Although not in our top five Most Viewed posts, Morocco was perhaps our Number One destination in 2018.

It was about this time last year that those nice folks at Gallivance (Terri and James Vance) published Best of the Blog: The Top 10 Faves, and ever since then, we’ve wondered what you, our readers, would find fascinating among our ramblings for 2018.  After all, we’ve been near (our home town of Knoxville) and far (Maine and Morocco), but never really thought of what you enjoyed reading about the most . . . until now.

Come to think of it, looking back is a good thing.  We just may want to do less of one place and more of another based upon what you like.  (Now there’s a concept — pleasing our readers!)

So, with thanks to the Vances for inspiration (good writing, humor, great photos, too), here are our top five Most Viewed posts of 2018.  Ta-da!!!

Most Viewed Number 5:  “Food, glorious food:  West End Market, Cleveland, Ohio”

Now, this one was no surprise to us:  everyone we know who travels seems to love eating food of the area.  And after a trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and the house in A Christmas Story, we decided that a big market like West Side was just what we needed to see (and sample).  With a plethora of fresh veggies piled high for the taking and some regional specialties we just don’t get that often in Tennessee (think perogies, apple provolone stuffed tenderloin, and pizza bagels), it was definitely love at first sight — and first bite — at West Side Market.

And we were glad that the market was ginormous.  It gave us an opportunity to walk off what we sampled — from macarons to ginger snaps and then some.

You can be sure we’ll be frequenting more Farmers Markets in 2019.  In fact, you can hardly beat the Knoxville’s Saturday set-up in our downtown Market Square.  So watch for more food, glorious food.

Most Viewed Number 4: “Sunrise at Acadia Dock”

Shoulda known this one would be in the Top Five.  Sunrise photos rank right up there with puppies in a basket and cuddly babies in knitted caps as favorites.  But these sunrises were special to us.  We woke early almost every morning during the month we spent in Castine, Maine, just to walk to the dock and stand with the locals in silent reverence for God’s paintings on the water.

Sunrise: Castine Harbor.

We loved it all — from boats tied up and waiting, to watching lobstermen hard at work before dawn, to the launch each day of the Maine Maritime Academy’s training boat, the Bowdoin.

Bowdoin, training vessel for Maine Maritime Academy

In fact, those early morning strolls down the street, cup of coffee in hand and jacket zipped up, remain some of our fondest memories.  But coming in at a close second after clapping for the sunrise was hiking up the main drag to enter MarKel’s Bakehouse for a whiff of those moist right-out-of-the-oven blueberry scones.  Would go back in a heartbeat!

Morning light: Castine, Maine.

Most Viewed Number 3: Out of this world:  Monhegan Island, Maine

Speaking of going back — one night in Monhegan is definitely not enough.  From the boat trip on choppy waters to the laid-back, no-improvements-needed landscape of this little island Down East, it was, hands-down, one of our sites and sights to remember from all of our U. S. travels.

Main road in Monhegan – pleasantly untouched.

Just like our early morning adventures in Castine, Maine, we wanted to see Monhegan at dawn.  So getting up early and trekking to the top of the hill where the original lighthouse and Monhegan museum stand was a no-brainer.  We had to do it, and we did.  And the reward? A panorama of houses and unmanicured yards and dirt paths leading up the road apiece.  It’s life as it was fifty years ago, and that’s why people come to see it. And it’s what keeps the locals there even through brutal winters.

Greeting the sun: buildings at Monhegan Island Light

If you’re ever in Maine wondering whether to spend a couple of days in Monhegan or not, we say, “Go for it.”  It’s artistry, community, and raw beauty all in one — something you can’t find packaged together much anymore. If this post isn’t enough of Monhegan (and one post really isn’t), try taking a look at this one as well:  “Five places to see: Monhegan Island, Maine.” 

