Murrells Inlet Boat Parade – 4th of July

Earlier this year, Coastal Living ranked Murrells Inlet as one of the best places to celebrate the 4^th of July (http://dailycatch.coastalliving.com/2015/06/30/best-beach-towns-july-fourth/), and I can tell you that I share the sentiment! The spirit of the 4^th of July is vibrant in the Inlet…combine that with the excitement of a boat parade and an amazing fireworks display…and you get a 4^th of July celebration that can’t be topped!

First, my favorite…the boat parade! For the last 32 years, Murrells Inlet has hosted an amazing boat parade that features a boat decoration competition along with a dock decoration competition. The parade begins at the Garden City Point and travels the waters to the Murrells Inlet Marsh Walk and into a residential section of the marsh all the way to Morse Park Landing.

If you have the opportunity to enjoy the festivities in a boat, I would definitely recommend that. My family loves the competitive spirit of all of the boats, and it’s really fun to get to see all of the docks decorated along the route as well. If you can’t travel by boat for the parade, you can make plans to watch the boats sailing by at the Marsh Walk and Pier, Belin Methodist, or a number of parks along the marsh. Bystanders bring water guns to shoot water at the boats as they pass.

After the parade, a committee of judges ranks the top boats and docks. We have never won, but we are still learning the ropes as we have only entered the last two years. To spice up the decorations, there is a different theme every year. This year’s theme was “Red, White, and Southern” while last year’s theme was “Saluting our Founding Fathers.”

After the boat parade, we like to relax outside and wait for the 4^th of July “Salute from the Shore” flyover featuring vintage military aircraft. After a leisurely afternoon of relaxing in the sun and swimming, we enjoy a family and friends with a barbecue by the water.

Once dusk settles in, we board the boat once again to go back towards the Marsh Walk for a spectacular fireworks display. We try to get as close as we can to see and hear the magnificent fireworks. Often times, we get so close that there is smoke and other debris falling into the boat!

The 4^th of July is fun to celebrate in a lot of places, but I definitely recommend checking out Murrells Inlet at least once for the boat parade and fireworks display! 

Cypress Gardens, Charleston, SC

I’ve been talking about checking out all of the hidden gems of South Carolina all summer, and one of my coworkers recently mentioned Cypress Gardens to me. I had never heard of it, and when I did a quick Google search, I became immediately fascinated with it when I found out that the swan scene from The Notebook and various scenes from The Patriot were filmed on the grounds. I had the opportunity to visit the gardens with one of my friends earlier this summer on a Sunday morning, and we had a great time!

We left Columbia around 7am, and we made it to the gardens a little after 9:00. Sunday seemed to be a great time to go (hated to miss church, but not many people were there!). While we were purchasing our tickets, the lady at the desk told us that we should definitely sign up for a boat ride. Boat rides were only $5/person, so we signed up to drift off into the 10:00 tour!

I am so glad that we were encouraged to take the boat ride – it was so much fun! You can sign up for a guided tour, or you can rent a private boat (both are very reasonable at $5/person). There are lots of alligators and other wildlife, so we opted for the guided tour to be on the safe side! Immediately upon leaving the dock, you are transported into a fantasy world of black water swamps and bald cypress trees! 

Our guide was very knowledgeable, and he told us stories about all of the movies being filmed there. The swans from The Notebook scene were brought into the swamp during the winter, and other swans were digitally edited into the scene. 

Waterlilies grow all over the swamp, and at one point, the guide picked a waterlily and passed it around for all of us to hold. We were looking for alligators during the tour, and we finally found one on the way back to the dock. It swam away before we could get too close, so I didn't get a great photo of it. 

The boat ride was about an hour and was such a magical experience. After the ride, we toured the grounds, starting at the butterfly house. There were many butterflies and other flying insects and birds. Adjacent to the butterfly house is a swamparium that contains a wide variety of amphibians, reptiles, and fish. We explored that a bit, but we were really excited to go explore the gardens.

We headed down the trail that lined the swamp. The views from the path were just as gorgeous as the views we had seen from the boat. We even spotted a baby alligator right by the path! 

Cypress Gardens was such a hidden gem. I am glad I found out about it when I did, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a new adventure outside of Charleston. For more information, visit: http://www.cypressgardens.info/.

A Birthday Day Trip to Lake Lure

One of my favorite day trips from Columbia, SC is a quick trip to the mountains to spend an afternoon on Lake Lure. Earlier this summer, my family was looking for something to do to celebrate two birthdays. After much discussion, we decided to travel to the mountains and enjoy a leisurely afternoon on Lake Lure.

Named one of the top 10 most beautiful man-made lakes in the world by National Geographic, Lake Lure boasts breathtaking views of flourishing mountain tops and granite cliffs. The lake was built in the 1920’s to generate power and for recreation. Today, there are many activities available at the lake, including a public beach, boating (kayaking, pontoon boats, and paddle boarding – no jet skis are allowed on the lake), a spa at the Inn at Lake Lure, and much more!

My favorite Lake Lure activity is taking a boat road in the reasonably priced pontoon boat tours on the lake, highlighting some of Lake Lure’s history and most notable landmarks. Note that boat rides are offered on the hour (you can check www.lakelure.com/activities to see prices and hours). If you have some extra time while you are waiting for your tour, stroll through Morse Park and across Lake Lure’s very own “Flowering Bridge.” Morse Park includes a playground, welcome center (with restrooms), and a small loop trail which allows you to walk right by the water! Take in the views of the lake and mountains while enjoying a leisurely stroll through the tiger lily lined paths. Morse Park is a popular site for weddings during the summer. On a recent summer afternoon walk, we saw wedding planners setting up for two separate ceremonies!

A short walk from the park is Lake Lure’s “Flowering Bridge.” When the bridge over the Rocky Broad River was closed in 2011, a group of locals decided to create a garden along the bridge featuring plants native to the area. Today, the bridge has a lot of character with its abundant and fragrant blooms and blossoms which attract many butterflies and birds. While crossing the bridge, you can take in even more of the breathtaking views of Lake Lure and the surrounding mountainside. Local art is also featured on the bridge, including sculptures and other reclaimed art.

Once you make your way back to the park and board the boat, relax on the hour-long tour while you take in the beautiful mountain scenery and see some of North Carolina’s finest luxury lake homes. Did you know that several popular scenes from Dirty Dancing were filmed on the lake? While on the boat tour, you will get to see the steps where Jennifer Grey’s character, “Baby,” carried a watermelon while training for her dance routine and hear many fun movie facts such as the trees and grass getting spray-painted green since the movie was filmed in October.

Scenes from Dirty Dancing were filmed in this cove.

Other highlights of the boat tour include seeing Chimney Rock from afar and learning about the history of the man-made lake. Hear how an island on the lake was once covered in snakes and how it took locals years to solve this problem with a quite innovative solution! We loved listening to all of the stories our skipper told, and he also entertained questions from everyone on the boat at the end of the tour.

After the boat ride, enjoy the recreational and shopping opportunities in Lake Lure and Chimney Rock Village. If you’ve worked up an appetite, feel free to check out the Lake Lure Smokehouse for an affordable barbeque sandwich or experience fine dining at the Lake Lure Inn and Spa’s Veranda Restaurant. And be sure to stop at a local produce stand for some fruits and vegetables on your way back to Columbia!