Don't You Just LOVE Surprises???

Huntington Beach State Park

Site #31

Murrells Inlet, South Carolina

Today we were up and out at 8am with cups of hot water to investigate the Sandpiper Trail and see where I’d gone wrong.   We found the trail head, started following it and made the same mistake and ended up in the same place.  Well by this point I’m convinced that this is a poor job of trail marking by the park.  David suggests we go to the other end and try to walk it backwards but I’m stubborn, I want to figure out why I can’t walk it this way and so after we go down different side trails we find that the metal markers for the trial are about 8 feet up the tree so we both missed seeing it.  The first two markers were at eye level but the next one and several after that were so high up that we didn’t initially see them.   Once we did though, David wanted to walk the trail but it was about 10 till 9 and I wanted to get the running over with so I went back and changed into my running while he hiked on.

I ran down to the trail head and along the trail which really has too many sandy hills and too many tree roots for running but was lovely just the same.  I over took David near the end and these are his pictures of the trail as I ran on and down to the beach.  The trail is about a mile long and runs along Sandpiper pond with many overlooks.  Nearly all of the pictures he took were not of the trail per say but of the overlooks and the pond from the overlooks including the one with the painter which was where I passed him.

Down on the beach, I ran with the wind to the North end of the park where civilization begins again and turned around to run back.   The wind was much more powerful than I had realized when it was at my back and by the time I got to the Atalaya beach access which was the first one, I decided I wouldn’t run all the way back up the beach to our campground access but cut up here and get out of the wind.  I ran around the outside of Atalaya, down a boardwalk near the Registration Center and back over to the campground.   Whew…………enough.

Showered, dressed and had one of David’s flakes and pomegranate breakfasts.  A picture of how pretty it is was on a previous post.  It tastes as good as it looks and we figure it is under 300 calories.  After that we did a little house cleaning.  It is SO nice to have such a small house when it’s cleaning time.  I took the carpets and floors, David did the sinks, shower and toilet and in a jiffy we were done.

He had more insurance calls he had to make before the week-end but since this was my last day to be on an ocean beach for a while, I wanted to go back down for an hour or so before our friends came.   And so I did.

I’d only been back about 10 minutes when a knock came at the door.  I opened it with a smart remark for Nancy Mills about not needing whatever she was selling  but then I saw Linda Payne hiding off to the side, I dropped my quip and my jaw.  Oh my ………..   what a surprise.  Howard and Linda and Bill and Nancy had decided to surprise David and I and Gin and Syl.   Howard and Linda had driven a couple of hours down from their current spot at Cheraw State Park to spend the afternoon with all of us and have dinner.  Boy were we thrilled.   Howard and Linda (http://www.rv-dreams.com/) are the people responsible for our being on the road.  It was their blog and their information on everything possible including detailed financial figures, what to do, what to avoid, how to do it, how to avoid it and things a novice like me who had never ever RV’d before would never have thought of, that gave us the courage to jump off the cliff and go for it.  We are forever in their debt!!

Well Nancy and Bill (http://nancyandbillblog.blogspot.com/) surely did manage one of the best surprises I've had in a long time.  Can't thank them enough for their stealth.  Everybody came in after we got over the shock and it was like old home week.

I insisted Howard and Linda go and see the fruits of their inspiration on our license plate which is RV DREAM.  While we were out, up rode Gin and Syl ( http://wanderingsylville.blogspot.com/) on their cool electric Townie bikes.  Look at all the laughter!

We all gathered outside Gin and Syl's Brave Wanda for some great stories and information sharing.

And when the sun began to lower and the chill was in the air we went inside Wanda and on the fun went.

Here's half of the King and Queen of Surprises quartet Howard and Linda Payne havin' fun with Gin.

Eventually though we were all hungry and Nancy had made reservations at a great little restaurant the Hot Fish Club in Murrells Inlet.  She's some organizer that Nancy. 

She'd better be careful or Linda is going to draft her for the 2011 RV Dreams Rally in April.  :-)   (http://www.rv-dreams.com/rally.html).

Here they are, the other half of the King and Queen of Surprises Quartet, Bill and Nancy Mills

What a fabulous end to our stay at Huntington Beach State Park.  Such a great group of people all inspired and brought together by the Dream.   We had our own little mini-rally complete with educational bits, funny bits, entertaining bits, good food, hugs, handshakes and just good friendship.   Thanks to you all!!   We couldn't have better friends and a special thanks to Howard and Linda for starting this ball rolling and keeping it moving along.  You are THE best!

postscript:  I'm sure I am the last of the other 3 bloggers to have posted about this great day so if you want better versions with cooler pictures check out those blogs above.  My excuse would be that since we are on the road, I have less time but then how do I explain the amazing Howard who has blogged everyday for years not months?  Guess I'll just bow to superior blogmanship  :-))