2016 Spring Issue

South Carolina Annual Events

GREENVILLE

UPSTATE CULTURE

Artisphere
 Artisphere.org
This three-day visual, performance and culinary arts festival attracts thousands to downtown Greenville each spring. Join in on a celebration of the arts and enjoy the work of more than 100 artists in the open-air Artists Row. Watch live printmaking, woodworking, and glassblowing demos at the Artist’s Demonstration Row. With musical performances, Juried Arts Exhibition, Culinary Arts Café, and Kidsphere for the littlest artists, this festival delights an all ages affair.

CHILI LOVE
Palmetto State Chili Cook-Off
 | PalmettoStateChili.com
This is no ordinary chili cook-off. Sponsored by the International Chili Society (ICS), the event brings together the best chili cooks in the country. Taste mouth-watering samples of chili made by more than 20 ICS cooks, as well as local cooks. The event also features a Beer & Wine Corral, arts and crafts, kids activities, and live entertainment. Get your chili on!

BAGPIPES AND KILTS
Great Scot! 
Parade/Gallabrae Scottish Games and Highland Festival | 
Gallabrae.com
Celebrate Greenville’s Scottish heritage with the sound of bagpipes, the sway of tartan kilts, and the amazing strength of athletes. The parade features pipe bands, marching clans, Scottish Chiefs, floats, Scottish Woods Faeries, Axe-throwers, and Scottish military re-enactors. The Games are held at Furman University.  Border Collie trials, a British Car Show, and a Wee Scotland just for kids are also on site. The celebration ends on Saturday night with Celtic bands worth boogieing to.

CHARLESTON

CELEBRATE THE SHRIMP
Annual Blessing of the Fleet & Seafood Festival 
Memorial Waterfront Park  
Mt. Pleasant, SC 
| ComeOnOverMP.com
Enjoy the family fun on Charleston Harbor at one of the most popular South Carolina annual events! The colorful boat parade and blessing ritual will liven up your Facebook page. And, the best shrimp in the south will delight the most vital of senses. You can also expect local arts & crafts shows, live music, plenty of kids’ activities, and more fun than you can shake a 
flounder at.

EXPLOSION OF THE SENSES
North Charleston Arts Festival 
North Charleston, SC 
| NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com
Check out the UP side of Charleston with festive daily events and two huge weekends of dance, music, and theater presentations. National and local cultural groups and art exhibitions range from traditional to post-funky. Crafts and collectibles are available for purchase, and gems and minerals are on display. Magicians and storytellers will delight the kids, and down-home food will please appetites of all ages.

HOLY CITY RENAISSANCE

Spoleto Festival USA
 | Spoleto.org
An entire city in on a cultural mission! The South’s premier performance arts festival for over 40 years and counting features 17 days of non-stop operas, plays, dance recitals, and musical performances from international artists. Historic downtown theaters, churches, and outdoor venues showcase choirs, chamber musi Choirs, chamber music, jazz bands, and African rhythms. Enjoy new productions of Porgy and Bess, La Double Coquette, The Little Match Girl, and The Importance of Being Ernest. Special one-night concerts feature renowned entertainers, including Grammy-nominated Americana singer, and guitarist Brandi Carlile, plus Piccolo Spoleto introducing awesome local and regional performers. Many shows will be sold out, so get your tickets in advance.

GET YOUR GULLAH ON
Sweetgrass Cultural Arts Festival 
Memorial Waterfront Park  
Mt. Pleasant, SC | 
SweetgrassFestival.org
The ultimate celebration of African-American heritage—the Lowcountry’s Gullah-Geechee culture comes alive with those famous handmade sweetgrass baskets, live music and theater performances, premier documentary films, and authentic Gullah cuisine. An event the whole family can savor.

DANIEL ISLAND

Daniel Island | Charleston, SC
 | Concert in the Park
 | DanielIsland.com
Daniel Island residents and Charleston area visitors are invited! Join in one of the community’s most popular annual events at Smythe Park from 6 – 10 p.m. Enjoy musical entertainment by Jeremy Davis & The Equinox Jazz Orchestra. Bring your lawn chairs and spread your blankets by the lake. And don’t go small on the picnic spread because there will be prizes for the best.

CARNES CROSSROADS

Carnes Crossroads | Summerville, SC | 
Annual Street Party | CarnesCharleston.com
Enjoy family fun on the Village Green with a jump castle, giant slide, and train rides for the kids, plus games for all ages, food vendors and live musical entertainment. Stroll through the farmer’s market filled with fresh, local produce or the craft show with handmade items from area artists. Admission and parking are free.

