Wateree Retreat

Was up at 610am and promptly downstairs to start coffee. Our stated departure time was 8am, though I expected it to be somewhat later.

Left for a 3 mile run at 650am. Gorgeous morning.

Mindy was already in the shower when I got back home. I asked that she leave the shower running.

I was showered and dressed by 745am. We weren’t taking a whole lot, each of us was taking a large shoulder bag and then I had my golf clubs. Oh, we packed a small cooler with water and Gatorade and had a couple gifts for David & Anita, too.

It was nice leaving a clean house so our return would be to a clean, pristine, pleasant environment. We backed out the drive at 825am. Mindy sent David a text sharing that we were on the road. Stopped for a fill-up at Circle K but all their pumps were disabled. Dammit! That happens there too much. Filled up across the street at the UDF.

270/23/35E/64/77. That’s the route we took. 100 miles on 35E 90 miles on 64, then about 300 miles on 77 winding through Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, N.C., and finally S.C. Took 8.25hrs to get there with next to no traffic slowdowns or back-ups. We stopped for gas once, two pee breaks and then went through a drive thru for food once in S.C. Easy drive. Only 14 miles off 77.

A little worried winding our way down the back country roads surrounding Lake Wateree. Listening closely, I was certain I could hear banjos playing. :) With the help of Google maps and GPS we made it there without any troubles. The clouds and cool weather we left behind in Ohio seemed a distant memory. At Lake Wateree it was sunny and warm (near 90).

Knock-knock! David & Antia greeted us at the door. Nice house – even nicer than the few pictures told, and definitely great for entertaining overnight guests. Gave us a grand tour straight up. Gorgeous lakeside home, walkout basement, private dock, boat, jet skis. What more could one want in a summer home?

Good, healthy snacks: veggies, cheese, Triscuits, nuts, etc. David shared some home brew, both IPA and a Lager, I believe. Presented me with a Mr Beer kit to take home. Cool!

Visited for an hour or two before David suggested we go to dinner at a Lakeside restaurant, The Retreat via boat. Awesome! Lake much large than I imagined. Lake Wateree, a manmade lake created by damming the Catawba River in two places – one to the north, the other to the south. Reminds me of a small Lake Cumberland but with an abundance of Lake houses lining its shores. About 25 miles long tip to tail with numerous coves adding up to about 225 miles of shoreline.

We parked the boat at the complementary dock, and then waited a short while for a table at The Retreat. David & Anita seemed to know the servers/greeters fairly well.

Menu looked fabulous. They didn’t have the crab legs David wanted us to try. He gave them a little crap for being out. I opted for their beef tips and grits, something you don’t find on too many menus back home. Last summer when they visited us, we took them to 229 where Anita ordered shrimp & grits. In no uncertain terms, David told the waiter that they weren’t prepared correctly. I wanted to try the ‘real thing’.

Must admit, my tips &grits were to die for delicious, and the serving size enough for two. Mindy ordered shrimp &girts. It was good too, but not as good as mine. Even she said so. We had a nice time. Sipped a couple different beers too. I had a Fat Tire Belgium Ale and then a Ranger IPA. We left somewhat abruptly so not to miss the sunset that awaited. Actually, though, we probably should’ve left dinner at least 10 minutes sooner. Mindy & I didn’t care. We were already lovin’ the life style and having a grand time. David, however, was very eager to share the sunset that he gets to enjoy everyday. Gorgeous! Pictures speak volumes – see attached.

Back at the Lake house David queued up a movie he purchased from Amazon movie streaming service – Identity Theft. Technical difficulties. About every 10-15 minutes the movie would stop. Seemed to be a RAM issue. Still not sure. David called the Amazon help number numerous times evilly requesting a refund. Seems it would restart after each call picking up where we last left off. However, once he requested the full refund they removed the entire movie from his collection thus ending it for good. We got to see about 60-70 minutes of the movie. Funny but with lots of unexpected interruptions.
Somewhat out of character, Mindy ducked off to bed without telling any of us. She was zonked. I joined her around 11-1130pm.