Travel articles by Teresa Gibbs published in Source: a Publication of Athens-Limestone Hospital 2014

FFrom majestic mountains, to shining sea, the Carolinas offer natural beauty, history, arts, culture and adventure. There is fun for travelers of all ages.

In the mountains, enjoy scenic beauty while sightseeing, picnicking and hiking. For the more adventurous traveler, try whitewater rafting and rock climbing. When you reach the coast, dive into water sports like boating, swimming and saltwater fishing. Climb historic lighthouses and bask in the warm sun on the Atlantic coastline.

On a recent trip through the Carolinas, my husband, Wyman, and I stayed at The Yellow House Bed and Breakfast (theyellowhouse.com) in Waynesville, North Carolina. This 128 year old historic home is a favorite B&B of ours and innkeeper, Shawn Bresnahan, always makes us feel at home. This trip we stayed in a beautiful room on the ground floor. I loved the majestic dark cherry king-size, four-poster bed with it’s comfy bedding and, as with all the rooms, the S’conset is spacious and luxurious. Still, my favorite is the downstairs suite - St. Paul de Vence. The privacy and French cottage feel, along with the secluded terrace overlooking the lily pond, gives this suite a very romantic atmosphere.

Beautiful scenery, lush green landscaping, wide-open porches, relaxing music, evening snacks and delicious breakfasts are just part of the enticing package offered by The Yellow House. Our mixed fruit, coffee, juice, strawberry stuffed French toast and sausage breakfast was delicious and a great start to a wonderful day of sightseeing and riding the Blue Ridge Parkway.

As always, the views while riding along the Parkway were breathtaking. We occasionally stopped for hikes or to just stand in awe as we witnessed crystal clear mountain water cascading down the sides of stone cliffs. With so many beautiful waterfalls, you can see why this area is referred to as the “Land of Waterfalls.”

After an exhilarating day of travel, we arrived in Mills River, North Carolina. Mills River is located 30 miles south of Asheville and is home to Bed & Breakfast on Tiffany Hill (BBonTiffanyHill.com). Tiffany Hill

is a dream-come-true for Selena Einwechter, owner/innkeeper. She built this uniquely different B&B from the ground up - designed with her guests in mind. Casual elegance filled with southern hospitality is reflected throughout the inn. We stayed in the Madison Suite which, as with all seven suites, was named after one of Selena’s favorite southern towns.

Tiffany Hill offers peace and tranquility yet is located just minutes from the bustling communities of Asheville, Hendersonville, and Brevard. If you need suggestions on where to go or what to do, Selena and Kate, Inkeeper/Chef, are very informative and happy to give recommendations.

After exploring the lovely gardens scattered throughout Tiffany Hill’s six acres, we headed to Brevard for the evening. Selena suggested we dine at Hobnob Restaurant (hobnobrestaurant.com), a quaint restaurant located in an old family home right on Main Street. I was thrilled to find local Trout, my favorite fish, on the menu. It was deliciously prepared with a tangy corn relish and Wyman’s steak was cooked to perfection. After sharing a slice of scrumptious homemade crème brulee cheesecake, we took a stroll through the charming little town of Brevard. It was the perfect end to a splendid day in the mountains.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the next morning, was served just after awakening from pleasant dreams while sleeping on plush bedding and soft buttery sheets. Our wonderful three course breakfast included a chocolate dessert (which this chocoholic was elated over).

From the Smoky Mountains, we made our way across the state to the sunny coast of North Carolina.

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Our first stop was Sunset Beach, a picturesque beach town on a small island of just over five square miles. The only way onto the island is by way of the new high-rise bridge which replaced the old Sunset Beach pontoon swing bridge in 2010. It was interesting to learn that during the time of the swing bridge, daytime traffic on and off the island was stopped for 10 minutes every hour, on the hour and the bridge would open for boat traffic on the waterway. During the off-season, the bridge only opened at the request of boat traffic.