MYRTLE BEACH

MYRTLE BEACH, SC
Gorgeous Beaches, 
Legendary Golf Grand at Myrtle Beach | VisitMyMyrtleBeach.com
With over 60 miles of sand, sun, and sparkling ocean waves, Myrtle Beach is an irresistible coastal playground. Beyond the Atlantic shores, you’ll find a golfer’s paradise boasting more than 100 championship golf courses.
Myrtle Beach is renowned for its dizzying array of entertainment for all ages. Broadway at the Beach offers the ever-popular Back Stage Mirror Maze, WonderWorks, Dragon’s Lair Fantasy Golf, and Ripley’s Aquarium. There’s shopping galore with fabulous boutiques and brand name stores.
Treat yourself to an evening of top entertainment at the Alabama Theatre, The Carolina Opry, and The Palace Theatre. If you’re looking for nightlife, you’ll find cozy pubs, wine bars, microbreweries, and a lively music scene.
Spend a sunny day at the magnificent Brookgreen Gardens. This 9,100-acre garden features an abundance of native flora and fauna, the largest collection of American figurative sculpture, and a Native Wildlife Zoo.
And don’t miss the area’s most unique sightseeing opportunity: the 187-foot tall SkyWheel ride with its 42 glass-enclosed, temperature controlled gondolas. As this awesome Ferris wheel spins, you’ll enjoy amazing panoramic views of the ocean and the city. The SkyWheel’s one million LED lights put on a dazzling light show every night. Myrtle Beach truly has it all!

Time to Get Crackin’
Annual World 
Famous Blue Crab Festival
 | Little River, SC | 
BlueCrabFestival.org
This is the Southeast’s premier event, which takes place along the historic waterfront in scenic Little River, SC. Only a 30-minute drive from Myrtle Beach, this is the place to indulge your love of fresh, delicious crab cakes and blue crab, along with other festival food favorites. You’ll want to put on your dancing shoes when top beach bands perform, and take a look at the unique creations of more than 250 arts and crafts vendors. There are also lots of fun activities for kids at this family-friendly event.

Music Fans and Beach 
Lovers Unite!
Carolina Country Music Fest 
| CarolinaCountryMusicFest.com
Kick off your summer by gathering at the beach and listening to some of the biggest names in country music. Headliners for this unforgettable event include country mega-stars Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, Florida Georgia Line, Kelsea Ballerini, and Maren Morris. The festival takes place on 18 coastal acres and features a zip line, VIP area, and concessions. Slip on your flip flops, grab a cowboy hat, and head to beautiful Myrtle Beach for the music event of the summer!

SEABROOK ISLAND

Seabrook Island Club | Seabrook Island, SC
 | 
Spring Fling BBQ 
| DiscoverSeabrook.com
One of the newest of South Carolina annual events, Seabrook’s community-wide spring celebration is here! Free admission and no reservations required. 
Enjoy live music, fun activities, delicious South Carolina barbeque, and other refreshments, including a cash bar with beer and wine. Held at Seabrook Island’s award-winning Equestrian Center, which offers boarding, riding lessons, excursions along three miles of trails, and horseback rides on the beach

BEAUFORT

RENDEZVOUS BY THE RIVER
Annual Beaufort Water Festival
 | BFTWaterFestival.com
Experience 10 days of the Lowcountry’s longest-running celebration of summer fun with daily events and activities to delight everyone! The opening ceremony features the Parris Island Marine Band and a huge fireworks show. Enjoy the gigantic Arts & Crafts Market, as well as musical happenings at the waterfront park, including a teen dance, Motown Monday, time warp Tuesday, a talent show, river dance and more. Taste authentic regional cuisine during the entire event, plus a special Lowcountry supper. Stick around for the end of the event with the blowout finale featuring the Commodore’s Ball and the Parade of Boats.

AIKEN

Woodside Plantation | Aiken, SC
,
Southern Nights Movies 
| WoodsidePlantation.com
See the stars under the stars! In partnership with the City of Aiken and the Southern City Film Institute, Woodside hosts the spring’s biggest outdoor movie screenings. Bring the whole family with your blankets and lawn chairs to enjoy “The Sandlot” (May 21), “The Goonies” (June 17), and “Independence Day” (July 4). Evening entertainment also includes live music, and food trucks will be on hand for spectators who don’t bring their own munchies.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND

BIG PLAID PARTY
The RBC Heritage |Presented by Boeing Harbour Town Golf Links | RBCHeritage.com
Have a ball where plaid is always in fashion! Five-time Heritage champion and 2016 Ryder Cup Captain Davis Love III leads an all-star field of the world’s best professional golfers for the 48th annual tournament that’s the only PGA Tour stop in South Carolina. The competition on the course is always exciting and the party around the iconic Harbour Town Lighthouse goes on all week.

