Dori’s Travel Adventures

May 5, 2019May 25, 2019

Day 5: Ollantaytambo Inca Fortress, Rafting the Urubamba River, Home Hosted Lunch and more, 5.12.19

We started the day by driving to Ollantaytambo, a town in the Sacred Valley of south Peru, where there is a large Inca fortress and stone terraces Actually there seem to be Inca and Pre-Inca ruins everywhere. They must have been very busy!

The ruins were quite extensive. You could hike all the way to the top to see the Sun Temple but I opted to go down after the second terrace and explore the ruins on the lower level. In the last picture, Short Beth and Jena did a little shopping; she found this adorable hat for her grandson. I thought I’d like one for mine, but unfortunately it was time to leave Ollantaytambo.

Next stop was rafting the Urubamba River. This was right up my alley.

It was a leisure float with a few rapids. It was a challenge for me to keep paddling in sink with the Beth and Mary Beth who were in front of me, since they weren’t in sink with each other. Who should I follow? The good news is that our guide was great and we had a great ride to the exit point!

From the river, we cold see the Sky Lodge above. This is a hotel on a cliff that costs about $250 to stay one night. To get there you have to climb rope ladders to the top. I could picture my daughter Kate and her boyfriend Dan up for this adventure. Not for me.

Everyone made it to the take out spot so Pepe thought it was a good time to take a group picture!

If houses have a red flag or symbol hanging in front of the door, it means they sell and serve chicha, a fermented drink made from corn meal. Pepe thought we needed to stop and try some. I thought it tasted like light beer, so I had a second sample.

Pepe sampling the strawberry chicha.
Dori and the chicha maker.
Ingredients to make the chicha.
Jana trying out the frog drinking game.

The home-hosted lunch was next. We were stopping at Emma’s house. Pepe has known her since he was growing up around Urubamba. Emma was one of his neighbors. She is married and has three daughters. The older girls are twins and are in their second year of college studying tourism. The younger daughter was 12 years old.

To me this was the best part of the trip. I really enjoyed meeting a family who lived in Peru. Helping and sharing a meal helped us to interact with one another. While the girls did speak English, having Short Beth fluent in Spanish was a big plus in order to keep the conversation flowing.

I did try the cuy, guinea pig. It tasted gamey and the skin was really crunchy. One bite was enough for me.

Outside Emma’s house. Our hosts family introduced themselves and invited us inside their home.

Yes, guides pig was on the menu!
Dropping in a tortilla.
Courtyard of house
Frying the tortillas and guinea pig
Yum, golden fried cuy!
Two of the girls singing a song in Spanish.
Outside of their home
Group shot before we left the family.

Our last stop for the day was optional. We went to Pablo Seminario’s pottery shop. Pablo and his wife Marilu have developed an artistic style of pottery that reflects their culture. They are internationally recognized and have their pieces in well-known museums.

Their pottery was beautiful. Even though it was Sunday, we got to meet Pablo and Marilu. In their gift shop I bought a set of of coasters as a souvenir.

All in all, it was a fun filled day, with a lot of active learning. I have just loved our “Day in the Life” experiences. Great immersions into their culture!

May 4, 2019May 25, 2019

Day 3 & 4: Exploring Colonial Lima, Flying to Cuzco, Sacred Valley and Pisac Ruins – 5.3.19-5.4.19

Lima, the capital of Peru, lies along the Pacific coast. It is one of South America’s largest cities with a population of almost 10 million. One-third of the people in Peru live in Lima. It has a desert climate. Traffic is one of the biggest problems in Lima. Recently about one million have immigrated to Peru from Venezuela. Since they are taking away jobs from Peruvians it is getting to be a big problem as well.

Many people who work in Lima are vendors or do other jobs that are considered informal. We watched while we saw a man giving the bus driver information of when the last bus had been there. He was an informal scheduler. Informal workers do not pay income taxes to Peru. Only about 35% of Peru’s workers actually pay taxes. This limits the country’s ability to make improvements to the infrastructure and address other social concerns.

Lima was founded by the Spanish Conquistadors in 1535. It soon became the biggest and wealthiest city in the New World. The historic “old city” is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This morning we started our day with a walking tour in the area called “Old Town Lima.”

The old buildings were painted a shade of dark yellow which was their traditional color.

We stopped at Dorita’s stand. She gets up at 4 am in order to cook and be at her stand by 7am. She will work all day until after dinner or until she sells out.

