Hilton Head for Labor Day

For Labor Day weekend, Tiffany, her fiance Mitch and I all went down and stayed with my mom's friend Linda on Hilton Head Island, SC.

Mitch, me, Tiff at HHI

We arrived about midnight Friday night, after a 4.5 hour drive that went by miraculously fast. It was so good having travel buddies - I so often drive alone. 

Linda's house was beautiful and there was enough space in the living room for a blowup mattress for Tiff and Mitch, and a big couch for me.  The next day we took a bike ride to the grocery store to pick up some things, then headed down to the beach with Linda and her boyfriend Jeff. 

Handstand on the beach!

It was a really spectacular day and we mostly just lounged in the shade of their giant beach tent. Finally, as it really started heating up, Tiff, Mitch and I decided to hit the water.  Tiffany and I were a little wary because HHI is known for its marine life and Linda's son, Nic, had just told us about being stung by a stingray.  Mitch was telling Tiffany and I not to be silly, that we'd be fine, then all of a sudden he goes "ahh, I was just stung by a jelly fish" and starts swimming away.  We thought he was joking to try and scare us, but when he confirmed that he was serious, Tiff and I were back on the beach in about 3 seconds. lol  We didn't go back in the water that day, and Mitch had four lines across the top of his foot where the jelly fish tentacles had wrapped around it.

After 5 p.m., dogs are allowed on the beach, and Linda went to get her dog, Bailey, and it made friends with some other local dogs.  Well then, one of the other dogs runs up right by my chair and lifts his leg, and by the time I realize what he's doing, it's a little too late.  I jumped up, but he still got a little pee on me.  Tiffany thought it was hysterical (and it kind of was - I mean really, who gets peed on by a dog?).  I braved the ocean again to rinse off. 

Linda and Jeff

sunset by the Boat House Restaurant

As it approached dinner time, Tiff, Mitch and I went back to the house (about a five minute walk from the beach) and got ready to go out to dinner.  We went to a place called The Boat House, recommended by Linda and Jeff.  The wait was 90 minutes, so we put down our names (Linda & Jeff planned to meet us there), and enjoyed the lovely evening and the sunset.  There was a long dock and we walked to the end and watched the last rays of sunlight fade from the sky, making the water orangy as it went. 

The food was delicious - I had fish tacos which were YUM!  From there we all went to a place called The Triangle where there are several clubs and bars, very close to where Linda lives. Linda and Jeff wanted to hear a band play, but they were running really late and as we waited for them to come on, I was getting really frustrated.  They were going to perform on an outdoor stage, so we got seats outdoors, but then everyone was smoking around us and it was really bothering me, then it got more crowded, and people were pushing up against us, and then some drunk lady stumbled and grabbed my shoulder as she went past and I was just DONE.  I left the four of them there and returned to the house. 

Tiff and Mitch on the pier.

After showering and getting in my PJs, Linda's roommate, Brian (who is also 25), got home and hung out with me for a little bit until the others returned.  When they got back, they convinced me to change and we all went for a walk on the beach looking for sea turtles.  We didn't find any, but I did find a hula-hooper with a light up hula-hoop which I got to try.  That was fun. 

Mitch and Tiff in the kayak.

The three of us on the dolphin cruise.

On Sunday we slept in late and then headed to a section of inter-coastal nearby where they rent kayaks.  Brian was able to use his connections and get us free kayaks for two hours! We couldn't believe our luck.  I had my own and Tiff and Mitch shared.  We saw a ton of jumping fish, some interesting birds, and a lot of beautiful houses and trees.  It was hot, but it was good exercise and I really enjoyed it.  After returning to the house to shower/change, we made a move toward Sea Pines (an exclusive area of HHI) where our dolphin cruise left from. (Tiff had gotten us groupons for a dolphin cruise before we left).  Tiff and I were worried about getting seasick, but we both did fine.  (Probably because we were mostly in a bay).  We saw a ton of dolphins, though none actually jumped out of the water or anything.  Basically, the boat we were on followed the shrimp boats and the dolphins were always behind the shrimp boats.  It was hot initially, but the last half hour was really lovely as the sun started to go down and the breeze picked up.  From there, the three of us headed to the Salty Dog Cafe (a world famous restaurant) where we got a snack and some Salty Dog paraphernalia.Then we went to a beach in Sea Pines and walked the beach in the falling dusk.

following a shrimp boat to see dolphins

We ended our evening at a delicious pizza restaurant before heading back to the house.

On Monday, we spent a few hours at the beach and Tiff and I borrowed Linda's neighbor's surf boards to try and surf (as the waves were bigger).  Unfortunately, they weren't quite big enough to surf, and we ended up using them more like boogie boards (though we put in a valiant effort in standing on the boards). We didn't get stung by anything, which was great, and we definitely got some good exercise! 

