Lowcountry Marshes

The Lowcoutry region around Charleston is very different from the Bluegrass of Kentucky that Ashley and I grew up in. One of the biggest differences are the cypress marshes — an ecosystem that's unique to coastal South Carolina and Georgia. Here are some pictures of the Lowcountry marshes we've visited, taken from my Instagram.

 

Magnolia Plantation's cypress swamp

Another view of the swamp at Magnolia Plantation

Marsh near Kiawah Island

 Tree near a West Ashley tidal creek

Swamp at Cypress Gardens

 Another view the the Cypress Gardens swamp

From This Weekend

Leaning house on Tradd Street in Charleston

The Tulip Trees are beginning to blossom!

Two Meeting Street Inn, an excellent example of Queen Anne architecture in Charleston. 

(side elevation)

Victorian houses in Savannah

Sword Gate on Legare Street

Spring is Near

Early Daffodils at Cypress Gardens

Camellias behind the Heyward Washington House

Red bridge in the Japanese inspired garden at Magnolia Plantation

A cherry tree blossoming at Magnolia Plantation 

Swamp Sisters

When my sister was in town we visited one of my favorite places in the Lowcountry, Cypress Gardens. There are several paths, we usually take the one that follows closely to the water. 

We took a paddle boat out on the water. I'm definitely more comfortable on land than water, but these paddle boats are pretty easy to maneuver (unlike a sea kayak that I still struggle with). I just love this picture that I snapped of my sister Megan, paddling up front on our boat.

Church and Graveyard walk

This picture was taken from St. John's Lutheran Church, looking towards the Unitarian Church.

It is the oldest Unitarian Church in the south, construction began on this building in 1772, making it the second oldest church in Charleston (St. Michael's is the oldest). Construction was delayed during the Revolutionary War, when according to local legend it was used by the British as a place to keep their horses. The church was finally completed in 1787. Later it would receive a Gothic Revival facelift by Charleston architect (and church member) Frances D. Lee in 1852. These changes included the famous fan-vaulted ceiling that the church is known for today.

The Unitarian Church of Charleston also has a very unique and historical graveyard. The cemetery may look overgrown because they allow wildflowers and plants to grow naturally over the graves, letting the dead and the living intertwine. The cemetery is a frequent stopping point for many of the ghost tours downtown as it is supposed to be haunted. Ever heard the poem Annabel Lee by Edgar Allen Poe? The writer lived in Charleston for a short time as a young man and apparently fell in love with a local girl. However, her father forbid them to be together. She was heartbroken and died young of yellow fever. Apparently the "real" Annabel Lee is buried at the Unitarian cemetery and still haunts the grounds.

A High Tide Afternoon at Folly Beach

When my sister was in town we spent one afternoon walking Folly Beach when it was close to high tide. We walked on the far western side of the beach where the county park used to be before Hurricane Irene (summer 2011). That's why there are piers that literally go to nowhere. The park is supposed to be open again this summer.

The Red Rocks of Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon was unlike any other place we've ever traveled to. The red sandstone rock formations each look liked sculptures, hand carved from years of ice and snow erosion. We stayed in Springdale, Utah at the Desert Pearl Inn close to Zion, but drove 2 hours east to Bryce Canyon National Park for a day trip. I am so glad we did! Bryce Canyon was my favorite out of the three national parks we visited on our trip out west.