Ice, at Opryland Hotel in Nashville, TN

This is a short post about our experience at the Ice exhibit at Opryland Hotel in Nashville, TN. Year after year, Opryland hotel offers a great Christmas experience. They have lots of activities and they decorate nicely. Every few years we visit the Ice exhibit and spend the evening walking around inside the hotel. One of our fist experiences at Ice was the Peanuts themed exhibit in 2017. We saw large ice sculptures of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, and the rest of gang. 

This year (2022) was themed after the classic movie, Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer. The monstrous sized abominable snowman stood roughly 18 ft. tall and was probably the most impressive sculpture in my opinion. Another of my favorite sculptures depicted Santa in his sleigh, being drawn by his reindeer with Rudolf at the helm. In all, it takes about 30-45 minutes or so to walk through the exhibit at a leisurely pace. That includes taking time to go down the ice slides a couple times.

The best tip that anyone could give for this activity is, "don't forget your gloves". The entire exhibit is made of ice so the temperature is well below the freezing point. When you enter, you will receive a thick coat to wear, but they do not have pockets. At first I was surprised by the missing pockets but then I wondered how many sets of keys and cell phones would be left behind if the coats did have pockets. 

Jubilee Deep Sea Fishing Review, Panama City, FL

Deep-sea fishing during our fall vacation is quickly becoming a family tradition. This past fall, we were in Panama City Beach Florida for the week and the deep-sea fishing did not disappoint. After doing our research, we settled on Jubilee Deep-sea Fishing and the entire trip was top notch. The fishing was good, the crew was friendly, and the boat was clean! Continue reading for more highlights.

We stuck with our tried and true plan of grabbing a biscuit and a coffee from the McDonald's drive thru. We arrived at the dock on time and the check in process was very easy. Prior to boarding the Jubilee, a 90ft. party boat, the captain gathered everyone together. This was the first time this had happened prior to a fishing trip like this, and I liked it. First, he went over a few safety instructions, then he told us about the onboard concessions, and finally he informed us about the current conditions at sea. Based on this info, I only took a fourth of a Dramamine and I was totally fine the entire trip. 

Another thing that he mentioned was that Jubilee provides family fishing experiences. They do sell beer at the concession stand, but he specifically mentioned "no hard liquors are allowed onboard". He went on to say, "we want everyone to have fun, but lets watch the language and behavior because we do have children on board". Considering that I have an impressionable 9-year-old, I appreciated this policy.

On the way to our first fishing stop we saw a dozen or so dolphins and huge jelly fish. The captain and crew were awesome and pointed out the dolphins as we approached. We did not book a dolphin spotting tour but I guess that is one of the perks of fishing in the gulf. Of course, they can be one of the  downsides of fishing in the gulf. We had no run-in's with the dolphins on our trip but the crew told us horror stories of dolphins stealing fish as passengers reel them in. 

The only downside that I found about the entire trip was the "assigned seats". As you check in, you are given your assigned fishing location. Most other charters we have been on are first come, first serve. We like to fish at the rear of the boat, but on this trip we were sitting along the side. We were told by one of the deck-hands that you can request the back at booking but there are no guarantees that the request will be granted. 

The captain of the Jubilee was great! He stayed in constant communication with the deckhands and announced what types of fish that were being caught over the intercom. Each time fishing slowed he was ready to take us to a new location, we ended up fishing in four different locations on this trip. As we finished the trip and headed inland, he allowed parents to bring their little ones up for a chance to drive the boat. 

After unloading we carried our fish next door and had them cleaned, we ended up keeping several lady fish and a nice size porgy. As is tradition, we stopped at a local hook & cook restaurant for a delicious lunch and then headed back to the condo for a lazy afternoon at the beach. 

Jubilee Deep-sea Fishing was top notch. They offer a great family experience and a chance to catch a load of fish. Be sure to give them a call if you are in the area!

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The Celadon, Panama City Beach Florida

Voyager Deep-sea Fishing Disaster - Must Read!

Miles Through Time, Car Museum and Antique Store

If you are searching for info and reviews about Miles Through Time, there is a good chance that you are interested in the auto museum. The museum has a wide variety of old cars: model-T Fords, hotrods, military vehicles, racecars, and motorcycles. There's also a large collection of vintage peddle cars and model cars if your in to vintage toys.

