How to make a sculpture garden visit fun for grandkids

 

 

 

Brookgreen Gardens, SC is the kind of place that sounds like it would be fun for kids.  However, to toddlers, the visit can be, a little ho-hum.  Plants, sculptures, fountains and a petting zoo spread out all over acres of walking trails is a paradise for active adults like me and my husband, but to toddlers it just means tired legs.

 

Our main motive on our trip to this historical garden was to wear the kiddies out -- nap time is the best time of the day!  So after walking for almost 1 mile of paths, bridges that meandered past treasures of the past, the boys were whining for food and the car.  Since it was December, all food was shut down. I don't get that. 

 

Their parents warned me that the youngest turns into a Gremlin-like character when his stomach gets empty.  So you can imagine the fear when the cafe was closed and he started throwing his goldfish crackers at me. 

 

Thank goodness their Pop Pop is a marathon runner.  He raced back to the car in record-breaking speed only to find me and the munchkins frolicking in a new-found treed paradise for kids.  A storybook village for Cinderella, Dr. Seuss, and Captain Hook were peeking from the trees. Both boys had a surge of energy and sprinted to the surprise fun place. 

 

All was good until the bellies started to growl.  Pop Pop scooped the boys up and set the SUV's GPS to the first food stop. 

Why boys love the sea

No matter what their ages, boys seem to get a kick out of boats and fishing. Stick a male near anything with an engine and their world is complete. 

The humming of an outboard while heading out to sea to reel in some blues, sea bass, or even a lizard fish is bliss to boys and men. Baiting a hook, dodging a rain shower, or eating snacks -- it's all simple fun -- the kind that leaves long-lasting memories for all ages.  Good  times in Myrtle Beach, SC.  

Fall Beach Bumming in South Carolina

 

 

 

 

 

Nothing can be finer than visiting Carolina with family in the fall season.  Myrtle Beach, South Carolina beaches are slightly busy, some water parks are still operating, and the ducks are all awaiting morsels of food. Fall temperatures climb to the 80s to welcome fisherman, golfers, families, and brave swimmers -- including my grandsons.

 

The last chance of summer was a treat as Halloween creeps up at the end of October. Winter is coming, but Myrtle's cold season is mild and shorts should always be handy for strolls on the beach looking for treasures.

 

Do you plan cold season get-aways?  If so, where?

 



 

 



 

Brookgreen Gardens: A walk to remember

The hot and humid -- 100 degree plus -- summer days vacationing with family in South Carolina can be brutal at the ocean.  Escaping to a shaded wonderland called Brookgreen Gardens is a pleasant change from the sand and saltwater. 

The attraction offers something for everyone from majestic live oak trees, impressive sculptures and fountains, pontoon boat rides, rainbows of native flowers, butterfly gardens, and even a small zoo..

This hidden treasure is located south of Myrtle Beach on Route 17.  Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington, whose family fortunes were in shipbuilding, founded this retreat from the beach in 1931.

Their Atlantic coast residence, Atalaya Castle, located in nearby Huntington State Park, is an unusual work of Moorish-style architecture that is worth a visit.  The Huntington's interests included the arts and nature. Brookgreen Gardens is a tribute to their philanthropy.