Tuesday 27th August

Upon awakening we watch the sun rise above the ocean, turning the colours from a misty grey to a warm, glowing pink. There are a few pelicans swooping and gliding along the shoreline, hoping to catch an unsuspecting fish.

We first try to see our good friend, but are told she will not be in the Welcome Centre of South Carolina for a couple of days.

We move on to our coffee stop to catch up with another friend, but she is not there either!!

Oh well, on to an air-conditioned mall it is, retail therapy and lunch.

After the heat of the mid-day sun had dissipated somewhat, we come back to our hotel, find a couple of sunbeds beside the pool that are in the shade, and relax . . . . . A little while later we decide to walk along the beach, kicking through the surf, watching all the other beachgoers playing, swimming, surfing and having fun.

Monday 26th August

A quick early morning coffee at our favourite spot, and then it’s on the road to leave Hilton Head Island, drive North through Charleston, and onto North Myrtle Beach.

The weather stays fair for the whole of the drive, and we arrive at our destination in the late afternoon. Our room overlooks the ocean, and there are still many people down on the beach below.

A great view for our last few days on summer vacation.

Sunday 25th August

A great day that begins with our usual coffee hit, and then we head off to Harbourtown at the western end of HHI. We have fun on a tree-swing, climb to the top of the lighthouse, eat ice-cream, watch the boats and sit in the rocking-chairs.

The late afternoon finds us beneath the shade of palm trees, beside the hotel pool. We eat a relaxed dinner here, too. A fine end to a marvelous day.

Saturday 24th August

Early morning coffee is an essential start to our day! We love Java Joe’s.

A little bit of shopping and lunch follows, and then we take a walk along the beach, dipping our toes into the ocean.

Again, in the afternoon we find two sun beds, and laze beside the pool; it’s not too sunny, but quite balmy and pleasant.

A dinner for two completes a wonderful day.

Friday 23rd August

A beautiful morning to wake up to; blue skies, and not too hot. We have an early stroll to our favourite coffee place, sit outside and watch the world go by.

The afternoon is spent chilling by the pool, along with a quick swim; it really is quite a superb place to be!

For our evening meal we go out altogether as a family, and are greeted by a large green frog, wearing a red and white bobble hat ~ the Frosty Frog is a fun place to eat!

Thursday 22nd August

Well, we’ve spent an awesome three weeks in Florida; the weather has been truly fantastic, we’ve been relaxing in the Keys, and having fun in the theme parks, but now it’s come to an end!

A long drive North through Florida, Georgia and into South Carolina to our next stopping off point at Hilton Head Island. We drive through amazing thunderstorms with almost zero visibility due to the relentless rain, with lightning bolts forking down from the purple-black clouds.

Hilton Head is sunny as we drive down Pope Avenue to our beachfront hotel.

Perfect!

Wednesday 21st August

Our last full day in Orlando, and we head off, first thing for morning coffee, and on to Aquatica! Love this place ~ find a group of sunbeds beneath a shady parasol, and chill out for a few hours, every now and again having a play in the lazy river or the surf pool. A super relaxing place to be.

Tuesday 20th August

We go again to Universal Studios, and our first stop is the new Transformers 3D ride! The queue is not too long, and we have another exciting, thrilling experience!

Our second stop is the Mummy; I’m feeling brave this time, actually enjoy it, and then go round again for a second time!!

Shrek 3D is also fun, and a cooling way to get out of the heat! We also meet up with Shrek, Princess Fiona and Donkey for a photo opportunity.

Men in Black: Alien Attack is also on our list of rides today, and we are also shown a sneaky way to enter the ride again, without queuing!! Excellent.

As we leave, we pick up our photographs, and are given some insider information about all the building work that is going on in the park ~ an extension to Harry Potter Land, with an indoor rollercoaster, and a train ride joining Universal to Islands of Adventure ~ awesome!!!

Monday 19th August

Extra early get-up, and we’re on the road to Tampa just before 8am, in order to visit Busch Gardens. The weather is clear, and the traffic is light.

The park is fairly quiet, and we enjoy many rides with short queuing times. It is really hot, and we find shade and coolness where we can. We all start on the SkyRide, and view the park from above, then we don plastic ponchos and have fun on the Congo River Rapids!

After much enjoyment, we end the day with amazingly tasty ice-cream.

Sunday 18th August

Aquatica again! A great Sunday morning, lying in the shade, going round and round on the lazy river, and today, The Dolphin Plunge! I kept my eyes open all the way down, but still didn’t see the Comerson dolphins through the tubes!