2023 Nov 27-Dec 2, The Club Diamond Bus, Myrtle Beach ShowTrip Myrtle Beach South Carolina

We traveled with a group of about 37 in a tour bus from Florence, Al to Myrtle Beach, SC.

We left on Monday, Nov 27, at 8:30 AM.  

At about 10:18AM, we stopped in at Walmart in Gardendale to pick up 4 more passengers and picked up a few items there.

Fried Shrimp, with Pinto Beans, Tarter Sauce, and hush puppies 

Our next stop was Cracker Barrel in Leeds, AL for lunch around 11:22AM.

We went through Atlanta GA traffic around 4 PM. 

Our next stop was Pilot in Braselton, SC. around 5:53PM

Arrived at Holiday Inn Express room 126 in Greenville, SC where we spent the night.

Day 2:

We all ate breakfast at the hotel and began our final journey to Myrtle Beach.'

We stopped at Love's Lugoff, SC around 11:08AM for a restroom break and to fill up with fuel.  

We stopped at McDonald's for lunch in Bishopville, SC at 12:31PM.  

Checked into the hotel with a few minutes to spare before getting ready for dinner. Compass Cove Oceanfront Resort, room 323.

Crab Leggs, Corn on the Cob, Baked potato, Shrimp and tartar sauce 

Dinner tonight is at the Giant Crab Seafood Restaurant arrived a little after 4:37 PM.

Christmas Show at Alabama Theatre

Finished the night with a Christmas show at the Alabama Theatre. 7-9PM

Day 3:

Breakfast at the hotel.

We loaded onto the bus around 9AM heading to Conway, SC to LW Paul Living History Museum. 

After about an hour and a half, we headed to Myrtle Beach Boardwalk.

We walked along the boardwalk that was next to the Atlantic Ocean.

We ate lunch at The Bowery where Alabama the band got their start. 

News Paper article about The Band Alabama 

Alabama Band/Wild Country 
Jeff Cook, Teddy Gentry, Randy Owen, & John Vartanian 

The band area was closed but hubby asked the waitress if I could go inside to take pictures. The waitress took us inside and I took a few pictures. They were busy so I did not stay very long. 

We shared a Cheesecake ice cream waffle cone. After several hours of shopping, we headed back to the bus. 

We rode to Walmart to pick up a few items then back to the hotel for a couple of hours. 

We ate dinner at Simple Southern Smokehouse. 

Blues Brothers, Dolly Pardon, Elvis, Frank Sinatra, and Aretha Franklin.

We finished the night with a Christmas Show at the Legends Theatre where we saw the Blues Brothers, Dolly Pardon, Elvis, Frank Sinatra, and Aretha Franklin.

Back to the hotel to rest.

Day 4:

Breakfast at the hotel. 

At 9AM we rode to the Asher Theatre to see A Man of a Thousand Voices James Stephens III.

After his performance, we shopped at Barefoot Beach Boardwalk. We ate lunch at Lulu's and bought some hot sauce and spices. 

We also bought nail polish and 4 rings at De Sol. 

The bus took us back to the hotel to rest.

At 4:40 we rode to Bennetts Calabash Seafood for dinner. 

Caroling Opry

After dinner, we went to see Carolina Opry and were back at the hotel at about 9:30PM.

Packed our bags we are leaving tomorrow after our shopping. 

Day 5: 

Watched the sun come up then walked down to breakfast.

9 AM we rode to Broadway at the Beach to watch, The Jersey Boy sing songs of the 1960s by the Four Seasons and Christmas songs. 

We went shopping at Broadway at the Beach. 

At lunch at Wahlburgers. 

Around 2PM we were headed to our next stop Holiday Inn Express Grovetown, Ga. 

Arrived around 8:30 PM

Day 6: 

Breakfast at the hotel. 

On the road around 8:30 AM 

Stopped at Western Sizzlin Oxford, Al for lunch.

Stopped at Gardendale, Al to drop off passengers and restroom break.

Arrived home around 5PM.

We had a great week with a lot of Christmas Shows, shopping, and eating at Myrtle Beach, SC.

Shows
At the Broadway Theatre, We heard Hot Jersey Nights Myrtle Beach Christmas Show (Frankie Valli and Four Seasons)

At the Alabama Theatre, we saw The South's Greatest Christmas Show.

