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April 22-28, 2023 – Myrtle Beach SC

Booked this week at a timeshare back in January – little did I know I would be in no shape for a week of golf. It turned out to be a very enjoyable week – great dining and wonderful non-golf activities.

Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach

Located in the Broadway at the Beach complex. The most noteworthy exhibit here is Dangerous Reef, a huge 340-foot underwater tunnel where you move on a glidepath through a 750,000-gallon tank surrounded by sharks, tarpons, sea turtles and green moray eels. Other exhibits include Rio Amazon, featuring animals typical of tropical rain forests, and the Living Gallery, which shelters corals, weedy sea dragons and a giant octopus. Meanwhile, Friendship Flats allows hands-on interactions with some of the aquarium’s creatures.

Heritage Shores Nature Preserve and Conway South Carolina

Conway is known for the abundance of murals throughout the city and the preserve extends into the Cherry Grove Marsh. A series of elevated boardwalks and observation docks provide access through and around the preserve, where more than seven acres of walking paths feature interpretive signage at dozens of stations describing the wide array of plants, animals, fish and bird species that can be discovered here.

Brookgreen Gardens

Brookgreen Gardens is a sculpture garden and wildlife preserve, located just south of Murrells Inlet, in South Carolina. The 9,100-acre property includes several themed gardens featuring American figurative sculptures, the Lowcountry Zoo, and trails through several ecosystems in nature reserves on the property.

May 4, 2023 4

Orlando Wetlands Park — 4/10/2023

Orlando Wetlands Park (OWP) is a man-mad wetland designed to treat reclaimed water and provide a wildlife habitat. The park is in Christmas FL. OWP has nineteen miles of berm built to create eighteen wetland cells. The wetland system provides habitat for over two hundred bird species, otters, foxes, deer, turtles, snakes, and alligators.

April 19, 2023 4

Patagonia and Iguazu Falls Adventure – Day 17

On our final day in South America – since our flight would not leave until 7:00 pm – we decided to hike to Fort Duque de Caxias. It was a great morning workout – about a two and a half mile out and back walk along Copacabana beach then an eighteen story climb around the mountain & up to the fort. If all goes well, we will be back home by noon tomorrow.

Sent from my iPhone

March 19, 2023 6

Patagonia and Iguazu Falls Adventure – Day 16

Our day in Rio de Janeiro started with a cog railway ride to the Summit of Corcovado Hill. Here at 2400 feet above the city stands the 125-foot statue of Christ the Redeemer. The Christ statue stands over the entire city and is designated one of the seven “New Wonders of the World”. From the peak we could see sweeping views of the city and beaches. In the afternoon we took a glass cable car to the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain, a symbol of the city where we could again see the beaches, Corcovado Mountain and downtown Rio and Guanabara Bay. Heading back to our hotel we made a few stops to see the city’s sites, including some examples of colonial architecture, the Rio cathedral (modeled after a Myan pyramid) and a statue of HOBO Jesus: the viaduct which brought water into the city and Tile Street. Originally, tiles for the work were scavenged from various construction sites and piles of urban waste found on the Rio streets. But in later years, most of the tiles were donated by visitors from all around the world.

March 19, 2023 1

Patagonia and Iguazu Falls Adventure – Day 15

Today we visited the Brazilian side of the falls walking along winding pathways viewing one of the New Natural Wonders of the World. Viewing from this side provides a clearer picture of the scope and breath of the falls. Iguazu consists of over 280 separate cataracts across a span of two- and one-half miles – wider the Victoria Falls and higher then Niagra Falls. After a full day at the falls, we flew to Rio de Janeiro arriving late in the evening.

March 19, 2023 4

Patagonia and Iguazu Falls Adventure – Day 13/14

Day 13 was an all-day travel day from Buenos Aires to the Argentine side of Iguazu Falls.

Day 14 was our first full day at the falls. Upon arrival at Iguazu National Park, we boarded a train to take us to the central station where the three hiking trails (metal Boardwalks) converge. Our first trail was to Devils Throat named for the thundering waters that drop and spray unceasingly drenching both photographer and camera. Our second trail was the Upper Circuit which gives you a top-down look at the waterfall basin from numerous vantage points. The third trail is the Lower Circuit hiking down to the base of the falls giving a level or upward perspective. These are not short trails we walked over 6 miles. But let the photos speak for themselves.

March 19, 2023 0

Patagonia and Iguazu Falls Adventure – Day 12

We got to sleep in today. We left at 10:00 for a full day Gaucho party at a typical Argentine estancia (ranch) about an hour and a half outside of the city. The Santa Susana ranch is working agricultural farm and breeds cattle and horses. Our activities were typical and atypical – a wagon ride, herding horses and a competition of riders racing to skewer a ring the size of your finger using a stick called a pistole at full gallop. The atypical – visiting a museum in the original farmhouse, getting a demonstration of the proper way to brew “mate” an Argentinean tea. Finally, no campfires meal for us – a sit down smorgasbord of roasted meats et al. with fine wines.

March 16, 2023 4

Patagonia and Iguazu Falls Adventure – Day 11

We had an early morning start to discover the city’s highlights on a tour that included the Plaza de Mayo, Metropolitan Cathedral and Casa Rosada (government palace), where we could see the balcony where Eva and Juan Peron made their speeches. The stunning metallic flower sculpture opened & closed throughout the day. The cathedral was where Francis presided before he was elected Pope. The changing of the guard was in the cathedral at the tomb of Gen Jose de san Martin. Then we moved onto the colorful La Boca neighborhood, a working-class barrio, and the old quarters of San Telmo and Caminito, a mix of colonial style homes, narrow lanes, artists’ lofts, and very trendy cafes. Then we drove to the Recoleta Cemetery, the final resting place of many of the wealthiest and most important Argentine historical figures. The grounds here cover more than four city blocks, filled with tombs adorned by works of local and international sculptors, and more than 6,400 mausoleums including the tomb of Eva “Evita” Peron, always heaped with flowers and letters from adoring fans – too bad there was a forty-five-minute line to see the tomb, so we passed. We spent the remainder of the day exploring some of Buenos Aires neighborhoods and the fabulous galleria on our own. Prior to dinner we “enjoyed” private tango lesson with professional Argentine Tango dancers. Dinner was on our own and we headed to a local grill for a dinner of suckling pig and grilled flank steak – big enough for 3.

March 15, 2023 2

Patagonia and Iguazu Falls Adventure – Day 10

Today is a travel day to “The Paris of South America” – Buenos Aires. We had one last morning in Patagonia before our flight, so we visited Reserva Laguna Nimez a bird sanctuary on the outskirts of El Calafate. Another blustery day with few birds visible – they must have been hiding from the wind. An almost 3-hour flight got us to Buenos Aires in early evening for an early Argentine dinner at 9:00 and quick walk around our hotel area to see some of the Friday nightlife.