South Carolina is blessed with an abundance of trees. Maybe its the soil or the longer growing season. If Halifax is known as the city of trees, I don't know what we should call Columbia. Every suburban street is lined with 60' to 70' Cypress and Oak trees. More upscale homes and commercial buildings are being landscaped with the familiar Palmetto (palm) Tree which happens to be the state tree. Every home is framed with endless shrubs and ground covers.
Saturday takes us to the Congaree Swamp National Forest. It boasts the largest surviving trees in the Eastern part of the USA. The air is humid as we snake our way on a 2.5 mile boardwalk that provides glimpses of an area untouched by man.
The Congaree is a typical park containing trails, lakes, rivers and a knowlegable staff in the Interpretation Center. They also provide (free of charge) guided canoe tours, bird watching tours and tree identification tours. We will definitely come back and take advantage of these services when we return to the area.
On the return trip, we decide to take a different route using the backroads so we can see more of the countryside. Yes, we got lost!! But our trusty Lady of Perpetual Help helps us find our way. I would estimate that at least 50% of the people in this area live in mobile homes.