This vender sold hard boiled eggs with a sauce. She also starts very early in the morning and stays at her stand until the end of the day or until she sells out. A lot of mestizos from the country relocate to the outskirts of Lima and are squatters in “Shanty Town” until they get established and find better jobs. Many have very little education.

The Cathedral of LIma located in central plaza, Plaza de Armas. We toured the catacombs here which were under the church.

Other buildings surround the square including the Government Palace and the Municipal and Union Palaces.

After the square we went to the National Museum of Archeology, Anthropology and History. Here we got an understanding of Peru’s history from pre-Inca to the Inca’s with their large collection of ceramics, gold and silver items, and textiles.

Archeologists have found burial sites where the Incas and pre-Incas mummified their leaders in fetal positions surrounded by pottery, food, gold, and silver for the afterlife.

Some of the early peoples must have know about drilling a hole in the skull to relieve pressure within the brain. Skulls were found with holes indicating such procedures.

After lunch we had free time to explore on our own. The two Beths, Jana, and I walked to the coast to see the beach. There are cliffs by the ocean.

On Saturday morning we flew to Cuzco. It has an elevation of almost 11,000 feet and is surrounded by mountains. Cuzco was the capital of the Incas and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Andes from my window on the flight to Cuzco.

Dori posing with the Sacred Valley of the Incas in the background.

Visiting the archeological park of Pisac.

Terraces for growing crops covered the hillside at Pisac. At the top of mountain were relics of dwellings.

On this mountain side, there were holes. Mummies in fetal positions were found inside these burial holes. Not many other objects were found probably because of looters.

Another view of some of the terraces and the mountain passes surrounding Pisac Archelogical Park.

This mestizo was selling her textile belts, bracelets, and other items when we were leaving Pisac Archeological Park. This photo cost me 1 sole.

Pepe had our driver stop the bus when he noticed cactus on the side of the road. The leaves were infested with bugs. Pepe took one and smashed it on a piece of paper to show the red coloring. Peruvians use these bugs to get many different shades of red for dying their yarns to make their colorful textiles.

Next we went to our hotel, Agustos Urubamba Hotel. It was beautifully adorned with flowers everywhere and very nice. However, the wifi here was very weak. Real problems for uploading my blog.

Tomorrow we will be exploring the area around Urubamba and rafting on the Urubamba River. Better get some shut eye.

May 3, 2019May 3, 2019

Day 2 in Lima, Peru: 2.2,19

After breakfast, we had time to relax before our group gathered to officially begin our tour. There were 13 of us with Pepe as our guide. One couple will join us tomorrow. Their flight was cancelled yesterday and were in route today. We started our meeting with a Pisco Sour toast; it is a classic Peruvian cocktail made with pisco brandy, syrup and lime juice. Pepe went over safety and ground rules for the group. He also shared some interesting facts about Peru and LIma.

Peru is the third largest country in South America. Of it’s thirty million people, one-third of the population lives in Lima. The country has three climate zones. Lima is on the coastal desert. There is also the highlands and jungle regions. Chili was part of Peru but broke away after an internal war in 1881.

After our meeting we walked to a local restaurant. On the way we saw two interesting murals.

This mural shows a man represents Peruvians’ feelings about mining, which has caused problems for Peru. On the man’s heart is a picture of a strip mine. Mining has now been privatized. The mining companies must pay taxes to the government. This has eliminated the corruption and greed that was rampant when the government officials managed the mines.

This mural is focused on coca leaves. The large native looming in the background is holding the coca leaves representing the use of coca as cocaine which is illegal everywhere else but in Peru. The smaller native in the foreground is holding three leaves represents the leaves used in their traditional ceremonies.

A few from our group bought some passion fruit which looks like an orange.

Pepe is showing us how to peel passion fruit.

A sweet gooey syrup with seeds like a pomegranate was in the center of the fruit. That’s the edible part.

After lunch we walked by the Central Park and then onto Huaca Publicana; it is a pyramid which was built by the Lima people who lived in the central Peruvian coast from 200AD- 700AD.

The pyramid was the ceremonial and administrative center for the LIma Culture. They ate shark meat and other vegetables and fruits. The Limas made deep pits to bury fish and other marine life to gain favor with their Gods during difficult times such as droughts.

After our tour of Huaca Publicana, I went back to our hotel with another couple. Pepe hailed us a taxi and off we went. What a wild ride! The traffic was terrible. At intersections without lights cars moved like they were playing chicken. I would have had a nervous breakdown driving here. I was relieved when we got back to our hotel unscathed. The taxi ride cost 11 soles including the tip. One sole exchanges for about 3.2 soles so it was under four dollars.