ART FOR EVERYONE
Annual Hilton Head Island Art Festival Shelter Cove | ArtFestival.com
This free two-day event featuring more than 100 artists displaying their paintings, sculptures, pottery, photography, jewelry, and more is the place to be for art lovers who want to view or buy. Enjoy live entertainment and craft marketplace with affordable items on sale.

MEMORIAL DAY MUSIC
Hilton Head Choral Society’s “An Americana Celebration” | HiltonHeadChoralSociety.org
Kick off the summer season with patriot music and a special salute to our military service members and veterans. The First Presbyterian Church hosts this rousing Memorial Day tribute sure to inspire the whole family. Free concert tickets can be reserved online.

Haig Point Club

Daufuskie Island, South Carolina

Haig Point is on a sea island and the lifestyle here is very special. It has the serenity and seclusion of a most idyllic, sea island life. But extraordinary privacy isn't the only thing you'll enjoy at Haig Point on Daufuskie Island Read More...

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Logan Homes - Home Builders in South Carolina

Southern, South Carolina

At Logan Homes, they strive to turn your dream home into a reality. From traditional to contemporary, grand to cozy, Logan Homes offers personalized floor plans, quality craftsmanship, superior designs and decades of building experience. Whether you want to live close to town or in the country, near the beach or on a golf course, the Builder Specialists at Logan Homes can help you find the ideal community or home site to suit your lifestyle perfectly. Read More...

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Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head

Hardeeville, South Carolina

Your Latitude! You've earned a life where every day feels like an escape. Find your paradise at Latitude Margaritaville, the 55-and-better lifestyle where fun and relaxation meet. Inspired by the legendary music and lifestyle of singer, songwriter and best-selling author Jimmy Buffett, this is where life rolls easy, neighbors are friends and the party never ends. Awesome recreation, FINtastic dining and entertainment will make the town center the place to be and just a golf cart ride away. Masterfully crafted new Latitude homes let you hang your hat where your heart is. Read More...

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Long Cove Club

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Long Cove Club is the hidden jewel of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. A private residential club filled with spectacular homes and warm and friendly people. The world renowned private Pete Dye Golf course is just one of many amenities and experiences that make life at the Club so engaging. Behind the gate, you'll find a rich palette of lifestyle options to suit every taste. Read More...

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The Cliffs at Glassy

Landrum, South Carolina

The Cliffs at Glassy is a premier, 3,500-acre golf and wellness community. Established in 1991, Glassy was the first of The Cliffs' seven communities and the first gated, master-planned mountain community in the state of South Carolina. Perched atop Glassy Mountain, the community boasts elevations as high as 3,200 feet offering panoramic views of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains. The Cliffs at Glassy is nestled among over 12,000 acres of protected wilderness, ensuring these captivating views and natural splendor remain untouched for generations to come. Read More...

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Dataw Island - Golf Communities in South Carolina

Dataw Island, South Carolina

There is a place off the South Carolina coast, near the charming town of Beaufort, where nature and luxury share center stage. Shaped by the Intracoastal Waterway and a rich Southern history, the gated golf community of Dataw Island is a pristine parcel of 870 acres waiting to be discovered. Read More...

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Hartness Greenville

Greenville, South Carolina

The community will feature a number of defining amenities including a central park, sidewalks and pedestrian greenways, unique streetscapes, a commercial center with restaurants and shops, a clubhouse with fitness center, a swim complex, tennis and pickleball, a boutique hotel with spa and a 180 acre nature preserve with 15 miles of trails. Come see 450 acres of beauty in Greenville, SC. Read More...

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Colleton River Club

Bluffton, South Carolina

Lowcountry luxury lies at the base of Hilton Head's bridge at Colleton River. This peninsula community delivers on its promise of world-class golf, pristine natural surroundings, and an unparalleled water experience. With nature as the centerpiece, Colleton River's 1,500 acres epitomize Lowcountry serenity, with Spanish moss draped Live oaks and palmetto trees lining roadways. Trails wind through a blend of beautiful homes, natural terrain and 7 miles of expansive water and marsh views. The peninsula is also anchored by adjoining Victoria Bluff, an 1,100-acre nature preserve Read More...

