From Richmond, VA to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Josh and I spent a couple of hours talking this morning, before I headed out, heading south to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for my next stop. Josh’s neighborhood is very nice, with nice looking residential streets and homes, framed by large trees adorned with autumn leaves.
Tiger, only 8-months old and a house cat, was incensed and agitated that we were outside and she was inside, looking out the glass screen door. She made a valiant attempt to to get herself outside, but failed in the end. Still, she’s only 8-months old. She’ll learn.
Last time I was here, in January, Josh gave me a tour of Richmond, which I would like to have done again, but this trip is pressed for time, so I had to get going. For the first half of the drive today I took I-95 south, which was sort of the only choice out of town, until switching to I-40 south toward Wilmington, North Carolina, which took me off the main 95 route and closer to the coast, but I stayed somewhat inland, and didn’t really get to the ocean shoreline until reaching North Myrtle Beach, which is where I spend the night.
The drive should have been about 320 miles, and 5 hours or so, but I covered most like 350, and it took me maybe 7 hours to get here as I was meandering a little, trying to avoid the central roads whenever I could, and taking a few side trips on the way. Down here, I-95 is definitely very pretty, especially at this time of year, heavily forested at times and lined with lovely fall foliage and a deep blue sky. It’s not as nice (not even close) to driving I-70 through Colorado, which has got to be one of the most beautiful and scenic interstates, but 95 is still mighty nice looking, and not at all the way it looks, like a boring and very busy super highway, up around NY, NJ, and down the Atlantic coastline. I’m not sure what it is about driving these long roads, with no real destination, or at least it’s not the destination, which is nice payoff, but it’s actually the getting there that I seem to like.
I like the solitude, and my mind moves across so many subjects, and so many thoughts trigger thoughts of Bev, some sweet and funny, some, and quite a few, of the indignity, emotional pain, and relentless deterioration suffered by Bev and brought by Alzheimer’s. I cried a little, and smiled a lot. I’ve been listening to the audiobook biography of CSNY, but after a while I find that listening distracts me from my own thoughts. So, there are plenty of periods of just listening to background music, while my mind goes to where it wants, as it really wants to explore itself and its own thoughts.
One thing I’ve noticed in the last couple of days is the inordinate number of dead deer on and at the side of the interstate highways, It’s not that you don’t see animals hit by traffic all over the country, but I’ve never seen this many, where they seem to regularly and frequently punctuate the road.
As I eventually left the main highway, I continued to travel south on state route 17, and that was more like it (and why the journey took longer than 5 hours) as I passed through towns and residential areas, and go to see more of the area than you can see on an interstate.
The weather was nice when I set out this morning, but as I headed south things began to warm up, and by mid-day it was out of my long-sleeved shirt and into a t-shirt, and the weather will increasingly warm up as I get further south. Tomorrow (or maybe the day after) it’ll be shorts and sandals.
I arrived at North Myrtle Beach maybe around 5:30, but which time the light was starting to fade a little, and after checking in I took off, heading further south into Myrtle Beach proper. I thought I was staying at the northern edge of Myrtle Beach, but North Myrtle Beach is actually another town, about 30 minutes north. Had I known, I would’ve stayed in Myrtle Beach, and saved myself a little driving time tomorrow as I’ll have to head back down this way, but I don’t mind at all. Driving down to Myrtle Beach took me along route 31, which really is a seaside strip. As it was dark by now, everything was lighted up, and that made it even more strip-like, with stores and businesses selling things you only see near seaside towns, and yelling out at passing drivers to stop here and shop, eat, or drink (or all three). Josh said Myrtle Beach is a glitzy seaside town, and he’s right.
But I did want to see the town at night, in all its glory, and will be passing through tomorrow in the daylight so will see it again without the million lighted signs adorning the town streets and highways bringing you into town. Driving and later walking along the main commercial drag in town, Ocean Boulevard, North and South, there are nothing but giant hotels and condos, and near the amusement park on North Ocean, glaringly-lit stores, restaurants, and attractions, For God’s sake, there are even two Ripley’s museums, about half a block apart.
But right off of Ocean Boulevard, and running parallel to it, is the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade, a paved and curving walk of about 1.2 miles, running between the 2nd Avenue Pier and the 14th Avenue Pier, along the ocean-facing sides of the giant hotels and condos that line South and North Ocean Boulevard (with a break for the glitzy downtown stores, restaurants, bars, and attractions that line North Ocean Blvd.). It is quiet and nicely laid out, with its unlit Christmas decorations already in place along its length (jeezs, it’s only November 5),and on one side are the giant hotels and many exits from the paved boardwalk leading to restaurants, bars, and entertainment, and on the other of the walking path the dunes and beaches of the Atlantic shore, looking serene and beautiful in the moonlight.
After walking the boardwalk and downtown North and South Ocean, headed back to North Myrtle Beach, but this time headed along North Ocean Boulevard as it left the downtown area heading north, becoming a quiet and unlit road that runs along the Atlantic and is lined by large houses and apartments with beach and ocean views, and high rise hotels and apartments on the opposite side, backing onto the beach. A much nicer road to drive than 31, which I came in on, and a road I’ll take tomorrow coming back into town, so I can see how t actually looks in the daylight. Should be lovely.
Now to bed, and tomorrow to Jacksonville, Florida, by way of Charleston, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia, a total of about 380 miles. I plan to stop in both Charleston and Savannah and drive and, hopefully, walk around a bit on the way. Goodnight.