Palmetto Islands County Park, Mount Pleasant, SC. by Shelley Hopkins

Have you ever wondered what Mount Pleasant looked like before it was covered with trendy shops and neighborhoods?  Mount Pleasant is still a beautiful city, and it can be a delight to walk through the Old Village and down Pitt Street to the pier.  The parks are wonderful and all the live oaks still shade the city streets and homes.  But, to see this area before people, take a drive over to the Palmetto Islands County Park.  This park is at the end of the Longpoint group of subdivisions, and it has plenty of park things to do; a playground, a splash park, crabbing dock, and paddle boat rentals, and my favorite, a 50 foot observation tower complete with sides for the “children.” 

Observation Tower and view from tower below

I visited the park today, in November, and I chose to simply walk the trails.  I was amazed at the beauty, at the palmetto trees nestled among live oaks, dogwoods and pines.  I started at the playground area and followed the paved pathway out past the splash park, and then I switched to a boardwalk that crossed marsh to reach what they call the Nature Island.  A man on a bicycle passed me, and I met several people walking with their dogs.  After circling the island I returned to the paved road, was passed by the same bicyclist, and then walked towards the river on the opposite side of the park.  I walked up to the 50 foot lookout tower, and rested, enjoying the expansive views and the cool breezes.  The air had the salty marshy feel.  It was low tide, and even from the top of the tower I could hear the pop pop sounds of air escaping the pluff mud.  Birds were plentiful, and I wished I had my binoculars and a longer camera lens.  After a time I returned to the trail, was passed by the same bicyclist, again, and walked on to the crab dock and river.

I kept thinking about how the original inhabitants of this land would live, the oysters, fish and crab providing food.  I think the soft wet soil under the palmetto forests would be difficult to navigate, and so I was thankful for the paved and dirt pathways.  I watched two men fish, and then walked back towards my car, passing that same bicycle rider one last time.

Check out Palmetto Island County Parks for more information
Search here for homes found in the Longpoint area, where you can bike to this park right from your home.

Reuse, Create and Enjoy!

Recycling can take on many forms.  To reuse an item is not a new idea, as a matter of fact until recent times nearly every item was used and reused as needed.  Kitchen scraps fed the animals, bottles and jars were washed and used again, sacks became napkins, window treatments and even clothing.  At one time this was done because we had no choice, throwing away perfectly useful items was unheard of.  As time passed we had more money, cheaper items and a consumer based economy.  We daily toss items our ancestors would have used. 

            Of course as the pendulum swings, it is now trendy and modern to recycle.  It is also very easy as many neighborhoods offer services to pick up recyclable materials.  Composting, cooking regular meals from scratch, the buy local movement all help to cut back on what is dumped into our landfills.  A simple lifestyle is cheaper and easier on the planet as well.

            Today I recycled Christmas cards.  I saw the idea on a blog I follow about simple living.  Every year I save my Christmas cards because they are just too beautiful to throw away.  When my children were little we used the cards to cut out pictures for collages, to make post cards and once we tried to use contact paper and create placemats.  This year I made gift tags.  I cut out shapes, a main picture or a colorful section from each of my cards.  I left a spot to punch a hole for a ribbon, and tossed them in a box with my cheap sticker tags.  Next year at Christmas I will have designer style tags, and I won’t be hoarding stacks of Christmas cards anymore.

Reuse, Create and Enjoy!

Caw Caw Nature Center

       

    The Charleston low country has so many wonderful places to visit, it can be easy to overlook the local parks.  Caw Caw Nature Center is located along Highway 17 in Ravenel, SC, and it was created on top of several old rice plantations.  Last year my daughter and I enjoyed a guided bird walk at Caw Caw, and still today the experience is one of our favorite memories.

            Laura and I arrived a few minutes after the walk had started.  We paid our fee in the main office.  The ranger told us, “You can’t go on a bird walk without binoculars,” and he opened a drawer and handed one to each of us.  We joined the group nearby gathered on the trail.  The guide was a young man, but except for my daughter and I, all the participants were of retirement age.  A few had bird books, mostly downloaded on tablets and phones.  Everyone wore binoculars, carried water bottles and bug spray.  One older man joined us on a Segway.  The trails were wide and even, and he had no problems. 

