I can’t believe that we have been on the road for more than 10 weeks and have driven almost 16,000 miles. It feels like a heartbeat and a lifetime all at once. Some things we did weeks ago feel like they are in the distant past (remember when I discovered my new favorite color? or when Billy climbed into his first hole?). Other things seem like yesterday (like packing to leave on the journey, for instance). Some things have come too quickly…like the last stop on our tour…Congaree National Park in South Carolina.

The catastrophic wildfires prevented us from going to our original last stop, the Smokies, and today, the weather almost kept us from visiting Congaree. Despite the gloomy forecast (lots of rain), we decided to roll the dice. We didn’t drive all the way to South Carolina to skip it!

The park is comprised mostly of bottomland forest…an area that is at or below sea level and floods regularly. As a matter of fact, it’s the flooding that brings the rich soil and moisture necessary for the large hardwood trees that live here. The park contains record-breaking specimens of several tree species (a 167-foot-tall loblolly pine and a 157-foot-tall sweetgum tree for example). Unfortunately, we didn’t read the brochure before we went on our hike so weren’t on the lookout for them. But even without the champion trees, the park has a unique feel and a certain charm that I’m glad we didn’t miss.

It was cool and damp, but the heavy rain held off for our hike. We were fortunate to glimpse some leftover autumnal foliage along the path.

Elevated boardwalks provide a dry walking surface through the forest. They are pretty handy (footy?) especially since the area can flood with several feet of water after a rain. The park is not that large and can easily be hiked in a few hours, so that’s what we did. I get the impression that this park doesn’t get that much traffic on a good day. Today we basically had it to ourselves. The walk was peaceful and offered unique scenery. It’s easy to imagine the magical green lushness that spring and summer bring.

The bald cypress trees are easy to identify. Their trunk bottoms have buttresses for stability. They also have knobby “knees” that protrude from the forest floor. Both features can be seen here.

All the standing water created mirror-image forests below the canopy. Here, it creates a mirror-image Billy!

After a while, the rain showers started and we figured it was time to head back before the real rain began. There’s something special about the last hike in 10-week-long string of hikes and walks. I’m glad it was at Congaree.

Tupelos and bald cypresses bidding us good-bye in the gentle rain.

Tomorrow we start our bee-line home. Our plan is to stop over in Virginia, then finish our trip on Tuesday. The question is…where will our next adventure take us? 🙂

Billy contemplating the return to real life.