Week One: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and Surrounding Points of Interest

On June 22, I embarked on a four week tour, which includes Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; the Gulf Coast, including Mobile, Alabama and New Orleans, Louisiana; St. Louis, Missouri, and surrounding points of interest in each region.

The first one week stop was at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and the surrounding points of interest in the region.

Murrels Inlet and Garden City Beach

Murrels Inlet, located approximately 10 miles from Myrtle Beach, is a small fishing village converted into a boardwalk lined with restaurants and bars. The village also includes an additional boardwalk that extends out into the inlet marsh, providing a great view of the marsh and its wildlife. Murrels Inlet had a vibrant nightlife, with small vendors selling their hand-made products, and bar patios packed full.

The Murrels Inlet boardwalk. The boardwalk has a very relaxing atmosphere with plenty of restaurants and bar patios to lounge.

Flight 93 National Memorial; Stoystown, PA

Over the weekend, I visited the Flight 93 National Memorial in Stoystown, PA. The memorial is situated at the crash site of Flight 93, one of four commercial airliners hijacked on September 11, 2001.

The crash site at this otherwise serene, rural area, is the result of passengers and crew who tried to recapture the airliner. The passenger and crews' ill-fated attempt to recapture the airliner cost the lives of all on-board. But their efforts saved many more, preventing the hijackers from reaching their intended target: the Capital Building in Washington D.C..

I have visited other memorials in the past, including 9/11 Memorial in New York, which projects the sheer scale of the tragedy onto the visitor, but for some reason I found this particular memorial the most eerie and sad. As for the reasons, I can only speculate.

The pathway to the memorial. The white marble Wall of Names can be seen in the distance to the right of the walkway. To the left, a black stone wall runs along the walkway which marks the boundary of the debris field.

Day Trip to New York, NY: 4th Visit

On our fourth and likely last visit to New York, NY, we visited the new 9/11 Memorial in lower Manhattan, the historic Meat Packing District, and the new High Line Park.

The 9/11 Memorial is a solemn place, as it should be. Where the original twin towers once stood, memorials are in place of what used to be each building's foundation. Somewhat adjacent to each memorial, the new towers rise, nearly completed as of this writing. The Survivor Tree, which survived the crashing towers, is also located on the memorial grounds.

The foundation where the north tower once stood.

A Laid Back Visit to the National Mall; Washington, D.C.

Over the weekend, Michelle and I went into D.C., likely our last time downtown before we move overseas. We did not plan anything in particular. Instead we decided to take a leisurely stroll along the National Mall, stop at any points that interested us or we have not seen yet, and mess around with the new digital camera.

We stopped for a bit to eat on the National Mall and sat under the shade of the trees. This little guy took a keen interest in us, and our hot pretzels. In general, over the years we have noticed that the squirrels in D.C. are braver than their suburban cousins.