Ranger Dan: 109.1 Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park

 

Date of Visit: December 7, 2025

We had a few days between Grandpa's funeral in Illinois and our planned trip to Florida, so we decided to make it a leisurely three-day drive and include a stop at Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park. Dad decided that leisurely meant he could take time for a car wash after church before we left the hotel that morning and we only got to the park around 3:30pm, so we didn't end up with much time to explore past the visitor center.

Exhibit in Visitor Center

Pottery Exhibit in Visitor Center

Earth Lodge

Inside Earth Lodge

Inside Earth Lodge

Inside Earth Lodge

See full list of Ranger Dan's National Parks Visited here.

Our Koffee Trail: Grand Strand Coffee - Winter Seasonals

Date of Visit: January 12, 2026

Location: Grand Strand Coffee (13th Ave location), Myrtle Beach, SC

Rating: ❤️ (Love)

This morning Dad didn't make coffee because we went to Starbucks for Pistachio Lattes. Later in the morning he asked if I wanted him to make coffee so I could have a second cup and I told him, "No, because we were about to go do errands." After our first stop, he asked if I wanted to get coffee and was going to go to Grand Strand Coffee in Market Common, but I told him we should finally go to the other location on Business 17 because that was actually on the way to the library and we have never been to that location.

We both got drinks from the Winter seasonal menu. Dad got the Chocolate Covered Cherry and I got the Gingerbread Latte (best version I've had of this as you can really taste the gingerbread spices).

See full list of Our Koffee Trail stops here and Our Koffee Trail Google Maps list here.

Check out some of our other Myrtle Beach area posts:

• C3 Coffee Co. 👍
• Grand Strand Coffee ❤️
• Rustic Roast ❤️
• Tidal Creek Brewhouse (and Coffeehouse) ❤️

Our Koffee Trail: Clockwise Coffee at Carolina Cider Company

Date: January 3, 2026

Location: Clockwise Coffee, Yemassee, SC 

Rating: ❤️ (Love)

We discovered Carolina Cider Company when we went down to Hilton Head in 2021. Since then we've stopped a couple other times on our way to Florida, but we don't remember ever getting coffee here. The last few times we knew they had a coffeeshop, but we passed by when it was closed.

This trip we didn't plan on doing an Our Koffee Trail stop because for time sake we started with Starbucks when we left Myrtle Beach. However, we ended up at the Carolina Cider Company as a bathroom stop and Mik wanted a jug of Peach Cider, so with Dad ordering while I was getting the cider, the stop only a few minutes longer to also end up with coffee.

Mom had a White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha and I had a Brown Butter Rosemary Latte. I told Dad he should start using rosemary from our garden in the coffee at home.

See full list of Our Koffee Trail stops here and Our Koffee Trail Google Maps list here.

Mini Golf Adventures: Jungle Safari Mini Golf

Date of Visit: December 28, 2025

Location: Jungle Safari Mini Golf, Myrtle Beach, SC

We had some mini golf coupons expiring at the end of the year and decided to use one before it got cold again and they expired. The Jungle Safari Mini Golf seemed most interesting of the options as the others were mostly pirate themed, which seems to be the most common mini golf course theme.

We really enjoyed the variety of the holes with different layouts, hills, and obstacles. The various animal statues along the course also made it a nice scenic course to play.

Hole 1

Hole 2

Hole 3

Hole 4

Hole 5

Hole 6

Hole 7

Hole 8

Hole 9

Hole 9

Hole 10

Hole 11

Hole 12

Hole 12

Hole 13

Hole 14

Hole 15

Hole 16

Hole 17

Hole 18

Final Scores

• Kjersti - 45
• Mom - 50
• Dad - 41

See full list of our Mini Golf Adventures here.

Check out some of our other Myrtle Beach area Mini Golf posts:

• Hawaiian Rumble Golf
• Jurassic Golf
• Ice Age
• Mt. Atlanticus Minotaur Golf
• Conch
• Minotaur
• Red Dragon Cove Adventure Golf
• Marauder's Challenge
• The Pirates Plank
• Ripley's Crazy Golf
• Professor Hacker's Lost Treasure Golf
• Diamond Course
• Gold Course

Our Koffee Trail: Streetcar Espresso

Date: December 8, 2025

Location: Streetcar Espresso, Ashburn, GA

Rating: ❤️ (Love)

Yesterday, I had planned a coffeeshop stop in Chattanooga, but Dad wasted our coffee stop time on getting a car wash. This morning we had plenty of time to waste on our way down to Florida, so even though we purposely got a slow start we still were able to do a coffee stop. I found Streetcar Espresso as a drive thru near I-75.