At the beginning of the tour, many of the cars are set in a scene to represent the era of the car. You will walk past the general store, the barber shop, and even the jail as you take in an impressive collection Model-T Fords. With each step you feel as if you are literally taking a stroll through time. I really liked this idea and I hope that the owners continue to expand on it.

No matter if this is a trip down memory lane or a glimpse into the past, plan to spend at least an hour. It took us a bit more than an hour, but it is a self guided tour so we chose to take our time. As far as admission, I forget the exact price, but the experience was well worth the price. Final note, be sure to check out the car that started the museum, Pop's 1959 pink Cadillac, it truly is impressive. 

The Antique Shop

In addition to the car museum, Miles Through Time also has an impressive collection of antiques to browse. The atmosphere was great. When I walked in through the huge green doors, I felt like I was walking into a huge "man cave". That said, there was a wide variety of antiques for everyone to enjoy. As we were browsing, my wife did make the comment, "I think you're enjoying this shop a little more than I am". I think she could tell by my giddy expressions as I admired all the cool stuff. As we paid and headed to the car, we both carried a bag of goodies. My wife actually purchased more than I did, which is no surprise.

Tip: If you decide to shop the antique store first, remember that you can leave your items at the checkout while in the museum. It is also worth noting that the lady at the register was very nice and friendly.  

Bizarre Sea Creature, The Sea Robin

The Sea Robin is a magnificent fish and worthy of a spot in Bizarre post. We were about 8-10 miles out to sea and in approximately 100ft of water when we caught this beautifully colored sea creature. The deckhand told us that he had only seen five or so in his many years of working the gulf coast. This somewhat rare fish not only has wings, but in the photo below he reveals his tiny legs that allow him to creep along the bottom for food.  

 

Freeport Cafe Review, Freeport Florida, Delicious Burger!

Freeport Cafe is about 30 minutes from Panama City Beach. It's the perfect place to grab a delicious burger and have plenty of time to let it settle before hitting the beach or pool.

This small cafe is truly a local fav. While we waited, our server greeted several guest by name with classic southern charm.

The building is a bit of a dive, it is small and looks a bit run down. To be completely honest, had we not been starving, we may have made our way to another restaurant. But once inside, we were pleasantly surprised. It was very clean, decorated nicely, and smelled delicious.

We all got burgers, they were huge, messy, and cooked to order. After seeing large portions of fries walk by our table, we decided to split an order of sweet potato fries. I'm glad we did, because we all left stuffed for the remainder of the drive.

So next time you are passing through, do yourself a favor. Look past the exterior and stop at Freeport Cafe. If it's anything like our experience, then you won't regret it. 

Hemlock Studio Gallery, Clarkesville, GA, Great Art Studio

Since I am doing a review for an art studio, I felt that the photo should be "artsy". I used to dabble in photography in my younger days so I knew this would be fun. Because of my experience with photography, and because my wife and son both enjoy art, we always take time to enjoy an art exhibit when we travel. So, when we were in Clarkesville, Georgia over the summer, Hemlock art gallery was on our agenda.

Hemlock Studio and Gallery did not disappoint. Located just off the town square, it looks small from the outside. But once inside the store, it is much larger than I expected. The owners of the store moved to Georgia from Maine; they were friendly, fun to talk to, and very knowledgable. They did not mind showing us around the gallery, but they also allowed us to browse at our own pace. The studio provided a wide variety of artistic pieces by local artists: photography, paintings, pottery, rock sculptures, woodworking, jewelry, stained glass, and much more. One of the coolest things we saw were the handmade fly-fishing lures. The lures were wrapped perfectly, and the bright colors looked great on display. Unfortunately, I did not get a picture of the lures, so you'll have to stop by to see them for yourself. 

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The Antique Mall, Clarkesville, GA, Great Stop with A Wide Variety

Bizarre Sculpture, Willie the Wildewood Bear, Helen GA

Visit Hemlock Studios on Facebook

Bizarre Sculpture, Willie the Wildewood Bear, Helen GA

For this Bizarre post, we have the amazing Willie, the Wildewood Bear. Willie is located in Helen, Georgia. He stands around 8ft. tall and he is more than happy to take pictures with kids of all ages. His right paw is designed perfectly for holding a small child or a really large jar of honey. After a photo with Willie, be sure to check out some of the cool wind chimes inside the Wildewood store. 

