Fat Harold's Beach Club

Myrtle Beach earns popularity for beach adventures and seafood delights but there’s another must do experience for the South Carolina hot spot. You can not leave Myrtle Beach without a good shag. Shag dancing, or the Carolina shag to be specific, is the state dance and there’s no better place to try it than Fat Harold’s.

This smooth-toed derivative of the jitterbug dance is said to have originated in Myrtle Beach during the late 30s and it continues to thrive in nightclubs throughout the area. This stylish swing dance is a point of pride for seasoned shaggers and Fat Harold’s Beach Club is their official headquarters.  The dimly lit club is packed every night with dancers gliding across the floor in the required leather-soled shoes.  Djs pump beach music or live bands perform mid tempo rhythms perfect for the dance. For the rhythm-impaired, there’s even free weekly shag lessons so there’s no excuse not to join the fun.  Imagine sliding across the floor with nimble spins and twirls and you’re half way there. Fat Harold’s is a Myrtle Beach institution with friendly servers and  proper rights to the moniker, “home of the shag.”  If you’re not in the mood for a burger or hot dog at Fat Harold’s shuffle on over to the Landmark Bar & Grill on the boardwalk and sample the  bountiful helpings of fish tacos and chips and salsa.

Photo courtesy of Rosalind Cummings-Yeates

A farmer volunteer guide at the living history farm.

Farming is the foundation of American history but sadly, farms are quickly disappearing from the daily landscape of  the typical American experience. Generations of kids are growing up without a clear understanding of where their food comes from and how it’s produced. The L.W. Paul Living History Farm provides an active example of how small, one-horse family farms operated generations ago.

cotton fields

Located a few miles outside of Myrtle Beach in Horry County, SC, the L.W. Paul Living History Museum offers opportunities to witness and participate in centuries -old farm activities like cotton picking, grinding sugarcane and grits and syrup making.  A popular weekend excursion, crowds of families were strolling the 17 acre farm when I visited.

Each season brings new activities so I observed fall activities like meat curing and grinding grits. The grits mill was a community machine that farmers would use together and give some of their corn as payment. Another area featured clothes dying, where women used plants to make dyes. Black walnut was used for brown, madderoot for red and acorn for a yellow shade. Mules plowed fields and tobacco was hung up in small shacks to dry.

The L.W. Paul Living History Museum  showcases such an authentic farming experience that it was featured in the movies “Cold Mountain” and “The Patriot”. Admission is free and hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 9-4PM. For a little more elegant relaxation after so rustic an experience, head to Tilghman Beach & Golf Resort and enjoy panoramic views of the beach in two or three bedroom luxury condos.

Photos courtesy of Rosalind Cummings-Yeates

Our Jeep at Sycamore Creek.

A couple of weekends ago we headed out to Lower Sycamore Creek, which is in the Tonto National Forest in the Mesa area. This is an extremely active and busy system of trails traversed by Jeeps, dirt bikes, ATV’s, and other off-road recreational vehicles. Normally my husband and I choose more remote and private areas, but Lower Sycamore’s proximity to our home (only about a half-hour away) drew us in its direction.

Some general advice about going off-roading:

- If you’re not sure of your route, DON’T GO ALONE.
- If it looks like the trail is too hard to traverse, TURN AROUND.
- Take plenty of water, extra gas, a spare tire, a basic tool kit, a first aid kit, a change of footwear and a couple of blankets.
- Take a ration of high-protein snacks that keep well – jerky, nuts, granola bars, and trail mix are great.
- Take an actual folding map or atlas as well as a GPS, so you’re not depending on a battery.
- Tell people where you’re going and when you expect to be back. If you change your plans, let them know.
- Lots of areas lose cell phone reception, so don’t depend on your cell. Better yet, if your vehicle has OnStar, which depends on satellites and not sketchy cell reception, you’re much better off.

View from a plateau on the Quartz Mine Trail.