At Legends Theatre, we saw Legends in Concert (Dolly Pardon, Frank Sinatra, Elvis, Retha Franklin & Blues Brothers)

At the Asher Theatre, we saw the man of 1,000 voices. James Stephens III

At the Carolina Opry Theatre, we heard
vocalist Delvin Choice of NBC’s The Voice, national recording artist Brad Long, hip-hop cloggers All That! of NBC’s America’s Got Talent, powerhouse vocalists Christie Templeton, Tangena Church and Chas Croft Sorrells, fiddling champion Trent Wideman and bluegrass virtuoso Gary Brown.

Restaurants
We ate at the Giant Crab Seafood Restaurant in Myrtle Beach
Simply Southern Smokehouse Myrtle Beach 

Bennett's Calabash Seafood Myrtle Beach 
Corn on the cob, cream potatoes, shrimp, and fried green tomatoes

Bennett's Calabash Seafood Myrtle Beach
Lulu's Myrtle Beach Myrtle Beach 

Wahlburgers Myrtle Beach 

Wahlburgers Myrtle Beach
Western Sizzlin Leeds, Al

Shopping
We shopped at The Boardwalk, Barefoot Landing, and Myrtle Beach BoardWalk 

1/2 Hamburger and fries at Lulu's Barefoot Landing 

Lulu's
De Sole
The General Store
It's Sweet
Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream

We stayed in a Resort facing the Atlantic Ocean.
Great to be home.

Seagrass, Soup of the Sea and Migratory Birds

Soup of the Sea

Plankton is organisms that drift with currents. Plankton can be plant-like phytoplankton or animal-like zooplankton. Most plankton is small, but even larger organisms are considered plankton if they live their lives drifting with currents. Plankton is found in freshwater and saltwater all over the earth, and it is very important to humans. 

Thank your plankton

Imagine your favorite seafood - shrimp - crab, oysters, fish ... thanks to phytoplankton, we can enjoy this mouthwatering cuisine from the sea. Phytoplankton provides two things that are essential for animals  (including us) to live. One is food. Like plants on land, they use sunlight and nutrients to produce food. They're the base of the food chain in the ocean. Many tiny animals eat phytoplankton and, in turn, get eaten by larger animals, up the food chain. Without plankton, we would not have seafood. 

Now, take a deep breath. The second essential ingredient produced by phytoplankton is oxygen. Estimates vary, but most scientists agree that phytoplankton makes up a significant portion of the air on earth. 

There's a zoo out there

Zooplankton eat. Many eat phytoplankton, and many eat smaller zooplankton. They are an important part of the food chain. A shark may never eat plankton and has no idea it exists but it depends on plankton for all of its food. 

Many zooplankters go through a metamorphosis. Some of them are plankton for part of their lives and then grow large enough to swim against currents or settle to the bottom. Those are called meroplankton. Holoplankton is plankton their whole lives.

You might recognize the adult forms of many meroplankters. See if you can match the adult forms with their planktonic forms below.

Broth of the Bay

Look up at Mobile Bay. These are some of the planktonic organism that is common in the bay. 

Plankton is collected with special nets like this one. The nets have tiny holes and are pulled along the water's surface. 

Crabs go through metamorphosis, much like butterflies or frogs. The megalops is one larval stage for crabs. 

Bristle worms get their name from their many bristles that are used for movement. They are related to earthworms. 

Dinoflagellates are phytoplankton. Some of them can glow like fireflies. Some make toxins that can be harmful to humans when there are lots of dinoflagellates in the water.

Diatoms are phytoplankton. They produce glass-like skeletons that are used in a variety of products. The grit in your toothpaste might come from diatoms. 

This is a nauplius, a larval form that is common to many different crustaceans, including barnacles. 

Copepods are thought to be the most abundant animals on earth. 

They are found in salt and fresh water and even in damp soil. 

They are incredibly strong for their size.

Saving and Restoring our Seagrasses

Threats to Seagrass

Nearly 80% of all seagrasses in coastal Alabama have been lost since the 1950s. 

A constant threat to seagrass beds is scarring created by boats' propellers and anchors. When boaters navigate across shallow areas or anchors. In seagrass beds, deep scars are created that can take years to recover leading to erosion and further loss of seagrass. Poor water quality is also a major factor that poses a serious threat to the health of seagrass. For example, excessive sediments in the water limit the light perpetration necessary for plant survival.

How can we protect our seagrasses?

What are we Doing?

To help propeller scars heal and protect seagrass beds from further scarring local partners are implementing protection and restoration projects throughout lower Perdido Bay including Little Lagoon the island near Perdido Pass and Ole River.

