Let this be your reminder to take it slow in the low country while the temps are high...
From never-ending beach days to outdoor concerts and movies – I've got everything thing you need to make it the best summer ever.
The promise of summer crests with every end-of-school invitation. I feel it in my bones as the temperature and dew-point tick upwards. My ears instinctually tune in to the sounds of the cicadas and I am reminded of what it felt like, as a child, to come upon its carcass - being simultaneously appalled by its appearance and enthralled with its translucent wings. And like that insect, summer brings mixed feelings to me: I worry about how I’ll make this stretch of time magical for my children and I revel in the glory that can only exist in a slow summer season.
Sense memory is strongest among summer days. My fingers remember hopelessly combing through hair turned to straw from the ocean’s waves, eyes that sting from chlorine, and freckled cheeks singed by a big, yellow sun. I can summon up the smell of pavement after a pop-up storm and how an ice cream cone just tastes better when its existence is threatened by the heat.
And so I vow to bend the knee to summer since three little people are patiently awaiting its arrival. They’ll pick wild blackberries, knowing to avoid the thorns, search like archaeologists for sea biscuits and the prefect scallop shell, practice their cannonballs in big blue pools, and tend to tiny backyard gardens they cultivated. And some special weeks I will drop them off at camp, which brings first-day-of-school jitters, but when I scoop them up, they will be beet-red and smelling like an amalgamation of sunscreen, bug spray, sweat, and absolutely perfect exhaustion.
We are the lucky ones. We live in a place that is perfectly suited for summer. Salubrious breezes keep time since the days are wildly languid in our sleepy coastal towns.
Beaches & Boomboxes
My ultimate beach day takes place at the Winding River POA Clubhouse on Holden Beach. Private parking, beach access, and a bathroom with showers for the kids means that I won't be bringing all the sand home with me. All property and homeowners in Winding River Plantation have access to this amenity (and so much more) through their monthly dues. What's on my mixtape? Bob Seger, The Zombies, Van Morrison, and a little Otis Redding...
Want to know more? Drop me a line!
Pools & Pals
Grab a towel and head to any number of pools in our county! If you're lucky, you (or someone you know!) lives in an amenity-rich community. My very favorite pool? Seaside Club at St. James Plantation. They've got a bar and grill, bathroom with showers, zero-entry pool with sun deck, splash pad, beach volleyball, plenty of umbrellas and a great big pergola if you need some shade, and live music from time to time.
Movies & Concerts
There's no shortage of outdoor concerts and movies this summer, either! Consult with your BFF and plan your evenings. For the full guide, visit https://www.ncbrunswick.com/events/concerts-music/
I hope you'll follow along this summer.
Xoxo,
Helen