Beautiful weather in North Carolina calls for some battlefield viewing. We head to Guilford Courthouse where the overall opinion from visitors is that this place was once covered in bloody bodies filled with bullets; a brutal battle. Out on the trail are squirrels playing tag, monuments marking the next stop, and a cemetery marking the soldiers’ last stop. We get passed by local runners, some with dogs, and cyclists.

We are able to find a ball playing area to let Sparky run around. When one isn’t available, Caleb will run the dogs down a path, let me take some uninterrupted photos, and then come running back. The dogs get good exercise which helps them sleep more in the car and I get pictures of little blue birds and fat brown squirrels. A guy walking by lets us know our headlight is out and we’ve needed new windshield wipers for a while. A visit to a local auto parts store is now on the itinerary for the day.

Onto Moores Creek where the battle wasn’t as bloody but the land just as full of critters and color. A bridge over a swamp with wonderful reflections and another bridge that had been rebuilt. The Patriots removed planks to slow the Loyalists approach; it worked. Monuments, mushrooms, and small pine cones will line this trail that to me ended too quickly. Battlegrounds seem to pretty to fight on, some too cold and packed tight with trees, some with wide open prairies, and others with steep drops give different safety advantages and some amazing views.

We stop in Myrtle Beach for the night and let the dogs play in the sand. I try photographing the hundreds of sea gulls on the beach and surf. We would try for a cheap resort with an ocean view but none of them allow dogs. We find a warm place to sleep with dinner next door. Caleb is impressed with their beers on tap and tries a local brew. We are eating at Mellow Mushroom. We have three near where we live and love the healthy non-greasy food.

We were a bit disappointed in this one though. The pretzels looked more like dough balls. I could see the crust through the sauce on the pizza and there was only enough ingredients for a small on the large that we ordered. I thought the dessert might be different and ordered some pumpkin cheesecake. What I got had pumpkin in it but it was more of a cupcake. With bellies full it was time for bed.