Day 18

Today was our last day being a tourist here in Myrtle Beach. We enjoyed sleeping in. Then we went over to a place called Bare Foot Landing. It's a bunch of different stores along a lake area with a floating boardwalk over the water. We've always enjoyed shopping there. While on the boardwalk area we always enjoy feeding these large Japanese Koi fish and a million little turtles. This time we noticed several turtles instead of the normal amount and they just didn't seem interested in the food like normal. Then we saw large ripples coming toward the boardwalk...

A probably 5 ft alligator. No wonder the fish and turtles were pretty much hiding. We had been told before that they had removed all the alligators from this pond area. They were just too dangerous. Yet here this one was. He swam quietly like he just owned the place. Then he climbed out and sunned himself with a small island full of turtles...

I bet they didn't appreciate the visitor very much. We then saw a 2nd slightly larger alligator. He swam by and kind of hung out right by the boardwalk. Other than a little bitty alligator I seen in Sanibel Florida this was the only alligators I've seen in the wild. So neat. I don't know if they were here because it's still been so warm or if it was because of Hurricane Matthew and they were relocated from a nearby Alligator preserve they have nearby accidentally. Yet another fun story to tell. We had a lot of fun shopping. Then we went and ate a HUGE meal at a local steakhouse called Thorny's. It was delicious. Now we are working on packing everything up. Tomorrow we are heading down to Charleston, SC a new place to all of us. Last picture to share is the gorgeous full moon out the window tonight...