Back?

I haven't written anything in the blog in almost five years. Part of the reason is that I haven't done much new and when I have, I have been too busy to write about it. part of it has been that I kind of forgot about it.

I was doing some kayaking and wrote about that a couple years ago here. I sold the kayaks and bought a boat. That lasted a while. Then I sold the boat and bought another kayak. Now I am back to yakking.

We still eat out a couple times per month. Now, I am posting the reviews in Yelp instead of my blog. I thought more people might get some use out of them.

We have been doing 5K races for several years. Now, Christine and I have done several triathlons as well and have been getting more active in general. The swim, bike, run thing is a lot more fun for us. The competitions are great, but I really like training that way and training in the three disciplines has all but replaced the weight training we used to do in addition to our running, at least for now.

I did have a couple of surgeries in 2013. One was to fix my knee that has a Salonpas patch on it during that triathlon. I had a torn meniscus and the doc fixed it for me and ground down some arthritis while he was in there.

My next post will be one related to a camping trip we took this past week. It isn't really East Cooper related except that after being anywhere else it is always great to be back East of the Cooper.

Final Movie of the Season - Rudy

If you plan to be in the Charleston area this weekend (October 2, 2010) you may want to head over to the Memorial Waterfront Park in Mount Pleasant for Movies at the Park. This week's movie is Rudy. The show is listed to start at 8:15 PM. Last month, Willy Wonka was listed to start at 9:00 and started at 8:30. You may want to arrive early. Bring a chair or blanket. There is no charge for the movie (if you are local, you already paid for it). Parking in the lot is normally 50 cents per hour. The fee was waived a couple of times. Last month wasn' clear; so we paid. I am not sure about this time. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. The Kettle Korn is great
Memorial Waterfront Park is located near Patriots Point and the Ravenel Bridge.

We went a few weeks ago and a bunch of us saw Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. In July, we saw E.T. In June, we saw Blind Side with some friends. The August movie, City Slickers, was rained out. The movies at the park have been a great time. There are a lot of families who head out there with blankets and snacks. Click on the links for more information.

Willy Wonka to be Seen In Mount Pleasant

If you plan to be in the Charleston area this weekend (September 19, 2010) you may want to head over to the Memorial Waterfront Park in Mount Pleasant for Movies at the Park. This week's movie is Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. The show starts at 9:00 PM. Bring a chair or blanket. There is no charge for the movie (if you are local, you already paid for it). Parking in the lot is normally 50 cents per hour. The fee was waived last couple of times. I am not sure about this time. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.
Memorial Waterfront Park is located near Patriots Point and the Ravenel Bridge.

We went a few weeks ago and saw E.T. In June, we saw Blind Side with some friends. The August movie, City Slickers, was rained out. The movies at the park have been a great time. There are a lot of families who head out there with blankets and snacks. Click on the links for more information.


Future Movie nights are:

October 2 - Rudy

Charleston Featured in Budget Travel

The content below is not totally East Cooper specific. Gullah Cuisine and Thornhill Farm are East of the Cooper. Hominy Grill is on the peninsula and worth a stop as well.

See Budget Travel online for more information regarding the article below:

SOUTH CAROLINA'S LOW COUNTRY
Start in Charleston and the counties surrounding it.
This might come as a surprise, but the cuisine of South Carolina's low country has a lot more to offer than shrimp and grits. The region is named for the southern counties along the coast. True low-country food is a complex mix of fresh seafood, native rice, and legumes, and is seeing a renaissance unlike any other cuisine in the U.S.

"The food and products available in this region are completely different from what was around ten years ago," says Sean Brock, chef of McCrady's in Charleston. Farmers are reintroducing many of the crops that were lost after the Civil War, such as original breeds of wheat, corn, and benne, and many kitchens are reviving long-neglected recipes. This reenergized food scene has earned Charleston chefs the James Beard Foundation awards for Best Chef in the Southeast the past three years. For thorough exploration, start in Charleston and wind south among the moss-draped oaks that line coastal Route 17.

