs. Most of the kids helped too. That made us happy. 😊

After putting away the grocs, we collectively settled on a dinner venue, Old Chicago Pizza. Mindy and I have been there a couple of times past, thus knew of their extensive menu offerings, and most of it, if not all, really good.  

Table for nine, please!

Dinner was delicious, and moreover, an excellent ice breaker opportunity for everyone to get used to one another. After all, we were launching into a full week together after maybe hanging out just four or five times over the past couple of years, and each of those visits were limited to a couple hours each.

After getting back to the beach house, most of us went on a beach walk. Lots of stars. The kids had a ball with my extra-bright flashlight, looking for sea creatures in the water drains to the ocean. Felt good putting our toes in the sand.

 

Halfway

 A Friday Drive in the Appalachian Mountains - July 12

The Hickory Tavern used these clips to leave the bill. I wanted it! Mindy said no!

Mindy & I planned to drive approximately halfway on Friday. A week earlier, I booked a hotel in Mooresville, NC – a cute town bordering Lake Norman. We planned to be on the road by 9am. To that end, I was up at 650am.

Save for prepping a drive cooler and then organizing morning toiletries, both of us had everything packed and ready to load the night before. Mindy wisely suggested we have an overnight bag separate from our beach week packing for convenience sake at the NC hotel. 

Loaded the CRV around 830am. Everything went in with plenty of room to spare. We really did a super good job planning and organizing, including placing the six sets of bedding sheets we bought for the trip (Beach house doesn’t supply linens) in a large empty cooler. In total, we were taking 3 coolers, but only one loaded with food and drink for the drive down. 

After bidding Bella farewell, we were on the road for Mooresville, NC by 9am, just as we had planned/hoped. Topped off the gas tank at Circle K and on the highway by 905am. Easy 400 mile drive – 270, 33, 77S thru Ohio, WV, VA, and finally NC. Mooresville rests about 65 miles into NC right off I-77. Arrived near 350pm.

After 7 hours of driving, I wanted little more than to rest my tired eyes for a spell. In the meantime, Mindy sought out a local dinner venue. We settled on the Hickory Tavern, a local spot just up the road. What caught our eye was the plethora of options, including raw oysters. We were a little disappointed then when we got there and learned that most if not all of the seafood options had recently been removed from their offerings. Still, the service and food were decent. In particular, our server, whose name I have since forgotten, was very cute and fun – full-on Carolina accent. We were there for about 90 minutes. 

Back at the Hampton Inn we changed into our sleeping attire then tuned the TV to a cool show contrasting tuna and sharks. Both have evolved to become superior bad ass sea creatures. Fascinating program. I was asleep before 10pm.

Unpack/Re-Pack

Home Take Two 

Tuesday Evening, July 9

Spent an hour or two reacclimating ourselves with home – unpacking, clearing the fridge of old food, and reclaiming domain over our home's summer landscape. We’d be heading off again Friday AM, only this to Surfside Beach, SC, so there was little time to waste. We had two days to get the homestead back in order and fully ready ourselves for another 9 days away. The difference being, Bella would remain behind due to her work schedule. She’d be caring for our home and landscape, too.  On the one hand, it was comforting to know that the house wouldn’t sit empty and that our summer flowers would be cared for. On another, Mindy & I both were a little concerned for her well-being, home alone and all. 

Wednesday, July 10

Not only did I have to work on Wednesday & Thursday, but I also needed to pack for the beach and care for the lawn, garden, and flower beds. First thing Wednesday morning, Mindy & I both began organizing, packing for our beach trip. But because we really never left vacation-mode, it went rather easily. 

Thursday, July 11

Today marks the one year anniversary of my mother's passing. Love you, Mom.

I begged out of an in-office day so that I could be as efficient as possible – work but also pack/prep in the down minutes. On my agenda was getting cash from the bank, placing the Thule on the CRV and loading it with four sets of golf clubs. Son Dave swung by around lunchtime with his, Adin and Michael’s clubs. He helped me load them all. We actually swapped out Adin’s set for Jacob’s old clubs. They were a far better match. Very happy that we could get all four sets in the Thule. That would save Dave and Krista loads of valuable van space for their drive down on Saturday. Before Dave left, Mindy made him a quick lunch, and we agreed to stay in touch through our separate drives to beach. 

