Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

Museum Free Day on September 25, 2010

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Every year the Smithsonian Magazine organizes a free museum day. This year Museum Day is on September 25, 2010. This is how it works. You have to visit the magazine’s website and fill out a short form and pick your museum. You can then print out your ticket The ticket is good for free admission on September 25, 2010 for TWO people.

We have added the list of participating museums below.

There are four things to keep in mind:

  • The card is good for you and a guest.
  • The offer is only valid for Saturday
  • The limit is one card per household
  • The card can only be used once

Here is the link to get the ticket.

Drayton Hall
3380 Ashley River Road
Charleston, SC 29414
843-769-2600
Museum Day Hours of Operation: 8:30am – 5:00pm
visit the website

Circa 1738, Drayton Hall has survived the centuries in near-original condition and is the oldest unrestored plantation house in America open to the public. Renowned for its architectural significance, Drayton Hall’s broad vistas and rare period features represent one of America’s most important, undisturbed historic landscapes.

Exhibits
The past is present here in the stories told, the exquisite public places, and quiet, sacred spaces. All-inclusive daily programs and activities include visitor-acclaimed House Tour, Connections Program: From Africa to America, interactive DVD Landscape tour, Nature Walks, African-American Cemetery, and Museum Shop.

Georgetown County Museum
632 Prince Street,
Georgetown, SC 29440
843 545-7020
Museum Day Hours of Operation: 10:00am – 3:00pm
visit the website

Muskets, marshland, and muslin, rice, rivers, and revolution. What do these seemingly unrelated subjects have in common? The Georgetown County Museum offers fascinating connections that intertwine these and many other facets of life that span almost 300 years of American history lived out in the daily lives of the citizens of Georgetown, South Carolina.

Horry County Museum
438 Main Street
Conway, SC 29526
843-915-5320
Museum Day Hours of Operation: 9:00am – 5:00pm

The Horry County Museum is home to artifacts, photographs, wildlife, and a large collection of objects relating to the history, prehistory and natural history of Horry County, South Carolina.
The L. W. Paul Living History Farm is now open for the public.

Exhibits
Coastal Plains Native Americans, Birds of Prey, Black Bear Exhibit, American Alligator, Turpentine & Timber Exhibit, Waccamaw River Exhibit, Influential Women of Conway Exhibit.
The Farm is a one horse family farm of the 1900-1955 era. Visit the family home, barn with live animals, packhouse, tobacco barn, field of crops, woodworking area, grits mill and more.

The Powder Magazine
79 Cumberland Street
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 722-9350
Museum Day Hours of Operation: 10:00am – 4:00pm
visit website

South Carolina’s oldest public building, The Powder Magazine (circa 1713) served as an arsenal within the old walled city of Charleston. Interact with historians and see museum exhibits that relate to Charleston’s colonial and American Revolution history. PASSES HONORED ON SUNDAY AS WELL!

Exhibits
PASSES HONORED ON SATURDAY & SUNDAY! Eighteenth century artifacts on display and period dressed interpreters on location. Make plans to see our special live presentation of “The Gentleman Pirate” at 3:30pm.

FLORIDA
Amelia Island Museum of History
233 South 3rd Street
Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
(904) 261-7378
Museum Day Hours of Operation: 10:00am – 4:00pm
visit website

The Amelia Island Museum of History, a not-for-profit organization, fosters community and visitor appreciation of Nassau County’s unique history within the broader context of Florida, national, and world history.

Exhibits
Visitors to the Amelia Island Museum of History are invited to “Unlock the Past,” as they enter the renovated 1935 Nassau County Jail which houses historical objects and archaeological finds. Florida’s first spoken history museum highlights the history of the Island of Eight Flags.

Colonial Spanish Quarter
29 St. George Street
St. Augustine, FL 32084
(904)825-6830
Museum Day Hours of Operation: 9:00am – 5:30pm

At Colonial Spanish Quarter Museum, visit knowledgeable re-enactors, in costume, in an authentic colonial setting. Visit with a blacksmith, carpenter, leather worker and housewife about 1740s St. Augustine.