View Wind Chimes Video

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The Antique Mall, Clarkesville, GA

More Bizarre Posts

The Antique Mall, Clarkesville, GA, Great Stop with A Wide Variety

If you want to take a look back in time, you can do it here at the Antique Mall. Located in Clarkesville, Georgia, you can find this shop on Google maps as simply, "Antique Shop". The name is not as original as most antique shops but don't let that fool you. Let's be real, most antique shops these days have what I think of as quirky bar names. However, even the best named stores often leave a lot to be desired. 

Once inside, this is a rather large shop. You will find dozens of long walkways chocked full of vintage goodies. The picture below shows the depth of the store. Keep in mind that the store is twice as wide as it is long. In a store this size, a shopper could easily spend an hour or more pilfering the shelves.

The variety here was impressive. They have a great selection of glassware, books, records, knives, toys, tools, baseball cards, coins, and so much more. On our visit, my wife stumbled onto some vintage wine glasses that she couldn't live without. Unfortunately, I ended up walking out empty handed. 

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Bella Nashville Wood-fired Pizza, Nashville, TN Farmers Market

Canoe The Caney, Silver Point, TN, Canoe and Kayak Tips

The Lost Treasure Mini Golf - North Myrtle Beach, SC

Elsa's, Beach Cove Resort, North Myrtle Beach Condo

Canoe The Caney, Silver Point, TN, Canoe and Kayak Tips

If you are near the Caney Fork River located in East Tennessee, then you may be familiar with the bright yellow canoes and kayaks floating down the river. These vessels are property of Canoe the Caney, an outfitter located in Silver Point, TN. They offer several trips with varying lengths, they also provide kayaks, canoes, tandems, even floating cooler carriers.

We recently went camping in East Tennessee and we decided to spend one of our days enjoying the Caney Fork River. Continue reading to hear our experience with Canoe the Caney as well as some helpful tips based on our personal experience. 

We showed up at the outfitters the morning of our trip. Everyone that we interacted with was helpful and the check-in process was quick and easy. After everyone on our trip had arrived, we sat through a short safety briefing and made our way onto an old black school bus. After a short ride to the drop point, we were on the river. Once on the river, there isn't much left to say regarding the outfitter. There's lots of floating, paddling, and making stops to hangout, picnic, skip rocks, fish, and make rock sculptures. At the end of your trip, Canoe the Caney will be there to provide transportation back to your vehicle. After nine hours on the river, the old black school bus resembled a golden chariot sent down from the heavens. 

The Caney Fork River is a nice river that can speed up or slow down depending on the dam. We had heard that when the generators are on at Center Hill Dam the shorter trips seem to be over too quickly. For that reason, we opted for the longer, nine-mile trip. The only problem is that you won't know the generators are on until the morning of your arrival. With no generating, the Caney becomes still water and requires a lot of paddling. On the morning of our trip, the dam generated from around 9:30 -11:00. This means that we had some current to help push us along for the first couple of miles, but no help for the remaining seven miles.

Below are some lessons learned from our experience with Canoe the Caney and the Caney Fork River. Please feel free to add to the list in the comments and share your experience.

Canoe and Kayak Tips - Things we wish we had known!

Plan a Shorter Trip - Unless you canoe or kayak all the time, then you really do not appreciate how long nine miles in a kayak can be. 

Manage Your Time - Since you are choosing the shorter trip, you will have plenty of time to enjoy the journey down the river. You can extend the trip by making extra stops or speed the trip up by staying in the canoe and making progress downstream.

Choose the Right Transportation - For our family of three, with one 9-year-old at the time, we should have gotten one canoe and one single kayak. The canoe allows you to carry items more efficiently, this is important when you're the one doing the paddling.

Do not get a cooler carrier - Putting things inside the canoe will be much easier than dragging a heavy tube behind a kayak.

Bring a Medium Size Cooler - We packed a full sized lunchable and a couple of granola bars for each of us. For the 9-hour trip we should have packed a few more snacks.  

Bring a couple of Bungee Cords - If you chose to disregard my advice, and you rented the kayak over the canoe, then be warned that the tandem or kayak is extremely limited on space. Please do not make the mistake of renting the cooler carrier. If you do decide to get a tandem or kayak, you need to bring a couple of small bungee cords to help hold things in the small storage compartment.

Always Wear Your Life Jacket - Things can get dangerous quickly and with little or no warning. On our trip, my son and I got hung on a down tree and got dumped out of the kayak. Thankfully, he had a life jacket on. I did not have a life jacket on, but I will not make that mistake again.