Joe Biden was set to address the nation that evening, an event that for my money was a do not miss. I suppose like many, I watched with worry and concern, hoping beyond hope that he could demonstrate composure, strength and leadership along with the mental acuity to calm the nation’s fears. Look, he’s undeniably an old man with obvious issues that plague many over 80. But that aside, I think he did a decent job putting our minds at ease. After all, he’s been leading our nation in some capacity for 50 years with a proven track record. In the end, certainly a far, far better option than the alternative. I showered and headed to bed feeling better about the direction of our nation. Enough about politics.

Mountains Calling

Friday, July 5 - Mountains 

Up around 645am, I felt really good after getting to sleep the night before around 1045pm. I made coffee, exercised, watered flowers, and did some final packing all the while Mindy and Bella slept until 8am or so. 

Not too bad, I planned to be on the road at 9am. We actually backed out closer to 930am. This year we opted for the 33, 77 route through West Virginia and the turnpike. It’s a little longer yet about 20-30 minutes faster. Of course there’s also $13 in tolls. Meh!

As she often does, Bella slept for almost the entire trip. We made excellent time with no significant back-ups or significant. We stopped for gas at the 81W/91 interchange. From there it’s all twisty-turny two-lane highway the rest of the way in. I’ve driven it 5 or 6 times, so I’ve become accustomed to those windy country roads. 

The windy drive takes you through brief stints in the remainder of Virginia, a sliver of Tennessee, and finally into NC. All totaled, it’s 69 miles from I-81/91 exit in Virginia to the top of Sugar Mountain. However, that last 70~ mile leg takes just shy of two hours even with good traffic. 

We arrived in Banner Elk around 415pm, but traffic was bumper to bumper the final 5- or 6-miles in. Our sunny drive turned to rain as we neared too. Dang it! 

We were excited to finally wind our way up the mountain on what might be the twistiest road you’ll ever navigate. Up to the Reserve to our condo, or so I thought. As we approached the top of the mountain, I had Mindy pull up the address on my phone to get the actual road name in the mountain top complex. I only knew for sure that it was building #17B, which according to the map of the Reserve I pulled up online a few days prior put us overlooking the western edge, and just few turns below the condo we stayed in last July. The road name didn’t jive with those in the Reserve Complex, and Mindy soon shared that Google Maps showed that we had passed out turn much lower on the mountain. What? Truth is, I was getting a little anxious (aka: nervous). Still, I drove through the Reserve until I found building #17 and unit B, which overlooked the western edge just as I viewed on the online map. 

I told Mindy & Bella that I would check the condo code and door while they waited in t he CRV. As luck would have it, the door to Bldg #17 unit B was cracked upon slightly. Yeah! I figured it a nice touch by the owner/rental company – VACASA. However, when I pushed open the door, I was surprised to find a family lounging comfortably while two large barking dogs made their way towards me. Yikes! I quickly excused myself and made a beeline back to the CRV. 😊 Wrong place!

As you might guess, I was feeling really anxious getting back into the car. It was quite apparent that I hadn’t fully confirmed where our building was located. Privately, I wondered if the condo was actually in the Reserve II, a sister complex slightly lower on the mountain. Mindy guided us there by Google maps. Yep. Took us right to the privacy gate of the Reserve II. Problem #2. The only code the rental company, VACASA had sent me was #2477. That didn’t work on the electronically controlled privacy gate at the complex entrance no matter what I tried. After several attempts, a car crept up behind me and activated the gate for their own entrance. That got us into the complex and eventually to our bldg. #17 unit B. 

Not only were we not in the complex I thought that I booked, but we had the privacy gate entrance issue. But not only that, we couldn’t get the code VACASA provided to open the condo’s key lockbox either. No kidding, it was mounted on a post just 6” off the entrance deck, meaning one had to pretty much lie down on the floor to see the combination counters. We all tried a couple of times but to no avail. If I wasn’t rattled before, I was surely rattled by then. I went back to the car where I called the VACASA 800 number. I didn’t help that the call was mistakenly disconnected two times while they placed me on hold. Soon we were all seething with nerves. 

Just as I got through for the 3rd time, Mindy was finally able to get the key lockbox to open and access the condo keys. Great! She and Bella headed inside while I dealt with the rental company, desperately trying to get the privacy gate passcode. Instead of another code, however, she told me we would need to drive to another address in town where I would get the gate key card and rental agreement. It was all the way down the mountain and a couple miles up the road. I knew roughly where it was, but I do mean “roughly”. 