Once we arrived, we played around for a while, popping up and down a hill called “Widowmaker” and exploring the high traffic trails. We quickly became sick of the dust and noise, so we headed to a more remote area of the trail system called the Quartz Mine Trail. This trail took us high up in the surrounding hills, past quartz deposits and through areas of the running creek. There was no way anything but a 4-wheel-drive vehicle with a decent amount of clearance could make that trip. The Jeep articulated nicely over shelves and rocks, and traversed through the running creek and over round river rocks with ease. Still, on a scale of 1-10 I’d rate the difficulty of this trail at a 6 or 7 (though if you’re a very experienced Jeep-er and have done stuff like rock crawling, you’d probably rate this a 4). The rest of the Sycamore Creek system seems to be anywhere from a 1-5 rating, depending on which hills you want to tackle.

To get to the Lower Sycamore Creek entrance, drive northeast out of Phoenix on the Bee Line Highway (Highway 87). Take the exit for Bush Highway. Immediately before the bridge is a gate that opens to a parking area. Proceed through the parking area and follow the road down to the base of the creek, where you will find a variety of trails, hills, and scrambles. This place is VERY busy on the weekend!

The Widowmaker at Sycamore Creek.

GPS of entrance point: Lat 33.37.42, Lon -111.33.35
Tonto National Forest Map
Arizona Road & Recreation Atlas: 41/75

Staying in Mesa? Check out the Courtyard by Marriott Mesa or the Hampton Inn Mesa. Tired of off-roading? Play a round of golf at Dobson Ranch, or check out the Mesa Southwest Museum. Starving? Don’t miss out on the Landmark Restaurant, home of the best salad bar in the state.

Photos copyright Tiffany Joyce

Biking along Lake Michigan

So you thought the biking craze was regulated to balmy climates and hippie-focused cities? Think again. Despite bone chilling temperatures for most of the year, Chicago hosts a sizable biking community that cycles year round, wind chill and snow be damned.  That means today’s “Critical Mass Bikers Parade” through downtown is just business as usual for  fleece-covered bike fans.

Kicking off a Daley Plaza at 5:30 PM, this monthly event celebrates the joy of riding bicycles en mass.  Bikers gather under the Picasso and determine routes. Typically, the route runs along Michigan Avenue and  other popular (and crowded) shopping streets for 10-15 miles.  The event also includes freebies like the latest issue of Derailleur, which displays 2012 bike events, and fleece scarves and gaiters handed out by the biking organization, Bike Winter, to fight the mighty Chicago Hawk (Editor’s note — that’s local talk for “wind”) that’s sure to smack riders in the face.

Watching the parade of thousands of bikers can be almost as much fan as riding along, “Happy Friday” is the cheery greeting they award perturbed drivers and they hand out fliers promoting mutual respect between riders and motorists. The highlight is witnessing a “Chicago Holdup,” when a group of bikers lift their bikes in the air at an intersection as a sort of bike salute.  After the ride, head to the Handlebar, a popular biker hangout in Wicker Park for an after party.  The bike decor will  amuse you but the seared tuna steak or buffalo chicken wrap is sure to warm you.

Photo courtesy of The Chainlink

If you find yourself strolling through Toronto’s popular PATH keep your eye(s) open for the Metro Hall entrance. That’s the area in which you will find this large mural. What you make of it is up to you. That’s how art works, people.

What is the PATH? It’s 17 miles of underground tunnels filled with shopping, entertainment and things to do — and best of all, heat. Going underground during the winter makes Toronto the groundhog of metropolitan markets, and also pretty smart.

This post is part of the UpTake Public Art Series. If you see an interesting piece of public art, snap a picture and send it in. We’ll feature it on UpTake!

Photo: spDuchamp via Flickr

The McCormick Tribune Ice Rink

Chicago supplies icy fun for most of the year but it’s only the holiday time that offers festive activities to celebrate the season.  Annual rituals like ice skating at the McCormick Tribune Rink in Millennium Park and visiting the holiday-themed Thorne Miniature Rooms in the Art Institute make the season bright indeed.

