I
made the decision to go Cypress Gardens before heading towards Georgia. The
temperature at the hotel was 53 degrees, but soon after I got moving, the gauge
read 43 degrees. To reach my destination meant going north a bit. On the 526,
there was a big sign saying “Incident Ahead, Get Off at Next Exit.” Vehicles
lined up for miles and we inched along. Luckily it was an off ramp with an on
ramp right across the other road so we were all able to get right back on the
highway. Then, for me, it was Rte. 26N to Rte. 52. Sometimes I’d be going miles
wondering if I was still on the correct road before I saw a confirming sign.
By
the time I reached the gardens around 10 a.m., the temperature had risen a
whole degree. I put on a sweater and coat. I paid the entry fee and bought a
ticket for the guided boat ride. With a little time before the scheduled
departure, I wandered. A couple that had come in behind me were birders. They
met up with one of the workers who was showing them some of the bird sites. I
tagged along and we went into the butterfly house where there was a painted
bunting. He was beautiful, but up in a dark corner near the trunk of a tree and
not good for a photograph. I did photograph a wood duck and a couple of
butterflies.
Out
on the trail, Kathy pointed out a pair of young eagles. She said they don’t
normally come this far inland as their main food source is usually along open
waters. Hopefully my photos will come out.
I
headed back for my boat tour through the swamp. I was Margie’s only passenger.
These are low, flat bottomed boats. My knees immediately began to ache even
though I had leg room to stretch them out. I hadn’t sat on anything this low in
a long time.
The
cypress trees grow gray and tall out of the black mirrored water. I asked if
the waters were still like this all the time and Margie said unless it was real
windy. She explained that the needles that drop from the cypress have a high
content of tannin and it’s the tannin that turns the ground black underneath.
The waters are actually very clear. She also said that a good part of this land
had been drained, dug deeper, and then refilled. The cypress were planted by
the owner.
I
get mixed up on the actual time line. Consider that a lot of the land here was
chartered in the late 1600s and most of the plantations built in the 1700s and
then there was the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the Great Earthquake, and
lots of hurricanes. In 1989, Hurricane Hugo whipped through and did so much
damage, that Cypress Gardens didn’t re-open until 1993.
It
was so peaceful out in the swamp. The boat quietly glided along in and around
the trees. The black mirrored surface of the water made for wonderful
reflections and many of you know my fascination with that subject. I took many
pictures as Margie explained about alligators. Because it was cold, there was
little chance of seeing any, but I did get to see one. Margie said to note its
color. This one was black. She explained that alligators are usually gray, but
that the tannin from the trees settling to the bottom of the ponds causes these
alligators to turn black. There are around 75 alligators here and they come and
go. Alligators can travel over land and sometimes will move on to a new home
and others will move in.
I
could have stayed out there all day. How nice it would have been to just lie
back in the warmth of sun and let the boat drift quietly along. (sighhhh)
There
have been quite a few movies filmed in this area, the most famous of which was
The Patriot. Margie pointed out two battered pillars still standing that had
been erected for the movie and she explained that the façade on the bridge was
totally fake, made of Styrofoam for the movie. She also said that during
filming, if any of them had been caught taking photographs, it would have been
a $10,000 fine. Also filmed here was Swamp Thing, scenes from The Notebook, and
more (I forgot all she said.) She went on to say that the swamp looks totally
different today than when Swamp Thing was filmed because of the damage done by
Hurricane Hugo.
Back
on dry land I headed off on one of the trails. The camellia were still
blooming, though most have faded and the azaleas are just starting. There was
one that was a gorgeous shade of dark pink. It must be really beautiful in the
spring. I was told that late March is really the time to see flowers. The path
wandered through flowering bushes, by tall cypress, over bridges giving views
across the swamp (I did see one more alligator, but not from a spot where I
could get a decent photo,) by three different gazebos where weddings are often
held, and even by an old rice field. I finally saw oak leaves on the ground,
the kind that I recognize!
I
finally made it back to the Gift Shop area. I checked out the Reptile House and
visited the exotic bird area. I purchased some post cards and then headed
south. It was 1:30 p.m. and the temperature had risen to 49 degrees. It felt a
lot warmer than that with all that walking.
I made it back to
Rte. 17S and began the long drive towards Savannah. I did make one stop on the
way down at a place that sells ciders; peach, blueberry, blackberry and apple.
I tried the peach. It tasted like apple. I bought a cookie and a whoopie pie. Rte.
17S merged with Rte. 95.
I considered
continuing on to Savannah, but I was tired and having a hard time staying
awake. When I saw a Comfort Inn Suites sign, I figured I should stop for the
night. I’m not used to all the activity I’ve been getting. Not just the
sightseeing, but the driving can be very monotonous and draining. I kept having
to wiggle in my seat to try to keep myself awake.
I got checked in at
the Comfort Inn Suites in Ridgeland, S.C. I’d only eaten that cookie and was
very hungry. Jasper’s Porch restaurant across the parking lot that opened at
4:30 p.m. It wasn’t quite that time. I signed in and found that there was work
for me to do in my InterTown folders. I had to eat first.
I’m sorry I did not
get a chance to use the pool, but after a good meal (flank steak wrapped in
bacon, baked potato and mixed vegetables) and doing a few of the entries for
the paper, I was way too tired for a swim.
I crawled into bed
about 9:30 p.m.
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