While in Sunset Beach, we stayed at The Sunset Inn (thesunsetinn.net), a bed and breakfast with the look

of a gracious southern mansion and located a short walk from the shoreline. Although the inn is larger than a historic B&B, it is unique and charming. Breakfast is served buffet style and can be enjoyed in the dining room, on the front porch or in your room. There are outdoor showers to rinse off sand and saltwater and each of the 14 rooms has a downstairs storage room for your bikes, golf clubs and beach gear. Andrea and her staff are very accommodating and helpful with any questions about the area.

We enjoyed the quiet and laidback feel of the island –relaxing on our private screened porch with rockers overlooking the saltwater marsh, soaking up some rays on the beach and riding bikes around the island.

From Sunset Beach, we headed 30 miles south to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This is a bustling beach town with over 100 golf courses, several fun themed miniature golf courses, live entertainment, plus plenty of shopping and family fun throughout Myrtle Beach. Wanting to stay on the beach, but in a quieter area, we chose to stay at The Caravelle Resort (thecaravelle. com) a couple of miles north of the center of all the

action but within bicycle distance of all the Myrtle Beach’s famous Oceanfront Boardwalk and Promenade. With a total of nine buildings, this resort offers a wide range of accommodations from standard hotel rooms to fully furnished condominiums, several pools to choose from and other great amenities. We enjoyed spending time on the beach - reading, swimming and people watching. For a family with kids, this is definitely the place to stay. Kids love the famous block long poolscape with the large heated pool, whirlpool, lazy river, kiddie lazy river and the Wild Water Pool.

end. The ride took us nearly 120 feet up in the air -giving us a fantastic view of the beach, sunset, and glowing lights of the boardwalk.

The 2nd Avenue Pier (secondavenuepier.com), on the south end of the Boardwalk, is the longest pier in Myrtle Beach and offers spectacular views, fishing opportunities, and delicious food. On a cool, windy day, a cup of warm seafood gumbo from The Pier House Restaurant hit the spot. My blackened grouper served with creole crayfish cream was wonderful and Wyman’s rib eye, served with mushrooms and onions, was tender and tasty. We ended dinner with chocolate lava cake and to top it all off, we enjoyed a beautiful view of the beach while dining.

Myrtle Beach is known for its Calabash-style seafood

which originated in the area. We found Calabash seafood buffet restaurants on almost every corner. We decided to try the best buffet according to tripadvisor.com. We were very impressed with Captain George’s Seafood Restaurant (captaingeorges.com). Beautiful and classy are not normally words I use to describe a buffet, but this time I must. The food was fresh and delicious and the wait staff, especially our waiter, Logan, was very professional. The crab legs were always piled high. Interestingly, we learned that the restaurant goes through approximately 2,000 pounds of crab legs on a busy day.

New to Myrtle Beach, is Broadway at the Beach – an expansive boardwalk connection of boutique shops, restaurants, carnival style rides and games, Ripley’s aquarium and theaters such as Legends in Concert (legendsinconcert.com) where we enjoyed a live tribute show featuring performers who portrayed famous celebrities such as Roy Orbison, the Blues Brothers, Cher and Elvis.

The Carolina Opry (thecarolinaopry.com) offers four different entertainment shows - The Carolina Opry, Good Vibrations, Light Laser Extravaganza, and the Carolina Opry Christmas Special. Good Vibrations, a live show combining music, comedy, and dancing was an awesome and unforgettable performance. We left the show singing and dancing!

If you appreciate being on the water, the beautiful Intracoastal Waterway leads right through Myrtle Beach all the way down to the Florida Keys. Cruising through these waterways, you will see everything from untouched natural beaches to upscale marinas and

There was a particular reason for this trip to the Carolinas. Our second granddaughter was due any day and we wanted to be close by when we got “the call.” On the evening of Thursday, September 19, we received our phone call. An hour later we were packed and on our way from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to Charlotte, North Carolina.