Most Viewed Number 2:  “Variations on a Theme: Island Cottages, St. George Island”

Near Apalachicola, Florida, lies an expanse of beach that, although lined with residences, doesn’t seem crowded at all.  It’s because the founding fathers or the current municipal fathers (or both) have seen fit to leave St. George Island almost untouched.  You rarely see a restaurant.  And there are few rental places, few beach shops selling air-brush t-shirts, and almost no dune buggies whizzing past.  Just beach.  And that’s the beauty of it.

But there are viewing spots — now, more than ever.  Island cottages are nestled in and among the older beach houses so that we who want to visit St. George can get a glimpse, no matter how high up, of that beautiful blue water and untouched sand beach.

Lined up for your island vacation at St. George

So, here’s to the skinny houses, the ones that seem precariously perched on stilts so that residents can sit on skinny porches, raise their binoculars and search for dolphins swimming by.

All in a row: St. George Island

This was one of those posts we put together for the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge, and we must admit that we miss those weekly suggestions for posting sent to us by the WordPress folks.  It only takes a few words from the blog people to make the photo bugs within us search our memories (and our hard drives) for just the right thing. But since that’s no longer done for us, we probably need to do that on our own a little more often.

Most Viewed Number 1:  “Weekly Photo Challenge:  Silence in a Garden”

And here it is:  Number One!  Again it was a WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge response that catapulted this little three-photo post to the Most Viewed status among our blogs in 2018!  Perhaps readers share our desire to “sit a spell” in a relaxing place, like a garden, and let the cares of the world pass us by, even if just for a short while.

A weathered garden bench invites visitors to sit a spell and enjoy the quiet.

Or perhaps it’s the power of WordPress to help us network and share posts with so many people who blog on a regular basis.  Whatever the reason, we are delighted that a garden spot in Knoxville, Tennessee, was the Most Viewed Post of 2018.

And maybe we need to rethink big trips — like the one we took to Morocco — for popular posts.  Not one of our Morocco posts landed in the Top Five; instead, viewers liked sunrises, beaches, and gardens more.  (And we love those as well.)

We’ve been photo bombed — by a cat in Meknes, Morocco. Oh, well.

Thanks to you, our viewers, we look forward to another year of blogging.  We’ll finish up our series Marvelous Morocco just in time to head to Southeast Asia for a January 2019 itinerary that includes meandering the streets of Hanoi, sleeping two nights on a junk in Halong Bay, snapping endless photos of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, and reveling in the colorful city of Bangkok.

We wish for all of you a very happy 2019 — whether you travel far or near.  It’s all good when you love where you are in the world.

Thanks for following Oh, the Places We See.

Rusha and Bert Sams

Sweet Southern home in McClellanville, SC complete with front porch, quiet grounds, and trees festooned with Spanish moss.

Visiting McClellanville is a trip back in time: Lovely homes with wide front porches sit underneath trees dripping with Spanish moss.  We generally park the car, walk the two or three blocks known as “downtown,” eat lunch, and then head home with our blood pressure lowered and our need for a small- town fix satisfied.

But not this time.  As we walked down the uneven sidewalk beneath draping trees, we suddenly — and I do mean suddenly — stopped dead in our tracks with this sight.  Yes, you’re seeing this correctly:  a head.  Tall as the bottom story of the house, tucked under a porch, unpainted, and apologizing to no one.

Somethin’ creepy in McClellanville

I desperately wanted to go toward it to see what it was made of.  To see if it had a back.  To see if I could figure out what it was used for.  But going onto the grass might mean I was trespassing, and I was a little freaked out thinking what someone might do if that someone saw me patting down the forehead or looking behind the ears.

So, with my trusty iPhone, I moved as close as I thought the law would allow and snapped a picture as surreptitiously as possible.

A little bit closer, but only a little bit!

And then both of us beat a hasty retreat to the car, only to pass this house in full decay mode.

Seen better times in McClellanville.

I guess it’s true:  What’s real is sometimes pretty surreal.

