Summer is always a good time for adventures. Working people have vacation time they can schedule in the summer. School children are free from their school schedules. It is a great time to have adventures.

My summers consist of relatives and friends coming to visit. When I’m fortunate, it also consists of me going to visit friends and relatives. Occasionally, I am very, very blessed and a few extra adventures are thrown in for good measure. This summer has been one of those that is allowing me to have big fun.

I recently went on a trip to Charleston, South Carolina with my son and grandchildren. We had so much fun! I had never been there before. I was fascinated by the history of the city and the hanging moss in the trees. I had only read about it and seen it in photos and movies before. Even though my grandchildren are young, they seemed to enjoy every moment of our adventures.

We visited the U.S.S. Yorktown which is docked in the bay and the Vietnam exhibit. Thinking about all of our young men and women who serve in the military and how their heroism and sacrifices are what keep our nation free was very moving.

We also took a carriage ride around downtown historical Charleston on which our tour guide was very informative about the early days of the city, the challenges and changes of the city that were such an important part of our nation’s early history.

We also visited Boone Plantation and took a wagon tour of the current agricultural operation on the nearly 800 acres that remain of the original plantation. My granddaughter announced to her dad that she would like to live in that house or one like it. The way the plantation had evolved to recover from natural disasters, war, and hardships was phenomenal. Even today, the plantation is reinventing itself to keep up with changing times.

As soon as I returned home, our Hamlin Family Reunion was in full swing. We sometimes have had as many as 85 people present at the Sunday dinner. As older siblings have passed away, and cousins are busy with their own schedules, our crowd had dwindled to below 30. I was glad to see everyone of them. We never know what another year may bring forth, and I am glad for any time we have together.

With a couple of days rest, I packed up and headed to Myrtle Beach with friends. It somehow seems ironic that I had not been to an American ocean in almost 40 years, and twice in one summer I have spent a week at the beach. Myrtle Beach and Charleston are totally different cities. The atmosphere is different. The beaches are different. The ocean is different. I can’t exactly explain how they are different, but they definitely are. From our condominium in Myrtle Beach, we could walk directly from the building out the door an walk a few yards to the beach.

I am amazed at the beauty of God’s world. I think the world He created is full of beauty and types of beauty that are vastly different. Falling asleep in a beach chair with the wind blowing over and under and all around was a unique experience, with the crash of the waves nearby and pelicans flying in V-formation overhead. Morning, noon, and sunset are all different at the same beach. The light is different, sounds, smells, temperature, and winds are different depending on the time of day. I can’t imagine a life where the ocean is part of every day.

As much as I loved the adventure, I’ll take the mountains any day. I suppose the thing that makes what is ordinary to one person an adventure to another is the difference between the familiar and the unusual. Summer may be close to being half over, but I still have a few adventures ahead. I can’t wait!!

Reach Judith Victoria Hensley at judith99@bellsouth.net or on Facebook. Check out her blog: One Step Beyond the Door.