There are few things in life that compare to nature’s beauty: standing on the shoreline at sunrise when the sands are basically abandoned and washed up seashells have yet to be discovered, or breathing in clean, crisp air while relaxing in a hammock and enjoying views of majestic mountain ranges. But all that beauty pales in comparison to the moment I laid eyes on my new grandbaby, Katie Marie Cooklish, born September 20, 2013.

TRAVEL Florida

If you’ve read many of my travel articles, you know that my husband, Wyman, and I have a convertible and often get the urge to put the top down and hit the road. Wyman is retired and I am fortunate enough to have a job that I work mostly from a computer. So … have computer … will travel!

Recently we heard the sounds of the waves and felt the pull of the gulf, drawing us south. Our 35th wedding anniversary was coming up, the winter skies were gray - it was a great time to visit Florida. But then, anytime is a great time to visit Florida. We grabbed some beach towels and sun screen, loaded the car and hit the road - heading south.

Our first stop was Pensacola Beach. We met up with our son, Hollis, and our daughter-in-law, Amira, who live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. If there’s anything better than spending time at the beach, it’s spending time at the beach with family. After enjoying a few days of sand and sun, we headed further south.

We usually drive the coast line when traveling to South Florida, but we got a late start that day, so we took U.S. 19. Around dark-thirty we started looking for a motel for the night. When we reached the little town of Shamrock, we happened upon a magnificent historical lodge. Putnam Lodge was built in the late 1920s by the Putman Lumber Company. Then, and still today, stenciled pecky cypress columns impressively decorate the lobby and dining room of this twenty-five room lodge which has been beautifully restored. The next morning we headed toward Anna Maria Island, south of Tampa.

Anna Maria Island is a seven-mile strip of sandy white beaches. The island is made up of three cities; the southern city of Bradenton Beach, the central city of Holmes Beach and the northern city of Anna Maria. Anna Maria Island is located off the coast of Bradenton where you’ll find museums, parks, nature trails and other attractions.

Haley’s Motel on Anna Maria is central to all the delights this vacation paradise has to offer. We had reserved a two bedroom guesthouse since our daughter, Dana, and our granddaughter, Katie, were flying in from Charlotte, North Carolina to spend some vacation time with us.

One gorgeous evening, we took a fifteen minute drive south to the beautiful island of Longboat Key. We enjoyed a delicious dinner at the Lazy Lobster of Longboat Key, which happens to be our favorite restaurant in the area. In fact, it’s one of our all-time favorite restaurants with fantastic food, reasonable prices and a friendly staff - from the hostess to the owner who goes from table to table meeting and greeting his diners.

The Lazy Lobster offers lunch and dinner menus along with an early diners’ menu. With lobster cooked so many ways, it’s always hard to decide which dish to choose, so we each ordered something different so we could sample a variety of dishes. From the lobster bisque and lobster “scargot” (lobster chunks, garlic-herb butter and Swiss cheese) to the whole stuffed Maine lobster, everything was fabulous. We also had chilled ahi tuna with a seaweed rice salad (which Katie loved), grilled scallops, shrimp and grouper. Everything we had was delicious including the grand finalehomemade cheesecake.

Haley’s Motel is more than a great place to stay! It’s Old Florida in an area beautifully landscaped and painted in bright beach-y colors. Haley’s has been welcoming guests to scenic Anna Maria Island since the 1950s. Since those days all units have been updated with modern conveniences and now offer more fun than ever. Haley’s Motel is all about service. Family members Tom, Carol and Eric go out of their way to make sure you have everything you need to make your stay comfortable. Just ask and they’ll tell you where to find the best restaurants, fun bars with live music, great shopping and the best beaches for shelling.

Haley’s Motel has everything you need to relax and unwind. The heated pool and sun deck offers plenty of lounge chairs and there are tropical gardens throughout the property with benches, chairs, and tables for you to enjoy a picnic, good book or cool drink.

