Beachy keen!

Myrtle Beach, SC -- Brrrr! This morning the temperature was 58 degrees when we got up, so our fresh hot coffee was most welcome. It didn't take long to warm up to a more comfortable level, though, once we were set for the day.

The beach was our objective, and our KOA staff offered a free golf cart ride from the main entrance, plus the promise to pick us up at a time of our choosing. It was such a short trip, we figured we could get back on our own, but we booked a pickup for two o'clock just in case.

 We walked the short block to the beach from our drop-off point and past the hotels, then the fenced-off dunes and the soft sand till we got to the packed section near the water. A long, long beach stretched out in both directions, and although there were people there, it didn't seem crowded at all. A fresh breeze was blowing as we started our stroll, heading north with the waves crashing in on our left. The sand was coarser than at Honeymoon Island in Florida, and I was surprised to see that the seashells, of which there were plenty, were much thicker here -- almost like shards of flowerpots, rather than the fragile ones we'd crunched on during our Florida stay.

A small plane droned overhead, dragging a huge banner for one of the beach stores in town, with the message "Shark tooth necklaces 39 cents" flapping behind it. Not long after that, we overheard a woman telling her friend she'd found a shark tooth, which she held out for her friend to examine. My shell-searching immediately augmented to a shark-tooth-searching mission, and I actually picked up a couple myself -- or so I thought. Later, on our return stroll, we saw the woman again and asked her to look at them and see if they were. She said no -- and then gave me one of hers, which was very kind!

We watched a couple of people way out above the waves, suspended from a parachute which a motorboat was pulling along. They sure looked tiny -- but I bet they had a terrific view. There are high-rises all along the beach but they are set far enough back from the water so there is plenty of room for literally thousands of bathers, which I guess there are in the high season.

After our stroll, we stopped for lunch at a Friendly's restaurant, which was buzzing with customers, but served up a tasty meal. Then we set off toward the campground, but not before we stopped in at one of the kitschy stores for a wee browse. Flip flops, sunhats, bathing suits, plastic buckets and shovels, as well as gaudy souvenirs jammed the aisles! Didn't see any shark tooth necklaces though.

Since it was Saturday, I went off to do our weekly laundry once we got back to the RV. But not before chatting with our new neighbour Gwen, who had arrived next door in our absence in a Roadtrek RV very much like ours! She said it was brand new, and even asked Val to show her how to work some of its features. Her quick run-through when she picked it up had left her overwhelmed, so she wanted to master one new thing at a time at each stop she makes. We were glad to oblige.

When she found out we were from Canada, she told us about her trip to Montreal some years back. She and a friend were unwitting victims of a Just For Laughs gag that she says is still on You Tube! Must look it up! Another example of the interesting stories and people you meet with this mode of travel.