Wear Water Shoes - Any of the stops along the river will be covered with rocks. Some are smooth from tumbling in the river, but most are very sharp. You will be thankful to have a pair of water shoes with a hard sole. On our trip I was lucky enough to find a real arrowhead!

Safety First - In addition to wearing your life jacket, kids under twelve with little or no kayaking experience should not kayak alone. If a child were to get dumped out of the kayak, they could panic and not know what to do. We made this mistake as well, thank God that he was with me when we did get dumped.

Bring Toilet Paper - I am only going to say that there are no rest stops or portable potties along the river. In addition to "TP", you may consider bringing a small pack of wipes to wash your hand. 

Don't Forget your Fishing Poles or Magnets - We like to fish and magnet fish from time to time. This would be a wonderful opportunity for both. We decided not to take the extra gear since we did not know beforehand how much room we would have in the kayaks. Get at least one canoe for a family trip and you should have plenty of room for a few extras.

Bella Nashville Wood-fired Pizza, Nashville, TN Farmers Market

When visiting the farmers market in Nashville, TN, it would be hard to miss the massive and multi-cultural food court. There are plenty of options to choose from: vegan Mexican, Caribbean, Greek, and fresh filled crepes cooked to order. In the mood for coffee, wine, or beer? You are in luck because you can find them all in one convenient location. The food court, located inside the Nashville farmer's market.

On our visit, we chose to eat at Bella Nashville, Wood-fired Pizza. Considering the variety of foods available, pizza may come across as boring. However, Bellas is more than just pizza, its authentic Italian cuisine. On this visit to the farmers market, we arrived near closing time. Because business was beginning to slow, we had a chance to speak to the owner of Bellas, Franco Ballarini. Franco is incredibly nice; he is originally from Italy and has been serving fresh pizza for over 20 years. After talking to Franco, I came to understand that the only secret to making a great pizza is to use quality ingredients. Though I forget his exact words, Franco says, "It's harder to make a bad pizza, than a good pizza".

If you can't already tell, we thoroughly enjoyed Bellas. The pizza was made fresh and cooked right in front of us. It had just the right amount of sauce, extra cheese, and the crust was perfect. When paired with an ice-cold Coke, this made for a perfect lunch. I cannot wait to have another free weekend to roam around the Nashville farmer's market and to try more authentic foods. If I were to guess, I would say that my wife and I will try Music City Crepes. Hopefully, my son will save me at least a bite of his pizza from Bellas.

Bizarre Sea Creature, The Oyster Toadfish! Should We Have Eaten This?

This Bizarre find is not some road-side attraction, or a novelty item found in a gift shop. No, this fascinating creature is the work of nature. We were deep-sea fishing when my wife pulled in an Oyster Toadfish. The slimy creature measured 12-14 inches and was ugly as the day is long. Our guide said that no one eats these fish and advised us to throw him back. I have since read online that they are safe to eat and that they are surprisingly tasty. But trust me, I am not disappointed that I did not have Toadfish for lunch, he did not look the least bit appetizing

The mouth of this fish was disproportionately large when compared to his body. As the name suggests, they are known to eat oysters. The large mouth allows them to capture a whole oyster shell in their mouth. The power of these massive jaws allows the fish to crack the shell open to access the meat inside. While this sea critter is bizarre, he is also quite magnificent.

Continue Reading:

Voyager Deep-sea Fishing Disaster - Must Read!

The Bent Rod Restaurant, McClellanville, SC

Crab Catchers, Little River, SC, Cook what You Catch!!

Southern Manners Restaurant, Baked Oatmeal, Columbus, NC,

Supper Heros, Great Menu! Eat like a Superhero in Huntsville, AL

My son and I arrived in Huntsville, AL just before lunch. We wanted to try something new and memorable. We were looking for a restaurant that is local, kid-friendly, and awesome. It did not take us long to find the Supper Hero, which checked all the boxes.

I'll start with the overall atmosphere. The Supper Hero is a small sit-down diner, the entire room is decorated with action figures, comic books, posters, and comic memorabilia. The idea is great, and it is unlike any other restaurant that I have ever experienced. So, what's the problem? It is simply too much. The lights are painted with logos and the windows are painted with superhero murals. The lack of lighting makes the room very dim and gives the overall atmosphere a claustrophobic and cluttered feeling.

