...missing...
All of it. Watching shooting stars in the crystalline sky every night. The nervous clack-clack-clack of the hermit crabs scurrying across the sand. The smell of the sea. The sound of the sea. Late-afternoon frolics after a sun-filled day and collapsing into heavy sleep. Making sun tea with our bottled water. Drinking coffee on the balcony, listening to the ocean and reading The Packet.
The decisions. My, what decisions. Will we walk today? Or bike? Should we try to go see dolphins? Do you feel like trying this place for lunch? Feel like getting in the water? Hungry? Let's stop at the tiki hut again after our ride! (click on the "LiveCam" button.........had a few very enjoyable beers there.)
Man, it's hard to be back here. I need to move.
8.06.2003
Back from Paradise
Well, it's the third day back from a truly wonderful week spent on Hilton Head Island, SC. Been delaying this blog, I think, because putting it into words will truly mark it as a memory. A lovely memory. A collection of beautiful memories. But a sign that it is something that has happened, versus happening. Being there. A lovely magical special place, this island.
So, The Muse and I embarked on our first real vacation together, my first in over ten years, her first ever as an adult. We left on Thursday, July 27th, and took our time getting to the island, where our check-in was scheduled for Saturday. So many lovely memories, and just wanted to get some of them down before too much time passes. Here's a start.......
Stopped on the way and visited Jefferson's Monticello on 5,000 acres of sweet, red Virginia soil at the top of a hill at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Stopped in Belmont, NC, And stayed in the charming Homeleigh Estate B&B, where we stayed in the Barcelona Room. Very romantic.
Stopped off in Harleyville, SC, before getting to the island to visit the Francis Beidler Forest to see and touch some 1,000-yr-old trees in a living swamp.
Once on the island, we stayed here, just a few feet behind the breakers from the gorgeous beach.
And here are some of the great places that we dined:
- the truly charming Signe's Heaven Bound Bakery Cafe, for breakfast
- equally charming and seriously delicious Kenny B's French Quarter Cafe
- a couple of totally yummy local seafood places pointed out to us by Sandy, our kayaking guide -- the Sea Shack and Captain Woody's
Also took a trip on Captain Sonny's Island Queen to see some dolphins and get a guided tour of the island from the Broad Creek perspective.
We played in the sand. The Muse bonded with hermit crabs. We played in the water. We walked the sands. We biked the sands. We drank in the sun, and washed our sandy feet in warm pools of 90-degree seawater. We saw shooting stars every night.
We cried when the week ended. This time meant so much to both of us, for so many reasons. We cried as much out of gratitude, for having had this time together, for having shared it in this wonderful place, as we did out of sorrow to see its time winding down. This island is in our blood now. Let it be. Let it live in us like a parasite, quiet but insistent, clamoring for us to return....return.....return to its home. Let it drag us back to the sea.
Can't wait to go back!
Well, it's the third day back from a truly wonderful week spent on Hilton Head Island, SC. Been delaying this blog, I think, because putting it into words will truly mark it as a memory. A lovely memory. A collection of beautiful memories. But a sign that it is something that has happened, versus happening. Being there. A lovely magical special place, this island.
So, The Muse and I embarked on our first real vacation together, my first in over ten years, her first ever as an adult. We left on Thursday, July 27th, and took our time getting to the island, where our check-in was scheduled for Saturday. So many lovely memories, and just wanted to get some of them down before too much time passes. Here's a start.......
Stopped on the way and visited Jefferson's Monticello on 5,000 acres of sweet, red Virginia soil at the top of a hill at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Stopped in Belmont, NC, And stayed in the charming Homeleigh Estate B&B, where we stayed in the Barcelona Room. Very romantic.
Stopped off in Harleyville, SC, before getting to the island to visit the Francis Beidler Forest to see and touch some 1,000-yr-old trees in a living swamp.
Once on the island, we stayed here, just a few feet behind the breakers from the gorgeous beach.
And here are some of the great places that we dined:
- the truly charming Signe's Heaven Bound Bakery Cafe, for breakfast
- equally charming and seriously delicious Kenny B's French Quarter Cafe
- a couple of totally yummy local seafood places pointed out to us by Sandy, our kayaking guide -- the Sea Shack and Captain Woody's
Also took a trip on Captain Sonny's Island Queen to see some dolphins and get a guided tour of the island from the Broad Creek perspective.
We played in the sand. The Muse bonded with hermit crabs. We played in the water. We walked the sands. We biked the sands. We drank in the sun, and washed our sandy feet in warm pools of 90-degree seawater. We saw shooting stars every night.
We cried when the week ended. This time meant so much to both of us, for so many reasons. We cried as much out of gratitude, for having had this time together, for having shared it in this wonderful place, as we did out of sorrow to see its time winding down. This island is in our blood now. Let it be. Let it live in us like a parasite, quiet but insistent, clamoring for us to return....return.....return to its home. Let it drag us back to the sea.
Can't wait to go back!