Edisto Memorial Gardens, Orangeburg, SC

One of South Carolina’s treasures is Edisto Memorial Gardens in Orangeburg, SC. The City of Orangeburg maintains this impressive garden which houses nearly 80 beds of roses ranging from miniatures to Old Garden Roses.

For many years, I had noticed a billboard on an interstate advertising the gardens, but I never made it to see it for myself until last summer. It was another hot South Carolina day, so I went right to the walkway by the Edisto River. A wooden boardwalk leads you over the Tupelo-Cypress wetland and along the river. Its shade provided a refuge from the hot summer day, and I enjoyed stopping to watch waterwheel in the river that once provided freshwater for the gardens.

After my stroll on the boardwalk, I wandered the grounds, taking in the beauty of all of the roses and the surrounding nature. The roses vary in size and color, and they are all so beautiful! A garden wedding was being set up while I explored the garden.

If you are ever traveling on I-26 and just need a break to stretch your feet and stop and smell the roses, be sure to pull off on exit 145 for Orangeburg. The garden is well worth the 10 mile detour off of the exit. 

Musgrove Mill, Clinton, SC

About an hour outside of Columbia is the small town of Clinton. I have visited there many times and even have a few friends from there, yet I never knew that there was a beautiful state historic site with trails AND a waterfall. Waterfalls are scarce in the Midlands of South Carolina, so this was an exciting find for me at under an hour from Columbia!

One July afternoon, I gathered my friends from Clinton, and we explored the beautiful state historic site. During the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Musgrove Mill took place at the site in 1780, and the Patriots triumphed over the Loyalists in a surprise victory. Today, that battle is remembered throughout the park with various signs along the trails.

It was a hot and sticky South Carolina day, but Musgrove Mill was still an exciting adventure for us. The trails are wooded and provide a lot of shade, and we even dipped our feet in the river at various points during our hike to cool off a bit. We had a little one with us, so we only hiked the British Camp Trail which begins right next to the Visitor’s Center. This was an easy hike, even for the little one, and we even did a little geocashing during the trek!

After the hike, we drove to the separate entrance of Horseshoe Falls (just a few miles down the road). A short paved path leads from the parking lot to the falls. This is a short path, but it also connects to the Battlefield Trail if you are up for more hiking!

I was pleasantly surprised with Horseshoe Falls. It’s not a huge waterfall, but it is beautiful and has a pool that you can wade in right under the falls. You can also climb to the top of the waterfalls!

Horseshoe Falls provides a great recreational area for local Clinton residents, and on hot days, the pool is packed with families wading in the pool and enjoying the natural beauty! For more information, visit http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/musgrovemill/introduction.aspx. 

Throwback Thursday – Photos of Blue Angels in Seattle

A few weeks ago, I was visiting Seattle during the Seafair Festival.  While touring the Queen Anne neighborhood, we noticed that the Blue Angels were practicing for their Seafair show, and we decided to hurry to Kerry Park for an amazing view of the spectacle. We made it just in time and saw the jets maneuvering closely together over the Space Needle, beautiful skyline, and mountains!  Even though it was only practice, it was still a magnificent sight to see. Here are a few photos we managed to get of the practice. Can’t wait for more Seattle views when I move there this fall!

One month from today, I will be climbing the Space Needle through a walk to benefit cancer research and the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center. Please help support my climb at www.classy.org/supportmonicasclimb.