Exhibits
The Colonial Spanish Quarter offers you an experience of an 18th century St. Augustine in the Taberna del Gallo (Tavern of the Rooster). Drift back in time while enjoying a cider, cold sangria, or beer in this 18th century tavern setting. On Saturday, September 25, 2010, join in singing as the “Bilge Rats” perform old sea chanteys or Songs of the Sea.

Things to do in Georgia – September 2010

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September is a beautiful month on the coast of Georgia, and there are a lot of festivals coming up. September is the month for seafood with the Shrimp and Grits Festival in Jekyll Island, and the Rock Shrimp Festival in St Marys.

Here are a few ideas of things to do in the month of September in coastal Georgia:

Gray’s Reef Ocean Film Festival – Sept 17 – 19, 2010
Savannah is probably most known for its big film festival in October, but the Ocean Film Festival is gaining in popularity. This year the film festival screens many interesting and important films made about the oil spill.

Click here to read more about the Ocean Film Festival

Shrimp and Grits Sept 17-19, 2010
Head to the historic district on Jekyll Island for one of the best seafood festivals on the coast.  Lots of delicious food, chefs from all around are showing off their talents in the cooking competition, live entertainment and lots of fun for the whole family. Go to our page for Shrimp & Grits Festival

Jazz in the Park – St Simons Island, Sept 19, 2010
This is the last chance for the season to enjoy Jazz in the Park right outside St. Simons Island Lighthouse.  This event is scheduled at high tide, so the breeze from the ocean can cool you off.

Read more about the event here.

Savannah Jazz Festival Sept 19 – 26, 2010
This is one of the most popular festivals in Savannah, and no wonder. The city is just the perfect location for a jazz festival.  Lots of performances to choose from, check out our special events page for Savannah Jazz Festival

The Rock Shrimp Festival – Sept 25, 2010
The rock shrimp is a delicious shrimp with a hard shell. Every year the city of St. Marys in South Georgia holds a special festival to celebrate the shrimp.  Read more on our special page for Rock Shrimp Festival

More Georgia stories:

Oktoberfest on the River

Georgia’s Colonial Coast Birding & Nature Festival


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Guy Fieri from Food Networks Showcases Jacksonville

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Chef Guy Fieri’s Food Network Show Maps Authentic Dining Options

Renowned chef and popular Food Network host Guy Fieri travels the country in search of local flavors on the hit show, “Diners, Drive-ins & Dives.” However, in recent episodes, Fieri has been searching for real food, made with the best ingredients showcasing the community and its people. That search led him to Jacksonville. So what did Guy Fieri find?

First up, Singleton’s Seafood Shack. This restaurant has offered fish specialties for more than 40 years. Located in the heart of historic Mayport, the shrimping boats docked nearby return with the day’s catch of locally harvested Mayport Shrimp. The episode featured restaurant owner Dean Singleton’s four family favorite dishes – Minorcan chowder, blackened sheepshead, fried gator tail and classic shrimp burgers. Guy even boarded a boat “in search” of fresh seafood, and he found it in this self-professed dive.

Next, Culhane’s Irish Pub. This unique establishment offers a great menu of New World Irish Cuisine featuring traditional favorites mixed with fresh southeastern produce, seafood and all-natural ingredients. Four Limerick-born sisters started the restaurant in Atlantic Beach and have never looked back. You’ll always find one of their smiling faces at this local’s favorite for a cold pint and tasty dishes. Chef Olive Davis invited Fieri into her kitchen to give him the lowdown on patron favorites like Guinness Beef Stew and lamb sliders.

13 Gypsies in the historic Riverside neighborhood is home to newcomer Chef Howard whose attention to detail and his use of the freshest ingredients grabbed the attention of the Food Network. Definitely not a “Diner, Drive-in or Dive,” this unique restaurant peaked interest with its made-from-scratch breads, sausage, cheese and crème fraîche. A tapas-style menu is served with the true flavors of the Gypsy migratory trail – Spain, India, Central Europe and others. The small restaurant seats less than 15 people, so a reservation is a must, but is well worth the wait!
Jacksonville natives eagerly awaits the premiere of legendary Metro Diner on the show. Fieri also visited this restaurant, located in historic San Marco. Lines have been known to wrap around the building while waiting for a taste of a Metro Diner original, the Breakfast Pie, on a Sunday morning. The meatloaf and other down-home comfort foods are also featured daily for lunch.