Three essential stops: If you think grits are a mushy breakfast food, you've never had Robert Stehling's worthy version. Hominy Grill, in Charleston, delivers creamy perfection: local shrimp sautéed with bacon, scallions, and mushrooms over cheddar and Parmesan-spiked Old Mill of Guilford grits (207 Rutledge Ave., 843/937-0930, hominygrill.com, $17). In McClellanville, Thornhill Farm (Hwy. 17 N., 843/887-3500, ourlocalfoods.com) is a store, not a restaurant, but its supply of local meats, artisanal cheeses, and fresh veggies is unrivaled. Grab some fixings for a sandwich, and don't forget to get a Coke as well. In between the two, Charlotte Jenkins' Gullah Cuisine restaurant is a tribute to the low-country's African-American heritage. Jenkins has been ladling out the region's tastiest she-crab soup since 1997. If crab's not to your liking, opt for a plate of Gullah rice, a cousin to paella (1717 Hwy. 17 N., 843/881-9076, gullahcuisine.com, a cup of she-crab soup $6).

City Slickers in the Park

If you plan to be in the Charleston area this weekend (August 14, 2010) you may want to head over to the Memorial Waterfront Park in Mount Pleasant for Movies at the Park. This week's movie is City Slickers. The show starts at 9:00 PM. Bring a chair or blanket. There is no charge for the movie (if you are local, you already paid for it). Parking in the lot is normally 50 cents per hour. The fee was waived last couple of times. I am not sure about this time. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.
Memorial Waterfront Park is located near Patriots Point and the Ravenel Bridge.

We went a few weeks ago and saw E.T. In June, we saw Blind Side with some friends. The movies at the park have been a great time. There are a lot of families who head out there with blankets and snacks. Click on the links for more information.


Future Movie nights are:

September 18 - Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

October 2 - Rudy

All-American City Party and Movies at the Park

If you plan to be in the Charleston area this weekend (July 24, 2010) you may want to head over to the Memorial Waterfront Park in Mount Pleasant for the All-American City Celebration and Movies at the Park. This week's movie is E.T. The show starts at 9:00 PM. Bring a chair or blanket. I think the party starts at 8:30. There is no charge for the movie (if you are local, you already paid for it). Parking in the lot is normally 50 cents per hour. The fee was waived last time. I am not sure about this time. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.
Memorial Waterfront Park is located near Patriots Point and the Ravenel Bridge.

We went a few weeks ago and saw Blind Side with some friends. It was a great time. Click on the links for more information.


Future Movie nights are:
August 14 - City Slickers

September 18 - Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

October 2 - Rudy

Fourth of July East of the Cooper

If you are going to be in the Charleston area over the Fourth of July weekend, you may want to head over to the East Cooper area for the fireworks. There are several shows within viewing distance from each other. If you live here and want to try something different than what you have been doing, you might want to look at this too.
There's a bunch of stuff going on this weekend to celebrate our nation's independence. Perhaps the most popular, and for good reason, is the celebration at Patriot's Point. This celebration starts in the afternoon and goes on until 10 PM or so. You can count on getting out of there much later, due to traffic. The Fireworks start shortly after 9 and will go for about 20 minutes. You really want to get there early though. The festivities start at 4 and, beginning at 5, the museum is offering $5 admission to the Yorktown (a huge aircraft carrier for those who don't know) and the other boats. The admission special runs until 7 PM.
Parking, which is usually $3, is free for this event.

Sullivan's Island's fireworks take place in the town's park (2520 Middle Street). You can see them from the beach. In the past, we have gotten a place on the beach between Sullivan's and Isle of Palms and watched them both from there. We were also able to se the Patriot's Point, some from the Joe, and Folly Beach's as well. We also watched them from the berm at Breech Inlet, near Sunrise Presbyterian Church. I didn't like the view from there as much.
Don't bring your own fireworks to Sullivan's or IOP. They are illegal there.

Isle of Palms fireworks start immediately after the Sullivan's Island fireworks end. They are usually shot near 14th Avenue. You can see them from just about anywhere on the beach. Here is a link to pictures of some of last year's fireworks at IOP. Don't bring your own fireworks to Sullivan's or IOP. They are illegal there.

I'ON - If fireworks aren't your thing, the I'On neighborhood is hosting Band Blast 2010 from 6 - 9 PM. There are other events throughout the day, starting with a parade at 9:30 AM.

I found this on the Facebook page for "I Love Mount Pleasant":
Mount Pleasant Pier
Live beach music under the stars. The music starts at 8 p.m. The East Coast Party Band is performing. The pier at the foot of the Ravenel Bridge on Charleston Harbor. Great spot to view the area’s fireworks displays! Gates open at 7 p.m. and music begins at 8 p.m.
Tickets will be limited. On-site tickets $10. Beverages will be available for purchase on site. l 843-795-4FUN