I Was A Tour Guide For My Parents

This September, I’ll have lived in Liberty County for 5 years. My parents, who live in South Carolina, have visited numerous times, but we rarely have the opportunity to go anywhere because their time here is so limited.

Recently, my parents came here to help take care of my kids while I was out of town for a week. They got here on a Saturday, and so we had all day Sunday to relax. My mom, who is in her 70s now, had done some “research” online about places to eat and things to do in Richmond Hill. Now, I’m not going to bash Richmond Hill. I’ve visited there many times and it’s a lovely community but when she said that, I thought to myself, “I haven’t done my job in showing my community to my parents.” I help give tours all the time, and I talk to people about our historical sites, nature and beautiful scenery. But I hadn’t done that for my mom and dad. The truth is, we usually run out of time before we can really go out anywhere but this time, we had an entire day free.

My mom wanted to go eat in Richmond Hill because she didn’t want to eat at a chain restaurant. I told her that we should go to the Sunbury Crab Co. for lunch instead. They have fresh caught, local seafood and an amazing view to boot. Plus, the place is not air-conditioned, something my heat-loving mother truly appreciates.

We headed out from Hinesville at 11:30 and arrived at Sunbury around noon. We had a fabulous lunch. I mean, hello, look at those pictures! I pointed out Ms. Elaine Maley, who true to form, was hard at work, clearing tables and sweeping the floor. My dad likes to get into conversations with people, especially when he’s impressed with something, so he made sure to talk to her and tell her how much we all enjoyed the meal.

After lunch, we took a leisurely stroll down the dock. My kids sat in the swing with their Nana, we looked at fiddler crabs running around in the mud, and my son saw a jet ski, which he thought was a water motorcycle.

Next we walked over to the Sunbury Cemetery. My parents are history buffs and so this was exactly the kind of thing they like to do. We read the gravestones, wondered aloud at the lives of the people who lived there so long ago and relished the peacefulness of the area.

Later, we took a Sunday drive around the area, while the kids napped in the car. We stopped by Youman’s Bird Pond to enjoy the view. The vegetation covers the pond and the green right now is intense against the bright blue sky.

Afterward, we went to Cay Creek Wetlands Interpretive Center. My parents are also really into nature, and they loved walking the boardwalk, looking at all the plant life and little creatures scurrying around.

We saw a large rattlesnake too but don’t let that deter you from going. It was actually a good, teachable moment for my kids. We didn’t bother the snake and the snake didn’t bother us. We explained that most of the time, snakes are more afraid of us than we are of them and if you just leave them alone, they will go away.

The weather was perfect that day. It was about 78 degrees and there was a fantastic breeze. The Spanish moss blowing in the wind was picture-perfect.

We headed back to my house after Cay Creek and my parents thanked me for showing them around the area. The day was certainly memorable for all of us, and we didn’t have to venture out farther than the county limits.

I figure if you’re happy to do your job on the weekend, you must really love it. And that’s certainly the case for me. My parents will be back. I’m sure they’ll want another tour, and I’ll be happy to give it.

-Amanda Scott, Program Manager for the Liberty County CVB

The Right Blend Blog is written by two different authors employed by the Liberty County Chamber/CVB. As we are able, we rotate weeks and each write about our individual experiences, opinions and let our writing reflect our personalities and creativity. All content provided on The Right Blend blog is for informational purposes only. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site