We saw ospreys, herons, ibis, and many red winged blackbirds, but the greatest excitement came from seeing the momma gator and her babies.  On the entire walk I think we counted 9 gators, mostly young.  It was amazing how we could be standing beside a marshy canal, relaxed and listening to birdsong, and the guide would point and say, “Gator number 5.”  We had to learn how to see them, then suddenly gators were everywhere.

            I loved the beauty of the park, the excitement of the alligators, and the help in identifying birds, but I struggled with being in a group and moving so slowly.  I grew impatient every time we heard a new song or rustle of leaves.  Each birdwatcher whipped out his or her phone, pulled up the bird books and began discussing coloration of the crest, size of the beak, and style of the song.   I wanted to say, “the bird is beautiful whether identified, placed on a life list, quantified, or not.  Just enjoy!”  And really, we did enjoy.  My family has been back many times to walk, in various seasons.  And now, I can point out the alligators.

            Caw Caw is open Wednesday through Sunday 9-5.  Admission is $1 per person, and if you want to attend the bird walks on Saturday or Wednesday starting at 8:30 the cost is $5.  Caw Caw is a beautiful and historical place, and worth taking the time to visit.

            

http://www.ccprc.com/index.aspx?nid=53

My husband and I in Nassau at Fort Fincastle

Several months ago my parents and I walked along Waterfront Park in Charleston, enjoying the views of the harbor and the historic homes.  Children played in and by the water fountains.  We walked towards the dock, planning to sit on the swings to enjoy the view and to visit.  For the first time since moving here, the Carnival Cruise Ship was in port.  With its bright colors and red fin smokestack it looked glaringly out of place.  The ship was larger than I expected.  I had seen the billboards debating the effect of the cruise ships on the area but I had not seen the ship in port before.

            My parents and I complained and grumbled a little about the giant colorful ship docked alongside the historical city, then I remembered I had a scheduled vacation on that ship in a few months.  I fell silent.  A large tanker sailed into harbor and deeper along the river, loaded with crates to offload.  Charleston is a port city and many ships pass through the harbor daily, bringing in goods from all over the world.   These tankers dock deeper down the river.  The cruise ship docks in the middle of the tourist area of the city, just down from the City Market.  I visited downtown several times before and after that day without seeing any cruise ships in port.

            Months later my husband and I arrived at port early in the morning, ready for our cruise.  Embarking early, we found the process easy.  In almost no time we were sitting on a back deck, nearly alone, sipping lemonade and enjoying the view of the Ravenel Bridge.  We were able to walk around the ship, enjoying views of Sullivan’s Island, the ocean and the skyline of the city with all the church steeples reaching into the clouds.  Just before launch time we moved to the front of the ship, leaning on a rail.  A few people were waiting on the city dock to see us off.  It was a chilly day, but sunny.  At 5:00, departure time, the ship blew its horn once.  It was so loud I ducked, nearly diving to the floor to the amusement of everyone around me.  The ship slowly pulled from the dock, backed up along the shore until it was lined up with the deeper channel, we turned and headed out to sea.  The passengers were festive, but the wind was brisk and cold.  Quickly we entered a fog and lost sight of land before we had pulled away.  Most passengers quickly tired of the cold wind and moved back inside, but my husband and I enjoyed the thrill of the wind in our faces as we sailed off. 

A quiet place to enjoy our meals,  in Charleston and during the cruise

            Our cruise had begun, and we enjoyed a wonderful 5 days, docking twice in the Bahamas.  We walked around Nassau and rode a moped around Freeport.  Our last day we woke in our homeport and quickly found our favorite deck for coffee and our last moments to enjoy the views.  The sun was barely up.  The fog was thick and all we could see of the Ravenel Bridge was the light at the very top triangle.   As the sun rose and brightened the fog burned off.  The water was golden in the morning sun.  Sea birds skimmed just above the sea, their wings dragging golden ripples across the smooth water.  Dolphins surfaced and dove.  The harbor was breathtaking.  The trip had been great, the ports beautiful, but how wonderful that it was our home port that took my breath away!

