Tag Archives: South Carolina

Congaree National Park

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This Barred Owl was the highlight of the trip.

December 10, 2011 – Since it was already a week since our last road trip, we took a road trip to Columbia.  Since we like to travel through food, we stopped for lunch at a local place called Albert’s Deli. We tried a couple great sandwiches, one with roast beef/turkey/pastrami and melted cheese (the Better Boy), the other with Lebanon bologna and on toasted rye. Both sandwiches were great, we’d definitely go back.

This yellow-bellied sapsucker was the first bird sighting of the day.

After lunch we continued on to Congaree National Park. We had a few hours before the park closed and wanted to explore some of the elevated boardwalk. We had fun on the boardwalk, and took a few photos.

We finally saw a Red-Headed Woodpecker on this trip.

The Barred Owl was enjoying the peace and quiet in the late afternoon.

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Festival of Lights

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The lights were bright and plentiful.

December 8, 2011 – James Island County Park in Charleston hosts the Charleston Festival of Lights; it runs from now through the first of the year, but gets progressively more crowded as we get closer to the holidays (and probably on any weekend night). We went on a Thursday (Dec 08) and while there was a bit of a line to get in, it wasn’t a long wait (no more than a few minutes). Plus there are lights to look at on your way in. :-) We did the three mile drive, and parked at Lot B to walk through the Enchanted Forest on our way to get hot cocoa (tasted just ok, but was nice and warm!), a funnel cake with cinnamon and powdered sugar (excellent), and a stick with three jumbo marshmallows on it to roast. Louisa was able to get the marshmallows hot, but Tony roasted the last marshmallow perfectly. Now we know who the dedicated s’mores maker is going to be. ;-)

Hope everyone has a Happy New Year!

Our favorite lights were the poinsettias with flickering candles, an owl, a display synchronized to music (including 80s pop ballads and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra), and a random spider in the woods. This one was just funny since we’d previously driven by Little Miss Moffet and the spider… and here was the spider by itself. :P

Charleston Farmers’ Market

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Gotta respect any omelet with mango salsa!

September 24, 2011 – A warm and slightly humid Saturday in Charleston, SC, calls for a stroll through the downtown farmer’s market. We were particularly interested in getting some food, so we bypassed the fruits, veggies, and craft vendors and headed to those selling prepared treats. We started with a chewy, doughy and delicious cinnamon and sugar pretzel. The main attraction was an omelet from Omelet Station, filled with perfectly cooked local shrimp, spinach and feta cheese, topped with a slightly tangy, slightly sweet and spicy mango salsa.  By this point the sun shower was happily drenching all of us, so we sheltered under an umbrella by Omelet Station and enjoyed the food.

The Center for Birds of Prey – Awendaw, SC

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We were greeted by a volunteer and a Harris's Hawk upon entering the center.

August 20, 2011 – We saw a variety of birds of prey at, not surprisingly, The Center for Birds of Prey near Charleston.  Despite the heat we enjoyed the tour of the various birds, including about two dozen owls, bald eagles, and a crested caracara.  We also learned that fish crows can learn to talk; workers at the center were trying to teach one to say “I’m a crow!” though it was being a little stubborn.

Falcons are fast fliers, even after taking a bath.

The flight demonstration was also very interesting as the birds enjoyed eating their post-flight treats, sometimes catching items in mid-air and eating while continuing to fly.  The falcon had just received a bath and was dried with a hairdryer just prior to the demonstration; he was a little less than eager to fly, but eventually took off and zoomed all over the field.

A kite was also part of the flight demonstration.

We approve of the mission of the center, which is to rehabilitate injured birds, release them when possible, and acquire others for educational purposes (e.g. bringing into schools).  The tours are informative, and the flight demonstrations really show the strengths and features of each bird.