Our Life - Travel Guides & Photography » Summer Trips

Myrtle Beach State Park

admin — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 19:32:55 +0000

Myrtle Beach State Park is located in the heart of the Grand Strand in South Carolina. It is a 312 acre natural retreat with maritime forests, a wide beach, a fishing pier, camp grounds, playground, picnic shelters etc. in an otherwise very touristy location. Myrtle Beach is a very popular beach in South Carolina and tends to get very crowded with tourists specially in the Summer. If you are looking for a laid-back vacation, Myrtle Beach State Park is the place to visit.You don’t have to worry about parking or public beach access once you are in this State Park.

The State Park provides opportunities for Hiking, Lodging, Camping, Fishing, Swimming and Picnicking. Myrtle Beach Hotels and Ocean-front Condos get booked throughout the summer and it can be expensive. Whereas, you could easily make reservations for camping and have fun at Myrtle Beach State Park. The Park is located right next to Myrtle Beach Airport and you get to enjoy the view of planes. You can hike the many trails through the woodlands or swim at the beach or try your luck at fishing. Horse Back Riding and Biking is also popular the park.

The State Park is open to the public all days of the week. There is an entrance fee of $5 per adult. you can reserve Picnic Shelters at the park. The Park has Changing Rooms and Rest Rooms. We visited Myrtle Beach Day Park one afternoon but we stayed at an Ocean-Front Condo in North Myrtle Beach.

North Myrtle Beach

admin — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 17:11:21 +0000

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is one of the closest beaches to Charlotte, North Carolina. For Memorial Day weekend, we visited Myrtle Beach and the surrounding areas. We stayed at an Ocean Front Condominium on North Myrtle Beach and the views where amazing. We could see Cherry Grove Beach Fishing Pier and the Grand Strand Stretch from our patio.

The Beaches of South Carolina are very popular and large crowds can be soon on the beach during Holiday Weekends. Myrtle Beach is the place to hang out with family and friends. North Myrtle Beach is less touristy and you can find beautiful villas and condos for rent. Calabash, the Seafood Capital of the South is very close to North Myrtle Beach. You must try some of the yummy Seafood Buffets over there. Here are some photos of North Myrtle Beach.

Triple Falls

admin — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 20:03:34 +0000

Triple Falls is one of the 3 waterfalls of Little River in DuPont State Forest, North Carolina. It was featured in the movie “Last of the Mohicans“. Triple Falls gets its name from its three different cascades :-

Upper Triple Falls
Middle Triple Falls
Lower Triple Falls

Triple Falls is accessible from the Hooker Falls Parking Area on Staton Road by a trail going upstream along the Little River. You can visit Triple Falls after visiting Hooker Falls which is near the parking lot. From the parking lot, you need to cross the bridge over Staton Road and you will find stairs that go down to the trail head. The trail is roughly half mile long and is moderate in difficulty.

Lower Cascades

Just before the trail begins heading uphill, there is a side path that leads out to the river. If the rocks are not slippery and the water levels are low, you can walk over the rocks and go up to the base of the lower section of the falls. The lower cascades are beautiful and you can enjoy the water sprays.

Upper Viewing Area/Overlook

The main Triple Falls Trail runs parallel to the river and ascends a steep slope leading to a Viewing Area on the left. You can get a complete view of Triple Falls from this Viewing point.

Middle Triple Falls

There is a wooden staircase that leads down to the Middle Section of Triple Falls. The middle section is relatively flat and you can sit back and relax over here. You can walk up to the base of Middle Cascades and view the Upper Cascades from a distance.

Here are some photos from our trip to Dupont State Forest.

Sapphire Beach at St. Thomas

admin — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:28:02 +0000

Sapphire Beach is a beautiful beach on US Virgin Islands well known for its Sapphire Colored Waters. It is located on the east end of Sapphire Beach Resort on St. Thomas Island, USVI. The beach is a great place for relaxing and enjoying the waters. You can swim, windsurf or jet ski. The snorkeling is not really great as there are large waves and the water is deep and not really clear.You can find lot of Iguanas on the beach but they won’t harm you. Sapphire beach is near to Point Pleasant Resort Resort.

We loved the sapphire color of the water and the white sands. It was such a soothing experience. Here are some photos from our Trip.

