Having enjoyed a quick visit to Andrew Jackson State Park, the Beavers + our friends Kimberly, Andy, Nicholas, and Timothy set out for our fourth and final park of the day. It is still in the Lancaster area, just a few minutes from AJSP. It is located along the Catawba River, which shares its name with the only federally recognized Native American tribe in South Carolina.
This was the park I was most interested in seeing. I had visited here years prior while geocaching. The visit today coincided with the blooming of the rocky shoals spider lilies in the river; however, I was nervous that the recent storms took away all the blooms.
Once we arrived, we set out walking down the Catawba River. It is a beautiful path with many places to stop and sit on a bench next to the river. The kids really enjoyed getting close to the water.
Along the way, there are a few remnants of the canal built back in the nineteenth century to help boats navigate the rocky shoals.
Once we finally made it to the overlook for the lilies, I was pleased to find that there were still many blooms. My phone’s camera didn’t afford me a good picture, but they were very pretty. I also enjoyed getting to watch an osprey hover above the river, searching for food. We also saw a couple of king snakes there, and on the return trek, we saw a couple of other small water snakes.
After our visit, we ate a nice dinner at The Front Porch, right at the Chester exit on I-77. A great little meat and three if you’re ever hungry between Charlotte and Columbia.
Since being back in Columbia, I also have realized that we also have the rocky shoals spider lilies in town, best seen from Boyd Island at the confluence of the Broad and Saluda Rivers. (But this place is my best kept secret in Columbia, so don’t tell anyone.) 🙂 They bloom from mid-May to mid-June.
Beavers in the Park 