At last, though we didn't want the weekend to end, we went back to the house and got ready to leave.  We thanked Linda and Jeff, who had been fantastic hosts, and left about 4 p.m.   It was a really lovely weekend!

Tiff and Mitch on the beach.

walking the beach

Florida July 2012

 

Ft. Desoto

Our first night in St. Petersburg, Michael, Grandma, Dad and I all walked to the central downtown area full of different restaurants and bars. We had dinner at an Irish pub that Michael really liked, and all our food was quite good. Afterward we got gelato and sat outside talking as we watched people (several of them drunk already) walk by.  Michael said St. Pete is known for having a fair number of drunks walking around at any given time.

We went back to our hotel afterward and chatted for a while, then Michael and I went back to his place a few blocks away.  (I decided to sleep on his couch so Grandma had more room in the double bed at the hotel).  Unfortunately, Michael inhabits the attic of these people's house, and the only AC is a window unit in his room.  He left the door open to try and get the air wafting into the living room, but it wasn't overly successful and I was quite hot all night.

The next morning, Dad and Grandma picked me up from Michael's (he was at work) and we went to get breakfast, then went to Ft. De Soto State Park.  The beach there was voted at one point as "America's Best" and it really is lovely.  I'd been there once before with Patrick in May of 2011, so it had been just about a year.  We enjoyed the perfect water and white sand, then walked around the old fort and the pier.  On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at a Barns and Noble where, unable to help myself, I bought two books.  (Even though I'd just gotten a book at the Goodwill Bookstore in Tallahassee).

with Michael outside the restaurant

I was really excited about one in particular: The Sisterhood Everlasting.  This is the continuation (10 years later) from one of my favorite series, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.  Those books made such an impact on me as a college student.  I felt like the characters were right where I was in every sense.  They "got" me at that phase of my life - empathized with me as I did with them.  They were truly like friends.  Those books inspired me to start my own book (still not quite finished).  So this book, written so much later, when the girls are all 29 (close to my age), was very exciting for me to pick up.  More about that later...

So that evening, after relaxing from the beach, Michael came over and we all drove to Fourth Street Shrimp Store where we had delicious seafood.  Thereafter, we played cards in the lobby of our hotel until it was time for Michael to leave.  I decided to try and share the bed with grandma that night in the cool air conditioned room.

with Dad at the Shrimp Store

When I walked Michael out, we started talking about my future job prospects and how I should go about looking for a job.  There is just so much I could do, it is very overwhelming for me to decide what direction to focus my energies into.  But chatting with him about it did make me feel better and he had some good tips.

On Friday, Dad, Grandma and I had a yummy breakfast at this cool bakery/restaurant and then drove home.  It was a nice drive back and a beautiful day.  We picked up Lily from her mom's house on the way and she came over until we met her mom, Dad and some family friends out to dinner at T.G.I. Fridays.

sunset over St. Pete

On Saturday, I spent a good chunk of the day hanging out with my cousin Brian (Michael's brother who lives in Tally).  I helped him go shopping for a bunch of stuff he needed and it was good catching up with him (though every conversation we have, I lose a little more faith in the male race).

Sunday, Gma, Dad, U. Andy, Lily and I all went to Wakulla Springs.  The water was as cold as ever, but the day was lovely and I enjoyed reading my Sisterhood book on the "beach." I also started to realize how moody teenage girls can be (namely, my cousin Lily), who sulked every time her father so much as looked at her, and has perfected the scowl to an art.

with cousin Lily at TGI Fridays

On Monday morning, Dad and I left about 9:30.  He drove while I finished the Sisterhood book, which I'd started only the day before. It was that good. In this book, the girls were all at points in their lives that I feel like either I or my friends are in.  It was about discovering yourself as an adult, figuring out how to maintain and change old friendships into adult friendships, dealing with loss and love and jobs and lack of jobs - it was just so perfect in so many ways. Though, like its predecessors, it did make me cry.  Bittersweet tears of recognizing the loss of the past, the struggle of the present, and the hope of the future.

in the water at Wakulla Springs - SO cold

I finished my book around 12:30, and then Dad and I stopped for lunch.  I offered to drive for a while, and after only 30 minutes, I got stuck in a speed trap and pulled over.  The speed limit had been 55, so I was going 61.  Then it had apparently dropped to 45, but I missed the sign, and then didn't start slowing down until I saw a sign for 35 mph.  At that same point, the cop saw me and turned his lights on.  Luckily, when he clocked me I was still in the 45 mph zone, but still, 61 in a 45 is not good.  He dropped it to 59 and insisted that it would not affect my license or insurance, but he's obviously an idiot, because any ticket affects your insurance.  I found out the next day that it's $175 ticket, which is just great.  Dad drove the rest of the way home, as I was all teary after being pulled over.  As we drove off, we saw someone else pulled over right where the first cop had seen us from.  Georgia, I am not happy with you.