Columbia SC Visit with Family

We stayed in this Marina years ago in Scott Free.
It's on the Beaufort waterfront

At the end of the boardwalk a glimpse up the river.

Atter leaving Fripp Island we walked around Beaufort, SC and then spent one night at the Route 22 Drive-In, a Harvest Host member. Scott watched the movie, The Hail Mary Project and loved it. I was pooped and it ran from 8 PM to 10:30 and I couldn't manage that. We had one more night at the New Green Acres RV Park before continuing on to Columbia. 

Sam, Scott, Heather, LaVerne and Joe at Blue Marlin Restaurant

This was our first visit to Columbia, SC and we were very impressed. The downtown has been clearly restored and seemed very busy. We had an excellent lunch with Scott's niece LaVerne, her husband Sam, and son Joe at Blue Marlin. 

There were lots of benches and tables.

This covered section of the walk was covered in 
yellow flowered vines.

Spring was in full swing there.

The amphitheater for the Kirkin of the Tartan

One of the two bagpipers at the ceremony

It was a busy day seeing some of the city with LaVerne's suggestions. We walked along the River Walk in the morning - so lovely as you can see from the photos. It's a 12 mile paved biking/walking trail with benches and picnic tables. And good fishing we noticed! We started at the West Columbia Park just over the bridge from downtown and surprised a Blessing of the Tartans ceremony  (Kirkin of the Tartan) in the amphitheater. It was the end of the 16th annual Highland Games, bagpipes and all.

Fountain in the Botanical Gardens - not as popular
as the Zoo.

The Skyway gondolas

The Congaree River view from the gondola

After lunch we went to the Botanical Gardens on the west side of the river and then crossed over on the gondolas to the Columbia Zoo. As it was a Saturday we joined enormous numbers of families enjoying both. Our favorites at the zoo were the 3 different kinds of penguins , the flamingos, and otters. But they had a wide variety of species in some lovely grounds. 

It was a full day and we were glad to relax at our excellent site at Sesquicentennial State Park We spent 2 nights there before driving west to North Carolina.

Beautiful Flamingos

Fun Penguins

Fierce looking Komodo Dragons

Adorable Koalas

Fripp Island with Dick & Debbie

I've always loved the marshes at every season and they stretch all up the coast of Georgia and South
Carolina.

One of the many pools at Fripp but this one was the
only one that was heated. Luckily we had a great
time there on the one day when it was warm enough
to enjoy.

Dick, Debbie, Heather & Scott at the Fish Camp Restaurant on Lady Island

Dick enjoys a specially made mock cocktail

And Debbie does the same with her high test one.

 From Savannah we drove just over an hour up to South Carolina's Hunting Island State Park, left "Baby" and drove a short distance over to Fripp Island where our friends Dick & Debbie rented a house for the month of March. We stayed there 4 nights before heading north again to Beaufort, SC.

The Rookery

We kept really busy every day. First touring Fripp itself and enjoying the heated swimming pool. Then walking the nature trail around The Rookery, a beautiful man made sanctuary for birds. And we saw a lot of them, both in numbers and diversity. We saw great egrets, snowy egrets, black-crowned herons, tricolored herons, great blue herons and anhingas, among others I'm sure. And alligators too, or at least one big one! And of course we enjoyed some wonderful meals at their home and nearby restaurants!

Black Crowned Herons

Only one alligator in sight - but it was big!

Snowy Egret on it's nest

The trail to the Bone Yard

Scott and I pose

And Dick and Debbie cuddle up!

Another day we walked into the Bone Yard - a white sand beach at Hunting State Park littered with beached driftwood and trees. 

Dick taking lots of photos with his "Real" camera