The menu is quite unique as well. The entire menu is in the form of a comic book, there are pictures, text bubbles, and well thought out descriptions of each menu item. Overall, this is a great idea, and it is very well-done cover to cover. My only complaint is that there is too much reading to determine what I want to order. This was a problem because the ordering process became slow. On this visit, I had to ask our server for more time, twice, which as a guest made me feel like I needed to hurry. 

At this point, I must sound like the "supper villain", and if so, then my superpower must be to nitpick my opponent, the Supper Hero to death. I assure you that I am no villain, but like any good comic, there must be a plot twist. A time in the story that allows the superhero the opportunity to reign victorious and to save the day. For the Supper Hero, that time is now. 

I'll begin with my son's meal; he wanted a plain cheeseburger (ketchup only) and a "full clip". The full clip is a large basket of fries, loaded with bacon, cheese, sour cream, and a side of ranch dressing. To be honest, half an order would have been plenty for both of us. But they were so good, we managed to finish the entire order. 

I have saved the most unique item on the menu for last, "The Huntsvillain". Since I've gotten older, I tend to lean toward a good old-fashioned cheeseburger. Lettuce, Tomato, onion, pickle, should be all that a good burger needs to be delicious. I am not sure why my taste has changed? I assume that it could be due to being older and now I am boring. But I'd like to think that it is because I have tried all of the exotic burger varieties and have settled on a timeless classic. 

The Huntsvillain is served with pepper jack cheese, fried jalapenos, and pepper jelly. This burger piqued my curiosity and made me turn to my old, much more youthful, way of thinking. The burger came out hot, the fried jalapenos were great, and every now and again I tasted a hint of sweet pepper jelly. Though I still prefer a classic cheeseburger, I thoroughly enjoyed the Huntsvillain. My only recommendation: before taking your first bite, be sure to have plenty of water and napkins on hand. This burger is big, messy, spicy, and sticky.

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Huntsville Space and Rocket Center

Peaches Corner, Footlong Hot Dogs (Disaster)

30 ft. Golden Statue, Michelangelo’s David, Louisville, KY

Michelangelo’s David is one of the most famous sculptures of all time. When you drive by the massive golden replica located in Louisville Kentucky you will immediately recognize it. My 8-year-old son however, did not recognize the artwork but got a kick out of seeing this huge naked sculpture. The statue is an impressive 30 ft. tall and stands proudly at the corner of South 7th and West Main. While modesty is of little concern, on this visit, someone had taken a moment to ensure that the statue was portrayed as socially responsible. As you can see in the picture, David is wearing his Mask. Could the sculpture be wearing a speedo when you visit? Who knows? 

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Voyager Deep-sea Fishing (Disaster)

Patriot Point Maritime Museum Review

Huntsville Space and Rocket Center Review, Father and Son Trip

My son and I found ourselves in an unfortunate situation over the Christmas holidays; my wife had to work and we were both free. We usually take a family trip after Christmas so staying home after the holidays would simply be wrong. We have a rule around our house that we do not fret over the things we cannot change, we work through them. After discussing the plan with my wife, my son and I decided to pack our bags and take a short father-son road trip. After searching other nearby destinations, we decided on visiting the Space and Rocket Center located in Huntsville, AL. I had been to the Space center on an elementary-school field trip many years ago, knowing my son as well as I do, I knew he'd enjoy it too. 

The Interactive exhibit - We booked our trip online and also purchased tickets for two shows in the planetarium, I'll tell more about the planetarium later. We arrived an hour and a half prior to the first show which allowed us plenty of time to explore the interactive exhibit. This area has dozens of interactive and educational games for kids and adults. It is here that you test how fast you can punch a punching bag or see how long you can hang from a pull-up bar. My favorite game involved rapidly beating a bongo, the object being to play as fast as humanly possible until time runs out. Each game shows the top scores for the day and also the world record. The world record for the bongos is 558 beats, I posted a score of 494 beats. I believe it's safe to say that with some practice I could challenge the world record. 

Good to know: Each of the games begin by scanning a thumb print. Your scores for each game are recorded and they can all be accessed at the "check your score" kiosk by simply scanning your thumbprint. That's hi-tech!  

