Clarkston, Georgia (June 2022)

After we made a short stop at Savanna, we kept driving to Duluth, GA. It has a Korea Town with many restaurants and grocery markets. We had three reasons to stay overnight in Duluth.

The first was to have a fellowship with Elder Samuel Kim couple over dinner. He serves as a member of the SfK Life board of directors. I am grateful for his service. I meant to treat them but we ended up getting treated at a Korean BBQ house, called Morning House, formerly known as Zen. They seemed to be doing well and enjoying their lives in Georgia.

Second, after dinner, I had a brief meet-up with Koo Chung at the hotel we stayed. 

Third, the following day, we planned to have lunch with Jay Kim who is serving the refugees and new settlers in the town of Clarkston which is the gateway to Georgia for the refugees. That is why it is called the South's Ellis Island.

It is a town of 15,000 inhabitants 80% of which are people in transit with a diversity of people from 80 nations. Their service is done through Proskuneo Ministries where they worship and use creative art to develop relationships with the refugees. Jay attended the BMT 2022 English Track early this year. 

After we had lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant, we drove to Clarkston to take a look around the town. We spent some time talking at Refuge Cafe started by an American lady called Kitty whom we briefly met. This cafe is a gathering place for all people.

Jay brought his wife Joy for us to meet. They are a lovely couple and I am trying to find a way to serve the Lord together. We will stay in touch.

 After we met with them, we did our grocery shopping at Metro Chef and headed home, a 2-hour drive. Thus, our 10-day road trip came to an end. All in all, we drove approximately 1,800 miles. I am grateful for the opportunity to travel together in a long time with my wife. - Jeffrey 

Savannah, Georgia (June 2022)

We stayed only overnight at Hilton Head Island because we wanted to check it out. The following morning, we drove to Savanna, Georgia, a short 40-minute drive. It is a historic port where a Steam Ship Savannah sailed from this port across the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. This was a statue of SS Savannah.

Savannah has developed a River Walk along the Savannah River. JW Marriott was aggressive in developing a hotel complex along the River Walk.

It was no surprise to spot a statue of Martin Luther King Jr. who is from Georgia and created a huge impact in the lives of African Americans.

 

While we were spending time at the River Walk, a huge container ship was entering the Savannah Port. The ship looked too big to pass through the river and also pass under the bridge.But, it was not a problem at all.

I am sure there are a lot more attractions in Savannah for us to explore had we had more time. But, we decided to head out to Duluth where our final lodging was located. - Jeffrey 

 

Charleston and Hilton Head Island, South Carolina (May 2022)

Afte we left Myrtle Beach, we went to Charleston, South Carolina. It is a harbor city with the sixth-largest port in the U.S. based on a 2020 cargo value of $72 billion. BMW has a manufacturing plant in Greer and exports its vehicles through Charleston.

The first place we visited was Angel Oak, a giant oak tree that is estimated to be 400 years of age. Several branches reached down to the ground, yet the tree grew strong.

Another place we visited in Charleston was Charleston Tea Plantation, supposedly the only commercially active tea plantation in the U.S.; But, the products were quite pricey.

When we reached Hilton Head Island, we first went to one of the beaches that total 12 miles, they claim, compared to 60 miles of beaches at Myrtle Beaach. Although it may be shorter, we found Hilton Head Island beaches a lot cleaner and well maintained. 

 We walked and drove around the town and we felt that Hilton Head Island would be better if you just hang out or play golf alone. But, Myrtle Beach would be better if you travel with kids or grandkids. - Jeffrey

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (May 2022)

After we departed the Outer Banks, we returned to the mainland to head south to Willmington. Due to a time constraint, we decided to make a toilet stop and keep going. Our next destination was Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Myrtle Beach is a city and has its own beach, but it also indicates an area that includes many other towns and cities, including North Myrtle Beach, Conway, Surfside Beach, Little River, Atlantic Beach, etc. It is also called the Myrtle Beach Metropolitan Area. Since we would stay there only for two days, we decided to keep out exploration short.

Upon arrival, we chose to eat inside the room and to rest early since we drove for almost six hours.

The next morning, we walked on the beach. The sand was solid and it was pleasant to walk in barefoot. 

Myrtle Beach and its area is called the golf mecca on the east coast. There are more than 80 golf courses in the area. This compares to the Palm Springs area where you can find more than 100 golf courses in the west.

We were not prepared to play golf, so we decided to play a round of miniature golf at one of the popular miniature golf places. Its name was Atlanticus Minotaur Goff. It was just for a fun.

 

Myrtle Beach is also well known for its well-designed boardwalk. We did not walk the entire boardwalk, but we enjoyed it partially.

This was the view from our room and it was just fine to relax in the room after some a round of goofing and walking. Ha!

Overall, Myrtle Beach has many attractions for all ages. Kids would love amusement parks, miniature golf, and water sports. Teenagers would love to play in the water and amusement parks. Adults would love to hang out at the beach, play golf, shop at outlet stores, or visit gardens in the area. So Myrtle Beach has them all for all ages. No wonder it is a popular place for vacationers. We were thinking that it would be a good place to come back with our daughters and grandchildren.

We were planning to leave early the next day to spend some time in Charleston before heading into Hilton Head Island, our next lodging. - Jeffrey