Hi guys, it’s Nick and this is my blog about this candy place in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina so here is the story. My Dad and I were driving home when we saw this candy store. We had seen it before and thought it would be fun to go to, so we drove on over and got some pictures of it from the outside. Then we went in, well let’s just say the outside is the cool thing about this place.
Inside it had two things that looked cool: one was called a Goo Goo Cluster and the other was Devil’s Toe. There is a big fake tree in the middle but that is it. It was just about all the normal candy you get at a basic candy or grocery store. I would not most likely go back to this place, but it is good for pictures and there is an ice cream place across the street. People were using this places parking for it though. So that is our candy store adventure.
We get a lot of questions when we talk to people, so we thought we would address some of them! If you have any questions, please feel free to email them to us ([email protected]) and you might just get your answer!
I picked laundry as our first topic, as it happens weekly and is something everyone has to deal with. I will say that one of the things I miss the most is having my own washer and dryer. Some of the Class A’s and 5th Wheels have a washer/dryer combo installed. Our travel trailer did not come with the built in hook-ups for a washer/dryer unit and we didn’t think we had the room to store a portable washing machine*.
WHERE: When I book a campground, I do look to see if they have a laundry room listed. I also check to make sure it is open. Due to COVID, we have come across a campground or two that have closed their laundry facilities; however, almost all of the campgrounds we have stayed at have been open. Most of the campgrounds have had laundry rooms, although we have gone to a couple of laundromats as well. You never really know what you are going to get with campground laundry rooms. We’ve had some with really old machines that were a little rusty and broken (that’s when we go to the laundromat). We’ve also stayed at places that have had really nice high-end machines. Most of the places have taken quarters (which was fun during a national coin shortage), although some have only accepted credit cards or tried to push an app on your phone.
HOW MUCH: The costing of the washers and dryers have varied, sometimes significantly. It may seem like $0.50 isn’t a lot, but we normally have 2-3 loads a week and that difference really adds up. The cheapest we have had were $1.25/load for washers and $1/load for dryers and the most expensive were $3.25/load washers and $2.50/load dryers. I would say it averages around $2 per load. I’ve learned to always keep my quarters with me because you never know when the dryer won’t actually dry the clothes, or the laundry pod will not dissolve, or the washer will kick the pod onto the door frame and the detergent pod won’t actually go through the wash with the clothes and get the laundry clean. TIP: I would buy your roll of quarters when you are able to, whether it is at a bank or the campground. Some of the campgrounds do not have change machine or will not sell quarters.
LIQUID DETERGENT VS PODS: At home we always used the liquid detergent. However, with a tiny space and a weight limit, I switched to the pods for a while. For the most part they worked great. When we moved down South, the pods started not dissolving all the way during the wash cycle. I thought it was the campground, but it happened at 3 different ones. Maybe we got a bad batch of pods? We switched over to the liquid again when we found a smaller bottle. We were tired of finding pieces of laundry pods stuck on our clothes. There are also laundry sheets* that some people rave about, but they are pretty expensive (per load of laundry vs other detergent) so I haven’t tried them yet.
So far, we have spent about $300 in laundry (on average $10/week), not including detergent or dryer sheets. We were very lucky that we had a washing machine that we could use for free in Florida for several weeks!
Nick is starting to get into the National Park’s Junior Ranger program. He didn’t want to do it for the first several (…many…most…) of the parks, but now he enjoys it. He wanted to check out if Myrtle Beach State Park had a program as well. They did have a patch program! Due to COVID, the program had changed a little bit. Before, you had to attend programs to earn a patch, but now you have to complete 3 scavenger hunts in different parts of the park.
The scavenger hunts are available online. Most of the items are things you can find on the informational signs around the park. Nick had a fun time as we walked around this week so he could find the signs. We all enjoyed finding the tree branches that made the shape of South Carolina.