The Intuitive Planetarium - After an hour or so in the Interactive exhibit it was time to wind down in the Intuitive Planetarium over an interactive video and some snacks. We headed over to the planetarium a few minutes early to try and  avoid the line at the concession stand, it worked. They have plenty of snacks to choose from at the concession stand and they even sell beer and wine if that's what your in to. Since I was with my son, I decided to forego having a beer and chose to share a Coke, peanut M&M's, and a bag of popcorn. 

The first video, Space Explorers: The ISS Experience, covered the International Space Station (ISS). It was interesting because all of the footage was captured aboard the ISS. The ISS Experience was very educational and done a great job of explaining day-to-day life aboard the ISS. The fact that we watched the movie in such large format in the planetarium made it even better. Our second feature presentation was titled "Our Place in Space". A very small part of the feature is dedicated to Earth, the majority of the time is spent zipping around space to check out all of the other planets and galaxies. If I were forced to choose one video over the other, I would definitely choose this one. It is more interactive as the director communicates with the audience till the very end. Furthermore, being in the planetarium really brings this demonstration to life. I highly, highly recommend Our Place in Space, it's an awesome experience. 

Sorry, no photos or videos of the Planetarium, photography is strictly prohibited.  

Good to know:  If you are looking for something more than snacks or candy, the Mars Grill is located just around the corner from the concession stand. I asked the movie attendant if foods from Mars Grill were allowed in the planetarium and she said yes. That said, it may be a good idea to check again on your visit.

The Saturn-V Hall - In my opinion, I have saved the best for last; The Saturn-V Exhibit located in the Davidson Center for Space Exploration. When we first stepped inside this exhibit, the massive Saturn-V rocket stretching the entire length of the building grabbed our attention. My son gazed up at it and I could tell he was both amazed and excited. This part of the tour really allows you to see the different stages of propulsion that the rocket goes through before exiting our earths atmosphere. Also truly amazing are the massive rocket engines on display, one of which is a ginormous F1. The F1 is literally bigger than most cars on the road. If I haven't sold you on how great the Saturn-V hall really is, be sure to check out the original Apollo-16 command module located at the opposite end of the building.

Good to know: Saturn-V hall is located away from the main building and will likely be the last exhibit you come to. Be sure to leave yourself plenty of time to take it all in. You may even consider visiting the Saturn-V hall towards the beginning or middle of the tour to ensure you do not feel rushed.

As our day at the Huntsville Space and Rocket center was ending, it was clear to me that the trip had been a success. We had turned our unfortunate situation into a great adventure. The Huntsville Space and Rocket Center was educational, entertaining, and exciting, all in one place. As we made our way back through the building and towards the car my son turned to me and said, "I love this place".  Forgive me for throwing this in but it is too cool to not share. Days after we returned home, I was pulling together my thoughts for this post. I asked my son "what was your favorite part of the space center"? Without hesitation he replied, "walking around with you". Yep! A successful father and son trip in the books.

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Additional Pictures From Saturn-V Hall

This is the H-1 rocket engine. You can see the much larger F-1 in the Background

Large scale sectioned model of the Saturn-5, the rocket stages are shown in great detail. 

Peaches Corner, Famous Footlong Hot dogs, Myrtle Beach Boardwalk, Disaster

We were in Myrtle Beach during our son's fall break. We had great weather the entire trip, some days were even quite hot for the time of year. We stayed in North Myrtle for the trip and we had planned to spend one afternoon walking the boardwalk. Since we would be on the boardwalk, we looked forward to eating at one of the local nostalgic restaurants. When we walked up to Peaches Corner, we immediately saw the huge "Famous Footlong Hot Dogs" sign. This night was destined to be hot-dog night for our family.

My son and I love hotdogs. I'd like to think that I am a hot dog connoisseur, if there is such. Some of the best dogs I have had come from Crickets in Smithfield, NC. I cannot mention hot dogs without mentioning The Varsity in Atlanta, GA. I like a variety of dogs, but one of my favorites is the classic chili dog. If your in Atlanta, The Varsity is a great place to have one. 

In order to create the perfect chili dog: you must start with a quality dog, next you add an all-beef chili with no beans. Then, I like to add a a fair amount of onion and a single stripe of mustard. To make it perfect, the dog needs to be caressed by a hot steamed bun. Once done you have yourself a classic North Carolina style hot dog, "all the way".

