Our 46th Park visit!
Low Sims Boardwalk Trail
The Trees Knees!
Swamp-like conditions prevail.
More Tree Knees!
Canopy of Congaree
Trekking is a winner!
www.trektheparks.com
www.trektheparks.com
5:00 am, May 12, 2015. Terry and I are on our way to our 46th National Park destination after coming off the high we recently experienced when we learned that our tabletop board game - Trekking the National Parks - was a winner at the 2015 Mensa Mind Games Competition held in San Diego April 30th thru May 3rd! The judges select games with a "high degree of originality, creativity, value, design and level of challenge." To be voted "Mensa Select" is quite an honor for a first time entrant in a very exclusive competition! We're thrilled to have won this coveted award!
Back to our travel plans. We've got standby tickies from PHX to CLT (Charlotte, NC) via my LEAST favorite airline - the new American! No problem with this 5am departing flight. Just needed to get up at 2:30am to make sure we got there in plenty of time! S’poze I shouldn’t complain. The flight was free.
Upon arrival at CLT, we pick up our white Toyota Camry rental car from Dollar and head south toward Congaree - a two hour drive down I-77. It's a bit hot and humid here in the southeast on this overcast afternoon.
Congaree National Park is famous for its Championship Trees. This area is one of the last remaining bottomland hardwood forests and was saved from the logger man's axe when in 1974, Congress designated the area Congaree Swamp National Monument. Otherwise, the last remaining Bald Cypress may have experienced the same fate as Dr. Suess's Truffula Trees!
In the latter part of the 1800's, there were more than 52 million acres of floodplain forests spread across the southeastern United States. Today, Congaree's 27,000 acres represent the largest remaining intact tract of these precious flora.
Highlights: Because Congaree is located in a floodplain, when the Congaree or the nearby Wateree Rivers overflow, their waters spill throughout the bounds of Congaree providing excellent photo ops! Most of the pictures you see of the trees knee deep in water are due to this flooding. If you show up at "low tide" like we did, you'll get to see the trees standing tall amongst the Dorovan muck - an 8 foot thick mud mixture of clay and old leaves! Not the most desirable state for photo taking!
In the latter part of the 1800's, there were more than 52 million acres of floodplain forests spread across the southeastern United States. Today, Congaree's 27,000 acres represent the largest remaining intact tract of these precious flora.
Highlights: Because Congaree is located in a floodplain, when the Congaree or the nearby Wateree Rivers overflow, their waters spill throughout the bounds of Congaree providing excellent photo ops! Most of the pictures you see of the trees knee deep in water are due to this flooding. If you show up at "low tide" like we did, you'll get to see the trees standing tall amongst the Dorovan muck - an 8 foot thick mud mixture of clay and old leaves! Not the most desirable state for photo taking!
“Ya shoulda been here two weeks ago”, says Carol, the
Volunteer Ranger at the Congaree Visitor Center. Two weeks ago, the park was
gracefully flooded, giving photographers the shot they desire!
Nevertheless, Terry and I took the 2.4 mile Sim Boardwalk Loop…which was
partially closed for reconstruction. Along the wooden path, we learned that Bald Cypress can live to be over 1,000 years old. The wood of the Bald Cypress is water resistant and impervious to rotting, hence it is often called "wood eternal." The wood was used by indians for canoes and was logged in the late 1800's for use as roof shingles, docks, bridges, cabinetry and more. Because of its function and durability, these trees were prime targets for lumbermen!
As for the "champion" status of the trees, Congaree is host to the world's largest concentration of "champion trees." The world's tallest (169') and largest (42 cubic meters) Loblolly Pine resides in the park as does the award winning Laurel Oak scoring an impressive 405 points on the Big Tree meter!
Most visitors take the boardwalk to experience the park; however, the Congaree is also an excellent place to launch your canoe or kayak! The Cedar Creek Canoe Trail winds 15 miles through the Congaree Wilderness exposing you to the park's diverse flora and fauna.
At the far end of the Boardwalk, we met up with a really nice couple from New Jersey - Ernie and Lily. they too are on a quest to visit many of the country's National Parks. To date, they've experienced 31 of these magnificent landscapes!
As for the "champion" status of the trees, Congaree is host to the world's largest concentration of "champion trees." The world's tallest (169') and largest (42 cubic meters) Loblolly Pine resides in the park as does the award winning Laurel Oak scoring an impressive 405 points on the Big Tree meter!
Most visitors take the boardwalk to experience the park; however, the Congaree is also an excellent place to launch your canoe or kayak! The Cedar Creek Canoe Trail winds 15 miles through the Congaree Wilderness exposing you to the park's diverse flora and fauna.
At the far end of the Boardwalk, we met up with a really nice couple from New Jersey - Ernie and Lily. they too are on a quest to visit many of the country's National Parks. To date, they've experienced 31 of these magnificent landscapes!
As for accommodations at Congaree, the park does have a couple of campgrounds. We opted to "camp" at the Candlewood Suites in nearby Columbia! It's located about 20 minutes north of the park.
If you are looking for a decent place to dine when visiting Congaree, we would recommend dinner at Moe's Grapevine Italian Restaurant located at 4478 Rosewood Drive, Columbia, SC.
8:13 am - May 13th. Next up - #47 - Shenandoah National Park! But before we make the 6 hour, forty minute drive to Shenandoah, we needed some breakfast! Right across the street from the hotel, there sits a Waffle House. Terry has never had the pleasure of the Waffle House dining experience, so we opted to give it a try! Let's just say that the experience left her swearing to NEVER again dine at a Waffle House! She couldn't understand what Jeffrey and Raul see in the joint!
Happy Trails everyone!
If you are looking for a decent place to dine when visiting Congaree, we would recommend dinner at Moe's Grapevine Italian Restaurant located at 4478 Rosewood Drive, Columbia, SC.
8:13 am - May 13th. Next up - #47 - Shenandoah National Park! But before we make the 6 hour, forty minute drive to Shenandoah, we needed some breakfast! Right across the street from the hotel, there sits a Waffle House. Terry has never had the pleasure of the Waffle House dining experience, so we opted to give it a try! Let's just say that the experience left her swearing to NEVER again dine at a Waffle House! She couldn't understand what Jeffrey and Raul see in the joint!
Happy Trails everyone!
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