Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Wordless Wednesday


Friday, December 4, 2009

Craft Show

Craft Show: "December 4-6, 2009
The holidays come alive at the Springmaid Beach Annual Arts & Crafts Festival.
It’s the perfect place to find unique gifts, artistic and fun decorations, enjoy food and fun.
Held both inside and outside, the event features an incredible variety of booths from more than 200 vendors.
There’s truly something for everyone.
Check out things like:
wood crafts
various glass
jewelry
candles
chocolates
art
much more
The event takes place inside and outside the four levels of the Ocean Front Conference Center Friday & Saturday from 9am – 5pm, and Sunday from 9am – 3pm.
Enjoy the various selections of food that the vendors have to offer outside on the lawn. Parking and admission is FREE!"

Craft Show

Craft Show: "December 4-6, 2009
The holidays come alive at the Springmaid Beach Annual Arts & Crafts Festival.
It’s the perfect place to find unique gifts, artistic and fun decorations, enjoy food and fun.
Held both inside and outside, the event features an incredible variety of booths from more than 200 vendors.
There’s truly something for everyone.
Check out things like:
wood crafts
various glass
jewelry
candles
chocolates
art
much more
The event takes place inside and outside the four levels of the Ocean Front Conference Center Friday & Saturday from 9am – 5pm, and Sunday from 9am – 3pm.
Enjoy the various selections of food that the vendors have to offer outside on the lawn. Parking and admission is FREE!"

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Wordless Wednesday


Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Wordless Wednesday


Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Wordless Wednesday




Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Wordless Wednesday


Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Wordless Wednesday


Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Wordless Wednesday


Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Wordless Wednesday


Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Wordless Wednesday


Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Wordless Wednesday




Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Wordless Wednesday



Only a papaw would let a four year old drive a boat.
I miss you DAD.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Wordless Wednesday


Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Wordless Wednesday


Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Wordless Wednesday




Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Wordless Wednesday


Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Wordless Wednesday




Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Wordless Wednesday

Sunday, July 19, 2009

East End Cigar Company

East End Cigar Company here in Myrtle Beach, is more than a cigar store it is an experience. I have always felt that local tobacco shops play a pivotal role in the overall cigar lifestyle. A great shop is the central hub for information, supplies, and above all fellowship. East End like most shops, carry a nice selection of premium cigars from major brands. In addition to the normal favorites, the also sell an East End Cigar Company house line that is an awesome smoke. The cigar is rolled on site at the shop and is always in high demand. I particularly enjoy the maduro cigars, but all of the smokes I have tried are very good. The shop also offers a large inventory of cigar and pipe accessories. Everything from lighters to humidors, if you need it East End Cigar probably has it in stock. Their prices on both accessories and smokes are very good, which in today's economy helps keep things affordable without sacrificing quality. Above all this place has atmosphere. John and Pete really make their customers feel welcome in the shop. You are invited to sit down and encouraged to enjoy your smoke and relax. There is a nice comfortable lounge area with a television, and conversation is always available. Coming from an area that did not have a local tobacco shop, I knew that I had been missing out on a vital part of the overall cigar experience. When I walked in to East End Cigar Company I knew, I had found my local cigar shop. I encourage anyone who is visiting the Myrtle Beach area to check this place out, you will not be disappointed.

East End Cigar Company


7708 N Kings Hwy (US 17)
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 29572
Phone: 843.839.4499

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Wordless Wednesday







Sunday, July 5, 2009

Oliva Serie O Habano

When I first began smoking and enjoying cigars, the Oliva Serie G was one of the first cigars that I found myself purchasing on a regular basis. There is always an Oliva cigar in my humidor. Anytime that I not sure what I want to smoke I find myself lighting up a cigar from Oliva. So you can imagine my delight when the box of smokes arrived from Cigars Direct, full of five of Oliva's best selling cigars. The box contained Cigars Direct's June Cigar of the Month Club selections. The Oliva Master's Blend III Maduro, Oliva Serie O Maduro, Oliva Connecticut Reserve, Oliva Serie G Cameroon, and an Oliva Serie O Habano made up the month's line up. As you can see from the list, an Oliva fan's dream come true. I decided that the Serie O Habano would be a nice place to start enoying Oliva's best sellers.

The Serie O Habano was beautifully constructed and the quality was excellent, a fact that I have became accustomed to concerning anything I get from Cigars Direct. I checked the draw of my smoke and it was dead on and the cold taste presented my palette with a hint of sweetness. Immediately upon lighting the cigar, you can't help but notice just how aromatic the smoke is, and after just a few draws, the sweet notes that were present in the pre light are much stronger. The taste of chocolate or cocoa remains throughout this cigar with a hint of coffee appearing along the way. I did feel that the bitterness of the coffee flavor became more apparent on the finish of the cigar. Both the sweet and bitter tastes really worked well together, giving this medium body cigar a nice balance. The cigar never really over powered my taste, yet had enough complexity to keep it interesting. The Oliva Serie O Habano will definitely be a staple in my humidor.

Here are a few links that you may find helpful.

For more information on the Oliva Serie O Maduro.

If you want to check out Cigar Direct's Cigar of the Month Club.