Cape Henry Memorial

admin — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:34:44 +0000

Located on the south side of the Chesapeake Bay, Cape Henry Memorial sits within Fort Story Military Reservation, 10 miles east of Norfolk and 3 miles north of Virginia Beach. Cape Henry Memorial is the site where the First English Colonists landed in Virginia in 1607. These Settlers established the first permanent English settlement in Jamestown, Virginia.

These English colonists erected a Wooden Cross to mark their safe arrival and named the place Cape Henry. In 1935, a granite Cross was erected by the National Society Daughters of the American Colonists, in memory of the wooden cross erected by the English colonists in 1607. This cross is named Cape Henry Memorial Cross.

There is a statue of Admiral Comte deGrasse here at Cape Henry coast. The admiral led the French Fleet in the Battle of the Capes which resulted in America’s victory at Yorktown and the end of the American Revolutionary War.

Cape Henry Memorial is a part of the National Park System. There are two light houses which can be seen from this location – the old and new Cape Henry Lighthouses. There is a walkway which leads to the top of the dunes and you enjoy stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay. There is another walkway just to the south of the Cape Henry Memorial and you can walk down to the beach and enjoy the waves breaking upon the shore. The memorial is open all year without an admission fee. You need to pass through the security gates of Fort Story, and you need to have Photos Ids to visit the Memorial.

Battleship Wisconsin

admin — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 19:51:09 +0000

USS Wisconsin is an Iowa-class battleship, the second ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Battleship Wisconsin is berthed at Nauticus Maritime Science Center & Museum in the city Norfolk, Virginia. It is one of the largest and last battleships ever built by the U.S. Navy. You can explore its deck through a self-guided or audio tour.

Some of the Permanent Exhibits of Nauticus museum include The Jamestown Exposition & Launching of the Steel Navy, SOS Station, Aegis Theater, Horseshoe Crab Cove, Design Chamber: Battleship X and so on.The Hampton Roads Naval Museum is owned and operated by the United States Navy and located on level two of Nauticus and houses a rich collection of authentic uniforms, weaponry, underwater artifacts, detailed ship models and artwork. On the third floor of Nauticus, guests can enjoy a variety of science and maritime exhibits, including: aquaria, a horseshoe crab touch tank, shark lab, Science On a Sphere, interactive theaters, and a weather station.

Visit the Official Website of Nauticus for information regarding Admission & Tickets. Here are some photos from our Trip to Nauticus. We visited Norfolk as part of our Trip to Virginia Beach.

Cape Henry Light House

admin — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:57:37 +0000

Cape Henry Lighthouse is located within Fort Story military base in the City of Virginia Beach. The lighthouse silently guards the entry way into the Chesapeake Bay. The Old Cape Henry Lighthouse was the first lighthouse authorized by the U.S. government, dating from 1792. It is 26 feet in diameter at its base, and 16 feet at its top. The Old Lighthouse stands near Cape Henry Memorial and First Landing Cross – the spot where Captain Newport raised a cross in 1607, to offer thanks for their safe crossing of the Atlantic. The Old lighthouse is a National Historic Landmark. Within view of the old Cape Henry Lighthouse is its 1881 replacement. The new Cape Henry Lighthouse is equipped with electrical and mechanical systems which still guides sea traffic safely into the harbor.

The Lighthouse is opened to the public on a seasonal schedule. To visit the lighthouse, you must pass through the security gates of Fort Story, and you need to have Photos Ids. You can enjoy beautiful views from the Observation Platform atop the old Lighthouse. The beach near the Lighthouse is wonderful and you can take a stroll and relax without worrying about the bustling crowds.

Here are some photos of Cape Henry Lighthouse from our Virginia Trip.

Virginia Beach

admin — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 22:42:49 +0000

Virginia Beach is a popular Tourist Destination on the East Coast of US. This beautiful Atlantic Beach has lots of attractions for people of every age and miles of shoreline. It is located at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay and the world famous Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. There are hundreds of resorts, motels, hotels and restaurants along the Oceanfront.

The Chesapeake Bay, Resort Area and Sandbridge make up 35 miles of Virginia Beach’s beloved coastline. The Resort Area has a bustling 3 mile long boardwalk with lots of cafes and live music. Chesapeake Bay beach is more tranquil and the perfect place to relax. Sandbridge shoreline is secluded and has many ocean view rentals.