Layer on the sweaters and coats and kick off the holiday fun by heading to the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink. It’s an outdoor rink with lots of skaters so snuggle up with scarves and mittens in case you tumble on the ice. The rink attracts 100,000 skaters annually, most of them during the holidays so you can avoid long lines by bringing your own skates. Skate rentals are $10 but admission to the rink is free. Hours are Monday-Thursday, 12-8PM and Saturday 10-8PM, Sunday 10-9PM. The rink is open on Christmas Day, 10-4PM.  Warm up from ice skating by visiting the nearby Art Institute of Chicago.  Stroll past the wreath topped lions and enjoy the Home for the Holidays activities at the museum. Visit the Thorne Rooms to view the miniature rooms decked out in holiday finery, midday holiday music concerts at 1:30PM through December 31 and holiday desserts at the Garden Cafe.  Step across the street and sample a warming meal at the Gage restaurant. Try the potato soup and the chili rubbed pork belly for a filling and satisfying lunch.

Photo courtesy of Millennium Park

Huskies at Northerly Island

It’s December and it is snowing in Chicago.  For many, this news might signal that it is time for hibernation and/or plentiful hot toddies, but for the adventurous, it means the start of Polar Adventure Days at Northerly Island.  Northerly Island is a 91-acre peninsula that used to house Miegs Field, Chicago’s third airport, but now it’s a nature preserve that hosts lots of bucolic activities.

Once the ground is covered with at least three inches of snow, on every weekend from December through February,  Polar Adventure Days commence.  Get up close and personal with Siberian huskies and birds of prey, watch ice sculptures being created or sip hot cocoa and wander down the icy nature paths.

My favorite offerings at Northerly island are snow shoeing and cross country skiing. That’s right.  You can slap on free snow shoes or skis smack in the heart of downtown Chicago and glide around the island.  The equipment is available on select Saturdays and Sundays from 10 AM-4PM.  Stop by the field house to warm up or catch views of the Chicago skyline. After an afternoon of frosty fun, head to the nearby The Scout restaurant for fortification.  Don’t miss the signature foot long grilled cheese sandwiches.

Photo courtesy of exploreChicago.org

The Christkind with her homey, Santa

Chicago is always reliable for excellent holiday scenes. Freezing temps and frost-covered streets are what the Windy City is all about. On top of this, Chi-town boasts many Christmas traditions that will add to the good cheer (if you don’t turn into an icicle first).  The most charming tradition is the annual Christkindl Market at Daley Plaza.

Modeled after the iconic Christmas market in Nuremberg, Germany, Chicago’s version is pretty authentic, down to the schnitzels, sausages and the appearance of Christkind, the golden-locked fairy who delivers presents in regions where Santa Claus doesn’t.  The entire atmosphere at the market is festive and joyful.

Daley Plaza is transformed with little kiosks that resemble old-fashioned shops and vendors from Germany as well as Ireland and Guatemala, sell authentic, hand-crafted gifts.  Beer Steins, hand-knitted scarves, glass ornaments, wooden toys and cuckoo clocks are just a few of the treasures available. Besides shopping options, Christkindl Market really focuses on foodie delights. Hoards of local workers descend upon the fest to nosh bratwurst, pretzels,  roasted chestnuts, gingerbread and of course, drink lots of beer.

My personal favorite is the caramel-coated cashews that always supply me with enough energy for hours and hours of shopping.  The wind whips through the market like it does the rest of the area, and it gets pretty cold after about 40 minutes of browsing. Head indoors for another Chicago holiday tradition, The Walnut Room on the 7th floor of Macy’s, which is just a block away from the market.  The huge tree and sparkling decorations will help you forget that you just ate your way through Christkindlmarket. Save room for the Frango mint pie!