There are beach towels, umbrellas, carts and sand toys for guests’ use, so each day we loaded up a cart and strolled down to the beach. Haley’s is located only a short two minute walk from the white sugar sand beaches of the Gulf of Mexico and central to all the delights that an Anna Maria paradise has to offer.

Park your car and ride the trolley. The free trolley runs the entire length of the island allowing you to visit all parts of the island. We enjoyed the Anna Maria City Pier and boardwalk at the north end of the island and shopping in the boutiques on Pine Avenue. The trolley also takes you through Holmes Beach where you can stop and do a little more shopping. If you get off at the plaza, you’ll find art galleries, souvenir shops, boutiques and some great restaurants. This is also where folks go for island night life and music - the Tiki Bar at Island Flea or Lobsta’s are both crowd pleasers. Bradenton Beach is at the south end of the island where you’ll enjoy the views from the Bridge Street Pier and watching the boats sailing down the Intracoastal Waterway. There are plenty of great restaurants in this area including some with outdoor dining.

With so much to see and do, it is no wonder that flipkey.com recently listed Anna Maria Island as a top family vacation destination.

Just off the coast of Sarasota is Siesta Key, home to Siesta Key Beach, voted #1 beach in America by TripAdvisor for 2014 and and by Dr. Beach in 2011. This beach is blessed with the world’s finest, whitest sand. The soft, powdery sand us make up of 99-percent pure quartz sand and is always cool under your feet, even on the hottest of days. Siesta Key Village is the hub of Siesta Key, where you’ll find restaurants, gift shops and more.

Within walking distance of Siesta Key Village and across the street from the white sandy beach, is The Ringling Beach House. When we walked into our cottage, I immediately smiled - the décor was blue and green with hints of orange and yellow - I love bright, beach-y cottages! We needed a pack-andplay and high chair for Katie. No problemA&A Baby and Beach Rental had everything we needed to make baby comfortable. The resort provides beach chairs and umbrellas along with sand toys. Katie was all set for more beach time.

Blue skies and not a cloud in sight - it was the perfect morning to be on the beach.

Lying with my eyes closed, I could hear the sound of waves crashing ashore and the sound of seagulls circling overhead. I could smell the salt water and feel the moisture in the air. I was totally relaxed with the bright sunshine warming my body. Suddenly I was brought out of my trance by a rather raspy voice shouting over the sounds of the wind and waves. “Reeeelaaaax your booooody!” It was the voice of Ava Csiszar, the instructor for the yoga class we had found on the beach. Arms spread out and bent knees flopped open, I was sure I resembled a dead frog, but so did Dana along with the other fifty or more men and women who had assembled that morning for yoga on Siesta Key Beach. Stretching in the morning is a great way to start out the day.

We packed and headed even further south - to Key West, where it all began - for me, that is. That’s where I was born some fifty-odd years ago. I must have gotten sand in my shoes. According to legend, once Key West sand gets in your shoes, you’ll return again and again. I guess it’s true. I finally got to go back to Key West about six years ago and now we keep returning.

Our favorite place to stay in Key West is Ambrosia Key West, an awesome bed-and-breakfast. Key West is truly a place where you park your car and never need to get

back in until you’re ready to leave. Some of our favorite daytime activities are touring the island from the water on a Barefoot Billy’s Jet Ski, snorkeling and dolphin watching boat trips. We’ve learned a lot about the history of Key West while enjoying the narrated sightseeing tour aboard the trolley and the Conch train. The sunset dinner cruise is awesome and they also offer wine, champagne and party cruises. And if you’re brave enough, there’s the Ghost and Gravestones “frightseeing” tour.

We were sad when the week was over and Dana and Katie had to leave. Fortunately the airport is very convenient to Siesta Key which made it easy for them to come and vacation with us.

