SEA PINES FOREST PRESERVE AT HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA

Wildflower field

Green Heron

Imagine having these gators on your front lawn!

We returned to Hilton Head Island and spent a wonderful day biking the Sea Pines Forest Preserve. This island is a little gem!
We saw the Indian Shell Ring, a mystery ring of thousands of shells made into a mound. Supposedly 4000 years old it sits silently in the middle of the overgrown forest with its secrets still unknown.

There were alligators, flowers, birds, baseball game, trees, swamps, boardwalks, turtles and endless sunshine - another wonderful day.
So now we finally head north, we have been delaying as the weather has not been good. We will see, probably will not have internet for a week now.

Anhinga

lost on the trails!

Yellow-bellied Turtle

Turtle town

lovely house in the Rice Dike - not lovely in a month infested with mosquitos!

Back to the beach for a late lunch 

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA

The weather was good so we decided to stay in Hardeeville and visit this island. The name has no connection to the hotel chain or the infamous Paris, it was named after an English sea captain.
A tourist island with 29 golf courses and 40 miles of bike paths, we were for once, not in the minority biking around. Temperatures around 27oC and clear blue skies, what more could you ask.

Coligny Beach and my beloved

Harbour Town

More ice cream!

this cutie was laid in the sun outside the rich folks houses

 

SAVANNAH - GEORGIA ON MY MIND

Roy chatting with Johnny Miller - composer (Moon River)

 Spent five hours walking round Savannah's pretty squares, historical district and riverside - quite worn out now but enjoyed it. Here are some of the sights.

 

 

 

 

SOUTH CAROLINA

Traveler's Rest Inn

inside Traveler's Rest

Cardinal bird

Called at the Historic Traveler's Rest for a quick view, before heading into South Carolina to stop at Mt. Carmel Corps of Engineers campsite near the site of Fort Charlotte (British built in 1766), the remains lie at the bottom of the lake.
Moved further south to Columbia then visited Congaree National Park, the largest intact expanse of old growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southeast United States. Since most of the park is designated wilderness we enjoyed the 2.4 mile boardwalk, so peaceful and so many giant trees. 

At the Visitor Centre in Congaree - The Ranger says its always 6 in July & August!

Boardwalk at Congaree

Flying Green Bug at Congaree

Congaree National Park

Roy then made a major decision to just "pop" down to Savannah. We had missed seeing the sights last year and I thought it a great idea. It was prompted by the fact I was having big problems with wifi and got it into my head there was something wrong. So we shot down the interstate and stopped just 15 miles away - we will spend the day there tomorrow......And the wifi works! 

At Congaree - hugging a Loblolly Pine Tree

Turtles in Weston Lake

White tailed deer in Congaree

TALLULAH FALLS STATE PARK, GEORGIA

Terrora Campsite at Tallulah Gorge

View of L'Eau d'Or Falls

Hurricane Falls Suspension bridge and Roy

L'Eau d'Or Falls

We spent the weekend here, billed as one of the most spectacular canyons in the eastern U.S. Tallulah Gorge is two miles long and nearly 1,000 feet deep.
Had a lovely sunny day hiking the north and south rim trails to the many overlooks, then down and up the 1122 steps to the suspension bridge swaying 80 feet above the rocky bottom, and almost to the river itself. Slightly breathless when we got back up!

We saw the old towers where Karl Wallenda walked over a tightrope across the gorge in 1970, apparently doing two headstands on the way! The things folk do for fun!

Hurricane Falls platform at the bottom of all those steps!

Getting back up!

Looking down to the Hurricane suspension bridge

The next day we walked all the way down those hundreds of steps again - just for the exercise Roy said.
We had no internet but I sent my silent wishes to a friend who was doing the London Marathon today, hoping for her success and a peaceful time for all.
We had a wander round old Tallulah Falls, nothing but a post office and a couple of shops, one called Antiques where we at last found a tea pot, now I'm not saying its an antique but on the bottom it says Made in USA 1695! -  probably the number they made, but it sure is a weird looking thing, still it makes tea!

Tallulah Falls Railroad or all thats left of it

lunch time at the top of those steps