Hootie and the Blowfish return to DI!

Well, Friday night was Hootie night at the Family Circle Cup Stadium. It's an annual event and always lots of fun for island residents as well as the whole town. The show was packed, hot, but the beer was cold! A real fun night and it's a nice fundraiser for the local schools as the band fills up a school bus with donated school supplies.

It's great to see and dance with all of your neighbors. It feels like one large cocktail party with tailgating and all the pre-parties. Can't wait for next year!

My visit to my mother-in-law in Upstate NY

Well every once in a while we get "island fever" and leave Daniel Island and this time we headed to one of my favorite getaways - Hammondsport, NY located in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York. It's near Steve's hometown and also where he proposed and where we got married. It's absolutely beautiful there and a great wine region. It was also a great chance to visit Steve's Mom. She is a wonderful woman and always a pleasure to visit.

One of our mandatory stops is the Heron Hill Winery. It's located with a wonderful view of Keuka Lake and they make some fantastic wine. It is where we held our reception and the views are gorgeous. I encourage everyone to take a trip to this little slice of paradise. And if you see Mary Latour around, tell her "Hi!" and ask her for one of her chocolate chip cookies. They're delicious!

The Senior PGA Championship at the Ocean Course

Steve went out to Kiawah to watch the seniors play in the Senior PGA at Kiawah. Here is a picture of Tom Kite that he took. The Ocean Course was hosting the tournament and he said the course is both brutal and beautiful. The wind comes in right off the ocean and these guys had tough times shooting low scores. Golf Digest called it "the toughest course in America" and it shows!

So for you golf sadists and masochists out there, make sure you take a trip out there. It's only a short drive from Daniel Island and the trip down to Kiawah is gorgeous.

Quite a getaway!

Here is one of my favorite getaways in the world, and it's right down the road. The Sanctuary Hotel on Kiawah Island is only about 45 minutes from Daniel Island but it feels like a world away! What a beautiful hotel in a beautiful setting. Right on the beach, it's a resort hotel but accesible for locals. We had our anniversary dinner at the Ocean Room last year and we still talk about it!

Graceful, casual, charming, and delicious are four words that describe the Sanctuary experience. Here are a couple of photos of their main lawn looking towards the ocean. Sitting in one of the rockers listening to and looking at the ocean is a surefire way to beat the stress out of you. I heartily suggest taking a road trip to Kiawah and experiencing a Sanctuary moment, you'll be glad you did!

McCaffrey's is open!

A new Irish pub has finally opened on Daniel Island. The place is located downtown on Seven Farms Drive and is called McCaffrey's. It is right near Arlaana's. It will be a great addition to the island and sure to be a popular meeting spot for friends and families. If you enjoy your Guinness in an authentic looking Irish pub, you now have a place to go to on Daniel Island.

Daniel Island wins Urban Land Institute award!

I am very pleased to announce that Daniel Island has been named one of
the eleven winners of the Urban Land Institute's 2007 Awards for
Excellence.

This is the real estate industry's most prestigious award
and we share this honor with great company. The award is presented to
just a handful of development projects each year that demonstrate
excellence in design, marketing, economic viability and management.

We are the only planned community to be recognized by the organization
this year. This is a real jewel in our crown and the credit goes to everyone. For more information on the awards, check out www.uli.org.

The Garden and Art Tour begins!

One of my favorite Daniel Island events begins today. I encourage you to come out and tour these wonderful homes and gardens.

A street of newly constructed upscale custom homes in Smythe Park will serve as a canvas to showcase modern day interpretations of the lifestyle and cultural aspects for which historic Charleston is renowned.

Artwork from six local art galleries, selected with the help of the Gibbes Museum of Art, will be on display in each of the newly-constructed homes. Also on display during the Tour will be innovative landscape and garden designs, coupled with exciting exterior architectural concepts. And on May 19th, come on out for the finale where fireworks and the Charlston Symphony will be featured. It's a blast!