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Celadon

Beaufort, South Carolina

Located in SC's Lowcountry, a mere three miles from downtown Beaufort, this beautiful master-planned community allows you to focus on a simpler, happier, healthier life. Read More...

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Cresswind Charleston

Summerville, South Carolina

Cresswind Charleston brings the award-winning Cresswind active adult lifestyle to the Charleston area. This gated community is integrated within the thriving community of The Ponds while maintaining its own privacy. Cresswind features a full list of resort-style amenities, all located within a natural, Lowcountry setting. Residents can take a short walk to the 12,000-square-foot clubhouse, enjoy pickleball and tennis or participate in activities at the event lawn and amphitheater. Read More...

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Callawassie Island - South Carolina Gated Communities

Callawassie Island, South Carolina

Callawassie Island is centrally located two miles off of Highway 170 between historic Beaufort, South Carolina and the nationally known resort of Hilton Head Island. Read More...

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Mount Vintage

North Augusta, South Carolina

Mount Vintage is a well-established 2,000 acre private community conveniently located just a few miles from Augusta, GA and Aiken, SC. Carefully planned to enhance the natural beauty and tranquility of this setting...it is truly one of a kind. Read More...

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K. Hovnanian's � Four Seasons at Lakes of Cane Bay

Summerville, South Carolina

Against the backdrop of a near perfect setting, K. Hovnanian's ® Four Seasons at Lakes of Cane Bay brings the best in luxurious, 55+ living to Summerville, South Carolina. This spectacular lakefront community is just a short drive from Charleston and Lowcountry beaches. Read More...

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Hilton Head Lakes | South Carolina Communities

Hardeeville, South Carolina

Whether you?re looking to relocate permanently for that well-deserved retirement or a weekend retreat, you can find your dreams fulfilled at Hilton Head Lakes. Read More...

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Woodside - South Carolina Gated Communities

Aiken, South Carolina

Carefully planned 2,800-acre gated community, recently named one of Money Magazine's "Top Ten Retirement Communities." Three private 18 hole championship golf courses, tennis pavillion, wooded walking trails and more. Top medical facilities, university town with a mecca of cultural events. Read More...

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That Could Change Your Life

by Jan Cullinane

What if you could modify your genes? Slow the aging process? Increase your lifespan (or as I like to call it, your healthspan)? We hear this advice all the time: Exercise and eat well. Knowing why exercising and good nutrition work at the cellular level can drive a change in behavior and transform our bodies and our lives. Current research shows us how to do this, and there are three important, but little-known, words to add to your vocabulary: epigenetics, mitochondria, and telomeres.

Epigenetics

The phrase “nature vs. nurture” is commonly used as though what we’ve inherited (nature) is completely separate from the environment (nurture). It turns out that this isn’t true. You may recall from your Biology class days that our genetic material is called DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). Studies show that we’re able to change the ways our genes operate, without changing the genes themselves. This process of being able to switch genes on and off without altering the DNA is called epigenetics.

For example, when we exercise, we add groups of atoms called methyl groups (one carbon atom bonded to three hydrogen atoms) to the outside of portions of our genes, which then alters what the gene does. An experiment performed by scientists at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm had subjects pedal an exercise bike using only one leg for 45 minutes, four times a week for three months. The unexercised leg acted as the “control.” Changes in the muscles, using muscle biopsies from both legs before and after exercising, allowed the researchers to compare the effects of exercise on the leg that did all that extra pedaling.

The results of the leg muscle biopsies showed that the exercised leg contained DNA with many more methyl groups, and they were located on genes that play a role in how we handle insulin, energy metabolism, and the control of inflammation. So, there is powerful evidence that exercise can affect our genes in a positive way. We know exercise is good for us, and here’s the proof at the cellular level.

Mitochondria


Re-visiting Biology class again, you may recall that mitochondria are organelles inside our cells nicknamed “the powerhouses of the cell.” Mitochondria turn food into energy through a series of complex chemical reactions. There are up to 2,000 mitochondria per cell (some cells don’t have any), and in energy-intense cells like those found in muscles and the heart (after all, our heart is also a muscle), mitochondria make up the about half of the cell. Research reveals that damage to our mitochondria might contribute to aging by slowing down our body’s processes.