MOSH $5 Fridays now includes weekends – Jacksonville

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Five dollar Fridays at MOSH has become a great success in Jacksonville, Florida. Now the Museum of Science & History is introducing $5 Weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) starting on Saturday, August 6 through Sunday, October 17, 2010. So if you haven’t been to MOSH yet, here’s your chance.

The five dollar Fridays promotion, which launched in July, has resulted in a 288% increase in attendance as compared to Fridays in June. To accommodate crowds and busy family schedules, the museum will stay open until 8 p.m. on Fridays. MOSH is also extending $5 Fridays through the end of the year.

In addition to the eight core exhibits MOSH offers daily, patrons will be able to visit the featured summer exhibit The Chronicles of Narnia: The Exhibition, on display through September 12. And, on September 25, dinosaurs will invade MOSH with the opening of Prehistoric Predators.

People who visit before August 23 have one last opportunity to see a show in the museum’s vintage planetarium (for an additional $2 per person per show). The Alexander Brest Planetarium will be decommissioned August 23 at 11 a.m. The space science theater will then close, reopening October 23 after a complete renovation and the installation of the state-of-the-art Bryan Gooding Planetarium.

The Museum of Science & History (MOSH) is located at 1025 Museum Circle near Friendship Fountain Park. MOSH, first chartered in 1941 as the Jacksonville Children’s Museum, stimulates the joy of learning for visitors of all ages in science, astronomy and the history of the region. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Thursday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday. Museum admission is $11 for adults, $9.50 for military and senior citizens, $9 for children 3-12, and free for children 2 and under and members. Admission is $5 on Fridays through Friday, December 30 and Saturdays and Sundays through Sunday, October 17.

Things to do – Northeast Florida – August 2010

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This year it seems to be heading for a new record, so finding different ways to keep cool is a main concern.   I was pleasantly surprised to find out there’s an important holiday in August I never heard of.
On August 5th it’s International Beer Day.  I don’t know how I could have missed that special day which is supposedly a big deal on the other coast.  This year I promise I will make an effort and celebrate.

With the beginning of a new month comes what I like to refer to as “the week firsts”.   First and foremost that means time for art walks,  so lace up your most comfortable walking shoes, slap on some sunscreen, wear your coolest shades and cram your whole gang in the car and prepare for an evening out on the town.

Start your art walk at Hemming Plaza

ART – WHERE ART THOU?

In Jacksonville, the First Wednesday Art Walk takes place on August 4, 2010.  This month it’s time for the 5th Annual Petwalk as well.  So let your furry four-legged friends join for a special night out. There are lots of interesting watering holes in the downtown area, so don’t worry about the heat too much, just plan for spending time cooling off at one of the bars or cafes in the downtown area.  Some places even welcome furry friends in their outside dining areas, Cafe Nola and London Bridge are two worth mentioning.

Download the map and check out our video from the event on the special events page for First Wednesday Art Walk in Jacksonville, Florida

It’s also the First Friday Art Walk in St. Augustine, Florida on Friday August 6, 2010, from 5 – 9 pm.  Head to the San Marco district for a night out.  Enjoy arts, crafts, mingle with art lovers, artisans and authors.

Check out the page for the First Friday Art Walk in St Augustine

BACK TO SCHOOL

Even though most kids are heading back to school in August, summer in the South is far from over and Amelia Island Sun Splash is a Summer event celebrating having fun in the sun.  The event takes place at Seaside Beach on Saturday, August 7, 2010, 8am – 7pm.  Come enjoy island fun on the beach with live music and lots of activities.