No motor and sensitive seagrass area signs will identify seagrass beds to help boaters navigate through or around shallow water sites containing seagrass. 

The scientist is using bird stakes to attract local waterfowl whose guano deposits will provide natural fertilizer to the propeller scars to promote the growth and expansion of surrounding seagrass.  

What can you do?

Be aware of idle or raised motors and poles when navigating through shallow areas.

Set anchors in sandy areas avoiding seagrass beds.

Obey No Motor Zone or Sensitive Seagrass areas signs: wade, troll, pole, or kayak when navigating through these areas to your favorite fishing or beach spot. 

Seagrasses Coastal Nursery Habitats

What are seagrasses

Seagrasses are flowering plants that live in the shallow waters of every continent except Antarctica. 

Seagrass beds containing shoal grass and turtle grass are found in Alabama's calm and shallow coastal waters. 

Why are seagrasses important?

Seagrass beds provide food and protection for juvenile fish and shellfish including many economically important species such as speckled trout, redfish, blue crabs, and shrimp. 

Many types of waterfowl feed on seagrasses as do threaten and endangered species, such as manatees and green turtles.

Seagrasses help stabilize bottom sediment filter runoff and absorb nutrients from surrounding landscapes. 

Alabama's Coastal Connection

Migratory Birds

In search of food and shelter

Each fall, millions of birds leave North America and cross the Gulf of Mexico, to spend the winter in South and Central America and the island of the Caribbean. In the spring they make the return flight to their Northern American breeding grounds. Alabama's Gulf Coast provides an important rest stop for these travelers. Stopover areas are a key element in maintaining bird populations. 

With increased development along the entire Gulf Coast, tracts of diverse, forested lands such as these are disappearing. 

Migratory species as well as resident birds, use this diverse landscape for foraging, resting, and evading predators. Birds must find enough food to provide energy for the long-distance flight to nesting sites far north. Migratory butterflies are dependent on food such as paw, paw, and passion flower larval growth. Songbirds feed on insects and berries while shorebirds hunt for invertebrates in the mudflats. 

The western end of the Fort Morgan peninsula is an important stopover site for migratory birds and has become a nationally known hotspot for birders. When adverse weather forces birds to the ground during a spring "fallout," the birding can be spectacular, although treacherous for the exhausted birds that must find a safe place to recover. 

Bird species commonly seen during migration include vireos, warblers, flycatchers, buntings, and hummingbirds, The Monarch butterfly migration can also be breathtaking during fall when weather conditions are favorable. 

Alabama's Coastal Connection 

Permeable Parking 

a Better way to go 

Combined sewer systems are remnants of the country's early infrastructure and so are typically found in older communities. Combined sewer systems are designed to collect rainwater runoff, domestic sewage, and industrial wastewater in the same pipe. Most of the time, combined sewer systems transport all of their wastewater to a sewage treatment plant, where it is treated and then discharged to a water body. Heavy rainfall adds stormwater so that the wastewater volume in a combined sewer system exceeds the capacity of the system.

Combined sewer systems are designed to overflow occasionally and discharge excess untreated wastewater directly to nearby streams, rivers, or other water bodies. 

These combined sewer overflows, also contain untreated human and industrial waste, toxic materials, and debris. 

The expansion of impermeable surfaces associated with urban sprawl and automobiles has so increased the stormwater volumes that the combined systems are being separated at great expense. The result is that stormwater runoff that used to receive treatment at the plants is now being delivered to receiving streams and coastal estuaries like Mobile Bay.

Water running off of roads, bridges, and parking lots have been estimated to be the largest volume of untreated wastewater in this country. Even twenty years ago the Federal Highway Administration estimated that 25 million tons of rubber wear off the nation's tires every week-50 tons/week in Alabama. Since rubber is biodegradable the process of biodegradation consumes oxygen when it occurs in streams and estuaries. Also of concern are the heavy metals found in steel-belted radial tires, oil, antifreeze, or even transmission fluid. 

The parking lot at the Estuarium allows all stormwater and associated contaminants to percolate down through the gravel providing an enormous surface area for microbial treatment of the waste, returning it to the water and carbon dioxide. Any contaminated waste that remains cannot reach the shallow freshwater aquifers that lead either to the Bay or Dauphin Island community wells because an impermeable membrane four feet down traps it and sends it through a filter system that removes the hydrocarbon contaminants. The water and any overflows of the system then flow into a detention pond where the vegetation, including the common cane, and other plants remove any nutrients that contribute to low dissolved oxygen levels in the Bay.