Over Fall Break we packed up, together with our good friends and neighbors, and headed for the Charleston beach. The first leg of the trip went so smoothly that we were actually in danger of arriving far too early! Since we had some extra time to spare we decided to visit the swamp.
Specifically Four Holes Swamp in the Francis Beidler Forest, just an hour or so west of the city.
While planning the vacation I had come across the following video and fell in love with the beauty of the place.
While planning the vacation I had come across the following video and fell in love with the beauty of the place.
Reality being, well, reality, we visited at the dry time of year so much of the video's marshland was just dry, leaf covered ground.
For a nominal fee that goes toward preservation, we wandered along the boardwalk, nature guide in hand, trying to spot some interesting wildlife.
Much of the ground was covered by palmetto plants.
One eerie, out-of-this-world find was the cypress knees sticking out of the swampy areas.
Tall virgin growth cypress and tupelo trees towered above us, creating a dense shade (which really messed with my camera settings).
From quite a distance we spotted this alligator resting along the banks of the lake.
Surprisingly, we noticed few mosquitoes - something we had assumed would be present in blood-sucking droves. Apparently the mixture of salt and water.....or marsh-i-ness....created a habitat unfit for the pests.
We did see quite a few of these little guys!
The Francis Beidler Forest was a great "pit stop" to visit and stretch our legs during the long drive!
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