Labor Day Madness??

I was updating my website the other day, and wanted to add fun things to do on Labor Day to my Lake Wylie Events and Activities page. Surprisingly, there are very few public events held on Labor Day in this area. I found a parade in downtown Charlotte, and an ad for Carowinds, but other than that, nada. What gives?

Maybe it's the origin of the holiday - - commemorating the accomplishments of organized labor. Labor unions have not been as active in the South as in some of the other parts of the country. Plus, the timing is a bit off - - Labor Day has traditionally been known as the "end of summer." Up North, it's the last weekend before school starts, and lots of families are finishing up their time at the "shore." In the South, however, schools have been in session for a couple of weeks already, and our fall schedules have already cranked up.

It's still quite hot and humid, of course, so that tends to put a damper on our festive spirits a bit. So just kick back with some neighbors or friends and enjoy a cookout by the lake this weekend. For upcoming Fall Festivals, check out my website TheLakeWylieMan.com!

Thanks for reading my blog! For Lake Wylie, Rock Hill, Fort Mill, and Tega Cay Events and Activities, please visit my website, TheLakeWylieMan.com. Your source for Lake Wylie waterfront real estate and more!

High Water

Wow - - what a difference a year makes. Last year at this time, Lake Wylie was at record-setting low water marks. The drought really did a number on our region, and the lake levels were the lowest that I ever remember. My website has a link to Lake Wylie water levels, and you'll see what's the norm and where we are in comparison.

This year, the lake levels are the highest I've seen in years! Many floating docks are level with the piers, and I've heard of many items floating away. In fact, yesterday I went on a rescue mission to help someone retrieve their boat which had simply floated off of its lift!

That being said, let me caution everyone that the lake can be dangerous this weekend. With the recent rain & increase in water levels, there is a LOT of debris in the water. Things that have been along the shoreline have floated into the channel & coves. Some things (branches, paddle boats, everything you can imagine) may be just under the surface. Waterskiing, tubing, and boating can be VERY hazardous in this situation.

If you do choose to go out on the water, please go slow and watch out for debris and underwater hazards. Be careful around "islands" - - connectors between the "mainland" and "islands" that are normally very visible may be covered with water now.

Have a safe & fun Labor Day weekend!

Thanks for reading my blog! For more blogs about Lake Wylie Events and Activities, Lake Wylie waterfront living & resources, and Lake Wylie real estate, visit The Lake Wylie Man website!

New Museum on Catawba River

I just received my copy of "Links", the official magazine of the Culture & Heritage Museums of York County. I was excited to read about the master plan for the new museum that is being built along the Catawba River. This museum will be housed in an ecologically designed building, and will feature aquariums with live fish and river animals, a planetarium, interactive exhibits, and a restaurant featuring local foods.

The museum's three strongest resources will be 1) The Catawba River, 2) local culture and crossroads, and 3) education about sustainability offered in the Kanawha community.

The Kanawha community, being developed along the banks of the Catawba River, is a unique community grounded planned design and environmental awareness. It is to be a place where "educational, social and cultural activities are an integral part of life." Community gardens, hiking trails, green space, pedestrian oriented shopping and dining will all be a part of this area.

More than ever, the Catawba River is vital to our community. I am excited about these new developments that will promote conservation awareness and efforts to preserve our natural resources!

Thanks for reading my blog! For Lake Wylie, Rock Hill, Fort Mill, and Tega Cay Events and Activities, please visit my website, TheLakeWylieMan.com. Your source for Lake Wylie waterfront real estate and more!

Taking the Back Roads

What's summer in the South without a trip to the beach? I got to take a few days off recently, and enjoyed some time at the beach with friends. Picking the route to drive, I ignored the advice of my GPS and headed down Highway 74.