We always enjoy attending the Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square. It’s a sight to behold as the sun makes its descent into the horizon, musicians and street performers come out, as do local food vendors and artists. Sing, dance, shop, eat, meet and mingle at Mallory Square - it’s an authentic Key West experience.

Ambrosia Key West is located in Old Town where you’ll find many museums and attractions such as Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum, Harry S. Truman Little White House, Key West Museum of Art and History and streets lined with art museums, gift shops, ice cream parlors, restaurants and more. Head out any direction and stroll the palm-lined streets with gingerbread mansions and tin-roofed conch houses. Take a one-and-a-half mile bike or scooter ride to the pristine beach at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park. Duval Street is only three blocks away, while the Ernest Hemingway Home and Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory are one mile. Key West International Airport is four miles east.

Ambrosia Key West is in a former tropical nursery. All fifteen suites and historic Conch houses are individually decorated and feature unique accents such as original artwork, hardwood floors, French doors or pebble stone showers, plus free Wi-Fi.

Ambrosia Key West features private verandas, a hot tub, two refreshing pools, patios and luscious gardens with stone sculptures and fountains.

It’s at least a two-day drive home from Key West, so we decided to stop back by Siesta Key for a few more days. We had stayed at Siesta Key Bungalows on a previous trip and loved it.

The tropical island of Siesta Key is home to 3 beautiful beaches. On the north end of the island is Siesta Key Beach, voted #1 Beach in America by Dr. Beach in 2011, Crescent Beach, named for its shape, is near the middle of the island, and located on the south end is Turtle Beach, a quiet and private beach, perfect for relaxing away from the crowds. A mile north of Turtle Beach, hidden amongst luxurious homes and sitting on Heron Lagoon, is Siesta Key Bungalows.

This charming boutique inn offers 10 one-bedroom old Florida style bungalows, some overlooking the tranquil, blue salt waters of the lagoon, and others overlooking the tropical courtyards. The grounds are beautifully landscaped and red brick pathways lead to the water’s edge where you’ll find a small private beach with lounge chairs for relaxing. You’ll find more chairs on the dock where you’ll enjoy fishing and relishing in the splendor of the lagoon.

The swimming pool is heated seasonally and there are floats and toys for playing with the kids. Bicycles and kayaks are provided for guests’ enjoyment. Enjoy the views as you quietly paddle thru the calm waters or tour the island on a bicycle. The island is bicycle friendly and has sidewalks the entire length.

Siesta Key Bungalows was given the 2013 White Glove Award for Superior Small Lodging. Owner, Gayle Luper, has a knack for creating tropical oasis. Sister property, Bungalow Beach Resort, is located on Anna Maria Islandanother paradise!

Siesta Key is connected to Sarasota by two bridges. We always enjoy going to the Sarasota Farmers Market on Saturdays where there’s always lots of food, veggies, sweets, music and more. This time Jen & Ray, a Sarasotabased acoustic duo, were singing. We loved their music and even bought their cd. Also in the downtown area are boutiques, spas, restaurants, museums, live theaters, performing arts and more.

Nature trails and parks are abundant in the area. We took our bikes to Myakka River State Park one sunny day and enjoyed getting out on the back roads. On previous trips to the park we’ve enjoyed the airboat tour and

tram ride through the park. It’s a great park for bird watching, spotting alligators and other wildlife.

Another interesting place to visit is Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium located on Longboat Key. We took Dana and Katie before they left and Katie loved watching the colorful fish along with sharks, manatees and see turtles.

There’s always something going on in the Sunshine State!

ForhelpinplanningyourFloridavacation,visitthesewebsites: putnamlodge.com

bradentongulfislands.com

haleysmotel.com

lazylobsteroflongboat.com mote.org

visitsarasota.org

ringlingbeachhouse.com

aababyrentals.com

yogaonsiestabeach.com

keywestattractions.org

fla-keys.com

ambrosiakeywest.com

barefootbillys.com

siestakeybungalows.com myakkariver.org