For dinner Pepe walked our group to El Punto Azulejo, which means “the blue dot” the symbol of the ocean. This was the same restaurant where i had the fish soup yesterday. Can you believe it? I ordered grilled octopus; I actually ate some of it. It was tender and grilled with flavorful seasonings. I did not like the idea of eating it’s suction cup legs. I now know that this was a once and done experience!

Some folks from our group walked to Mangos Restaurante which is famous for it’s churros. I tried plain ones which were doughy fritters coated with cinnamon sugar. I enjoyed these more than the octopus!

Walking back to our hotel, I was ready to work on my blog. What a great day! Stay tuned for more adventures in Lima tomorrow.

May 1, 2019May 25, 2019

Lima, Peru: 5.1.19

In Atlanta I met Beth and Jana, a mother and daughter team, from Colorado. I had briefly met Beth at breakfast in Iceland on our last day of our Scadinavian trip last fall. When she heard our next trip was to Peru, she was on board. That’s when husband Frank bowed out. Then Beth’s daughter opted in, so now I am the solo traveler with them. Beth’s husband was happy to stay home and golf as Frank was with his pickle ball.

Our hotel in the Miraflores District of Lima

Our first outing was to this archeological museum on the outskirts of Lima. A driver from the hotel took us there, waited for us, then took us back . Here they have found ruins of the Chimor and Inca Empires from the 1400-1500s. The Incas conquered the Chimor in 1470.

Here our guide is showing us their numeric system using knots on rope. Reminded me of a rope type of abacus. .

This door led to the area just for the chief and his family. I had to crouch to get through.

Interestingly the Chimor used ramps to get to different levels while the Incas used steps. They have only found female bones here, indicating that they use female sacrifices. In 2000 they found mummies at this sight but they were not on display at the museum.

Also there was a guinea pig area right outslde their kitchen. Cuy or guinea pig was a mainstay in Peruvian diets. I will never look at guinea pigs in the same way again!

On the way back to our hotel we saw some interesting sights.

Motorcycles often have very interesting cargo.

Lunch was next. We went to a local favorite,

I had Chupe de Pescado or fish soup. It was fish in its own broth with cheese, pumpkin pieces, Lima beans and corn. It is a traditional Peruvian dish. It was tasty but “not the greatest”. Beth and Jana tried raw fish. I did NOT take a sampling.

After we returned from lunch we met Pepe, our tour in the hotel lobby. He invited us to join him along with another couple from our group for supper at 6. So after a rest break, we headed to Kennedy Square with Pepe to Cafe de la Paz.

Chicken empanadas. They were doughy, but tasty.

There was a market area in the center of the square. Of course Beth, Jana and I had fun checking out the wares. It was crowded maybe because it was May 1st, a holiday in Peru similar to our Labor Day.

It was now about 8. The lighting made the area even more festive.

Beth, with the hat, and Jana on the right deciding on a bracelet. All of 10 sole which is about 3 dollars.

Walking back to our hotel we spotted a group of cats relaxing in the square. Can you imagine a hoard of cats in New York City?

I was exhausted but happy about our first day in Lima. Can’t wait to meet the rest of our tour group tomorrow at 11. That’s it for today!

April 30, 2019April 30, 2019

Off to Peru: April 30, 2019

Yes, this is me. I am off again. Ever since my daughter Kate went to Machu Picchu in 2010, I have had Peru on my bucket this. So here goes….

I have a flight to Atlanta then onto Lima, Peru. I will be on an organized tour with 14 other travelers and a tour guide. Our plans include Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley and the Lake Titicaca area.

I will try to post when I have wifi, but that probably won’t be often. Most of my posts will happen after I’m home again. But never fear, I have my travel journal and pen packed. I’m off to new adventures! Can’t wait!

April 12, 2019May 26, 2019

Charleston in a Day-April 12, 2019

With Linda P behind the wheel, and me navigating with my phone’s GPS, we were off to Charleston. It was a two hour drive from our condo.

Our first adventure was to take a carriage ride through the town. Our driver was David and his horse was named Gibbs, who came from an Amish farm in Lancaster County, PA. A ping pong ball decides which tour you will get out of four different tours. This is how they regulate that the carriages don’t all take the same route.

I am standing with our driver. I am blocking a view of Gibbs.

Carriages were everywhere. It is most definitely the way to see Charleston.