We unloaded the CRV then headed off to the local VACASA rental office still reeling from the frenzied arrival. Not exactly how any of us expected the seemingly seamless process to work. To summarize, incorrect condo complex, no gate code, and ridiculous access to the unit keys in the archaic key lockbox. 

We finally found the VACASA rental office on our second attempt. The first stop was a Sugar Mtn. rental office but not belonging to VACASA. The woman from the 800# shared that the office would be closed but that my paperwork would be a in a late check-in bin. It was. Finally, it seemed we had what we needed. 

Still a little rattled, I suggested we grocery shop, but both Mindy & Bella emphatically insisted we get dinner first. Realizing I was not going to win that argument, I promptly acquiesced. On to the Banner Elk Towne Tavern, a new place I had Googled a day or two prior, and one we hadn’t visited before.  Food was just OK, but the break was just what the doctor ordered.

After dinner we headed to the local Lowe’s where we stocked up on food to sustain us through our trip (Lowe’s – a regional Carolina grocery store, and the same owner and founder of Lowe’s Home Improvement). By 8pm, we were finally back at our condo where we put away all of our provisions then headed out to the lovely deck where we soaked in the stunning mountain vistas and later the star-filled night sky.

Saturday July 6 - Linville Falls & Profile Trail G.F. Mtn.

Stunning sunrise over the distant mountain vistas. It never gets old. After a hearty vacation breakfast, the three of us headed out for a day of hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains. We opted for Linville Falls, a popular trail and park with moderate trails and gorgeous water features. I’ve been there twice past, Mindy once, but Bella, never. 

It wasn’t hot but it was humid. In fact, the temperature in the mountains rarely exceeds 80 degrees all summer long. In fact, the area is a temperate rain forest. We hiked the damp trail taking in the splendor of the magnificent rhododendron canopy. Though largely deflowered by mid-July, they remain gorgeous, especially to us northerners, who are more accustomed to the small landscape rhoddies of home. 

We hiked to the rocky outcropping where the famous Linville Falls come into full view. It’s a popular destination, thus lots of families, but beautiful, nonetheless. From there, one can hike a more rugged trail up the mountain to another rocky outcropping, but because Mindy’s knee had been an issue the week prior, we opted not. It gets crowded up there too. 

In total, we spent maybe 1.5/2 hours at Linville Falls before heading back into Banner Elk, and eventually to Profile Trail, a hike that leads all the way to the top of Grand Father Mountain if one is so inclined. 

https://grandfather.com/profile-trail/#:~:text=Profile%20Trail%20%2D%20Grandfather%20Mountain,at%20Calloway%20Gap.

The trail head is directly across the street from the Pedalin’ Pig BBQ joint and pretty much right next door to the Lowe’s Grocery. One can smell the sweet, sweet smell of BBQ for the first mile or so of the hike. The trail is 3.6 miles up, but we only did about 1.25 miles before turning back, which was roughly our plan all along. 

We wrapped up our hiking around 3pm then unanimously agreed to do lunch at the Pedalin’ Pig. We joked that they must pay a fee to waft their smoked meats chimney towards the trail, luring in unsuspecting clientele. 

The food was decent. We shared some apps then ordered separate entrees. I went with brisket tacos. Was a bit surprised that Mindy ordered a beer with lunch. Not being much of a day drinker, I went with lemonade. Pretty sure Bella ordered a hard drink of some sort, too. Back to the condo by 4-430pm for some downtime and perhaps even a brief nap. 

We spent the evening on the deck gazing at the lovely mountain vistas and star gazing all the while playing rummy.

Sunday July 7 - Rafting the Nolichucky

Our planned whitewater rafting adventure required us to be on prem at 645am. To that end, we were up early and out the door somewhere near 635am. I guess it’s a good thing that High Mountain Expeditions was less than a mile from the foot of the mountain. We were checked in by 655am, fitted with life jackets and on the shuttle bus 10 minutes later. 

It was a good 45 minute bus ride to the Nolichucky put-in. Getting there meant traveling numerous curvy, two-lane mountain highways, and all that via an old school bus painted with their logo. The driver and a handful of the river guides provided entertainment throughout the drive. We stopped in a small little river town a few miles from our put-in for breakfast and a bathroom break. I opted for a sausage and egg muffin from BoJangles, my first visit ever. As with many adventures/expeditions in this area, this one had us in and out of both NC and Tennessee.

