Blogs from Columbia, South Carolina, United States, North America - page 3

Over the last year and half my wife has complained about the little 7 ½ inch seat on the back of the Shadow. So I went out on a quest to find a replacement seat to provide her comfort and enable her to take longer rides with me and Thumper. I checked out Mustang seats, Russell’s and even companies that would rebuild the Honda seat that came with the Shadow. All the seats I found were, in my opinion, way out of the price point I had set for the Shadow. If I had a Goldwing or a large touring bike that I planned on keeping for a life time, then yes $500 or more would be a price point that I could justify, but not for a bike that I hope to replace in a ... read more

Yesterday we left Palm Key at 8 a.m. so sorry to leave such a beautiful place and we drove to Santee State Park where we took a morning Fisheagle pontoon tour boat of the swamps and Lake Marion. We saw ospreys feeding their young in huge nests, egrets, herons, alligators, hyacinth, water lillies, Jesus birds (they walk on water), snake birds, and other fascinating things like a dead alligator rotting on the banks of the swamp. (talk about stench from a 14 foot dead alligator in that heat)!! We met Polly, Russ, and Weston at our cabin in the afternoon and we all went out to a wonderful authentic VERY Southern dinner at Lone Star BBQ ust outside the park. Here BBQ is a noun not a verb! We had grits and tomato pie, hush puppies, ... read more

Well, I am setting this blog up as my English version of my travel blog (the English/French/Spanish blog = mariearcher.blogspot.com just in case you want to check it out). Amber and I will be heading out of the USA on the 2nd of February, just under two weeks away! It's getting so close!! The closer it gets to our departure date, the more excited and nervous I get...both at the same time. I am in no form nervous as in not wanting to go. More so in the sense of: what will I inevitably forget to pack? Will I have time to see everyone in mind before I leave? Etc. But enough about the petits worries; I am so so so very excited to go to Angers. I've already started packing mes valises and I can't ... read more

Tonight, since it was a nice day and the rain had finally stopped, my roommate Sarah and I went out walking to Columbia Hall to check on my car, over to the State House a few blocks away, around the Horseshoe, down by a little coffee and catering shop to snag a pic of Ingrid and Bogie, up to the building where we work, across to the library, and back to Rutledge Hall where we live (also on the horse shoe). I think the pictures kind of speak for themselves of the beauty of the South, but one that stood out the most to me was the statue at the State House. In the picture, behind the statue, is the Confederate flag made of white stars and the red background and blue stripes. Although I don't ... read more

Wow...five days, 2800 miles, nine tanks of gas, 7 lemonades, three nights of camping, 2 hotel check-ins, and 1 stop asking for directions later and my sister and I are finally in Columbia, SC. These past five days have gone by insanely fast, but we have seen so many new things. Day three started off with us jetting to see the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD. It was such an amazing building that was built entirely of ears of corn and grains freshly grown from South Dakota. Each year, they rebuild the Corn Palace to a new theme and it has been being rebuilt since the 1890s (except some years during the wars). It is the only corn palace in the world and entirely free to visit. One of my favorite parts was where visitors put ... read more