Happy Halloween!  And beware:  a slow stroll through a cute town might actually creep you out.

— Bert and Rusha Sams

Pre-dawn view of Pawleys Pier from the Sea View Inn.

It’s just been in recent years that I’ve chosen to get up before dawn.  Oh, I did it before retirement, of course — to soothe a waking baby, to catch an early flight, or to set up a conference room for a morning meeting.  But now, I can choose to see dawn unfolding. And nowhere do I love it better than on the beach at Pawleys Island, South Carolina.

Quiet time before sun-up

Recently, we stayed a few days at the Sea View Inn, one of the few remaining Old South bed and breakfasts that serve three low-country meals each day.  So getting up meant having time for myself in my place in the world without even having to make coffee. It was there, each and every morning, hot and ready for the taking, even before dawn.

Bathed in early morning light, the Sea View Inn on Pawleys Island.

Before the guests awake: Sea View Inn

I left the porch and moved slowly down the beach, passing houses whose windows were lit with morning glow.

Greeting the sun at Pawleys Island.

With salmon tones in the background from the almost-up sun, Pawleys Pier jutted out to greet the seas and make ready for sunny days.

Pink light before dawn at Pawleys Pier

Colors changed from smoky pink to peach and orange with a hint of yellow, but just a hint . . .

Orange skies replace pink as the sun’s stonger colors come into play.

until the sun peeked over the horizon, bathing all in early-morning glow.

At Pawleys, I never take dawn for granted.  Never ask for clear skies or cloudy ones with interesting configurations.  Come what may, it’s my place — albeit a temporary one —  just as it is.

To see places loved by other writers, check out WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Place in the World.

Celebrating Dolly Parton’s birthday on January 19, this librarian at Lawson McGhee Library reads books from Imagination Library to kids at the party.

Most of America (well, the world, for that matter) knows Dolly Parton for her hit songs (“Jolene,” “9 to 5,” “I Will Always Love You”) and movies (Coat of Many Colors, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias).  And maybe you’ve even belted out a few Parton tunes just as we have, imitating this lively lady with a presence as big as her country music voice.

Happy birthday, Dolly!

Folks in East Tennessee, however, know her for another reason — Dolly sends books to kids ages birth to six free of charge every month through  the Imagination Library, an organization founded in 1995.   To celebrate the dedication of the 1oo millionth book, Dolly herself will hand over the book to the Library of Congress on February 27, 2018. (You can watch it live beginning at 10 a.m. streaming on YouTube and Facebook.)

Imagination Library has donated 100 million books to kids, thanks to Dolly Parton and a host of volunteers.

In Knoxville, kids and parents celebrated the singer’s 72nd birthday in January at Lawson McGhee Library and area branches.  Kids poured in to listen to books read by librarians and to sing “Happy Birthday” to the lady who had put books in their mailboxes month after month.

Faces in the crowd told most of the story.  Whether sitting cross-legged on the floor or waving a noisemaker or coloring Happy Birthday pages, kids celebrated the lady with big blonde hair and and an even bigger heart.

Dolly loves music, performing and giving away books.  But we have a feeling it’s really the faces in the crowd that Dolly loves most.  After all, they’re the future singers, performers and readers who want to be just like Dolly!

For more information, click on these links:

• Wikipedia: Dolly Parton;
• Imagination Library;
• Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Dedicate 100 Millionth Book to Library of Congress
• Facebook: Imagination Library
• Twitter: @DollyParton
• Instagram: Dolly Parton

For more faces in the crowd photos, check out the Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge: Faces in the Crowd.  

Lined up for your island vacation at St. George

It would be hard to miss these island cottages on St. George Island.  On either side of the lighthouse, they stand tall with their backs to the Gulf while winking at passers-by on Gulf Beach Drive.  They may seem like tiny homes (all the rage now on HGTV), but actually, they’re quite large with most boasting 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, and plenty of room for at least 10 occupants.  Ample decking is a bonus if you want to sip coffee and watch the waves roll in.

