Myrtle Beach to Dover, Delaware (5/11 - 5/16)

Spent the day on the beach, rare for us.  Looked for shells, had fun.  Played in the lazy float river.

Myrtle Beach, SC

Lazy river

  Birthday, only one way to celebrate - all you can eat crab.  So good.

Love that crab

Up on Mother's Day/Birthday and I had two cards from Robert and then a phone call.  Amazing and it made me so happy.  John and I played mini golf and, as usual, I beat him - but only by one point.

We met up with a Couch Surfer Saturday night for a few drinks and several games of pool.  Chris, a great guy, lives in Virginia.  We talked about travel, life and had a fun evening.

CS Chris from Virginia

Monday, packed up to hit the road.  I had communicated with the lady we rented the condo from and we thought it would be fun to meet.  The first/only opportunity was breakfast Monday, so we met after we checked out.  We had a great breakfast and met the best people, Melanie and Eric.  We ate and talked solid for two hours.  We plan to get together again maybe in Florida.  You just never know how/when you are going to meet cool people.

Melanie & Eric

Headed for Wilmington, NC and Melanie suggested taking the ferry from Southport.  We decided to do it and had such a fun time.  Then checked out waterfront and drove around and saw the beautiful Victorian homes in the area.  I could have stayed there and taken hundreds of photos of historic homes.

Ferry ride

Wilmington, NC

Tuesday drove to Richmond, VA and visited the state capitol building designed by Thomas Jefferson.  There was no wood inside and that was odd.  Mostly marble and stone.  It is our country's first capitol building -- regal and elegant.

Richmond, VA state capitol

Beautiful statute of George Washington

We spent Wednesday in the most fantastic botanical garden, Lewis Ginter.  I haven't seen a more beautiful place.  There are 50 cultivated acres and it contains more than 7,500 unique genera, species and cultivars from around the world.  I took so many photos, but will pick only a few to show here.

This is called Lobster Claw

We also went into the butterfly exhibit and it was magical.  I couldn't believe how great my pictures came out with my basic camera.

Thursday was spent at Jamestown Colony, seeing where America's first colony was established.  It gave me chills to think I was walking where our forefathers had established the beginning of America.

St. James River

Our first colony was established here.

John Smith

Pocahontas

Instrumental in helping the colonists

Friday we had rain and more rain on our drive to Dover, Delaware.  Saw the Old Statehouse, completed in 1791, and the new one was built and completed in 1933.  It is called Legislative Hall.  Both are pretty basic inside.  

The Old State House

Bottom floor was criminal court house

Legislative Hall

John just headed to a PT Cruiser meet up in town.  

Continental kit

 

Hoping for zero rain tomorrow and for many more weeks because I can't imagine being in the big cities and having it pour down rain.  More next week.