Not long after our arrival at the Nolichucky river put-in, the three of us were partnered up with HME river guide, Lizzy, who proved to be a good fit for us. We learned that she lives local to the put-in, so she wasn’t one of the guides that rode the bus with all of us from Banner Elk.

She went through the itinerary, river rules, and some training stuff. Soon enough we were headed down the river and into our first set of rapids. It’s fair to say that we were all a bit nervous, though Mindy & Bella much more so.  One rapid in it was clear to me that we picked not only the best guide, but also the best whitewater adventure for the area. While not ridiculous, it was exciting, fun, & exhilarating! We rode several class III & IV rapids. Like ski mountain trail ratings, Lizzy shared that rapid ratings are similar. Still, it was just the right amount of challenge. 

Lizzy made clear that we were only to paddle on command. She navigated us down the river gorge and through the rapids like an expert. Probably fifteen minutes into our ride, she opened up about herself sharing some cool stories and life perspectives. We became instant friends. We stopped for lunch about 2/3rds the way down river. There, we were provided a meager packed lunch. Someone forgot the lemonade/water cups, so we had to improvise a means of getting fluids in us. No big deal.  I used my chip bag as a water pouch. Others quickly caught on, following my lead. 

Back on the river 45 minutes/ hour later to finish our rafting trip. Reflecting back, I think we were on the river for about 4 hours, including our lunch stop. The same bus that dropped us upriver was waiting at the pull out, a unaffiliated camp area complete with cabins, tents, and a make-shift stage, where a band was setting up for an afternoon jam. 

We tipped our guide Lizzy handsomely and said our goodbyes. And again, because she’s a local, she didn’t ride back into Banner Elk with the rest of us. We made it back to the HME facility in Banner Elk about an hour earlier than anticipated. Fair to say, that made the three of us happy. We were eager to get back to the condo, get a nap, have some snacks, and perhaps get ready for dinner. 

Left for dinner at Banner Elk Café near 630pm. We’ve eaten there numerous times past, some better than others. This time, I think it’s fair to say that the food was subpar, especially my fish and sides entrée. 

Back at the condo and into comfy clothes by 8pm. We played rummy on the deck as the twilight turned to night. Like the past couple nights, I was eager to star gaze. Compared to home, one can easily see perhaps 10X the number of stars. In kind, I watched a handful of satellites whiz by. 

Monday July 8 - Hike Crab Orchard & Elk River Falls – Sorrento’s

We didn’t have a definitive plan or destination for our last day on the mountain, but shortly after breakfast Mindy found two parks relatively close that none of us had hiked before. Our criteria were simple – waterfalls. Our first destination took us to Crab Orchard Falls, just outside of Banner Elk. Talk about windy two-lane mountain roads! Holy smoke. We’re talking narrow hairpins!

Google maps was a bit off. We had to stop at a local recycling center to ask a local for guidance to the park. Turned out, she sent us back to where we had just been, the entrance to an old church parking lot. Once in the church lot we found the obscure little sign pointing us to parking for the hiking trail, all of it very unassuming.

As we exited the car towards the poorly marked trailhead, we were greeted with the unmistakable sound of bagpipes ripping loudly and obviously very close yet immediately out of site.  I begged that we first track the sound, find where it was coming from. Reminded me of a funeral. Soon enough we stumbled upon a gaggle of folks with bag pipes hiking towards the old church hall. The make-up of the group was a bit unusual, young and old alike, with one kids leading the way playing his pipes loudly. We watched for a few then headed for the falls.

The hike was a bit more uphill than any of us expected. Later, I would read that narrative online. Despite the constant uphill, we finally made it to the hidden falls. This park/trail was far more off the beaten path than the more popular Linville Falls that we did on Saturday. Just a few other hikers. And the signage was poor at best. But somehow that made it all the more interesting. I’ll also share that while the temperature was only in the 70’s, it was very, very humid. The three of us worked up one hell of a sweat. 

Mindy lagged behind, her recent knee issue clearly slowing her down. Still, she managed the uphill fine. Said the downhill placed more stain on her knee. 