Palm tree variation and big time yellow!

You might think they’d all be alike. But there are definite variations on this theme of cute, tall, leggy homes vying for a premium space on the sand.  Some vary in color; others in adornments, signage, and palm fronds.

And they’re here for the duration, standing tall in their similarities with a few notable differences. Like little welcomimg ducks in a row, they seem to say, “Come in and stay awhile.  You’ll be glad you did!”

All in a row: St. George Island

To see more entries, go to Weekly Photo Challenge: Variations on a Theme.

For more information on rentals in St. George Island:

Collins Vacation Rentals, www.CollinsVacationRentals.com

Resort Vacation Properties, www.resortvacationproperties.com

Rain-soaked purple clematis

We didn’t have to travel far to accept the challenge posed on Ailsa’s blog, Where’s My Backpack.  In fact, it was a treat to combine our usual morning walk with this week’s rain theme and a reason to stop and look closely at flowers along the way.

From Southern magnolias in all their splendor . . .

Magnolia with raindrops on stamen and carpel

Magnolia Grandiflora kissed by the rain

to broad-leafed hosta catching raindrops . . .

Hosta leaves welcome the moisture

and sunny daisies seeking nourishment.

Shasta daisy standing welcoming the elements

Rain-soaked purple clematis sporting royal color caught our eyes . . .

Purple clematis in the rain

as well as the one lone hollyhock left in our garden.  (Neighborhood rabbits dined on the rest!)

Hollyhock — left by the rabbits!

All part of nature’s plan, I suppose . . .

Tennessee iris

and the beauty of flowers in the rain.

Almost spent, a magnolia holds onto its beauty for one more day.

For more on this week’s Travel theme: Rain, click here.

Hilton Head harbor under repair after Hurricane Matthew

As the week wore on though, we found ourselves taking coffee outside just so we could “sit a spell” and watch the transformation of the harbor.  Workers arrived each morning.  And we watched them with great interest as they hauled, hammered, and handled equipment, all without falling into the brink.

By week’s end, they were gone.  No more barges piled high with machinery.  No cranes lifting beams.  No men wielding heavy drills and hammers.  They were done.  Leaving us with a clear shot of Harbor Town lighthouse, reflected in unobstructed waters.

Harbor Town light reflected in uncluttered waters

Sundown at Harbor Town, Hilton Head Island

For more reflecting, check out the other entries in this week’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge.

Jessie Langley works on her entry for Chalk Walk 2015. Winner: Second Place, College Single Artist.

Because so many people look forward to the Dogwood Arts Chalk Walk each year, we’re republishing this post featuring some of the amazing art from Chalk Walk 2015.  The 2017 event will be held at Market Square Knoxville on Saturday, April 1 — all day!

For the seventh year in a row, artists (professional, novice, and student) turned ordinary sidewalks in Knoxville’s Market Square into magical canvases for Dogwood Arts Chalk Walk 2015.  Arriving mid-morning gets you a view of artists at work.  So you may need another visit after lunch to see finished art. Here’s a little of both.

We began by talking with Michael Gunnels sketching this sassy, bug-eyed cat.

And then watched Curtis Glover capture the Knoxville skyline and Tennessee logo in chalk.

Knoxville collage by Curtis Glover

Some artists campaigned for votes. Like Blythe Lundberg.  And why not? Cute snail on a quilt-pattern background — all finished by lunchtime.  No small feat, we thought.

Snail design with blue background by Blythe Lundgren. Vote for #16!

It didn’t escape us that young, young people were hunched over these drawings, too.  Like the team from Sequoyah Elementary slamming colorful gumballs into their orange machine. And their reward?  First Place in Elementary division.

This sweet entry done by kids from the Montessori School had something extra: origami birds laid on top.

