Browsing Tag

USA

four23org-lady-liberty-fireworks
Life

Stars and Stripes Forever

Some of my favorite summer memories are of the Fourth of July celebrations we’ve had over the years.

There were the fireworks at Brittlebank Park here in Charleston, before they moved it to Patriot’s Point. We’d get there early, before the sun went down, and spread our blanket out on the grass and just hang out and enjoy the cool breeze coming off the Ashley River. This was before the time of smart phones and everyone being connected via WiFi and Facebook and social media so we actually made friends with the people sitting next to us. There was always delicious food – hot dogs and soda and ice cream. And someone was always selling glow sticks that we begged for because apparently the fireworks weren’t enough.

There was the time we went into Philadelphia to watch the fireworks over the art museum. I don’t remember much about that time except for the fact that the crowds were ridiculously crazy and there was nowhere to sit so we stood most of the night and then piled our tired and sticky bodies into the van and sat for hours in traffic to get home. I missed the celebration in Charleston terribly that year.

We spent years after that going back to our high school because we definitely weren’t going to repeat the Philadelphia experience. We spread blankets on the same field where we used to run for gym and didn’t have to worry about making friends because all of the people we had walked those halls with were there with their families. We brought coolers and snuck cold beer into red solo cups and listened as the booms were punctuated by the patriotic music. I always got chills when they played “God Bless the USA” or the “1812 Overture” because those were always my favorites.

Continue Reading

Great Smoky Mountains
Life, Places

Rare Jewel

The Smoky Mountains are a rare jewel. … Why not have a place where you can still see the stars? There is a value to keeping things primitive.  – James Dawson

Today’s joy is only this: in October, Steve and I are packing up the pups and taking a road trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee where we plan to spend an entire week enjoying the Great Smoky Mountains in the Autumn and each other’s company. Continue Reading

four23org-lights
Life

A Hotel in Missouri

As I indicated here, I was out of a town in June for about four days.  I had to go to St. Louis for training for work.  Normally, I would have welcomed a trip like that but I think overall what got me was that I wasn’t actually in St. Louis proper (as I’ve come to discover, most company training like this is never in the actual city you’re traveling to but rather a suburb far enough out that requires a vehicle) and I didn’t have a vehicle.  So basically, all I saw of St. Louis was the airport, the highway that took me to the hotel, the hotel, the road that took me to the company and back to the airport.

The hotel wasn’t bad, as I indicated.  Nothing about the experience itself was bad up until the last day when my flight got delayed numerous times due to mechanical issues and rather than actually cancel the flight and be forced to comp people, US Airways just decided to tell us to wait around the terminal for five hours so they could find another plane.  Which, I guess worked because I got home that night but, well, I got home that night instead of that afternoon and had basically spent twelve hours in airports.

Was not a happy camper.

Regardless, to busy myself while in St. Louis, I took pictures of things.  Not too exciting but the grounds of the hotel were beautiful.  So I figured I’d post those up here.  Because I visited a hotel in St. Louis (or rather, Maryland Heights).

Enjoy!

Continue Reading

Wating at the drive in
Entertainment, Life

Stranded at the Drive-In

There’s a drive-in about an hour away from here in Beaufort that Steve and I like to visit on a leisurely Saturday night.  For the price of $6 per person, you get two new release movies.  And their snack bar has an abundance of really good yet reasonably priced junk food.  So we usually make an afternoon out of it – get there early, eat some dinner then settle in for two movies and head home afterward.

A couple of weekends ago we went to see The Green Lantern (eh!) and the Hangover II (double eh!).  And I had to document our journey, mostly because I was bored waiting for the movies to start.

Continue Reading

Missouri Hotel View
Life, Places

Not Home

This is where I’ve been pretty much all week.  This is not my bed.  This bed is not even in the same city I live in.  Or the same state.  And truthfully, this bed is the best part of my week.  I kind of wish it was mine because it is sooooooooo fluffy and comfortable.  Am I the only one that kind of loves sleeping in hotel room beds?  (I block out all that could’ve gone on in them – I just find them super comfortable).

Continue Reading