As we made our way down and back to the car, we once again happened upon the bag pipers. This time we were eager to get the goods on the ordeal. Mindy engaged one of the bag pipers, who shared that it was a weeklong bag pipers camp, where people come from all over to learn bag pipes. They apparently do this online throughout the year, but nothing beats the live and in person opportunity. Gotta share once more how cool, eerie even, it was to be hiking behind a 100+ year-old church all the while the constant music from a group of bag pipers rang out. Memorable!

https://seesugar.com/crab-orchard-falls/

From Carb Orchard Falls, we made our way west about 18 miles to Elk River Falls. To get there we navigated the same twisty, tight two-lane highway again. Getting used to it, though. Talk about off the beaten path? Wow! Ended up on a gravelly, dirt road that couldn’t have been more than a single lane back into the woods. Funny thing is, there was an out-of-town Mercedes SUV in front of us going like 2 mph. We gotta big laugh outta that. 

At the roads dead end (aka. Falls parking) there were lots and lots of cars parked off the side. We fell into compliance with the others. The roar of the Elk River was loud, so we knew were at the right place. And after a quick, easy hike back through the Rhoddie canopy we came upon the absolutely gorgeous falls. The only problem was the number of guests. Maybe 100 people or more scattered around the rocky out croppings. In addition to many tourists like us, seems to be a favorite swimming hole for the locals, too. We quickly understood why. Beautifull!

We didn’t stay too long, 30 minutes tops. Took a number of photos then headed back to the car and eventually back to the mountain-top condo. Saturday evening, while texting with David Waters, I learned that he and Anita were heading up to their Sugar Mtn condo. We made plans to have dinner Monday evening. We made a 7pm reservation at Sorrento’s Banner Elk.

After a nap and showers, we headed down the mountain and then into Banner Elk. Always somewhat busy, but we were grateful that the annual Highland fest wasn’t starting until Thursday of that week. That meant the town crowd would be much more manageable. Checked in at Sorrento’s. David & Anita weren’t yet there. I went to the curb to watch for them. Soon I spotted them. After sharing some hugs, we were promptly seated in Sorrento’s wine room. As the name may imply, there specialty is Italian. 

Mindy and I shared a bottle of wine. David & Anita just water. Having eaten there a couple times past, I was much looking forward to their lasagna. Don’t recall what the others ordered. While our dinner visit was brief, it was good to catch up. We were heading for home the following morning early, so there wasn’t a lot of time to hang out.

Unfortunately, after settling our dinner tabs, and while we were heading out the door, Anita tripped over a raised threshold and fell hard to the floor all the while bumping her head on the wall. It happened so fast and was beyond frightening. We quickly got Anita to her feet. And while she insisted that she was OK, we all, staff included, fawned over her just to make sure. We walked with the two of them towards our cars then said our goodbyes. 

Back to our mountain top condo. After slipping into comfy nighttime attire, we spent time packing for the trip home to make the morning departure that much easier. The earlier we were on the road, we figured, the better chance of avoiding traffic jams on I-77 in VA and WV, and the earlier we’d arrive home. 

Tuesday July 9 – Heading home

We packed out of the condo around 945am and then headed to local VACASA office to fully check-out. While checking out and after being asked about our stay, I calmly shared our horror story check-in with the two guys working the office. The manager quickly shared that he was made aware of our debacle and was eager to apologize and make it right. He offered a 15% discount on our next VACASA rental. Not wanting to keep reliving the unfortunate experience, I gladly accepted. He promised to send email confirmation of our conversation.

We stopped for a fill-up at the 184/105 intersection. It was 1010am when we officially hit the road. It was an uneventful and easy drive home. Like she did on the drive down, Bella slept for most of the trip, waking only for routine pee stops and then for lunch at a Wendy’s in WV, just south of Charleston. That, by the way, was my first Wendy’s burger in at least a year.  I recall thinking we’d be making this same or similar trek down again in just 2.5 days. Arrived home close to 5pm.

Boom & Beyond

Looking Down on the Boom

Taking in Red White & Boom from downtown Columbus hasn’t been a high priority for the two of us over the last decade. In fact, can’t recall the last time we ventured downtown for the annual show, maybe 6 or 7 years ago. This year, however, we were fortunate enough to receive an invite from some new friends that have a place in Waterford Tower overlooking Bicentennial Park, and of course the fireworks. We were stoked about the opportunity. 

As with most Columbus Boom celebrations, it takes place on the 3rd unless that falls on a weekend day. This year’s event was slated for a Wednesday evening. Wouldn’t you know, while rain has been hard to come by for most of the early summer, storms were forecasted to strike through most of the afternoon and early evening. Boom … and boom!