Last night, leaving Freeport

            The cruise ship held 2200 passengers during our trip.  The ship had 10 levels, and we were able to explore all but the bottom 3.  Our room was small, with no window, but it was very comfortable.  The only times we felt crowded were when we walked along the promenade deck during the evening.  This was the deck with the casinos and bars, and everyone seemed to be there at night.  We usually hung out on our favorite back deck, looking at the stars and the ocean.  Truly each person on the ship had a different vacation, from the dancing, drinking and gambling group to the families eating and shopping, those that visited the spa and gym, and then us.  We walked the ship during the day, sat and enjoyed views, toured on our own at the ports and enjoyed the excellent dining.  I am glad we went.

 Getting around town on a moped gave us freedom to explore away from crowds

Nature preserve, this is how the Bahamas looked before development        

    As to the controversy about the ships docking in Charleston, I am unsure.  In Nassau the dock was full of giant floating hotels, and these ships could be seen from all scenic spots.  In Freeport the ships docked in an industrial area, and tourists had to take taxis or rent mopeds, as we did.  The effect on the town seemed less obvious.  The water was clear and beautiful in both ports.  There is a lot to read about the cruise ships and I have just started.  Some people are concerned about the black smoke that comes from the generators when the ship is in port.  I can understand that.  Some people do not want the type of tourist they think cruise ships bring into town.  At a City Council meeting this type of tourist was described as “Heavy-drinking, balloon hat, flip flop, fanny pack wearers.”  Is this a cultural judgment on certain types of people?  Many of the tourists on the ship only made it to the shops in each of the ports.  As sad as that is from a travel point of view, they spent money in the port, good for the local economy.  And for every fanny pack wearer shopping, there were others that explored the restaurants, beaches and other attractions.  Travelers are a diverse group, even those on cruise ships.

Quote is from A Look at Charleston’s Cruise Ship Controversy, by Paul Motter.  Fox News.  Nov 1, 2011.

Things to do in Charleston for Christmas by Shelley Hopkins

The Charleston area is a wonderful place to celebrate Christmas, and to host out of town family members.  We may not have ice cycles and snowmen, but we are not lacking in Christmas spirit.  One local tradition is the James Island County Park lights.  We piled our family into one car, and drove all around the park, enjoying a lighted Santa, snowflakes, elves tossing snowballs, pirate ships, flags, and literally hundreds of lighted trees.  The show starts at the lake with our famous Ravenel Bridge nicely reflected on the water.   Midway through the drive we parked to walk through the rest of the attractions.  Kids and parents roasted marshmallows over fire pits, children rode a merry go round, and we walked among the smells of the fires, kettle corn and funnel cakes.  The best part was the enchanted forest full of butterflies, frogs and lights sprinkled all through the trees.  Our entire family decided to make this a new tradition for the Christmas week.  We enjoyed the light show a couple of days after Christmas, avoiding the long lines and crowds.

One warm sunny day before the holiday we drove to the beach on Sullivan’s Island, wearing shorts and sandals.  As we crossed the bridge we left the sunny day behind, driving into a wall of ocean fog.  We parked and walked along the boardwalk, the fog moving among the sea grasses.  We could only hear the ocean, hidden by both fog and low tide.  The lighthouse barely penetrated the mist, and it was eerily beautiful.  The fog cleared as the sun slowly set, the colors made even more vivid as the fog burned off.  

We took our family members to see the Charleston Tea Plantation on Wadmalaw Island.  We all drink tea and yet we had never seen actual tea plants.  We took a tour of the plantation, viewing the farm, the green house, and simply enjoying the beauty of the area.  In the shop we sampled different hot and cold tea drinks.  The plantation has 127 acres of Camellia Sinensis tea plants, grafted from original plants rescued from a Summerville farm that had been neglected.  We also stopped at the Angel Oak Tree, an absolutely beautiful and amazing tree at least 500 years old.  It is huge, rambling, and shades an area over 17,000 square feet.  To stand under this tree is to be amazed at the beauty and depth of nature. 

Charleston has so much to see with history, museums, architecture and home tours, but how wonderful it is to be able to enjoy the outdoors any time of the year.