Charleston’s history goes back to 1670 when the first English settlers came. Fort Moultie was the site of a successful 9-hour battle over the British during the Revolutionary War. Fort Sumter on an island just off the waterfront is the site of the first shot of the Civil War in 1861.

The town has had it’s share of disasters. In 1888 there was a great earthquake that cracked, damaged or leveled many of the buildings. Then in 1989, Hurricane Hugo damaged most of the historical homes. Thanks to government aid, most of those buildings have been restored. Today, Charleston ranks second in the world only to Rome for having the most preserved historical buildings.

Instead of high rises, Charleston Is filled with a multitude of steeples. It’s nicknamed the “Holy City”.

St. John the Baptist Church. The gold cross was added in 1998 after they discovered that it was in place in the original plans.

This circular church was a United Church of Christ. It was built in a circle because “the devil does his work in the corners”.

There were side porches on many of the old homes called piazzas. It the early days there was no indoor plumbing and the people emptied their waste into the street. Since that didn’t make for very great smelling streets, the residents would wear seven layers of clothing. They would remove the filthy layers and leave them on the porch but would use fragrant flowers to mask the smells. All important rooms were on the second floor. Sounds dreadful, doesn’t it.

A house with the side porch or piazza. Many also had ornate gates.

Rainbow Row on East Bay Street. The restored houses are in pastels. I think there were 17 of them. I am in the center of tall the picture with my backpack and hat.

During the tour, David shared an interesting fact about carriage houses. They were originally built to house the slaves. There were a lot of fires in Charleston. They suspected they were started by the slaves, so they needed to be moved behind the house in a carriage house. We know know that the fires were caused by creosote in the chimneys, not by the slaves.

We ate lunch at 82 Queen. It is a restored late 1600’s house; we ate right inside beside the garden courtyard.

Here Janet and I are enjoying a Charleston favorite – She Crab Soup. It was delicious. Supposedly they use to use crab eggs in the soup. I didn’t notice any.

I tried fried green tomatoes. The green tomatoes were good but they were served over grits. I think you have to be a Southerner to really relish grits.

We window shopped in the Charleston City Market. It has been in existence since the early 1800’s. There were several stands with baskets made by descendants of Gullah who were antebellum freed slaves. They are unique and beautifully crafted from local sweetgrass. They were very expensive so we just admired them from afar.

The Pineapple Fountain in the Waterfront Park on the Charleston Harbor. The pineapple became a symbol of welcome when ship captains would bring pineapples to their wives when they returned from a voyage. The wives would share them with their neighbors and friends.

We entered the regatta that was held that afternoon in the harbor. As you can see, we didn’t do very well. There’s always something…

From Waterfront Park we could see the flag flying over Ft. Sumter. Would have loved to take a boat to tour the fort. Maybe next time.

A courtyard we passed on our way back to get our rental car.

This was the front of the Charleston City Market. The market is on the bottom with open air stalls.

Another gate we passed on our way back from the harbor to our car.

We had a fun day. The carriage ride helped me envision the “classic elegance” that symbolized the southern way of life. I was glad we had taken the time to explore Charleston. Too bad about that schooner. Maybe next time we’ll win that regatta!

April 11, 2019May 26, 2019

Beach Days-April 9th-11th, 2019

After our busy day in Savannah, we were ready for relaxing and some pool and beach time. Here are some of the highlights.

Our condo came with four bikes. Since the Palmetto Dunes area is filled with bike trails, Linda P. and I decided to try them out. First, we had to figure out how to unlock the bikes with the combination the owners provided. Next we had to adjust the seats. Then one of Linda’s tires was low. Luckily the bike rental place near our condo graciously filled the tires. Then we were off! We loved riding in the resort. The trails are either concrete or black topped which made riding easy. Mastering coaster brakes took a little time. Linda and I really missed hand brakes.

Selfie of the Biker Chicks, Linda and Dori

Cute little gecko we saw on the railing of a bridge on our ride. — Cute little gecko we saw on a bridge railing.

Another whopping crane on the kayak deck at the bike and boat rental store. — Another whopping crane. This one was on the boat launch deck at the bike rental shop.

On Wednesday afternoon, Linda P and I stopped at Krogers to get a few groceries. While we were there we saw camera men filming a episode of The Great American Food Truck Race. This show is on the Food Network; they were filming for the 10th season. Teams from around the country were brought to Hilton Head to compete. The teams were given a grocery list and challenged to cook a meal from those items. Spectators are then given samples and vote for their favorite food. The winning team gets $50,000 to buy their own food truck.