We made arrangements to attend the celebration with our friend Bill, who also got an invite. The plan was for Bill to meet at our house and then Uber downtown, to and fro. We toyed with having Bella (Belluber) drive us there, but in the end we opted not. The Uber dropped us a block from the venue. Nice!  

As one might expect, there was a security validation sign-in process at the entrance to Waterford Tower. Had to be on a list and receive a wrist band. Up to the 8th floor to June & Charles’ condo overlooking the riverfront. Wow! The view was even better than I imagined. We didn’t show up empty handed. We presented our hosts with a party gift, and we also brought a bottle of good wine to share throughout the event. 

I was familiar with 6 or 7 folks, including the hosts, who I met just this past April in Vail. Enjoyed food and drink ahead of the big firework show. Time seemed to fly by. Before we knew it, it was dark and time for Boom!

One unusual observation was the lack of a large crowd packing the two bridges crossing over the river as well as the waterfront itself. Not sure if it was the earlier storms or a Columbus security measure. Either way, very odd. 

See pictures! Boom!

After the firework show ended, we hung out for another 30-40 minutes exchanging pleasantries and what not. At the same time, Mindy reached out to our friends at Milestone 229, the restaurant at Bicentennial Park just below, who were hosting a private event. Despite the private event, they agreed that we could bring a group down to party the rest of the night away. There were 7 of us. We stopped briefly at the Bicentennial stage to catch a band that was just wrapping up their set.

We partied with our 229 friends until late into night (actually morning). We Ubered home around 2am.

Packing the 4th with Neighbors & Brisket

We spent the actual 4^th of July packing for our summer vacation phase #1 – Sugar Mountain NC - just me, Mindy & Bella. Once we were packed, we headed over to our neighbors, Pat & Lisa to enjoy some food and their family.  Pat made a to-die-for brisket. Yum-yum! I made and took broccoli salad. We didn’t imbibe too much and didn’t stay too late either given that we planned to depart for Sugar Mountain NC the next morning around 9am. Who wants to drive 400 miles tired and perhaps feeling less than optimal? 

The Adirondacks

 

                                                                                

Last spring we bought 4 black Adirondack chairs for our deck from Polywood.com. They’re made from HDPE which is rot, crack, fade proof. It’s essentially plastic wood. Too, the hardware is stainless steel, so at least in theory they should never fail. In fact, they market them as completely maintenance, worry-free, leave ‘em outdoors through all seasons. And after one year, and leaving them exposed to the elements through winter, I am happy to report that so far, they’re living up to the lofty billing.

No sooner had we assembled and put the 4 chairs into action did Mindy suggest we get two more, only this time two bar height, lifeguard-like chairs for the opposite end of the deck. I wasn’t too keen on the idea, but only because of their lofty price. In fact, anything made from this HDPE material is quite costly! Still, that didn’t prevent me from poking around, doing some comparative shopping. Turns out, the bar height Adirondack deck chairs are really expensive – about 150% of the typical Adirondack style.  Add a swivel feature and you’re easily looking at $600-700 per chair!!

Fast forward to this spring, I found myself shopping the bar-height Andirondacks on Amazon. As one might expect, lots of options and various price points. Most, however, from 3^rd party Amazon sellers, and at 1/3 to ½ the price of the American made Polywood.com chairs. I researched several brands thoroughly, comparing hardware, weight limits, construction, ratings, etc. I eventually placed a couple in my cart, a deal that offered a set of two with a connecting table for $399. Like I often do, I simply left it in my cart for a few days all the while continuing to shop other brands. In the end, I sought a deal with a reasonable price, but certainly not at the cost of quality or workmanship.

After a couple weeks of ruminating over my choices I finally decided that the deal in my cart was too good to pass up. After all, they had all 5-star reviews and came with a moneyback guarantee, though after careful digging I confirmed that the money-back guarantee was from the 3^rd party seller and not directly from Prime or Amazon.

Don’t you know when I pressed the “checkout” button Amazon threw up a 20% coupon for everything in my cart. What? Heck yea. Suddenly these chairs I had been looking at for a month or more were 2 for $320 and with free shipping, instead of $850 if I bought similar chairs from Polywood.com. I felt good about my purchase.

