Hey, fellow travelers! I mentioned in an earlier post that I was heading to the Southern States for a few weeks in October. As you know, my plans changed because of Hurricane Helene, so my three-week ramble was shortened to two weeks from Raleigh to the SC Coast down to Savannah.
It was truly an amazing, historical adventure and I was able to see some good friends and family and cross a few more states off my list. During the next few weeks, I’d like to share some of my insights from my journey.
Today – it’s about Myrtle Beach.
I have a friend whom I met at my first post-college job. She and her husband retired about 10 years ago to SC and when I knew I was heading South, I looked her up – regrettably she had just broken her wrist, so I elected not to free-load off of her, and I found a VRBO not too far away and on the beach. We enjoyed dinner the first night and breakfast the next day and I was left to explore the area. She and her husband and dog were charming and gracious hosts, and the food was good.
My VRBO was a big hotel/condo complex with bunches of pools, water slides, elevators that sometimes worked and lots of ice machines that didn’t work. I love ice. Most of my drinks, including coffee, include ice. When you live in a beach community you want ice. I felt like I was crashing a frat party during spring break as I lounged on my 4th floor balcony and watched a bunch of 20-something-year-old guys toss footballs and drinks from their rooms (not allowed) into the pools. They were having fun. I was on vacation. All good.
The next morning, I was a bit discombobulated. I woke up to see a sunrise. I don’t think I have ever seen a sunrise over the ocean. As a native Southern Californian who grew up with ocean views with sunsets, it was disorientating to wake up to a stunning sunrise. Yes, it’s 7 in the morning, not 7 p.m. Got it.
A takeaway from Myrtle Beach – what I saw on the main drag were a lot of pancake/waffle houses, ice cream parlors and sugar shacks and oh so many mini golf courses. I’m not much of a shopper, golfer or pancake eater so one full day was plenty of time to see this part of the state…
…And then I found Brookgreen Gardens. This spectacular “outdoor museum” is located about 30 minutes south of Myrtle Beach. I don’t recall if someone recommended it, or if I stumbled upon it while carefully reviewing the online AAA Tour Book, but it is definitely worth a visit. Allow at least 3 – or more – hours to wander through the gardens, linger at the café, explore the Lowcountry and check out the zoo.
From the Brookgreen Gardens website (www.brookgreen.org): Brookgreen Gardens is a unique melding of art, nature, and history.
Since its founding in 1931, by Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington, Brookgreen has been a cultural center for our community.
We hope residents and visitors will take pride in the fact that in their midst is one of America’s premier gardens and one of a few select places in the United States to have earned accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums as well as being designated a National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Brookgreen collection contains over 2,000 works by 430 artists and in the words of Wayne Craven, author of the book, Sculpture in America, it is “unequaled in its size, focus on figurative works, visibility of the sculpture to the visitor, and integration within a garden setting.”
Indoor galleries present exhibits of smaller sculptures, as well as paintings, etchings, and other artworks by internationally renowned artists. Often including works on loan from museums and private collections around the world, these exhibits give visitors an opportunity to see many important works of art.
(Check out the two dogs above – they look like my Hailee when she has been a bad girl. The medallions in the glass case are created by invited artists every year to be offered as awards…they are stunning.)
From the moment I drove through the gates and down a long driveway with exquisite sculptures capturing my eye and captivating my attention, I was hooked. I picked up the map and, glad I wore good walking shoes, I began to tackle part of the 9000+ acres of lush gardens. Picture this – every photo is a good one. You can’t help it. While one wanders down a carefully cultivated pathway, suddenly one discovers a charming little bronze sculpture of a fawn or nymph or Greek god peeking out of the foliage. Or you suddenly come across a stunning marble statue of Pegasus or a fountain with bronze images of Muses dancing in the water. I was visiting in the fall, but I imagine that in the spring it would be breathtaking when the botanical garden is in full bloom.
The gardens are also lovely for a special event, such as a wedding. A staff member mentioned to me that just reserving the lawn was $10K. Beautiful background though.
After spending a few hours tackling the garden, I wandered through the “Lowcountry” trail, showcasing the swampy areas for rice plantations and highlighting the sobering past of slavery. I didn’t know that rice was actually a premiere crop in the South. One hears of tobacco and cotton, but in South Carolina, rice was a huge moneymaker because of the landscape and access to water needed to grow rice.
After the Lowcountry trail, I explored the Lowcountry Zoo, with exhibits of native fauna, such as otters, foxes, wolves, alligators, deer and a variety of waterfowl. The foxes and wolves were snoozing in their dens and I didn’t see them, but I spent several minutes enjoying the antics of the river otters. I couldn’t find the shuttle stop to get back to my car, so it was a very long walk and lots of steps earned that day, but it was well worth it. I stopped at the Harvest restaurant for a late lunch and a glass of wine – yes, I flew to SC to have a California Chardonnay – and called this adventure a success. If you end up in that part of the country, do explore Brookgreen Gardens. It’s well worth it.
Musings About Life 