Camera man recording one of the teams shopping in Krogers. Linda and I were in the same aisle. Maybe we’ll be on the show!

Linda P and Janet drinking their morning coffee while enjoying the view from our balcony. The beach was visible from here. This became our routine on our “stay at the condo” days.

Dori looking at one of the many yachts in the Shelter Cove Marina. “Wonder if Frank will buy me that one?” She pondered. (Yeah, right!!!)

Riding along the beach was really fun but harder than on the paths.

There was a courtyard between the Villamare condos.

This guy was swimming in the pond. At one point, we saw seven turtles sunning in the grass.

There was a heated pool which overlooked the ocean. It was great to be swimming in April!

Flat Stanley relaxing next to Linda H by the pool. (He came along on our trip. LInda P’s granddaughter’s first grade class project is to take him along on trips to learn about the places he visited. I think Stanley really enjoyed Hilton Head !)

Dori, Janet and Linda P in front of the waterfront Skull Creek Boathouse Restaurant. Of course, we had seafood!

A breathtaking sunset along the bay in front of the Skull Creek Boathouse Restaurant. What a way to end our evening!

All in all, we had a lot to keep us busy around our condo: biking, swimming, walking along the beach, turtle watching, shopping, gabbing, and just plain relaxing. We even played a few games of Dutch Blitz. Sadly, our Hilton Head vacation was almost over. Why do all good things have to come to an end?

April 8, 2019May 26, 2019

A Visit to Savannah, GA-April 8, 2019

It was decided. We were driving to Savannah. Linda P drove while I navigated with my phone’s GPS. We parked at the Welcome Center parking lot which was almost immediately after we crossed the bridge.

Our plan was to take a trolley tour to get an overview of Savannah. Our trolley driver was Jamie. We did one complete loop before getting off again at stops we thought were the most interesting.

Gen. James Oglethorpe and his settlers founded Savannah in 1733. They designed the town with the village square system. Originally there were 24. Through the efforts of some preservation minded ladies, the Historic Savannah Foundation was formed. Today 22 squares remain. All new buildings must follow guidelines to preserve the architecture of the square. Savannah’s successful preservation has brought about other civic renewal projects elsewhere.

During the Civil War when Gen. Sherman burned a trail through Georgia, the Conferderate Gen. Hardee knew that resistance was useless and withdrew his troops to prevent Savannah from destruction. Sherman entered Savannah on Christmas Day 1864 and offered it as a Christmas present to Abraham Lincoln.

Throughout the tour reenactors boarded the trolley to tell their role in Savannah’s history. This lady told about how Savannah was saved from being burned because they surrendered!

The squares in each ward had huge old oak trees with Spanish moss. Each one had its own district history and statues.

Another reenactor talked about the “Real McCoy.” That was alcohol that was served pure without being diluted. Sailors knew their liquor.

Savannah once had three cemetaries. Over the years when they needed more space, they voted to relocate two of them. Moving the caskets was very expensive, so they decided to move just the markers. Savannah has the distinction of “building over their dead”.

This lady portrayed Julliette Gordon Low, the founder of the Girls Scouts in 1912. While traveling in Europe she got the idea to start the Girl Scout program. Her birth home is in Savannah and is open for tours as is her home when she married Andrew Low.

Savannah has the distinction of having the only walk through MacDonald’s window.

This is the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist Church. It was built in 1896 but had to be rebuilt three years later after a fire. It is one of the largest cathedrals in the South. It reminded me a lot of the cathedrals we have seen in Europe, just not as old but quite impressive. The columns, floors, railings and altar were marble; beautiful murals and stained glass window filled the walls.

The organ was made of solid oak with a lot of pipes -2,081 !

Savannah was built on a bluff next to the river. Getting to the river means going down a big hill. This is the third floor of the cotton warehouses. The managers had their offices on the third floor and had cat walks out and stairs to get to the loading docks.

Our trolly bumped its way down this cobble stoned road to River Street. The old cotton warehouses have been preserved and changed into restaurants, bars, art galleries and of course t-shirt and souvenir shops.

The Savannah River Queen which offers several different tours. With just a day’s visit, we did not take a ride. Maybe next time.

This building is Savannah’s gold domed city hall.

This is the Waving Girl Statue along River Street. In the early 1900’s the city’s light tender’s sister, Florence Martus, waved to every ship that came into port. Ledgend has it that she was waving in hopes of finding her long lost love, a sailor who had promised he would come back to her.