At 7 am, there will be a beach clean up with Keep Nassau Beautiful, followed by a surf contest at 8am.  Then it is time for the popular reggae music concert. Live reggae is performed from 1-7pm. There’s also a swimwear fashion show, volleyball, ping-pong, sand castle contest, giveaways and prizes.

AND ALL THAT JAZZ

Summer Jazz at Jax Beach

There’s more music in the summer, than any other time of the year – especially when it comes to free concerts.  Head to Jacksonville Beach on Sunday August 8, 2010, for the next concert in the Summer Jazz series. The headliner: R n R featuring Rick Braun & Richard Elliott. For more details visit our special events page for the Summer Jazz series


Three favorite pastimes in Florida is without A  doubt playing golf, listening to good music and eating good food.  TPC Sawgrass took that into consideration and created The Summer Swing Music & BBQ, an event for golfers and non-golfers alike.  This sizzling summer series combines – golf, barbecue and music! The event takes place on August 18, 2010.

Visit the driving range and afterwards enjoy live music and delicious barbecue on the lawn at TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse. The event takes place from 6 – 10 p.m. and is open to the public. Call  904.543.5105 for more information.

The lawns of TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse, 110 Championship Way, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

ART OUTSIDE THE BOX

Fernandina’s art walk is doing things a little bit  differently compared to other art events on the coast.   Instead of competing for fame for  “the week of firsts”, the organizers were thinking outside the box and created an art walk on the Second Saturday of the month.  The self-guided art walk is called the Artrageous Artwalk in Fernandina and takes place on Saturday, August 14, 2010 from 5:30 – 8:30pm in Historic Downtown Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island. Meet the artists and enjoy a vast array of fine art.   This month the Island Art Association is hosting a Nouveau Art Reception ,”Sea and Sky” from 5-8pm. The featured artist is Rhonda Bristol, mixed media.

Magnificent view from the lighthouse

BAD MOON RISING

What goes down has to come back up, is that how the old saying goes? No, I’m not talking about the International Beer Day or the fact that August is Goat Cheese Month in the U.S.  That’s not where I was going at all.  The saying fits when it comes to the sun and the moon, that’s all I was saying.  Let’s just move on – and continue with the sun and the moon, two opposites marking the change from day to night. (Like that sentence better?)

In any case, on Tuesday August 24, 2010, you can view the sunset and moonrise from the most unique perspective in all of St. Augustine – from the vantage point of the top of the lighthouse. The Sunset/Moonlight Tour is $25 includes a champagne toast and light refreshments atop the tower and an informative overview of the history of the St. Augustine Light Station.

St. Augustine Lighthouse Tower is located on Anastasia Island, 81 Lighthouse Avenue in St. Augustine, FL.  This is a recurring event, for reservations and more dates call 904.829.0745 or visit www.staugustinelighthouse.com

TAILGATING IN STYLE

The Great Tailgate Cookoff Amelia Island Florida
Tailgate in style!

Nothing says summer better than barbequing – and on Amelia Island the experts are gathering for a special event. You will be able to smell your way across the island to the Inaugural Great Southern Tailgate Cook-Off at the Main Beach Park on Amelia Island. Over 40 cooking teams from across the country will compete for up to $20,000 in cash and prizes. The event takes place on Friday August 27 and Saturday August 28 on Amelia Island.

Visit our special event page for more information about the Great Southern Tailgate cook-Off

St. Augustine is alway a wonderful city to visit and to walk around in. There’s so much to see and do, but the last Saturday of the month is special. Uptown Saturday Night is a recurring event in St. Augustine, and it’s always popular but especially so in the summer months.  In August, Uptown Saturday Night takes place on Saturday August 28, 2010, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. the last Saturday of every month in the San Marco Shopping District.   Many galleries, antique stores and shops between Ripley’s Museum and the Mission of Nombre de Dios remain open during this special event. Meet artists, meet authors during book signings, enjoy live music and refreshments in a party-like atmosphere. The Mission of Nombre de Dios provides FREE PARKING for Uptown Saturday Night. The event is sponsored by the San Marco Avenue Merchants Association. Call 904.823.9263 for more information.