BAREFOOT LANDING
One of the places we got to explore
was a shopping area around a small marshy area, which was known as Barefoot
Landing. This wasn’t a mall, but an open-air area with a few stores,
seating areas, and places which encouraged you to loiter and congregate.
It reminded me of the outlet stores near Lake George ,
but with a better layout. There some eateries to get treats (taffy, ice
cream), and places designed for light lunches (sandwiches, and such), in
addition to the little boutiques.
Since it was a nice day, we spent a
lot of time wandering about the area. There was some shopping done, as it
nice to get some small souvenirs for family and close friends, but I tend to
buy more stuff for myself. Hey, I’m selfish. I went on the trip,
and I have the memories of it, but I want the t-shirt too. An area like
this is geared towards the tourists, but it gets a lot of locals too, so it’s
nice to mingle with the people that live there. Stopping and getting a
snack to nibble on as we went from place to place (me mostly window-shopping),
made a nice leisurely day.
There was a mini-golf course nearby
also, so we had to play a round. I tried to play mini-golf where ever I
can, because it’s fun no matter what your skill level is. I spent a lot
of weekends at the “Around the World” course (in Lake George), or even the
“Hillbilly Holes” (in Hartford )
keeping my game going, so I like to try any course I find. While I’ll compete against those people I was
with, I mostly compete against myself. Yes,
I want to do better than you, but I want to see how far under par I can come.
One notable difference here than
any other place I’ve played were the warning signs spaced along the course.
The natural reaction when the ball goes flying off was to rummage around
in the bushes looking for it, take a stroke penalty, and put it back on the
green so you could continue. Because Barefoot Landing was an
establishment built up around a watery area, that meant there was a potential
to be an alligator behind every bush. The alligators might be hanging out
nearby, but they’d generally ignore the people.
The issue happened when someone would put their hand into the bushes to
reach for a lost ball, and not realize a gator was there. Startled wild
animals either retreat or strike, depending on their current mood.
I honestly doubt there’d been an
actual person who had their hand removed in an attempt to retrieve a ball, as
that would such an insurance issue and/or safety hazard. The owners of
the mini-golf course were probably just being cautious with the signs instructing
visitors to use their clubs to clear the shrubs before reaching for lost balls.
It also may’ve a way to increase their notoriety with that “hint of
danger.” Still, we weren’t stupid. The few times the balls were
ejected from the course, we made sure to sweep around with the putters before
reaching for them.
ALABAMA THEATRE
One of the places which was on
Molly’s high list to go was the Alabama Theatre. This was more of a
concert venue dedicated specifically for the country band Alabama (which was one of her favorites).
I can’t say their music completely thrilled me. It wasn’t twangy or
reminded me of something from Dad’s Hee Haw show, as it had actual music
and complex lyrics (similar to Charlie Daniels Band, just without the edge).
They were talented musicians that wrote and performed their own material
(a rarity in the country genre) so I respected that, although it wasn’t my cup
of tea. I could listen to it without being driven insane, but it wasn’t
something I’d willingly seek out.
From what she told me, the band Alabama cut their teeth in this area, and they’ve repaid Myrtle Beach by creating
this venue for concerts to take place. Many other bands and performers
would play here during the year, but the highlight was when Alabama do shows here in between tours or
studio time. Molly found out they were going to be there when we were,
and it was an assured thing we’d be going there. I actually think she got
the tickets to this, and then built the rest of the vacation around it. The
lobby to the theatre was dedicated to the history of the band, with copies of
tour posters, album covers, and other memorabilia specific a particular period
in their history. The ceiling had a huge modern art rendering of a guitar
(which blue neon lights accenting most of it).
Anytime you can see a band live,
it’s always good, as it allows you to feel the energy of the crowd. As
long as the music isn’t an assault on your senses, you can have a good time.
While she’d played most of their songs at home, Molly knew every title as
soon as they started. I recognized a few familiar melodies, but they all
sounded similar to me. The reverse was true when she tried to listen to
Manowar, as the songs were either too loud for her, or didn’t sound any
different than the previous song she heard.
For current information on the places visited:
Barefoot Landing: http://www.bflanding.com/
Alabama Theatre: http://www.alabama-theatre.com/
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