If you want to check out Cigars Direct.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Wordless Wednesday

Monday, June 29, 2009

Legends Golf: Heathland The Stuff Legends Are Made Of!

Heathland along with Moorland and Parkland golf courses make up the 1300 acre golf facility known as Legends, located just outside of Myrtle Beach. The resort boasts three championship golf course as well as practice facilities and also serves as home to The Classic Swing Golf School. The Moorland course was designed architect P.B. Dye, and is considered the most challenging of the three courses. The Parkland Courses was designed to favor more of an Augusta National type course, while the course I played, Heathland was structured similar to links style courses of the British Isles. Tom Doak modeled several holes after signatures holes from courses like Saint Andrews, Cruden Bay, Royal St. George, and Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

This course was designed with a links type theme, and the look and feel from the tee boxes let's you know that the goal was accomplished. The fairways are wide and rolling, with natural waste areas and rough. The tract really doesn't have a lot of water hazards; water only comes into play on a few holes in the form of streams. However don't let the lack of water and wide fairways fool you this course is well defended in true links style with pot bunkers. Some of the bunkers are worse than others, but all will test your shot making skill if you find yourself in one. The course does set up nicely for all skill levels, of course accuracy is always rewarded but errant shots are playable. The greens at Heathland are quite large, placing emphasis on club selection on approach shots. Pin placement may change your club choice by as many as one or two clubs. The undulating greens make being close to the flag essential. However if you do miss a green the bump and run is a great shot to have in your bag. I found the greens to be fast as well as firm. The contours also emphasized the need to be able to make a god stroke as well as judge speed.

We played in a scramble format so I can't really give you an ideal of what I would have scored playing my own shots, but I did feel that no one in our group was at a disadvantage. If I play this course again and probably will I think I will pay more attention to playing the correct side of the fairway and really watch my club selection on my approach shots. I really enjoyed the golf course and would recommended teeing it up at Heathland anytime.

For more information about Heathland and Legends Golf check them out on the web at www.legendsgolf.com









Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Wordless Wednesday


Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Wordless Wednesday

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Illusione 68: A Great Way to End the Day!

Between work and getting ready for visitors, we have had a really busy week this week. My lovely wife and the boy spent the week cleaning and grocery shopping while I spent my week bidding construction projects and staring at blueprints. Needless to say we were excited for the weekend and our guests to arrive. Today we spent the morning resting and went for a swim after lunch. I grilled up some burgers and hot dogs for dinner, and the group decided to go to the beach for a quick walk. I decided that it would be a perfect time to enjoy a cigar. Since we moved here, one of my favorite things to do is to walk on the beach and smoke a cigar. I knew we probably would stay as long as we normally do so I opted for an Illusione ~68~. The ~68~ is a four inch bombone with a forty-four ring gauge, which makes it a perfect cigar when time may be an issue. I smoke a lot of bombones while I am driving from jobsite to jobsite. One thing about the Illusione ~68~ that I must point out is that, you should not underestimate this cigar because of the size. This cigar while smaller in size packs a punch. You notice the peppery taste immediately on the cold taste and throughout the course of the smoke. The ~68~ I was smoking had a flawless construction and the draw was very easy. The cigar maintained it's spiciness with moments of roasted nut characteristics. This cigar definitely sets the benchmark high on the taste scale, yet it was never overpowering to my palate. The ocean was beautiful and it made for the perfect venue to relax with a great cigar and get ready for a new week. I picked up my stick at my local Tinder Box for around six dollars. I feel that this is a must try cigar, as well as a staple in my humidor. If you would like to get more information about the Illusione ~68~ or the other cigars from Dion Giolito, here is a link to his website, Illusione Cigars.

Like his cigars, reading the story behind the names and cigars is also a must.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Wordless Wednesday


Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Wordless Wednesday


Tuesday, May 26, 2009

CAO Mx2 Robusto: A Great Way to Spend a Holiday.


Like many people I enjoyed a long weekend over Memorial Day, and luckily I did find time between swimming and the beach to enjoy a cigar. I recently received a CAO Sampler from Cigars Direct, and I decided that I just had to try the CAO Mx2 Robusto. I am a huge fan of maduro cigars and I have to say that this smoke with its maduro wrapper as well as a maduro binder had me intrigued. Once again I can't say enough about the quality of cigars that I have been getting from Cigars Direct, everything looked perfect, the Mx2 included. I cut my cigar and checked the draw, and immediately picked up a hint of sweetness. This cigar proved to be a medium to full cigar, changing in tastes frequently as it progressed. The cigar had moments of a sweet chocolate taste then progressed to spicy at other points in the smoke. It had a nice even burn line with no need for any touchups. I found myself truly relaxed and enjoying a fine smoke, a perfect way to enjoy a long weekend.

The sampler which was the May Cigar of the Month selection, called the CAO Spring Collection, and included some awesome cigars. The package included the CAO Mx2, Black Bengal, 'VR' Moby, Brazilia Gol, and, the Italia Ciao. This is an excellent selection of some of CAO's best offerings. If you are a CAO fan or have always wanted to try CAO cigars here is a link to the CAO Spring Collection. Check it out and while you are at the site check out the Cigar of The Month Club, it's a great way to try something new!