Montessori School entry — Chalk Walk 2015

When we finally looked up, we saw folks on the square in the middle of a party of sorts.  So much going on — musicians, magicians, and kids sketching chalk drawings in their own area reserved for kid spontaneity.

Even furry friends got into the action.  Like this dog belonging to a hard-working artist who kept shushing the dog away from the art only to find the pet smack dab in the middle of the chalk — again.

But I like it here!

Winners

Best of Show

Drawing the most attention, and for good reason, was Shane Sandberg‘s astronaut. Winning Best of Show for detail and a sense of humor (Space guy’s holding a drink called a Shaneberg), Sandberg’s drawing took chalk art to a new level.  Literally.

Working from a picture, Shane Sandberg adds exquisite detail to his astronaut chalk drawing.

Astronaut holding a Shaneberg by Shane Sandberg. (Instagram: @theshaneberg)

People’s Choice Award

Who doesn’t like Anna and Elsa?  It took hard work all day by Deirdre Pokrzywa and Sarah Bellah to bring these young ladies — and Olaf — to life in chalk

People’s Choice Award from the movie Frozen by Deirdre Pokrzywa and Sarah Bellah

Other Favorites

On the Market Square stage, Jessie Steinberg (2014 Best of Show winner) wowed us with detail: a very friendly dog in a garden setting.  (Winner 2015:  First Place, Adult Division)

Nearby, the girls we featured in a previous post (Weekly Photo Challenge: Afloat) were busy free handing a drawing of a girl in a koi pond.  (At least that’s what it looked like to us.) The dreamy effect and the matching koi patterns weren’t lost on us: these two UT Elementary Education majors said they were enjoying the design work as much as the hard work.  (Winner: Second Place, College Collaborative)

After our lunch, we stumbled (literally, since there were so many people in close quarters) upon other notables that struck our fancy.

Old truck by Cody Swaggerty. Winner: Second Place, Adult Single Artist

Diver by the McQuilkin Family. Winner: Second Place, Family Division.

Striped figure by Elena Lawson. Winner: First Place, Middle School Single Artist

Barry Gibb by Erin Pelicano

Lauryn Darby’s entry. Winner: First Place, College Single Artist

Our vote for best detail is this portrait by Sarah and Abigail Gibson.

Great work, don’t you think?  We’re still wondering how artists 1) decide what to draw, 2) select colors and chalks, and 3) stay in the bent-over position for hours.

Mark this on your calendar for 2016.  It’s just one of many artsy events of the Dogwood Arts Festival. See you in Knoxville next year?

Dogwood Arts Chalk Walk 2015

List of winners:  http://www.dogwoodarts.com/chalk-walk/

Sponsors:

Avanti Savoia: http://www.avantisavoia.com/

Jerry’s Artarama: http://www.jerrysartarama.com/

For more information:

“Chalk it up as a great weekend.” The Blue Streak.  http://bluestreak.moxleycarmichael.com/2015/04/16/chalk-it-up-as-a-great-weekend/

Beautiful greens ready for the RBC Heritage golf tournament in Hilton Head.

Coastal South Carolina is greening up with fresh shoots of spartina grass on Daufuskie, sprigs of resurrection vine at Harbor Town, amd waterfront greenery at Palmetto Bluff.  Not to mention the greens of Harbor Town Links ready for the RBC Heritage golf tournament.  It IS easy being green in South Carolina!

For more green, head over to this week’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: It IS Being Green. 

Lowcountry house and live oak tree in Bluffton, SC.

On the coast of South Carolina and throughout the Deep South, Lowcountry houses and live oak trees make good matches.  And sometimes you don’t see one without the other.

Live oaks (so called because they are the only variety to keep their leaves all year long) extend their arms to frame the property and add a touch of Southern grace to the landscape.  And then, as if that weren’t enough, live oak branches drip with Spanish moss that gently floats with the breeze.

Ah . . . Lowcountry home and a live oak tree:  a good match.

For more good matches, check out the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: A Good Match.