Carolinas, Georgia & South Trips (Lonely Planet, 1st Edition) by Alex Leviton

Author:Alex Leviton [Leviton, Alex]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Travel.Travel Guides
ISBN: 9017751045
Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications
Published: 2010-10-15T10:00:00+00:00

The next day, start your day at Mepkin Abbey, a Trappist monastery located on the Cooper River off Hwy 402 toward, coincidentally, Moncks Corner. A former plantation with roots dating back to 1681, the meditative garden is from the 1930s, when Henry and Clare Boothe Luce bought and refurbished the property. The gift shop and gardens are open daily, but plan your visit around the 11:30am monk-led tour, as participants are invited to join in prayers afterwards.

Continue on Hwy 402 to Hwy 52 and follow signs for Cypress Gardens. Like a miniature zoo and swamp tour rolled into one, the park is especially popular with little ones. Join an hourly guided tour or take out a flat-bottom boat on your own. Either way, the low country black water swamplands are some of the most scenic in South Carolina, even with the built-up picnic areas and gift shop. Be sure to check out the butterfly house and tiny alligator zoo.

The next swamp stop is the Audubon Center at Beidler Forest. The Audubon society has purchased 15,000 acres of protected floodplains to study and preserve for generations to come. Miles of boardwalk crisscross the swampy plains, home to many an alligator. To see the area up close, arrive at 1pm for a guided canoe trip. For lunch, continue into Holly Hill to eat at Sweatman’s Bar-b-que and discover how good organic meat can taste. Reputed to be one of the best BBQ joints in the state, the American flag and giant pig sign lure you in to this former home where the recipes for tender and sticky ribs, cracklin’ liver hash and pit-cooked pig haven’t changed for a generation or two. Be warned: Sweatman’s is only open on Friday and Saturday.

Bring your fishing poles to Santee State Park, where the expansive Lake Marion hosts boaters and anglers year-round to catch their future campfire dinners, including catfish, bass and trout. Book in advance at the popular Cypress View Campground on the banks of Lake Marion. For those who don’t want to rough it in a tent, the yurt-like “rondettes” - several of which overlook the lake - are equipped with creature comforts like beds, heat and air conditioning, and a small kitchen. Ask at the park’s tackle shop for the pontoon boat tour schedule, usually on Wednesdays and weekends, depending on the season.

Towards the center of the state is Congaree National Park. The most politically correct of the swamps, Congaree isn’t even a wetland, it’s an “old-growth floodplain forest,” the tallest deciduous forest east of the Mississippi with swathes of cypress, loblolly, tupelo and pine trees. The technical difference is that a swamp stays wet throughout the year but a floodplain dries up. Stop in first at the Harry Hampton Visitors Center to pick up maps and sign up for any number of daily activities, from weekend night Owl Prowls to guided nature walks, all free courtesy of the Department of the Interior. For a guided canoe trip, call two weeks in advance for a reservation.

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