Nick turned in his paperwork and got to pick out which badge he wanted. He said they had a box full of different designs, but of course he went with one that had a turtle.
We were lucky enough to be able to walk to the beach from the campground. It was only about a half mile to the beach. The state park did a nice job with walkways to the beach, outdoor showers, and informational signs along the paths. There was even a QR code to scan to check local beach information (tides, etc.).
I took the boys to the beach on Sunday for some fun in the sun. The water was still a little chilly and there was a red flag out, so we kept to wading in the water near the shore. If there wasn’t the flag, I think they would have gone swimming though! The boys made another fort and Nick made a sand penguin to go inside it. They didn’t do too bad of a job considering they didn’t have a bucket or any tools.
When it was low tide we went for a walk along the beach looking for shells. We found a few neat ones. I found a shark tooth as well! I didn’t know beforehand, but Myrtle Beach is known for having shark teeth wash up on shore. The teeth are fossilized and have a dark grey or black color due to the minerals absorbed during fossilization. Nick and I had fun searching the beach. The teeth can be small, so we would crouch down to search through shell piles.
Later in the week, we saw a jellyfish close to the shore, but didn’t get too close to it. We found a couple of starfish and small crabs too. By the end of the week we found 3 crabs, 1 live starfish, 1 dried out starfish, several clams, 1 jellyfish, and 6 shark teeth.
Ben and I even took a night time walk on the beach. It was amazing to be within a quick walk to the ocean.
For our stay in Charleston, South Carolina, we stayed at the Mount Pleasant/Charleston KOA. The campground is located in Mount Pleasant, about a 15-20 minute drive from Charleston.
The campground had some nice features, including a camp store. The campground is located near a plantation, and offers wagon rides when the plantation is open. Unfortunately, the plantation house was under construction when we were there and the wagon rides were not going on.
The campground had corn hole, a nice walking trail, a community fire pit, hanging swings by the lake, fishing (catch and release, no license needed), pool (not heated), rec room with camp kitchen (2 stations) and little library, dog park, and bike/canoe/paddle boat rental. The office sold firewood bundles. There was a propane station and an ice machine near the office as well.
The laundry room was on the side of the office building and had 4 washers and dryers. Although there was not a coin machine in the laundry room, you could get quarters at the office. Washers were $2/load and dryers $1.50/load.
The bathrooms and showers were located on the backside of the officel. They are separate though: women’s bathroom on one side, individual shower rooms in the middle, and men’s bathrooms on the other side.
We enjoyed the walking trails. The trails go by a little creek and we saw some small crabs and turtles.
There was WiFi available. The signal was pretty spotty where we were. However, they do offer routers to borrow. These are on a first come basis. We were finally able to get one with only 2 days left in the trip, but it made a big difference! The speeds were a lot faster plugged in.
The campground was close to grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and several parks. Charleston was about 15-20 minutes away. The Costco and Walmart were within 2 miles. It was in a pretty convenient location.
The night before we left, we found a postcard on the door reminding us of check-out time.
COVID Review: Masks were required in the office. The office staff was friendly and always had them on. However, employees working outside (including those that show you to your site) and other campers really didn’t wear masks.
RV Sites: Pull Through, Back-in (mostly gravel, saw a few concrete pads)
Pop Up Tents/Gazebos/Outdoor Rugs On-Site: No stakes allowed in the ground due to underground wires
Amenities: picnic table and fire pit at sites, some upgraded sites had a grill, cable, two playgrounds, pool, rec room/camp kitchen, little library, corn hole, dog park, bikes for rent, paddle boats and kayaks for rent, ice machine $2/bag, firewood $7/bundle (although after taxes/fees it came to $8).
