Posted in: Animal Sightings, Exploring South Carolina, Sightseeing, YouTube Video Link

Isle of Palms Beach, South Carolina

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.

Posted in: Costco, Exploring California, Sightseeing, YouTube Video Link

Laundry, Costco, Walking the Beach in Mission

Sunday was a beautiful morning. Ben and I took a short walk along the water and grabbed some donuts for the boys for breakfast.

After finishing a couple loads of laundry, we drove into another Costco (they have so many here!). One of Ben’s favorite things is to go to different Costco’s and see what they have. Sometimes we find new and different things. For example, Ben’s “favorite souvenir” was a collapsible storage/shopping box tote from New Orleans. That thing stays in the truck and goes everywhere with us. Ohio (or at least Cincinnati) based Costco’s sell wine and beer but not liquor, but Costco’s in different states do.

This one in San Diego looked like a warehouse with an all metal exterior. The food court was on the outside of the store, but did not have any self order/pay stations. This location also had a pick-up box, similar to the ones Amazon has everywhere.

This Costco also sold a few things that we hadn’t seen before in-store: boogie boards, Oreo popcorn, huge cans of tuna, shrimp chips (yup, made from tapioca flour and shrimp), Fish Skins (salted salmon to be exact), baguettes in the freezer section. I wish we had the room in the freezer because I totally would have bought the baguettes.

We also bought ice to keep everything cold while we explored the nearby area. We ended up driving to Mission Beach and walking around. It seemed like a nice beach with soft sand. There was some seaweed around, which seems pretty common around here. The beach area was pretty busy even with the water being cold! We didn’t go in all the way, just waded along the shore. Nick did some seashell hunting, although there weren’t very many on the shoreline. (Video: Walking Along Mission Beach)

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