Traveling Thursday – Valentine’s Edition

In the spirit of the day, I’m breaking from travel tips and instead reflecting on love of travel. There’s something magical about starting a journey and having new and amazing experiences. Of course it isn’t always amazing. There are times when the trip is hard and the hotel is bad, but good travelers always find something to salvage the journey – even if it’s just the hilarious stories they’ll have to tell.

I’m leaving you with some of my favorite quotes about travel. If you have some of your own to share, leave them in the comments.

“Adventure is a path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” – Mark Jenkins

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

“A wise traveler never despises his own country.” – Carlo Goldoni

“He who does not travel does not know the value of men.” – Moorish proverb

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller

“To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.” – Bill Bryson

 

Traveling Thursday – Free language resources

When traveling abroad it’s great to learn at least a few phrases so you can converse with the locals. One great way to accomplish this goal without spending any money is to use the resources at your local library. In addition to CDs, many libraries now offer free access to online language learning systems like Rocket Language, Mango, or Muzzy. Check out what your library has to offer before you next big adventure.

 

Brookgreen Gardens

Mr. McB and I spent Christmas at Myrtle Beach. It was the first time I have ever visited the beach in the winter but I definitely plan to do so again.
Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington statueDespite many visits to the Myrtle Beach area, this trip marked my first visit to Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet. The gardens occupy land that once made up several rice plantations. The land was purchased by Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington in 1930. The southern location was good for Anna’s health and the makeup of the gardens was the perfect place to display her sculptures. As time went on the Huntington’s broadened their vision to include pieces from other artists and now the garden is the largest collection of American sculpture in the world and the largest outdoor sculpture collection in the U.S.

The pieces are varied just like the land that comprises the gardens. It’s clear that the Huntington’s put a great deal of thought into the best way to integrate the art into the landscape.

bg_aligatorI highly recommend seeing the gardens if you get the chance. The tickets are reasonable and are good for several days. If you are visiting the area in the heat of the summer, multiple visits may be your best choice for seeing everything. As it was, we walked for at least eight miles and still didn’t see every single piece.

See the photos below to get a taste of what you could see during a visit to Brookgreen.

bg_arrowThe wall divides the more manicured gardens from the natural area near the tidal river that runs through the gardens.

Black Panther statueBlack Panther

bg_brownlady

children's garden at brookgreenThe children’s garden is full of whimsy and color.

naked woman sculpture

sculpture set amongst the treesA great example of how the sculptures fit into the landscape.

white bloomSome blooms even in December

treesCandles left from the Night of 1,000 Candles holiday display

Time and the Fates of ManTime and the Fates of Man

Don QuixoteDon Quixote – Anna Hyatt Huntington

bg_falloffranceFall of France – One of my favorites
This piece depicts France’s fate in WWII.

frog babyFrog Baby in the children’s garden

bg_inspirationPegasus

musesMuses

bg_pepperbg_redbirdCardinal bg_seahorseSeahorse (reminds me of Mooseal from the Wuzzles)

bg_songofmyselfSong of Myself – one of many quotes and verses in the gardens

bg_foxThis fox lives in the zoo that is on the property.

bg_cowSo do these cows.

It’s a great place and again, one that I highly recommend.