CAO 5-Pack

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Wordless Wednesday




Sunday, May 17, 2009

TNA Wrestling: Fight Night Friday in Florence



I have been fortunate to have a few of those moments as a dad that I am sure my father got to experience with me. I have watched my son learn to ride a bike, catch a baseball just like my dad did with me, but Friday night was a very special one. When I was around my son's age, my dad worked third shift, so I did not get to spend a lot of time with him. My dad also was never a big fan of crowds so when he told me that we were going to watch the WWF live, you can imagine my surprise. I couldn't believe it I was going to see all my favorite wrestlers in person and my dad was taking me, just me and him. It was like Christmas had come early that year. The big day came and we went, my eyes were wide as I watched Hulk Hogan, Brutis Beefcake, Rick Martel and Hillbilly Jim put a show of a lifetime. I took my son and wife to see TNA wrestling in Florence Friday night. I watched as my son's eyes lit up when he saw the ring and listen to him cheer as his heroes won the fight. I couldn't help but smile and think about how my dad had to feel as I sat there doing the same thing. What a great time. So with great pride I can say that our redneck wrestling fan tradition remains strong, and hopefully the boy can take his son or daughter to the big show someday and enjoy that moment for himself.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Wordless Wednesday


Friday, May 8, 2009

The Mobile Man Cave: Nub Habano on Wheels

As an outside salesman I spend a lot of time in my vehicle, travelling to and from jobsites and to the office. My Jeep is my man cave on wheels, so to speak. Now that I live in an area where it is warm almost year round, the mobile man cave makes a great place to enjoy a cigar on the go. I keep my travel caddy stocked with a few sticks, along with a cutter and lighter. Yesterday I had to make a long drive to a jobsite late in the day which made for a great opportunity to fire up a stogie.


I had received a cigar in one of my samplers from Cigars Direct that had caught my interest, the Nub Habano. I had yet to try this line of cigar and when I found out that Olivia was involved with the cigar I figured I was in for a great smoke. I am a big fan of the Olivia Serie G line and always have a few in my humidor. With about an hour of drive time I lit my cigar and settled in behind the wheel. The Nub is a four inch, sixty-four ring gauge cigar, so right away you may under estimate what this cigar has to offer, however don't be fooled by the size. The Nicaraguan grown Habano wrapper and filler of the Nub provided a nice robust punch is a small package. I would rank this cigar a medium to full on strength with a nice flavor complexity. The cigar had a nice smooth draw and the smoke had a nice aroma. I have to admit that the Jeep smelled like a fine tobacco shop. I made my drive and really enjoyed my cigar. I will definitely be adding the Nub to my humidor. With my work day over and my stogie down to my knuckle I decided to call it a day. My next stop was the pool to swim with the boy, what a tough day.


If you want to try the Nub Habano 464 Torpedo here is a link to a nice 5-pack.


Nub Habano 464 Torpedo



Tuesday, April 28, 2009

CigarsDirect.com: My Latest Online Cigar Find

One of the perks of our move to the beach has to be the abundance of cigar shops that are located here in the Grand Strand. I suddenly found myself only having to drive a few minutes to buy my cigars instead of the usual hour or so. However, even though I love having local tobacco shops to frequent, I still find myself utilizing the convenience of the internet. I strongly feel that we should support our local shops since they provide us with great atmosphere, a relaxing place to sit and enjoy a smoke, along with special events. With that being said, I do believe that the internet should not be overlooked as a cigar source.

I touched on a few of the pros and cons about buying cigars from internet suppliers in the past, and since then have acquired some stogies from companies on the web. One company that has really impressed me is Cigars Direct. I have received a couple of orders from them and neither disappointed. Even though I love the instant gratification of picking up a cigar at a tobacco shop, I have to admit that the boy and I do enjoy the anticipation of getting that lovely package in the mail. All ten cigars came individually wrapped in cellophane and in a zippered bag. Everything was shipped wrapped in large bubble wrap and in a sturdy box. A complimentary box of matches was included for a nice little extra. The true test was the freshness, and I have to say each cigar felt, looked, and smelled like those I have picked up from any of my local shops. I have only had time to enjoy a couple of the cigars from Cigars Direct, and so far the smokes have been awesome. I will elaborate on that topic in the near future.

Aside from the most important fact that the cigars are all fresh and shipped very well, I also found the company to have a few other aspects I find important. Cigars Direct has a large selection of brands, many available by the box or by the stick. This is nice if you are still looking for a go to smoke or just want to try something new. They also offer five packs, special buys, cigar of the month, and featured cigars. There is also a full line of accessories to round out the product line. The internet cannot replace a local tobacco shop, but companies like Cigars Direct offer a great source to pick up premium cigars.

As with all things that I recommend, I suggest you check it out for yourself. If you are looking for a reliable source for your cigars that offers great selection, great prices, and quality cigars, Cigars Direct is definitely worth a look.

Here is the link to Cigars Direct: www.cigarsdirect.com

John B's Cigar Blog ©Template Blogger Green by Dicas Blogger.

TOPO