Now that I have established my credentials, I will share my Peaches Corner footlong-hot-dog experience. When we walked in, I immediately knew that this was a nostalgic diner. Turns out that Peaches Corner originated almost a century ago in 1937. I ordered a footlong chili dog, a small cup of slaw, cheese fries, and a lemonade. The hotdog itself was long and thin. I imagined that it was the cheapest dog that they could find. They did use the correct chili, with no beans, but it did not have any flavor. Again, I figured that the chili was bottom shelf and straight from a can. As you can see in the photo this sickly looking dog was sunken deep into a crumby bun, it was not steamed, and it had a small amount of condiments on it.  

As for the rest of the meal that I ordered at Peaches, it did not get any better. The slaw was runny and I ended up leaving it sitting on the counter untouched. The fries were not spectacular, but they were served hot and probably qualified as the best part of the meal. The lemonade served at Peaches is, you guessed it, straight out of a can. If I were guessing, I would say it was Country Time which is not lemonade at all. In fact, to sell it as lemonade is actually false advertisement. The company that owns the Country Time brand, Kraft Heinz, labels it as "lemonade flavored drink". If you happen to like Country Time, (I do not) Amazon offers it in a single serve packets. Click the image below to check the price. (Sorry for the plug, I couldn't resist.)

If you are looking for a cheap lunch on the Myrtle Beach boardwalk then look no further than Peaches, but keep in mind that you get what you pay for. Peaches is living off their past reputation. At one time, probably not during this century, I am certain that Peaches served top-notch quality food. Nowadays, they are your typical tourist restaurant, they serve cheap food that has little to no flavor and honestly isn't very good. Tourist restaurants are not unlike most other tourist traps, they do not focus on quality and customer service to acquire repeat customers. They focus on feeding as many people as possible and maximizing profits in a short amount of time. In a tourist destination like Myrtle Beach, there will be thousands of new and hungry travelers the following week. You and I will be hours away sitting at our desk. 

Gummy Hotdog, Savannah's Candy Kitchen, Charleston Market Street

On our most recent trip to the beautiful and historic city of  Charleston South, Carolina, we stopped by Savannah's Candy Kitchen. Savannah's is located on the corner of Market and East Bay, and it is the place to be if you have a sweet tooth. While there, my son found something truly bizarre that my wife and I had never seen before: a gummy hotdog! As you can see in the picture, everything on this dog is gummy. Don't worry, the gummy mustard, ketchup, and pickle's do not taste like the real things. After doing a search on Amazon, I realized that this bizarre sweet treat, as well as a gummy taco, are available on Amazon. Click the image or the link below to check the price.

I cannot end this post without giving a shout out to Savannah's Kitchen. The store was very clean and the workers were friendly. If you are in the Charleston area and are in need of something sweet, you have to try the chocolate and caramel Gophers. They are delicious! 

Professor Hackers MAYDAY Golf Review, Mini-golf North Myrtle Beach

From the highway you cannot miss the giant yellow plane or the emergency-orange helicopter hovering over the course. It is the one and only Mayday Golf! Professor Hackers' Mayday is located in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and it is one of the most iconic courses located on the strip. 

The course is well lit and exhibits a wide variety of decorations that create an enjoyable experience for kids and adults. The owners and staff have done an excellent job of keeping this course clean and up to date, but you can tell that Mayday is an older golf course. Some of the greens at Mayday are starting to show signs of aging and there were several loose bricks which create the boundaries for each green. Also, most mini-golf courses display the hole number and par for each hole. A few of the holes on Mayday's Rescue-Falls course were missing. My family and I improvised and scored the unspecified holes as par two. The points really did not matter to us, we were here for the experience.

As far as difficulty, both courses at Mayday golf were fairly easy. It may also be due to the age of the course but many of the holes were on the short side. We first played Rescue Falls, the one with the large orange rescue helicopter towering above. If I remember correctly, I scored par on every hole. Not to brag, but I scored an eagle on a couple of the holes. After playing Rescue Falls, we were pushed for time and ready for dinner.  Therefore, we decided to play Mayday Mountain as a scramble (best ball) and we easily pared all 18 holes on this course as well. 

It may sound like I was not entirely happy with the Mayday Golf experience, but that is not my intention. My family and I were incredibly happy with the overall experience, and we were glad we chose to play this iconic North Myrtle Beach golf course. Mayday golf provided an enjoyable evening of putt-putt, and several opportunities for family photos. 

Click below to read the full review of Professor Hackers, The Lost Treasure!

