Last year, at about this same time, we were in the Low Country with our older son and his family. We spent one of our most favorite days at Cypress Gardens. Michael and Sharon, who have lived here for decades, had it on their list of things to do in their retirement. We were so excited for the opportunity to return to this incredibly magical place.

Cypress Gardens' history dates back to 1725, when Alexander Nesbitt was given 3,100 acres on the east side of the Cooper River. When he arrived from England to the Carolinas, he began to build on this property and named the plantation Dean Hall after his homeland of Dean, Scotland.
And how did it become this amazing park? Benjamin Kittredge, who bought the property in 1909 for a private duck hunting reserve, developed the walking trails and opened it to the public after he and his wife became enchanted by the natural beauty. The property was later donated to the City of Charleston in 1963 and then transferred to Berkeley County in 1996. What a gift!
The highlight of being here, for me, is actually BEING in a swamp. "Experience the wild beauty of the swamp on a scenic boat ride through Cypress Gardens. Our exciting swamp boat rides offer a unique view of our vast garden landscape. Revel in the reflections of towering bald cypress and tupelo trees mirrored in the blackwater. Paddle along a marked trail and keep an eye out for alligators, turtles, birds, lily pads, and other swamp life."
We were practically alone which gave us the opportunity to meader about at a very leisurely pace. Oh man, so much fun!

We were told that on weekends, the wait for a boat could be 5-6 hours long. I've seen photos where it looks like a train going through the swap. We delighted in our aloneness.







It wasn't until we were about to dock that we spied an alligator. What fun! Interestingly, at about this same time, Sharon received a text that a gator was spotted in the pond behind their house. Hysterical timing, indeed.


Next stop was at the very coolly named Swaparium. Here we "journeyed through the wetlands of the world with extraordinary animals like the South American anaconda and African crocodiles, all showcased in immersive, naturalistic habitats." So awesome.
A true delight was being surrounded by dozens of fluttering and gracious butterflies. The Cypress Gardens Butterfly House is the largest butterfly breeding facility in the state.


The flowers were spectacular!





With miles of walking paths, nature trails, and boardwalks winding through its 80 acres, we ended our visit by exploring the blackwater swamp from its periphery.




Dinner and strolling happened in the historic heart of Summerville. A must was a visit with Mason, the World’s Largest Sweet Tea, a 15-foot-tall mason jar. On June 10, 2016 (National Iced Tea Day), Summerville set the Guinness World Record for the World's Largest Iced/Sweet Tea holding 2,524 gallons.To make this much beverage they used 210 pounds of loose-leaf tea, 1,700 pounds of sugar, and 3,000 pounds of ice. By the way, sweet tea is NOT my cup of tea (look at that ratio of tea to sugar).

I have two very dear friendships that formed because of our year spent in Spoleto, Italy, one of most amazing events of our lives. David and Karen are Southern California friends whose story can be found here. Sharon's story hasn't been told in 10 years and it's time.

We're officially on our way south. South Carolina is the state in which we will spend the most time.

Today was one of putting on some miles.
As mentioned before, we tend to take the road less traveled. The cotton fields we encountered were a surprise and seemed to be the conclusion for our recent history lessons.
I didn't realize that cotton was still a major agricultural commodity in South Carolina, ranking as the state's 3rd most valuable crop with an annual production value of roughly $174.6 million. Farmers harvest hundreds of thousands of bales annually (yielding over 400,000 bales in recent seasons). I loved the big, pink 'marshmallows'.

There were also fields which seemed to exist just to bring me JOY.

With over 300 years of history, the town began as a small trading post on the Great Pee Dee River. Joseph and Eli Kershaw were granted part of present day Cheraw in 1768. The brothers formally laid out the present wide streets and the town green. Since Cheraw was at the head of navigable waters on the river, the town became a bustling river port during the 19th century, boasting the largest bank in South Carolina outside of Charleston and the largest cotton market between Georgetown and Wilmington.


One always knows something is important if there is a vintage postcard depicting it. The Post Office, built in 1933 as part of the large-scale Federal building initiative during the Great Depression, was designed using a mix of Colonial Revival and Neo-Classical styles, featuring standard oversight from James A. Wetmore, then Supervising Architect for the U.S. Treasury Department. Located in the heart of town, the building stands as a landmark of mid-20th-century federal architecture and community history



I was intrigued by the B.C. Moore & Sons (1912) building in downtown. Our walking map didn't mention this 4-story historic building featuring 3 floors above street level plus a basement. I learned that it served as the main administrative offices—including the buying and advertising departments—for the regional B.C. Moore & Sons department store chain before the company was sold.