Photo courtesy of exploreChicago

Orange Hill Inn

Nassau, Bahamas is a beach lover’s paradise with pristine, uncrowded shores and pearly sand. But if you can tear yourself away, there’s more to this island than just sun and surf. One of the hallmarks of the local culture is the weekend fish fry on West Bay Street in New Providence.  It offers not just an endless variety of seafood possibilities but an lively connection to local music and customs.

Filled with dozens of shacks and restaurants offering delicacies like conch salad, fresh lobster tail and grilled snapper, the choices can almost be overwhelming. except if you watch the locals.  Everyone I asked suggested Twin Brothers as the best place to visit and sure enough when I arrived, the palm tree-fringed diner was filled with locals eating and ordering carry out. There were tourists too but a strong local presence is always a good sign.  Twin Brothers was overseen by a kindly man in a pistachio-colored suit with matching shoes. I assumed he was one of the original twin brothers but if not, he literally  added a colorful presence to my experience. I sipped a guava daiquiri and ordered fried red snapper which came with cole slow, fried plantains and peas and rice.  My plate arrived spilling over with food, which was lightly spicy and delicious.  As I ate, local musicians set up and played  bouncy Junkanoo music.  Soon, the fish fry transformed to a crowded nightclub as revelers danced and drank. I made my way back to the quiet Orange Hill Inn on the other side of Nassau, and sat in the garden as I watched the sun go down.

Photo by Rosalind Cummings-Yeates

A Seaport Village Sunset

Looking for a getaway to warmer climes this winter, for you and your significant other? Consider San Diego, California! You can have a FANTASTIC time for around $300! That includes lodging, meals, and entertainment – if you drive, you’ll have to figure in the price of gas. If you fly, you’ll have to figure in the price of airfare and vehicle rental. This is for a two-night stay, including two breakfasts/lunches/dinners, and two days of activities.

Here’s where you stay:

I used Expedia to find hotel rates at around $80 per night – trust me, there are a TON of them. The Best Western Mission Bay and the Wyndham Garden San Diego are each a couple of blocks from Mission Bay, and fifteen minutes from the Gaslamp District or the ocean. The Pacific Shores Inn is a mere 100 yards from the Pacific ocean and San Diego’s famed boardwalk.

Total Cost: about $175

Here’s where you eat:

Breakfast:
Each of the hotels above offer complimentary breakfast – for this budget to work, you need to count on eating a free morning meal at your hotel of choice.

Lunch:
Day One: The Boardwalk Bistro (on Mission Beach) – grab two lunch combos (salad, soup and 1/2 sandwich) and a drink for $10.00 each.
Day Two: Greek Island Cafe (Seaport Village) – share a Combo Platter which includes Gyros, Souvlaki, Salad, Pita, Dolma, and Spanikopita. Add a couple of drinks and get out of there for under $20.

Dinner:
Day One: Split a pizza and a house salad at the Sidebar in the Gaslamp District. Throw in a couple of glasses of wine and spend about $35.
Day Two: Time to spoil yourselves a little bit! Indulge in dinner at the Coronado Boathouse – seafood entrees are about $25 per person, so if you add drinks you’ll probably spend about $65.

Breakfast = $0
Lunch = $40
Dinner = $100

Total Cost: about $140

Here’s what you do:

Day One: Hit Mission Beach and the Oceanfront Boardwalk. People watch, wander shoeless in the sand, soak up the sun, and be lulled by the sound of the waves. In the evening enjoy the culture and vivacity of the historic Downtown Gaslamp Quarter.

Day Two: Check out Seaport Village during the day – watch the boats meander about, window shop, and enjoy the fresh sea air. In the evening cross the bridge over to Coronado Island and experience the energetic yet serene island atmosphere.

Total Cost: The $35 you have left in spending money! The perfect amount for some San Diego themed souvenirs!

Photo credit:

- Seaport Village by Jay Martinez on Flickr Creative Commons.