Happily, it took only four days for the large 100lb box to arrive via FedEx. Ordered on a Sunday. Arrived Wednesday evening. I spotted the FedEx driver pulled over at the foot of our driveway, so I rushed out and opened the overhead garage door and offered to take the box from him bottom of the drive. Big mistake. It was frickin’ heavy!

I man handled it into the garage then left it be for the evening, thinking we’d put ‘em together inside the next day. Later that same evening when Micah, Bella’s boyfriend came over, I asked for his help carrying the heavy box from the garage to the living room, which doubles as my office. That way we could assemble the chairs in the comfort of AC the following day.

Thursday evening after dinner, I suggested that we get busy putting ‘em together. Mindy didn’t seem as eager as me, thinking it better to wait for the weekend. Nope. I’ll get started. And get started, I did. I unboxed all the well-labeled parts across my office floor. Once I reached the bottom of the box, a major problem reared its ugly head, and I do mean major. No hardware!  None! I shared the unfortunate news with Mindy. She felt the need to look over my findings. Uhh … no hardware. 😊

Despite the obvious disappointment, I didn’t fret too much, figuring I’d reach out to the manufacturer as well as Amazon and share the need to send me hardware, and hopefully fast.

I went back to the product offering via Amazon and clicked on Customer Service link where I was prompted to complete an online issue form and send via an embedded email link. I did that. I also found an 800 number and called it as well. The first try of the 800 number went to dead air. Great! Really?

The next morning, I checked my inbox but there was nothing from Fruiteam, the Amazon 3^rd party seller, so I tried the 800 number again, but this time got through. And while Eunice was nice, I wouldn’t exactly say she left me feeling confident my issue would be resolved quickly. Worst case I figured I would cancel the purchase via my credit card if things got ugly. But what, you might ask, did she say that left me lacking confidence? Well, it was when she insisted I take a photo of the missing parts!!!! Really, Eunice? Think about what you’re asking. You want me to photograph the missing parts? She replied that she did. I overheard Mindy in the kitchen chuckling. OK, I photo’d all the pieces laid across my office floor along with the open now empty box.

It was Friday so I didn’t really expect any meaningful results until Monday at the earliest. My hunch was correct. In the meantime, however, I figured it made sense to do a product review via Amazon. Sure thing. I drafted and fired off a review sharing my dilemma along with my willingness to leave it open ended pending resolution. I was shocked on Sunday when Amazon rejected my review citing it not relevant to the product’s actual performance. You’ve got to be kidding me!!!

I searched further, found and book marked the Amazon process for failing 3^rd party vendors. That left me confident that I would have recourse up to and including a full refund if warranted.

 

It was Monday afternoon when I received a response from the 3^rd party seller sharing their sorrow for the missing parts. Shared that they would escalate the issue up and send as soon as confirmed. I could tell I was dealing with an org in the ASPAC region. I decided to be patient, allowing the process to play itself out. I think it was that Friday when I finally received another apologetic follow-up note asking me to confirm the model #, order # and mailing address. Uh, don’t you already have all of this, I thought. But being the good guy that I am, I opted to remain calm and complied, again eager to see the process play out.

The following Monday I got another poorly worded follow-up email, I think sharing that the missing hardware was being shipped. Yea! The next day I received a text from FedEx that shared that I had a package on the way. No more specifics. In fact, I wasn't even sure that it was related. Later that day I decided to click the accompanying link. Sure enough, it was from a company in China. Oh boy! My parts were on a slow boat from China – literally!!!

But much to my surprise, the parts arrived a few days later in a soft FedEx padded envelope. I knew it was my parts given the writing, print all over the package in Chinese. Cool! (see pic).

I promptly opened the package noting that it was vacuum sealed and labeled carefully. From the Amazon product page, I could tell immediately that all the parts were there. It looked exactly like the hardware photo included in the offering.

After dinner Mindy and I decided to put the chairs together. By then the 100lb box had been sitting in my office for two weeks. I started while Mindy tended briefly to something else. As one might expect, it was going slow, but everything fitting up as hoped. Once Mindy joined, we got both chairs put together in about an hour with only a couple hiccups, a couple brief squabbles notwithstanding.  She often says, talk to me in that tone a little more and you’re on your own. I generally shape up. 😊

As directed, after full assembly we tightened and snugged all the hardware twice. Done! We carried them into position on the deck. They look sweet! Only time will tell the true tale.