Driving on back roads to the beach took me back to my childhood. No matter where we lived, we’d make the trek to SC in the summer and go to the beach. Back then, interstates weren’t an option. I-40 ended in Raleigh, and that was the wrong direction from the SC beaches, anyway. We’d go thru all the small towns, driving past watermelon stands, a gazillion little churches, fields and fields of corn, and run down service stations that were few and far between.

All along the way were shacks where people lived. Most of the time the whole family was sitting on the porch, as the indoors was not air-conditioned. On Saturdays, they’d rock and watch the parade of cars going to and from the beach. I remember wondering, each year, what the occupants of those homes did for a living, where they bought groceries, where they went to the dentist. I still wonder that.

My father was always in a race against the clock to arrive at his destination. “Just took us 4 hours and 23 minutes this year,” he’d brag. If I was lucky enough to get in the car driven by my grandfather, however, I could be assured a stop at a fruit stand to pick up some fresh peaches, and a stop at a roadside ice cream hut as well.

This year as I drove, I passed many of the same landmarks that I remember from years ago. Some were still standing, some were crumbling. Rest stops were still tough to find. Forget about pay-at-the-pump. While bait and Mountain Dew's were readily available along the route, working rest rooms and good coffee were not!

All along the way, my GPS continued to encourage me to find the nearest interstate. But the way I figure, when going to the beach, taking the back roads is just part of the package. And yes, I did stop for fresh peaches.

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Thanks for reading my blog! For Lake Wylie, Rock Hill, Fort Mill, and Tega Cay Events and Activities, please visit my website, TheLakeWylieMan.com. Your source for Lake Wylie waterfront real estate and more!

Bass Tournament returns to Lake Wylie

This blog was written by Jan Todd, an associate of David's.

If you had told me a few years ago that I'd be "stoked" about a bass tournament on Lake Wyie, I would have thought you a bit loo-loo. About four years ago, however, the Bassmasters tournament held an event at Lake Wylie, and it was pretty darn exciting!

I was co-owner of the Dilworth Coffeeshop at the time, and some of the fine folks at T-bonz recommended us to ESPN to cater their coffee service. It involved delivering coffee in the wee hours of the morning, and making sure their sleepy-headed technicians never ran out of caffeine.

Quite honestly, we hadn't done much catering at that point, and managed to bluff our way through the price quotes, determining food quantity, and all the other things that go along with handling such an event. We must have done okay, because they called us back the next year to cater another event!

It turned out to be more fun than I imagined. The first day was primarily set up and prep. The ESPN trailers were equipped with video equipment and monitoring stations. Each bass boat had a GPS that could be tracked for location. As the contestants caught fish, the weight and location were almost instantly available on the internet.

The morning of the competition arrived, and after we set the coffee up in the trailers, we joined the crowd to watch the launching. All of the bass boats arrived together, in a long parade that originated at the Charlotte Coliseum. As we watched from the landing near T-Bonz in the pre-dawn darkness (did I mention it was EARLY??), the trucks rolled across the bridge, with the boats all lit up. I was jumping up and down like a kid at a parade!

"Watch out," said someone beside me. "It's about to be on like a pot of chicken necks!"

Chicken necks indeed. My thoughts exactly?

The boats were launched one by one, then with a starting signal, they were off like a band of Nascar racers. The noise! The waves! I could sense the fish trembling!

TBF (The Bass Federation) National Championship has announced that the bass tournament will return to Lake Wylie. If you can get your sleepy head out of bed, it is definitely worth the effort to see the launch! Just make sure to grab a good cup of coffee along the way!

Find more Lake Wylie Events and Activities at David Coone's website, TheLakeWylieMan.com. Your source for Lake Wylie waterfront real estate and more!

The New Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce

If you were to ask someone to describe the town of Lake Wylie, your answer would vary greatly depending on who you asked.

If you asked a "newcomer" (someone who has been here fewer than 5 years), you'd probably hear about the fine schools, its convenience to Charlotte & Gastonia, the need for more restaurant choices, and the need for a Harris Teeter or Fresh Market or SOMETHING. Bi-Lo and Food Lion are doing the best they can do, but our grocery choices are pretty limited at this point.