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Professor Hackers, The Lost Treasure  

Harbor View Golf, North Myrtle Beach

Disaster: Peaches Corner, Famous Footlong Hot dogs, Myrtle Beach

Voyager Deep-sea Fishing Disaster - Must Read!

No trip to the coast is complete without a party boat deep-sea fishing trip. If you have never been deep-sea fishing or if you have a trip planned, I highly recommend Deep-sea Fishing Tips for Beginners. You will find some helpful tips to save you time, money, and frustration.

While searching the various options for deep-sea fishing charters in the North Myrtle Beach area, I came across Voyager Deep-sea Fishingand Dolphin Cruises located in North Myrtle Beach. The website is very well designed and it offers good information about what to expect on your trip. Unfortunately, this is where the good ends. If you read to the end, you will see that this trip gets progressively worse.

I knew that the crew did not expect a big day when I saw that they only had two
Dollar-Tree-sized laundry baskets and slightly more ice than large McDonald's Coke!

Voyager is located at Dock Holiday’s Marina, which is further inland than some of the other fishing charters. I knew this when I booked the trip but I figured the cruise out to sea would be a nice addition for my son. Turns out that I was right, the trip out to sea was nice, but it does cut into your fishing time. Round trip, you will lose approximately one hour of fishing time.

The Captain of the Voyager was friendly, but his methods were different from what I had previously experienced. I am far from a boating or deep-sea fishing expert, but it seemed like he spent too much time in one fishing spot. Our first stop produced very few fish; the fish we did catch were too small to keep. We played catch and release for what seemed like an eternity before moving to the second and final stop.

The best part of this trip ended up being the cruise down
the Intercoastal Waterway that leads out to sea.

Here we came across a school of small black sea bass; most were around ten inches and had to be released. I happened to reel in the only keeper that was just over the thirteen-inch mark. It was at this stop that I also caught a 14” Chocolate Chip Porgy. The Porgy ended up winning the fish pool for the biggest fish. I hate to boast, but this is the second year in a row that we have won the fish pool. Last year my wife won with an Atlantic Sharpnose shark! The deckhands made their way around the boat with a bucket to collect tips while we headed back to the marina. When we returned, we were given our fish. Sadly, the majority of the passengers had no fish to show for their day at sea.

This is where the first mate let his true colors come out. This is also where I determined that I would choose a different deep-sea fishing charter on our next visit to North Myrtle Beach. When entering the fish pool, my family of three were the last names added to the list. I also paid for my son just in case he landed a whale. I later spoke with one of the deck-hands and he let me know that there were approximately 30 names on the list. Thirty passengers who pay $5 each would create a jackpot of around $150. But at the conclusion of our trip, the first mate handed me $65 and walked away. When I asked about the difference, he told me that the crew keeps a third to split between them, I still should have gotten $100.

I was going to leave it alone at this point. I just wanted it to be known that, unlike the first mate, I can do simple math. However, on the heels of lying to me about the fish pool, he offers to clean the few fish we caught for $15. The website that I mentioned earlier clearly says that they clean fish for their guest at a rate of .50 per pound. Pardon the expression, but there is no way in hell I had 30 lbs. of fish. 

Beware!! This guy simply can't resist trying to rip off the passengers!
You will know him, because he is the only deckhand that goes shirtless. Very unprofessional.  

When I told him that I would take my fish elsewhere to be cleaned, he got defensive. He began to rant about how little the deckhands are paid and then he pulled some small bills out of his pockets and tossed them in my cooler. All of this happened in front of my son. I am thankful that my wife decided to head to the car. I refused to take any of his money. I simply said, “You don’t owe me anything, I just want my fish.”

On the way out, I briefly spoke to the owner. I posed the question of how much the crew takes of the fish pool. The owner, who was a nice guy, said that they usually take a twenty-percent cut to split between the crew, this was on top of the tips that were collected. When I told him the cliff-notes version of what had just taken place, he shook his head in frustration. He offered to get the rest of my money after boarding the passengers for the next excursion. Instead of waiting for the line of passengers to board, I refused the money. I told him that it was not about the money, but I do not like to be lied to, stolen from, or to be treated with complete disrespect.

On our next trip to North Myrtle Beach, I plan to book our deep-sea fishing excursion with Little River Fishing Fleet. On our previous trip with them, we caught more fish and had more fun. Read the full review by clicking the link above.