I've Been Beachin'

Mr. P was hoping for a shag contest on his trip to South Carolina with four girlfriends and me! We spent four days in Myrtle Beach from April 24-28 and we packed the weekend with plenty of rest and relaxation and beautiful beach time. Sadly, no shag contest for Mr. Pickle. Maybe next time!

 He stayed in a condo right on the ocean and it was equipped with a pool and a hot tub. HELLO! The hot tub was amazing and if he had toes they would have wrinkled up he was in there so long.

 The condo was also equipped with plenty of beach decor inside. Flip flip flop to the flippity flip flap.

 Mr. P's first big adventure was to the coolest miniature golf place ever. It was called Mount Atlanticus Minotaur Goff and was 18 holes of pure magic and fun. Mr. P even got a few holes in one.

Mount Atlanticus Minotaur Goff was not only great because of the fun course but also because of fun things like this wall mural. We have no idea what is going on.

His first big meal was at an Italian place that one of his hosts has been visiting for years. He got a bottle of chianti and was serenaded by an accordion player who when not knowing any Beyonce songs played the theme song from Game of Thrones. I then suggested the Indiana Jones theme, which he played but changed the lyrics so it was about polenta! So fun. Mr. P was in stitches.

No trip to Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand is complete without visiting one of the 576 beachwear shops. Talk about sensory overload! He laughed as myself and two friends bought the COOLEST beach towels ever.

 Red Monkey was not impressed with Mr. Pickle having a rest on his back.

 The next day Mr. Pickle joined us for a ride to Charleston, where we stopped at Johns Island to visit the Angel Oak Tree. Rumor is that it is 300-500 years old. The tree was GIANT, with beautiful limbs crawling onto the ground. It was majestic to say the least.

All that tree huggin' worked up an appetite. We headed to Black Bean Co., a Charleston chain that offered a ton of vegan options. Check out the size of that chocolate chip cookie! Vegan! 

Mr. P headed to downtown Charleston to see the sights. The Charleston City Market featured sellers and crafts. He found some dill flavored lip balm. He was not impressed.

 The city featured some fabulous architecture, from historic homes to beautiful churches like the Huguenot Church.

 

After walking in the hot sun and along the water Mr. P decided to wet his whistle with a Dragoon Punch at the Husk bar. I loved this place! So did Mr. P. 

Next up was some snacks. We headed to Craftsmen Kitchen & Tap House, which we randomly found on our way to Husk. I loved this place! They had 48 taps going, and Mr. P enjoyed tasting the fruity ones with me.  They had amazing snacks and the bartender was good company.

Feeling refreshed Mr. Pickle walked around town a bit to check out some of the shops. At Savannah Bee Company he tasted the sweet honey and enjoyed the atmosphere. 

 PEOPLE MATTER! Mr. P knows this, which is why he hangs out with them so much. Pickles matter, too!

 After a bustling day in Charleston, Mr. P was beach bound back in Myrtle Beach, where he spent the good part of two days soaking in the sun on the breezy beach.

He even encountered several jellyfish that washed up on the shore in the mornings! 

 Dinner that night at Nance's Creekfront Restaurant involved this large statue and a lot of oysters.

 After dinner Mr. P enjoyed a walk along the boardwalk in Murrells Inlet -- with a beautiful sunset on the water as a bonus.

 The last day there Mr. P had to get a few more ocean hours in. The skies were too blue. 

After such a relaxing and warm vacation it was hard to pack up and head home to chillier air!

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Mr. P still has room in his summer schedule! Check it out and see if he can join you on a trip. He hasn't visited all 50 states yet -- help him reach his goal!

An Up North Easter

I don't want a pickle 
Just want to ride on my motorcycle 
And I don't want a tickle 
I'd rather ride on my motorcycle 
And I don't want to die Just want to ride on my motorcy-cle

As sung by Arlo Guthrie. Pretty much sums up Mr. P's weekend. 