Exercising (brisk walking, swimming, tennis, biking) 15 to 20 minutes a day, three to four times a week, increases the number of mitochondria per cell in about six weeks and makes them more effective at burning fat. To maintain this benefit, you need to keep up the exercise regimen—a classic case of “use it or lose it.” Strength training in inactive older adults will also boost the number of mitochondria (interestingly, this same effect hasn’t been noted in younger people). With regular exercise, mitochondria also helped lower the risk of insulin resistance, thus helping prevent, or at least slowing down, the onset of diabetes.

Telomeres


At the end of our chromosomes (which are made of DNA), there are little caps, like the plastic tips at the end of shoelaces, that protect our chromosomes from fraying and deteriorating. These are the telomeres. Every time a body cell divides, it needs to make another complete copy of its DNA, and when this happens, the telomeres shorten a bit. When telomeres become too short after a number of cell divisions, it affects the cell’s ability to make more copies of its DNA, and the cell dies.

The 2009 Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to Elizabeth Blackburn, Jack Szostak, and Carol Greider for their research on telomeres, which found that telomeres are a major key to aging. If we can make them longer and stronger, we may have a longer and healthier lifespan; shorter telomeres are also linked to an increased risk of cancer. The good part: We can strengthen and lengthen our telomeres through exercise and proper eating. A study of twins found that the ones who exercised more had longer telomeres; another study found women who felt under stress had shorter telomeres than those who controlled their stress 
levels through exercise. And, certain foods, such as those containing high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, including wild salmon, mackerel, peanuts, walnuts, cashews, and Brazil nuts, also lengthen telomeres.

We know it’s important to eat well and to exercise. Knowing about epigenetics, mitochondria, and telomeres might prompt us to lace up our sneakers, ride that bike, hoist those weights, order that grilled fish, and munch on nuts more frequently.

Jan Cullinane is an award-winning retirement author, speaker, and consultant. Her current book is The Single Woman’s Guide to Retirement (AARP/Wiley).

The Temazcal Experience

Part of the ancient Mayan experience is alive and well at the TAO Wellness Community near Akumal on the coast. The Wellness Center is a sanctuary for health, relaxation, and a soothing of the body, mind, and spirit in a community that stresses fitness and living well. The facility includes a fully equipped gym, a yoga classroom, a salt-water lap pool, an infinity pool, massage and spa rooms, an elixir bar, meditation areas, a steam room, and a store filled with health-supporting gifts. All of this, plus the Temazcal Mayan ritual experience, gives the seeker of a healthy lifestyle a full plate of options. But the Temazcal ritual is one you will rarely find anywhere else and is an event not to be missed.

Efran, an authentic Mayan shaman, holds court over the traditional Temazcal ceremony, which is akin to that of a more conventional hot room, or similar to a North American Indian sweat lodge. The ceremony is meant to purify and re-energize the body and usually has a lasting influence. Offered at dusk, the treatment weaves together ancient traditions, chants, and meditation. The recipient is given a piece of Copal (a tree resin that is lit and burned like incense) and then asked to pray in his or her own version of religion. On entering the sweat lodge, a participant finds a mound of red-hot stones until the door closes and the room becomes pitch-black. The shaman chants and adds water to the rocks, which makes the room extremely hot and humid. The session often lasts up to two hours as the shaman chants and adds water to the rocks creating intense heat. The experience gives an almost ethereal sensation of floating in a timeless ocean of darkness, sound, and aromatic mist. Many who have gone through this ancient Mayan tradition have remarked that they left the Temazcal feeling relaxed, lighter in spirit, and emotionally cleansed. Remarkably, the physical challenge of intense heat seems to overcome many obstacles a person faces and stimulates a healthy state of mind in those who participate.

Previously published in the 2016 Spring Issue.

Rancho San Lucas - Cabo San Lucas

Cabo San Lucas, BCS, Mexico

Rancho San Lucas is an exclusive, 834-acre resort community located just 30 minutes from the Los Cabos International Airport in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Enjoying sweeping vistas of the Pacific Ocean and Baja's stunning desert landscape, this landmark community offers visitors and owners a private respite and an unparalleled collection of residential options including The Villas at Rancho San Lucas with Santa Barbara-style single family homes and five floor plans to choose from. Read More...

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Ladera San Jose

San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur Los Cabos, Mexico

Ladera San Jose is a planned community located in the tourist corridor of San Jose del Cabo, the more family and arts oriented town in the Los Cabos area. The project was designed by renowned Mexican architect Agustin Landa, who was inspired by the strong natural sense of the land and the ocean and mountain views. Read More...

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