If you asked someone who has lived in the Lake Wylie area for 10 years or more, the one word that would surely be part of their description is "change." And my, how it has changed! I remember how ten or so years ago you could pull into a gas station and buy a can of Coke and a cup of worms in side-by-side vending machines. How we had one grocery store, in the now-abandoned shopping center near the bridge. (Guess what - - it was a Harris Teeter!) How the Buster Boyd Bridge was lit with Christmas lights every year, and what a sight that was. How Five Points actually had five roads intersecting, and Three Points had three. (See my blog "Getting Around in Lake Wylie").

As for the Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce back in those days, it was essentially a Gateway to River Hills. I was trying to find the Chamber to get a map and find out some information about opening a business. When I finally located the place, I found that it was closed. Its hours of business were only a few scattered through the week, unless you called ahead, left a message, waited for a call back . . .

That's why, when I recently visited the new Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce, I was thrilled to see a beautiful building, smiling faces inside, lots of brochures and maps, and a true resource for our community. They have a large conference table, nice seating areas, and a very welcoming atmosphere. It is located in the Shoppes at the Landing, 264 Latitude Lane.

Some signage along Hwy 49 would be helpful for visitors to the area, however. Unless you know where to go, the Chamber building is not easy to find, not visible from the road. Plus, it is located a couple of miles from the Buster Boyd bridge and the "Welcome to Lake Wylie" sign. No matter. If there's one thing certain about Lake Wylie, it's change.

For more information about the history of Lake Wylie, Lake Wylie community profiles, and buying and selling real estate in Lake Wylie, please visit my website, www. TheLakeWylieMan!

Storm on Lake Wylie

One day in mid-February when the welcome rain subsided, I decided to go on my first boat ride of the year and see what was happening around the lake. I was tooling through Tega Cay waters when the sun disappeared and rain began to fall again. As I headed back towards Allison Creek, the winds and rain picked up and I realized I was in for some exciting weather!

I was riding through the rain and saw the sun shining on the other side of the clouds. It was such a cool picture of how life sometimes brings storms, but there is always light on the other side. As long as you stay focused on the light, there's hope to get through the tough times.

Then, as I reached the other side of the storm, I looked behind and saw the most amazing rainbow. What an incredible afternoon!

Visit my website for all kinds of Lake Wylie Waterfront Real Estate resources. Maybe I'll add some boat safety tips soon!

Report from the Boat Show

The Mid-Atlantic Boat Show made its annual stop in Charlotte this weekend, so I stopped by. The boat show is a yearly tradition for many in the area, and it turns out to be a great time to visit with friends and neighbors. I saw quite a few familiar faces milling around.

I started out looping around the perimeter of the show, where various vendors display such things as docking options, boat covers, wakeboards, and services. I was very impressed with the "touchless" boat covers - - canopies that are suspended above a boat lift and drape over the boat. Most of them are remote controlled; they roll up when not in use, then unroll to cover the boat when you're ready to put it away for the evening. Anyone who has attempted to quickly snap on a boat cover as a thunderstorm rolls in can certainly see the appeal of an automatic boat cover that literally covers the boat in seconds.

Also on the perimeter were various information booths with maps, safety guides, and boating courses. I've assembled many of these resources on my website, Lake Resources on the Community Links page: Lake Wylie Waterfront Resources

Of course I checked out the boats at the Boat Show as well. It's fun to see the new models, and board some of the luxury cruisers. The largest I saw was a 45' Sea Ray Sundance, which featured two private bedrooms, two baths, a living area with electronic toys galore, and a kitchen with granite countertops. Granite countertops on a boat! Regular price was $728,000, but if you bought it on a whim at the boat show, you could walk away with it for just $530,000. "Hi honey, guess what I bought!"