Right away we enjoyed Streetcar Espresso just for its Christmas decor.

We also liked their festive sleeves. Mom got a Peppermint Mocha. I got a Caramel Brûlée Latte. Dad got a Latte. Mik got Apple Cider.

See full list of Our Koffee Trail stops here and Our Koffee Trail Google Maps list here.

Our Koffee Trail: Dollop Coffee Co.

Date: December 3, 2025

Location: Dollop Coffee Co. (Streeterville), Chicago, IL

Rating: 👍 (Like)

Dad and I noticed Dollop Coffee when we went grocery shopping yesterday and decided to try it this morning. 

I got their Streeterville location exclusive seasonal Cinnamon Bun Mocha. We got Mik the same as a hot chocolate. For Mom, we got the Candy Cane Lane Mocha. Dad ordered a Honey Cinnamon Latte, but it did not end up getting added to the order and by the time we had the other drinks and realized there was too much of a line with only one barista to be worth ordering as the other drinks would have been cold by the time we got his.

See full list of Our Koffee Trail stops here and Our Koffee Trail Google Maps list here.

Check out some of our other Chicago area posts:

• City Mini Golf
• Cupitol
• Harry Potter Shop

Our Koffee Trail: Cupitol

Date: December 2, 2025

Location: Cuptiol, Chicago, IL

Rating: 👍 (Like)

Mom actually has a fancy Kuerig that can do lattes in Chicago, so we do not usually get coffee when here, but this morning we decided to treat ourselves at nearby Cupitol.

I got a Nutella Latte. Dad got a Inca Latte. For Mom, we got the seasonal Peppermint Latte. For Mik, we got the Mint White Hot Chocolate.

So we didn't get our drinks mixed up in the condo (i.e. Mom didn't keep asking which is hers...), Dad put our names on our cups, but he misspelled Dreadfully Annoying Dad.

See full list of Our Koffee Trail stops here and Our Koffee Trail Google Maps list here.

Check out some of our other Chicago area posts:

• City Mini Golf
• Harry Potter Shop

U.S. Botanic Gardens Seasons Greenings 2025: Dino-Mite!

When we lived in Virginia in 2014, Mik and I made it an annual tradition to visit the Seasons Greenings train exhibit at the U.S. Botanic Gardens. Even though, we have now lived in Myrtle Beach for over five years, we still have managed to visit the trains most year. Because dinosaurs did not sound interesting and the quick weekend DC trip turned into the start of a 19 day trip to DC, Chicago, and Florida, Mik decided to stay in hotel to stay warm and rest his butt while Mom, Dad, and I visited the train exhibit.

While we still prefer the way you wandered through the train exhibit when it was inside versus around it outside, the large scale of the dinosaur theme does seem more fitting outside.

One of the more detailed (or graphic?) ones was the Repenomamus with a Psittacosaurus in its mouth.

I think my favorite area was the Ankylosaurus and the Pteranodon under the bridge.

And of course, there was a T-Rex.

Our Koffee Trail: Tatte Bakery & Cafe

Date: November 29, 2025

Location: Tatte Bakery & Cafe, Arlington, VA

Rating: ❤️ (Love)

We first attempted to go to another coffeeshop, but maps seemed to be directing us into the Crystal City underground and the way it wanted us to go was not open. We did eventually find where we wanted to go, which was not actually in the underground, nor was it open at 7am as maps indicated. As it wasn't open for another 20 minutes we headed back towards the hotel and ended up at the other coffeeshop I had considered for this morning.

Tatte Bakery & Cafe was not my first choice because is a chain with a decent amount of locations, but it seems to only be in a few states.

I enjoyed the Pumpkin Tahini Latte. We got Mom the same. Dad had a Pistachio Latte and we got Mik a mocha.

See full list of Our Koffee Trail stops here and Our Koffee Trail Google Maps list here.

Check out some of our other DC area posts:

• Colada Shop 👍
• Good Company Doughnuts & Cafe 👍
• Pluma by Bluebird Bakery 👍