Cabins: Yes
Tent Camping: Yes
Full Hook-ups: Yes
Amps:
Pool: Yes, not heated
Food On-Site: No, but camp store has a few items
Camp Store: Yes
WiFi: Yes. Routers provided at office, first come first serve, to help boost signal
Accepts Mail: Yes
Fishing: Yes, no license needed, catch and release
Hey guys! It’s Will here with another blog! Today we’re visiting the Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon. It costs $10 per person with reduced rates for seniors and students. The Dungeon is set below the Old Exchange where they traded everything from cotton to slaves. Auctions were rarely held in the dungeon (basement) however, but held just outside the Exchange. This might have been helpful so that once you bought something you could go pay your taxes on it. Two birds with one stone.
On the main floor you enter on, there is a lot of information and it is easy to get overwhelmed. In the back is the history of some South Carolina’s cash crops and some plaques on special people who brought or invented them in the State. In the room to the left of the entrance there are some cool pieces they have received such as a case of old weapons such as flintlocks and muskets. They also have an old desk that was used by plantation owners back in the day. To the right of the door is a historic room where they made it look like it would have. It also serves as the meeting spot where the Daughter’s of American Revolution, I think that is the right name, meet. On the top floor are some more plaques that are made to tell you about the life of an enslaved person and of a women’s role and life in pre-Civil War period. George Washington also visited Charleston, so there is information about his visit here too.
Now let’s get to the part you all want to actually read about…Provost Dungeon! The dungeon itself needs a tour guide as they have rigged the rooms with only mannequins so if you don’t go with one of the offered tours you will have no idea what you are doing. During the Revolutionary War is where we will focus in for now. Charleston had it’s own Tea Party and stored the tea in the Old Exchange. They later sold it to pay for weapons to fight the British. Eventually, the British captured Charleston and they needed somewhere to keep their prisoners. The actual prison was full and so they made due with what they had…The Old Exchange. They turned the basement into a jail and used the top parts as living quarters. When the city knew the British would win, they hid their gunpowder behind a fake wall in the Old Exchange. The British never found it! I thought the museum did a good job explaining everything and the history of the Exchange and if you want to learn a lot of new things be sure to make a visit The Old Exchange.
DETAILS:*
TICKETS: $10/adults, $5/child (ages 7-12), discount available for military, teachers, students, seniors. COVID Restrictions: masks required
HOURS: Daily 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Years Day), Tours are every 1/2 hour from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
PARKING: Pay parking on street or nearby lots
BATHROOM: Yes
TIME RECOMMENDED: 1-3 hours
*Details correct at the time of posting, but please double check before you go.
When it’s hot outside, one of the boys’ favorite treats is a shaved ice. Back home in Ohio, we also sometimes get an ice ball. It is ice cream topped with a shaved ice. Shaved ice are pretty common, but only a few places offer an iceball.
I’ve noticed that down south, that a snowball is what we call a shaved ice and you can “stuff” it with ice cream. Topping it with a drizzle of sweet milk (aka condensed milk) is a common offering as well. I thought that sounded gross, until we tried it. It’s actually good! It adds a creamy texture to the shaved ice and a different type of sweetness.
The boys got a shaved ice with condensed milk in New Orleans. We tried a Hawaiian shaved ice in new flavors in Savannah at Hokulia. Hokulia had large servings, was on one of the main streets in Savannah, but also had a long line and was slow getting out orders. Everything had a nice flavor though. In South Carolina, I got a Mudslide (coffee and chocolate flavored) snowball from Pelican’s Snoballs. They had a nice outdoor seating area, was right off of Highway 17, had a ton of flavors, and the staff was very nice.
What do you call it (shaved ice, Hawaiian ice, snoball, snowball…)? What’s your favorite flavor?
The Charles Pinckney Historical Site was located pretty close to our campground. Although the house was closed (COVID), the grounds were open. We still wanted to go see it and get a nice walk. There was a Ranger vehicle parked there, but we didn’t see a anyone, so Nick didn’t get to do the Junior Ranger Program at this site.
