Streets of the South are Paved in Gold

It was early spring when one of my friends, who recently moved from a place known as "Not From Around Here", called me in alarm."What," she asked, "is that yellow stuff all over the road?"My friend was concerned that some horrible toxic waste spill had occurred while she slept.
I reassured her (after laughing at her, which was fun for me), and explained that it was pollen. It is quite common to find a yellow film on anything outsitde during the early spring, from cars to patio furniture, to boats and pets.
Each year I have to spend an afternoon cleaning everything on my screened porch, for the pollen dust floats right in between the screens. Already this year I've noticed a bit appearing on my patio table. I think I'll cover things up with some old sheets for a few weeks.
Happy Spring, everyone!Visit my website for more tips and information about Living in Lake Wylie! Also, check out some of the fantastic values in Lake Wylie real estate. Several delightful lake cabins available for under $500k!

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!