I traveled up to Burt Lake in Cheboygan, MI for Easter weekend from April 17-20 with the boy's family, and of course I brought Mr. Pickle along for the ride. It was a low-key weekend of hanging out with family and eating and drinking, but boy did Mr. P make the most of it. He pretended he was the Easter Bunny, went for a big walk, hung out with FOUR awesome dogs, caught some beautiful sunsets, played pool, and went to a spooky book store. Mr. P was beside himself. Here we go:

We arrived at the cottage just in time to catch the sunset over the frozen lake.

Of course! (wink wink)

Mr. P had a teeny tiny sip of this fancy beverage. WHOAH. Went down smooth.

Mr. Pickle played pool and shuffleboard in the game room. 

While in the game room he also ran into trouble with a fish. (What is it with him almost being eaten by other animals on every trip he goes on?!)

Coasting along. 

Mr. P photobombs the fam. Oops.

 

Plenty of ceramic doggies in the cottage. And books to read. 

Not ceramic were the FOUR dogs he got to hang out with all weekend! WOOF. He is an animal lover and as long as they don't drool on him he's cool. (He may have tasted a little of Curtis's drool, but well, that's Curtis for ya!) 

There was plenty of time to sit on the back sun porch reading, drinking coffee, chatting, and staring at the beautiful frozen lake.

A woodsy walk! With the dogs! It's nice to catch the woods on a weekend of big melting.

 Mr. Pickle visits Chillermania! in Indian River. Books by Jonathan Rand! We were MOST excited about this little pit stop.

 

 Mr. P eyes the shadows on the exterior of the second building.

 Michigan Chillers books! This little store was FULL of books by Rand.

 

Chillermania! was also full of spooky decor such as spider webs, fake puke, and these cute Frankesteins.

Mr. P's first encounter with a dead body. (I think?!)  This was outside Chillermania! so I'm pretty sure it's fake.

 You can't head up that way without hitting the local watering holes. First up was Breakers in Topinabee. A super cute place with a fun atmosphere. Here Mr. P enjoys a hard cider.

 Another night, another watering hole. This time Hoppies Tavern in Cheboygan. He tried to take a few photos but it was too sunny.

 

Easter weekend was the perfect chance for Mr. P to try out one of his latest accessories. What do you think of his new ears?! He was almost swallowed by all these jelly beans! Poor pickle. 

Happily, he survived the beans and the dogs. 

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Quite the opposite adventure, but he's headed to Myrtle Beach this weekend!   

After that he's got some free time. Check out his itinerary and see if he's free for your next trip! 

Travelin' with E, Pt. 1: Istanbul, not Constantinople

Mr. Pickle joined one of his favorite traveling buddies Elizabeth on a grand adventure to Europe! Mr. P was able to add a few new countries to his visited-list and he ate many, many delicious meals. On their way to Belgium they spent 40 hours in Istanbul, Turkey. Here is what they were up to:

 
 Mr. P's first mosque: Süleymaniye Mosque. He didn't have to wash his feet when he went inside...because he doesn't have feet. He did have to remove his hat, however.

Mr. P crossing the Galata Bridge over the Bosphorus Strait into a different part of Istanbul. They thought they had walked all the way to Asia, but that would've been over a different bridge. They weren't all that impressed with the other side, so it's just as well that it wasn't Asia!

Taking a break with Turkish coffee and sweets after a long morning of walking. YUM. 

 Mr. Pickle in the Basilica Cistern, which was so cool! It was built in the 6th century to bring water into the city, and was featured in the movie From Russia With Love.

Basilica Cistern

Mr. P took a (blurry) photo with one of the famous Medusa heads, but didn't turn to stone himself.

Apparently they missed out on several major historical/tourist attractions, so Mr. P had to make do with taking photos outside.

 Mr. P's second mosque, the much more famous Blue Mosque. By this point, he was an expert in proper and respectful mosque behavior.

Mr. P wasn't sure what to make of this puffy bread at dinner on our last night in Istanbul. 

The end of Istanbul! Next stop: Belgium. 

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Mr. Pickle is THE FAMOUS NOMADIC PICKLE, and he's booking summer trips. Check his itinerary to see if your trip fits into his schedule. He's dying to get to all 50 states!!