The Beavers set out for another weekend of state park fun. This time, our eyes were on the lakes region along the Savannah River. My (Benjamin’s) dad and stepmom live on a small lake in Abbeville County (Lake Secession, probably the most South Carolina name possible for a lake). With their boat, we are able to experience life on the lake. And while most of these state parks in this region are utilized as a place to put in your boat, we were looking for what fun can be had along the shore.
Our first stop was Hamilton Branch State Park, located along Lake Thurmond (or Clarks Hill Lake, depending on who you ask…the Wikipedia page talks about the slight kerfuffle caused when its name was changed).
We left Columbia after school on Friday and took a scenic route through peach country, driving on Highway 23 from Monetta, through Edgefield, and finally ending up around the Modoc area, which is where the park is. I had driven this highway years prior while the peach orchards were in bloom, and it was beautiful. Now on this late spring day, I saw many peaches ripening on the trees.
When we got to Edgefield, we stopped and had a bite to eat at the Edgefield Pool Hall, a restaurant right on the town square. I had been wanting to visit Edgefield for a while. From a political perspective, there must be something in the water…many governors and lieutenant governors come from here, including notable figures (for better or for worse) such as Andrew Pickens, Jr., James Henry Hammond, Ben Tillman, and Strom Thurmond.
Last year, I read the book Dear Senator, a memoir written by Essie Mae Washington-Williams, the daughter of Strom Thurmond and a sixteen-year-old African-American servant of the family. Being raised by her aunt and uncle in the North, she didn’t learn of her identity until she was a teenager. The book talked about the first time she came to Edgefield, arriving to the town on a bus and being dropped off in the town square, where the Confederate flag was flying high. I tried to imagine that scene when we were there, where the monument to the Confederate soldiers still is the tallest monument in the square. (By the way, I highly recommend the book. It gives such a unique insight into Strom Thurmond, being perhaps more gracious than many may be towards him today.)
After supper, we headed down the road towards Hamilton Branch State Park. We stopped briefly in the park office/general store where we stamped our passports. Then, we went into the day-use area for a short visit. Here, we found two geocaches. One of them was appropriately called Among the Palmettos.
One thing that makes this lake unique from other lakes in this region (at least of what I’ve seen) is how many dwarf palmetto shrubs there were. I associate those more of wetland areas like Congaree and other places in the lower part of the state. Perhaps with Lake Thurmond being at a lower elevation (330′) than other lakes higher up the Savannah River, it may lend itself to more of these plants.
After that, we found a playground, where the girls enjoyed getting some energy out. Nearby were two adult geese and three goslings that didn’t seem to mind our presence. We also saw a great blue heron in the park, and combined with a deer and two turkeys along the highway, it was a nice wildlife day.
After leaving, we headed up the road through McCormick and got into Abbeville County as the sun was going down. We got unloaded and then were off to bed soon after we arrived, as we had an exciting day planned for Saturday, where our first stop was Lake Hartwell State Park. Click below for a couple of other pictures from our short visit to this park!
Beavers in the Park 