We got to see the square where Tom Hanks sat on a bench to say “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get” in the movie Forest Gump. Also the idiom about “keeping up with the Jones” came about from Savannah’s gorgeous oak lined Jones Street.

Of course, a day of adventure with the four of us cannot be had without a bit of drama. We had to switch trollies when we were done the complete loop. In doing so, I realized on the second trolley that I did not have my cell phone. I told our new driver and he contacted the office. Luckily we remembered out driver’s name was Jamie. Calling the trolley company later the day, I was told to find Malcom at the last stop to get my rescued phone. What a relief! Just like I said before, there’s always something!

April 7, 2019May 26, 2019

Exploring Hilton Head Island, April 7, 2019

Hilton Head Island is the largest island between New Jersey and Florida. It is 12 miles long and 5 miles wide. It was named after an Englishman named Captain William Hilton who sailed into the Port Royal Sound in 1663.

Starting in 1526, colonists tried to settle on the island but were hampered by Native Americans and pirates. By the mid 1700’s plantations began to prosper growing rice, indigo and cotton. During the Civil War, the Union forces used the island to block Confederate ports. After the war, freed slaves called Gullahlived on the island developing their own culture by farming, fishing, and hunting.

In 1956 the bridge to the mainland was finished. Since then the island has been developed as a year round resort. There are about 30 golf courses on the island. Tennis and pickleball courts abound as well as bike trails everywhere. Loggerhead turtles nest on the beaches in the summer. To protect them, artificial light is at a minimum.

Yes, Frank. Pickleball is alive and well here in Palmetto Dunes!

Our condo is in the Palmetto Dunes Resort area. The landscaping is amazing as are the variety of hotels, condos and private houses within this area. Saltwater estuaries that meander throughout the resort.

Linda P and I just had to try out the biking trails and go exploring. Coaster brakes were a bit of a challenge, but fortunately we were successful!

Linda spotted this buy on our ride. He posed patiently.

After our bike ride, all four of us headed for the beach. It was cloudy and about 70. I took a walk along the beach, then headed back to our condo while the others enjoyed the ocean.

Harbour Town was our next adventure. It is an area within the Sea Pines Resort which is a gated community. At the guard stand, I drove into the passholders side. Then when the guard wanted us to roll down the window to give us directions to get on the other side, we couldn’t figure out how to unlock the windows. Well, after all, it is a rental car! We hadn’t needed to roll down the windows until that point. We got turned around, paid our eight dollars for a day pass, and continued on our merry way. Always something….

Linda P., Dori, Janet and Linda H. in front of the Harbour Town Pier.

Iconic lighthouse at Harbour Town. Linda P and I climbed to the top which gave us great views of the marina area. Inside the walls were covered with pictures and information about the development of Sea Pines and the harbor area.

Dori carefully holding on to the railings descending the stairs. You can see the memoriabllia on the walls.

Scene of the marina by the lighthouse. The Liberty Tree is in the center background. There are benches around the tree for summer concerts.

Here we are enjoying the live music in a cafe by the marina. I was busy checking out a brochure about a boat excursion to Savannah.

Driving back to our condo, we made the decision to drive to Savannah. It is about an hour’s drive. Stay tuned for more adventures tomorrow.

April 6, 2019May 26, 2019

Off to Hilton Head, April 6, 2019

Off on our yearly adventure with my college friends, Linda P., Linda H and Janet to Hilton Head, S.C. All of the ladies drove yesterday to our house so we could head out this morning at 7:30 am for the Philadelphia Airport to catch our flight to Savanah Hilton Head Airport.

Linda, Janet and Linda enjoying soft pretzels while waiting for our flight.

Our flight was rather uneventful. We were really glad to check our luggage until we discovered that Linda H’s luggage never made it. . Too many golf clubs in transit, so some of the luggage just did not fit. American promised to deliver it to our condo later that night. (It turned out to be 4am. )

Linda really gets into picking our brochures to plan our activities for the upcoming week. More idea than we can possibly handle in one week!

Driving to our condo which is in the Pametto Dunes Resort,. Our condo is gorgeous. It has two bedrooms, each with its own bathroom and balcony. There is also a kitchen living room area.

OIcean view from our balcony. The landscape around the condos is gorgeous.

Since we all had basically snacked throughout the day, we were famished. We stopped at a nearby sports bar. Not a scrap of food was left! Next was a stop at Krogers for groceries.

We ended the day with a walk to the the beach in front of the condo.