Waterway Travels with Jimmy
Finally made good today on my friend John's longstanding offer: to take one of his Yamaha WaveRunners out for a spin along the Grand Strand's portion of the Intracoastal Waterway. For good measure, I figured I'd bring my Pentax along - to capture a few of the unique waterside sights in the Myrtle Beach area that don't involve the Atlantic Ocean.
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The Governor's Point Lighthouse in North Myrtle Beach lends a watchful eye as we begin our southward journey.
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Many of the waterfront homes in the North Myrtle Beach/Little River/Cherry Grove area have more of a rustic feel. Sometimes, the color choices stretch the boundaries of imagination. (Is this what John Cougar Mellencamp had in mind?)
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No sharks in these waters, but ON the water's a different story. Greg Norman's Australian Grille at Barefoot Landing is a popular destination by car or boat.
With 100 or so golf courses along the Grand Strand, you'd figure that several of them would be along the Waterway. If you did, you'd figure correctly. This 10-mile stretch alone features ...
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... Barefoot Resort & Golf ...
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... Waterway Hills, with its signature gondola to get you and your clubs to the first tee ...
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... Grande Dunes ...
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... and Myrtlewood.
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From something older in North Myrtle Beach, to something newer in Myrtle. The bridge at Grande Dunes is the first sign, along with some spectacular waterfront homes right next to it ...
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Love the sign - after all, if you're at the point of no return, why not just find a good spot and settle in?
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Ever notice the busy stretch along U.S. 17 Bypass between 48th Ave. N. and the Grissom Parkway overpass, and be surprised at how many deer you might see along the side of the road at any given time? Looks like one of 'em strayed due west to say howdy!
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A couple leisurely hours and 23 miles later, we've reached our point of return, the Hwy. 501 overpass and train bridge. This sight is a gentle reminder that, on this day, I'd rather be safely beneath the overpass than on it!
Looking forward to the next edition of my WaveRunner follies, which will take me further south toward Surfside Beach, Garden City, Murrells Inlet and Pawleys Island. Stay tuned. In the meantime, here's wishing you as good a time with your Intracoastal Waterway journeys as I've had with mine!
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