Dare to dream.

If you're dreaming about living on Lake Wylie and enjoying life on the water, give me a call. For all of your real estate needs, visit my website: Lake Wylie Waterfront Real Estate

Getting Around in Lake Wylie

Have you ever asked for directions from Charlotte to places around Lake Wylie? Quite likely, you received an answer such as "Go across the Buster Boyd Bridge, drive a couple of miles, then turn left onto Hwy 49. Then, when you get to Five Points, hang a right onto . . ."

Now, first of all, you never saw anything that identifies Buster Boyd Bridge. There are lots of bridges in the area. How do you know Buster Boyd's??

Then, you were ON highway 49 coming from Charlotte. Why would you have to turn to get onto Hwy 49? And where was this Five Points, anyway? Five Points would generally describe a place where five roads (not four, not three) would come together at one point.

I remember asking directions one time while in Yadkin County, North Carolina. I was told to go just past the place where Jim's Grill used to be, then cut back on the dirt road. That was really great, since I had no idea where Jim's Grill USED to be, and I didn't know what "cut back" meant. Left? Right? Reverse? Who knew.

So - - allow me to enlighten you on getting around in Lake Wylie. First of all, the Buster Boyd Bridge. It USED to be a grand thing (see picture above, courtesey of the Lake Wylie Pilot.) It was a bridge that joined North & South Carolina, just past what now is The Palisades on Highway 49. Buster Boyd was a farmer who used to own the land in that area, and the bridge was named after him. The two lane bridge was torn down and replaced by the 4-lane, rather ordinary looking bridge, around 2001. It was sad to lose such a landmark, but commuters are much happier now! As far as I know, there is no sign that identifies the bridge as "Buster Boyd", but we all still call it by that name.

As for turning left on Highway 49 . . . if I remember correctly, the road used to curve around the intersection of Hwy 49, Hwy 274, and Hwy 557. That area was actually called "Three Points", and sometimes still is. When the shopping centers with Food Lion and Bi-Lo were built, an intersection was redesigned with a traffic light. Highway 49 now turns left at that intersection. Of course, some people traveling to York on Hwy 49 sort of miss that turn and end up in Clover. I've done it several times myself!

The highway around "Five Points" has been redesigned a couple of times in the past ten or fifteen years. Lake Wylie Road, Hwy 274, Hwy 55, and Hwy 49 north and south used to converge right in front of North's Grocery. The most recent redesign added an intersection, so there are now two traffic lights rather close together. Don't try to do the math, just know that we describe that area as "Five Points".

Hopefully that clears things up a bit! If you really want to start sounding like a local (with or without the Southern accent), go ahead and start incorporating these "used to be" landmarks into your conversations and directions. If nothing else, the recipients of these directions will get a lovely tour of our countryside!

For local expertise on the Lake Wylie area, information on events and activities, and resources for Lake Wylie real estate, please visit my website: Lake Wylie Waterfront Real Estate

Clover schools win Palmetto Award

Congratulations to Clover schools that were presented Palmetto Awards, based on their 2007 school report cards! Schols that have Excellent absolute ratings or improvement scores, and have no unsatisfactory ratings, are eligible for the Gold Palmetto Award.

For 2007, Crowder's Creek Elementary won the Gold award for the seventh year in a row. Way to go! Bethany Elementary and Bethel Elementary also won the Gold award for 2007. Kinard Elementary earned the Silver award, a designation given to schools with a "Good" rating and no unsatisfactory scores.

Winning schools are awarded a portion of $3 million in state funds, which is used to fund projects that a school may not otherwise afford.

The staff and faculty are very pleased and proud of these awards. The effort of the teachers in obtaining advanced certification definitely contributes to the excellence that is required to earn the Palmetto awards.

To see report cards on all area schools, visit my website: Lake Wylie Schools

For other real estate information in the Lake Wylie area, visit my website Lake Wylie Real Estate