BRIERWOOD GOLF CLUB: Visiting Our Son & His Family in Shallotte, NC

Retirement Means More Time to Visit Family

     

Beautiful Brierwood Golf Club in Shallotte, NC

     We finally made it to Shallotte, North Carolina to see our son, Kevin, his new family, and his golf club, Brierwood! We've been planning this trip for a year now, since before we retired. Now that we have quit working and are living in our motorhome full-time, we have more time to travel to where our children live and hang out with them. 

We Drove our RV 2300 Miles from Mazatlan, MX to Shallotte, NC

     When our granddaughter, Brooklyn, was born in February, we had left our working life in the United States behind and were living at Mar Rosa RV Park in Mazatlán, Mexico (View by clicking: "Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico Blog -- Mazatlán RV Parks" ). We were almost 2300 miles away and it was time to plan our route to North Carolina to see the new daddy, Kevin, the new mommy, Denae, and baby Brooklyn. We couldn't wait to meet the new family members!

So Happy to See Kevin, Denae, & Our Granddaughter, Brooklyn

     When we arrived at Brierwood Golf Club in Shallotte, NC, Kevin was excited to introduce us to Denae and Brooklyn, of course! He was almost as excited to show us around the Brierwood Club House and Golf Course so we could see all of the improvements he had made in the past year. He has done an exceptional job of upgrading both!

The 18-Hole Brierwood Golf Course Looks Great!

     One evening after the golfers were finished on the course, Jon, Bella (our dachshund), and I took a walk on the cart path through the first nine holes of the golf course. What an enjoyable place to get some exercise with its many ponds, streams, plush green fairways, and beautifully groomed grounds! The people who live in the homes adjoining the golf course have a wonderful backyard view of this park-like setting.

10th Hole at Brierwood Golf Course

     When we reached the 10th Hole, we considered continuing our walk but we had reached our 10,000 steps for the day, so decided to wander over to the club house instead. I wanted to see if I could get a photo of Charlie the alligator, the star of the restaurant, Charlie's Grill, but he was away at the time. I did manage to see Charlie's Angel, as Kevin has named her, hanging out under the restaurant's balcony.

Charlie's Angel Hangs Out in the Club House Pond

     Charlie's Grill, the new bar and grill at the Club House is a pleasant place to relax after playing golf. It has a newly remodeled, air conditioned dining area, bar, and a large balcony overlooking the pond and golf course. Lunch is included with each round of golf, with the menu changing daily. One evening, after the club and restaurant were closed for the day, Kevin gave us a tour of the new kitchen and high-tech draft beer cooling system, and then decided to demonstrate his grill. He marinated and grilled some tasty chicken and flank steak for gyro sandwiches (he has always been a better cook than I am). We admired the state-of-the-art club house kitchen and helped him assemble the vegetables, meat, dill sauce, and pita bread for the sandwiches. Yum!

State-of-the-Art Kitchen at Charlie's Grill

      "Retirement before the age of 59" is allowing me to spend more time visiting my children and grandchildren. Living full-time in our motorhome allows us to go to where they live, stay at their home, parked in their driveway. We can pop into their house to see them often without intruding too much in their space. Our kids can pop into our motorhome to see us and even leave the grandkids with us to babysit! 

Kevin and 4-Month Old Brooklyn

     I enjoyed babysitting 4-month old Brooklyn while the guys worked on the golf course granite markers and Denae had some time for herself. I'm glad I didn't wait until I was 66 to retire and do this--grandchildren grow up so fast and I want to see them often while they do! My son, Kevin asked me several times, "What does retirement mean, Mom? You are not even 59 and you quit working?" I told him, "For me, it is freedom to go where I want, when I want, and to see my children and grandchildren often. This is what "Retirement" means, Kevin! I'm so happy that we were able to spend time with you and your family and to see Brierwood Golf Club!"

I Got to Babysit My 4-Month Old Granddaughter, Brooklyn!

"Hasta Luego!" --See You in Oregon in the Fall!

For more information on Brierwood Golf Club see: http://www.brierwoodgc.com/index.htm

For more information on our travels and living in Mexico, see: www.HealthyLivingandTravelinginMexico.com