Author: Cynthia

The Gay Dolphin Gift Store at Myrtle Beach

View of exterior Gay Dolphin Gift Cove big wooden red sign
| Cynthia

It was a sunny, windy day first Saturday in March, my friend Martha and I traveled from Oak Island to Myrtle Beach. We were in the mood for exploring and visiting a place I hadn’t really explored since I was spotlight operator for the Rockettes Christmas Show Extravaganza at Broadway at the Beach in the late 90s.

We walked the Boardwalk, and occasionally escaped the brisk wind, window shopping the many souvenir shops. Most of the shops were your usual T-shirts, sweat shirts, shot glasses, and beach gear. The most spectacular shop was the Gay Dolphin Gift Cove established in 1946! It has moved and undergone renovations over the years and is now 2600 square feet spread over 7 maze-like stories.

Among the wide variety of gifts are curated statues, fortune tellers, and sculptures. I got lost exploring all the different areas and themes.

I wonder if the gift store has ever had scavenger hunt contests? There are so many gifts and unusual items – and places to hide things – it would be a fun challenge and a way to bring in even more customers.

Go visit for yourself or check out their website and online store https://www.gaydolphin.com/

People and Websites to Follow

| Cynthia

Appalachian Trail Angels, Shuttle Drivers, Hostels, Hikers!

Why the interest in the Appalachian Trail? Well, some people watch football, baseball, soccer, golf – I follow hikers – I’m an armchair hiker. Presently, I am limited physically due to some medical issues and while I search for the right team to help me gain strength and endurance, I am a vouyer in their world. The amazing part is, through YouTube, Instagram, and their personal blogs you can interact with them, provide donations, or become an in-person supporting trail angel on their journey.

FRESHGROUND LEAPFROG CAFE

Trail Angels are the welcomed support people on the trail. With their gifts of food, drinks – especially water, rides, places to stay, and encouragement hikers are renewed to continue their journey.

Tim Davis, Freshground, has fed hikers on the Appalachian Trail for 13 years. You can find his white cargo van at various trailheads along the NOBO, North Bound, route from Springer Mountain, GA through North Carolina. He concentrates on the bubble, the large cluster of hiker population. Check out the heatmap “Where are the Hikers” website generated. https://www.wherearethehikers.com/heatmap/

Freshground’s positive message and amazing abundance of food is known on trail and, if you follow AT thru-hikers on social media, you can witness how elated they are when they catch up to him supplying meals. He holds fundraisers each hiker season for food and van maintenance, while he pays his own way.

Ron’s Appalachian TRAIL SHUTTLE

I follow Ron’s Appalachian Trail Shuttle to see photo posts of who is starting their AT Trail journey with tag numbers for registered hikers, what the condition of parking lots at trailheads is, weather updates and warnings, and updates of hikers with Mt Katahdin summit photos.

Ron Brown’s shuttle service keeps him and his 19 year old Toyota, Yellow Blazin’, so busy that he celebrated being in Toyota’s 600 mile club! He has an Instagram and Facebook page as well as a connection on the Website Hiker Feed. https://www.hikerfeed.com/vendor/19

Following Ron’s Appalachian Trail Shuttle gives me a way to cheer on hikers as they begin their journey and to see what a shuttle driver’s life at work is like – I mean, Ron will pick you up at the Atlanta Airport and take you to trail!

Hostels Along the Appalachian Trail

There are many hostels along the trail to choose from, some are very popular due to the hospitality shown by the caretakers. While the caretakers opened as a business, sometimes their ability to provide comfort and resources feels like a non-profit. Among the many services and resources they may offer is pickup from trailheads, shuttles to town, laundry with loaner clothes, refreshing hot showers, comfy beds, hot meals, and community gathering spaces. Voyeuring YouTube thru-hikers over the years, there are many that were in desperate need to seek the nurturing environment from a hostel to reset after tough days on trail. Among the many web resources I found this list of accommodations along the trail created by Blue Ridge Travel Network: https://appalachiantrailtravelguide.com/directory/categories/