There were a few walking paths around the property. One was really well laid out with a mulch base. I’m not sure how they did it, but the mulch all stuck together and felt a little bouncy. It was nice and even and made for a nice walk. The others were more nature trails and were dirt (or mud) through trees and brush. There were several signs warning of poison ivy and snakes (copperheads are apparently common down here). We took both trails and read the informational signs along the way. Pinckney was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
I did almost step on a snake, a tiny brown snake that was very quick and blended in with the dirt very well. I think it was maybe a rough earth snake, but I was so startled that I didn’t get a picture. It certainly got my heart pumping, as I had thought that I had been paying attention pretty well to the ground in front of me. We do make sure to always wear boots or closed toed shoes when we are going on any type of walk.
The site was ok. I’m sure if the house was open it would be interesting, but otherwise it was a little boring. If you are in the area, I would check it out, but I wouldn’t go out of your way to see it. We were there there for about a half hour.
DETAILS:*
TICKETS: Free. COVID Restrictions: masks required
HOURS: Closed Monday and Tuesday. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
PARKING: Yes
BATHROOM: Yes
TIME RECOMMENDED: 30 minutes to 1 hour
*Details correct at the time of posting, but please double check before you go.
The boys were on spring break, so we tried to do some fun things during the day. One afternoon we went to Isle of Palms beach. We got there around 10:00 am and we found a great parking spot near a beach entrance and restrooms and outdoor showers. The beach was pretty empty.
As we were setting up our spot, we saw some military helicopters flying overhead. Video link: Helicopters Over Isle of Palms
The boys swam for a little bit, but the water was chilly so they didn’t stay in too long. We looked for shells and they built sand forts. Because we had just been to all of the forts, they named them Fort Sumter, Castle Pinckney, and Fort Moultrie. Once we were done with swimming, we browsed some shops and the boys got ice cream. As we left, all the parking spots on the street were taken and the beach had started getting a little more crowded.
Parking was available at the county park ($5-$15 depending on time of year) and in lots and at meters ($2.50/hour) on the main street with shops and restaurants.
We drove around the area later in the day with Ben and did see some free parking on the side of the road near the residential areas. If you are just going for the beach and not souvenir stores or food, those spots seemed like a good option. Nick found a couple of Little Libraries along the way as well. It was a cute area and we had a nice time exploring.
We were actually driving around trying to find a post office with a package drop box when we realized we were close to Fort Moultrie and decided to stop and check it out.
The fort we saw was actually the 3rd one on the site. The first was constructed of palmetto trees and sand and was used during the Revolutionary War.
This is not how I pictured Peter Parker (aka Spider-Man)!
The fort was later rebuilt and was ultimately destroyed by a hurricane. The third fort was constructed and end up being used during the Civil War. This fort seemed to have a lot of it built into the ground. The Union forces stationed at Moultrie left to go to Sumter, as it had better defenses. Moultrie was defended against sea attacks, but not very well defended for a land attack. Of course, then the Confederates used Moultrie to attack Sumter and force the Union troops out. There was a battery to the left of the fort that was added later, but it was closed while we were there. There were a couple of the interior hall paths that went underground, although a couple were closed or very muddy when we were there.
There was some interesting information and we also got to drive by Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse, but I would not recommend this one unless you are nearby or really into Civil War history and/or forts. It was a little boring compared to the others.
The Junior Ranger Program booklets were available at the entrance, as well as a park map. Nick was excited he got to complete another badge.
DETAILS:*
TICKETS: $10/ages 16+, free ages 0-15, or included in America The Beautiful Pass. COVID Restrictions: masks required. Due to COVID, no cash is accepted at the Fort and the Visitor Center is closed. Tickets must be purchased online.
HOURS: Fort is open Friday to Sunday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Grounds and parking open 9:00 am to 5:00 daily.
PARKING: Yes, has its own parking
BATHROOM: Yes
TIME RECOMMENDED: 1hour
*Details correct at the time of posting, but please double check before you go.
