During oyster season — September through April — the Ocean Fish Market has a huge oyster business in which locals bring in fresh oysters. EDITOR'S NOTE: Gaffney businessman and 'world' traveler Bennie Blalock will be sharing stories with Ledger readers from time to time.

It just so happened that as I was heading home from Ocean Lakes recently I was ticketed for improper lane change. Traffic was heavy and someone was poking along in the left lane slowing traffic down. I got my chance so I moved over into the right lane, got ahead of the slowpoke, and moved back into the left lane. It turned out the slowpoke was an unmarked highway patrolman. How did I miss that? He was not very happy. “You cut in too close,” he said, “and you had to being doing 70 in a 65 when you cut in.” Fortunately, he overlooked that little detail.

When I went to traffic court in Conway I talked to the trooper in the hallway before court. “Officer, I do apologize but I have an excellent driving record and everyone makes mistakes.’ I thought I should have received a warning. “Not a chance that I will dismiss it,” he said. He pointed out that his excellent driving abilities prevented an accident when I shot out in front of him. I was thinking that it was my driving abilities that got me around him safely but I decided to keep that to myself. I pleaded my weak case to the judge to no avail. But he did reduce my fine to the lowest amount. Of course, I respect that the trooper was doing his job, keeping the highways safe for us all; but it never hurts to try and get a break.

The Riverwalk in downtown Conway is a beautiful walking trail along the Waccamaw River. Beautiful Swamp Cottonwood trees line the river with moss hanging off the limbs. When I left the courthouse I rode over to the Riverwalk in downtown Conway. It is a beautiful walking trail along the Waccamaw River. There I met two gents pulling their kayaks out of the river. Jim was local; Joe was a displaced New Yorker. They had paddled a mile up the river. “See any gators, Jim?... Not today, but they are out there,” he said. Sounds like fun. I need to bring my kayak next time. I left them eating a sandwich on a bench while enjoying the view and went over to the marina. There is a nice park there, also, with a great trail along the river and a little park for kids. Beautiful Swamp Cottonwood trees line the river with moss hanging off the limbs. It is a real low country paradise.

Soon it was lunchtime. Conway has lots of restaurants downtown and I decided on the Ocean Fish Market. It is on the backside of town on the river. It is a true fish market filled with the scent of fresh fish from the local catch on open tables covered in ice. You can pick out your fresh fish and they will fillet it while you watch and wrap it up. They, also, have a kitchen in the back. A couple of ladies waiting on their order suggested the flounder so I ordered the flounder plate with rice instead of fries, hushpuppies and slaw. It seems that the market has been there 60 years. During oyster season — September through April — they have a huge oyster business in which locals bring in fresh oysters. I plan to go back for that. Might find a pearl in one of those fresh oysters.

I got my flounder plate — a bargain at $8 — and sat outside on a bench facing the parking lot with a view of the backside of Conway. Not a great view, but it was shaded and the flounder made up for it. Two huge pieces of fresh flounder with light breading. Great flavor. The hushpuppies were OK, but next time I may opt for the sweet potato fries. Downtown Conway also has several interesting shops. I found a couple of great old albums in one shop. I still believe vinyl records sound better than new digital stuff. Just call me old school.

So the moral to this story is that if you plan to pass a slowpoke on the right be sure it’s not a trooper but better yet just slow down and be safe. But bad things are gonna happen to you no matter. They can’t be avoided but you can stop and smell the roses, or flounder in this case, and make something good out of everything.

So if you just so happen to be at the beach and get tired of the hustle bustle of the strip, head over to downtown Conway for a break. I am sure that you will find a good time. There is great food, shopping, and you can even rent a kayak to paddle up the river and look for an alligator.