Virginia Beach is the perfect place for a Sumner Vacation with family. There are many attractions like State Parks, Aquarium, Museums and so on.

Here are some photos from our Trip to Virginia Beach.

Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel

admin — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 21:52:24 +0000

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (CBBT) is a 23-mile (37-km) long bridge-tunnel crossing the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and connecting the Delmarva Peninsula’s Eastern Shore of Virginia with Virginia Beach and Hampton Roads, Virginia. It is a modern engineering marvel and is considered the world’s largest bridge-tunnel complex. It was opened in 1965. It includes two one-mile (1.6 km) long tunnels beneath Thimble Shoals and Chesapeake navigation channels, four artificial islands, two high-level bridges over two other navigation channels: North Channel Bridge and Fisherman Inlet Bridge, Fishing Pier and more. The CBBT promotes the bridge-tunnel as not only a transportation facility to tourist destinations to the north and south, but as a tourist destination itself.

There are 2 Scneic Overlooks where drivers may stop to enjoy the views of the Atlantic – at the north end of the bridge and at Sea Gull Island, near the south end. At Sea Gull Island, passing ships may include U.S. Navy warships, nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers, as well as large cargo vessels and sailing ships. The CBBT authority runs a restaurant and gift shop on the island. Fishing is encouraged from the 625-foot (191 m)-long pier, which is open 24 hours a day, year-round. Restrooms, fish-cleaning stations and a certified weighing station are at the pier.
Toll collection facilities are located at the both ends of the facility. Tolls are paid in each direction. For Toll Information, please visit the Official Site.

Here are some photos from our Trip to Chesapeake Bay.

Pisgah National Forest

admin — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 06:25:47 +0000

Pisgah National Forest is a National Forest in the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina. The Pisgah National Forest covers 510,119 acres of mountainous terrain in the southern Appalachian Mountains, including parts of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Great Balsam Mountains. Elevations reach over 6,000 feet (1,800 m) and include some of the highest mountains in the eastern United States. Mount Mitchell, in Mount Mitchell State Park, is the highest mountain east of the Mississippi River and lies just outside the boundary of Pisgah National Forest. The forest also includes tracts surrounding the city of Asheville, the town of Brevard and land in the French Broad River Valley.

The Cradle of Forestry (Biltmore Forest School), located in the southern part of the forest, was the site of the first school of forestry in the United States. There are numerous hiking trails, picnic areas, camping sites, and waterfalls in the forest. There are so many waterfalls in this area that Transylvania county is nicknamed as “Land of the Waterfalls”. Pisgah National Forest is extremely beautiful in Fall.

These are some of the attractions of Pisgah National Forest. You can easily spend a day or 2 enjoying the attractions of Pisgah National Forest.

Forest Heritage National Scenic Byway (NC 276) - Traversing the Pisgah National Forest in Transylvania and Haywood Counties, the 79 mile loop winds its way through areas of outstanding natural beauty rich in forest history. You can read more about this scenic byway here.
Looking Glass Waterfalls – A beautiful 60 foot high waterfall that can be seen from US 276.
Moore Cove Falls – A 50 foot free-fall in front of a deeply recessed rock cliff, that allows you to walk behind the falls.
Sliding Rock – A 60 foot natural Waterfall slide where people can slide down the gentle slope of the smooth rock into the pool below. Bathrooms and showers are open during the summer swimming season.
Cradle of Forestry - A 6500 acre National Forest Historic Site in North Carolina. America’s first school of forestry known as Biltmore Forest School was established over here in 1968.
Sycamore Flats Area – A large picnic area named for the numerous Sycamore trees that grow along the banks of the Davidson River
Pink Beds Area - Picnic area located in a high mountain valley. The valley gets it’s name from the beautiful rhododendron, mountain laurel and azalea that bloom in the spring and summer
Davidson River Campground – A popular campground where you can relax and enjoy the National Forest. There are hiking trails, fishing streams, evening programs and even warm showers.
Looking Glass Rock – A monolithic piece of exposed Whitesides granite that rises from the valley floor in the midst of the Pisgah Ranger District. There are trails which lead to the top of the rock.

Here are some photos taken during our trip to Pisgah National Forest during Fall 2009. We drove the Forest Heritage National Scenic Byway stopping at different attractions like waterfalls and picnic areas.