Huntington Beach Kite Festival

Saturday, we had breakfast at National House of Pancakes and then headed to Huntington Beach State Park.  Today was the kite festival so it was a good thing we arrived early.  The kites were being set up as we headed out to the beach.

We strolled down the beach and then headed around the castle.

Dogs aren't permitted, so we'd have to take turns and came back later.

We first hiked down Atalaya Straight Road.

There were a lot of golf carts shuttling around, so we got on Kerrigan Nature Trail to avoid the traffic.

A boardwalk led out to a overlook on Mullet Pond.

There were some pelicans in the distance close to the causeway.

Blue-winged teal ducks were swimming around the pond.

An osprey flew overhead looking for fish.

We finished up the trail and got back on Atalaya Straight Road.  There was a lot of wildlife to see in Mallard Pond.

A couple night herons were perched but all had their backs to me.

There was an alligator in the pond, sunning himself.

I even spotted an anhinga.

We went back to the beach one more time and lots of kites were flying now.

Then we took turns to go around Atalaya Castle.

After Sandy and Harper went through, I took Harper again for second round.  The sunroom was a interesting room with a curved hallway.

The Huntington's macaw lived in the sunroom when they were in residence.

Another interesting room was the bathroom.  The watchtower (atalaya in Spanish) held a cistern that provided enough pressure for running water in the castle.

After touring the castle, we took off.

Heading back to Myrtle Beach, we stopped at Broadway on the Beach.  We had lunch at Voodoo Brewing and then walked around the area.

Most stores were not dog-friendly, but we did take Amaroq into Reigning Cats and Dogs where he picked out some treats.  We also got a Call-a-Cab from Wet Willies.  Heading back to the hotel, we took an evening stroll down to the beach.

It was very pretty in the evening light.

We walked down under the pier and then into Myrtle Beach State Park.

The sun setting over the dunes was really pretty.

We then headed back and returned to the hotel right as it got dark.

Little Pee Dee

Friday, we took Harper and Amaroq for a weekend at the beach.  We headed south into South Carolina and first stopped at Little Pee Dee State Park, just across the state line.

We first walked across the dam for some nice views of Lake Norton.  A few folks were fishing and there were a couple kayaks on the water.

Then we hiked some of the short trails around the park.

We first hiked down Beaver Pond Nature Trail.  Harper enjoyed practicing walking on the soft, easy trails.

Then we took Longleaf Pine out to the campground and back.

Then we continued further south, making our next stop at the visitor center for Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge.  There was a nice view of Great Pee Dee River from the visitor center.

Lots of Spanish moss was hanging from the trees.

We took turns going through the visitor center since we had Amaroq.  They had some live snakes and turtles and a baby alligator named Hatcher.  Harper enjoyed pressing buttons in the exhibit.

Afterwards, we took a short stroll on the trail around the center.

Some yellow jessamine was flowering.

We were getting pretty hungry by this point and headed to Conway for a late lunch at Chantis Pizza along the river.  The crab rangoon pizza was really good!  After lunch, we took a short stroll on the Riverwalk since it was just behind the restaurant.

It was a really nice boardwalk trail with great views of Waccamaw River.  And it was a nice easy trail for Harper to walk.

We walked under the bridge and as far as the railroad tracks before turning around.

There was a lot of Spanish moss along the river.

Back at the car, we continued to Myrtle Beach and checked into Red Roof Inn.  After getting settled in, I took Amaroq for a short walk down to the beach.  I don't think he had ever been before; he got very excited and did some beach zoomies.

Crowders Mountain Ridgeline Hike

For President's Day, I took Amaroq for a day hike at Crowders Mountain State Park.  We parked at the Boulders Access Area and took the short spur trail past the picnic area.

In about a quarter-mile, we turned right on Ridgeline Trail and soon came to the first road crossing.

Past here, a short spur led out to the Boulders Overlook.  I didn't climb with the dog but we walked around and got come pictures.

Continuing on, the trail followed the ridgeline with lots of ups and downs but nothing too steep.  In a couple miles, we crossed NC-161 and then Pinnacle Road after that.  It was a pretty steady climb from that point up to the Pinnacle, the highest point in the park.

This area was pretty crowded though we hadn't really seen anyone else on the hike up.  We took a break up here and enjoyed the views then started making our way back.  Back at the start, we continued on Ridgeline Trail to the South Carolina state line as it was less than a mile.

There was a clearing here to denote the boundary and the trail continued into Kings Mountain State Park.  We took a short break and then headed back.

Ponies in the Snow

Saturday, we took Amaroq and Harper up to Virginia to see some snow at Grayson Highlands State Park.  Parking at Massie Gap, it was really cold when we arrived.  Harper and Sandy stayed warm in the car, while Amaroq and I went for a short hike on Horse Trail East.

I think this was Amaroq's first time in the snow and he seemed to really enjoy himself.  After an hour or so, it had warmed up a little and we all went for a hike up Rhododendron Trail.

Following Horse Trail North, we hiked as far as the park boundary.

There were a lot of wild ponies here.

This was our first time seeing them in the snow.

It looks like the park had dropped off a couple big piles of hay for food, hence the large crowd.

It was pretty cold for Harper, so we didn't hike any higher up.  Near Massie Gap, we took Cabin Creek Trail to Lower Cabin Creek Falls.

There were some massive icicles along the trail and a couple parts of the trail were a little sketchy.

The lower falls has two sections, but it was hard to go out for much of a view.

Continuing on the loop, we stopped briefly to see Upper Cabin Creek Falls, but even in winter, the view of this one is poor.

Then we finished up the loop and headed back to Massie Gap.

From here, we started making our way home and made a quick stop in Independence at Peach Bottom Falls.

Also known as Powerhouse Falls, the ruins of an old powerhouse were right next to the falls.

It was a short walk down to the base of the partly frozen falls.

A couple short paths led up to views of the upper sections.

The uppermost section had some cool icicles near the top.

We got some pictures and then started making our way home.  We stopped near Pilot Mountain for pizza at Rigatonis on the way.

Late Fall Hike at Medoc Mountain

Saturday, I headed east for a couple of hikes in Halifax County.  I left early and first stopped at Brinkleyville Game Land.

The gates were opened and I hiked down some of the open and gated roads.

It was a pretty but cold morning and I went a couple miles before turning back.

By this time, the park was open and I headed to Medoc Mountain State Park.  The day-use area was closed so I parked at the visitor center and hiked the bike trails to Little Fishing Creek.

I took the trails close to the creek, passing the closed area and when the trail approached Medoc Mountain Road, I crossed to head to the equestrian section of the park.  Hiking down the Main Trail, I turned on Pine Connector Trail.

This trail connected with Pine Loop and several other trails to make a couple loop hikes around the area.

Finishing up the bridle trails, I re-crossed the road and finished up the hiking trails to head back to the start.

On the way home, I stopped for a beer at Tar Banks Brewing in Louisburg.