#HNY2018 Yahhh, I hiked Barnwell State Prk SC today with…read moresome like minded explorers!! We met promptly at 1pm and hiked the prk for 2 miles, the park ranger was very knowledgeable and led us on a wonderful trek. There are 3 ponds for boating or fishing, I wouldnt swim in lakes due to alligators and snakes... I would most def go back and use the facility for hiking, fishing, cabins, or camping. The park was clean and well kept, free entry but it is always kind to leave a donation! Oh almost forgort there is a natural spring fountain that you can drink from! Great way to start the N Year '18, this will be a Yrly trek for us!!

We stayed at the campground for two days, during the week (Wednesday and Thursday)…read more 25 sites only 4 or 5 were used. I took my dog for a walk and another camper had 4 dogs and none on a leash. Luckily, there was no interaction but I was concerned and do not go by that site again. We were camped next to the campground host. I could hear every phone conversation he had and all the expletives used. His camp was cluttered and unkempt. On Thursday another camper parked next to dog camper and they played loud music until late that night. We felt it was a club where we did not belong. Won't be going back ever.

This passive park is at the corner southwest of Main Street and Marlboro Avenue. It does not have a…read morededicated parking area but there is a small strip mall across the way and I'm sure you can park there for a bit. According to the plaque, "This Park was given to the City of Barnwell by the Robert O. Collins Family in 2000. It was once the site of the home of William Gilmore Simms and his wife, Emma Hartzog Simms. The property, purchased by Joseph Allen Porter in 1919, remained in the Porter family and was ultimately purchased by Robert O. Collins. During the first half of the 20th century, this corner of Main Street and Marlboro Ave. became a meeting place for neighborhood nurses and their young charges. The nurses sat on the walls surrounding two sites of the property and exchanged household and community news while the children played. Many affectionately remember this location as 'Porter's Corner,' which provides cherished memories of a by-gone era. The Park, designed by Robert Marvin and open to the public, has been dedicated to the famous sons and daughters of the City." There are benches, shade trees, swings and a center pavilion. The grass is well-maintained. [Review 16847 overall - 878 in South Carolina - 360 of 2022.]

Driving to Hilton Head from Charlotte we needed a pit stop. This was out of the way and off the…read moremain highway but well worth the few extra minutes it took to get there. The park itself is really small, more of a neighborhood pocket park than a sprawling city green space. The playstructures were in great shape, there was a lovely pond with ducks and a small walking trail around the perimeter. Mature trees provide shade and there was even a lovely little gazebo for that extra dash of small-town, Americana charm. The kids played, we stretched our legs and everyone was ready for the road.

Nice park in the middle of neighborhood. Picnic tables, playground for big and small kids. Small…read morepond to walk around with ducks. No bathrooms. Was a nice stop during road trip.

Nice park could use more shade and grass needed cutting . Other than that the kids had funread more

We love this park lots of shade and lots of equipment for the kids to play on. There are plenty of…read moreswings

This is an unassuming park with no fancy signage, friendly Rangers, beautiful scenery, and…read moreexcellent cabin accommodations. We arrived on a Thursday afternoon and departed on Saturday. Cabin 1 had everything we needed to feel as if we were home: cable TV, WiFi, fully equipped kitchen (including a Hamilton Beach FlexBrew/traditional coffee maker/ pods with coffee and extras in a straw basket), light blocking shades, locally made quilts on 2 queen size beds with extra pillows, hairdryer/nightlight in the bathroom (safety bars for us old folks), and TWO sleeper sofas (wish we'd invited family). Outside was a picnic table, charcoal grill, and fire pit with chairs. For $6, a Ranger dropped off a cord of wood for us that was plenty for two fires for both of our nights here. Check in was at 4PM, and hours at the Ranger station were 4-5PM, and 11-12. When we checked out, we left the 2 keys on the kitchen table since check out was 10AM. During the day we walked the two nature trails and walked around the lake near the Ranger station. We also explored Blackville, looking for historical places in The BLACKVILLE HERITAGE TRAIL brochure. We stopped at the Piggly Wiggly for groceries so we could make our own meals at the cabin. At night we enjoyed relaxing around the fire we built in the fire pit. Up above, we saw a lot of stars, but not as many as we'd hoped due to a nearby street light (for safety). A nice perk at this state park was the welcome gift delivered by Ranger Brandon Friday morning: locally made gifts (honey, soap & lip balm). This was the perfect touch to a perfect stay!!

This was a nice place to wind down after a day of business in the Augusta area. The paths were…read morepleasant and soon enough the scenery had my stress fall of me and that inner peace thing was radiating through me. We need places like this to have a connection to nature, before we covered so much with concrete and asphalt. We need to connect with the natural habitat of this planet. This is a nice place to do exactly that.

The hip part of North Augusta is built around several parks. The pond here has various soft and…read morehard trails and boardwalks. Ample signage warns of alligators. I did not see any, but I expect there must be some. This particular bit of park is not on the waterfront and is not that aesthetically distinctive, but it is connected with the greenway trail that goes to several useful places, as well as being next to a sporting venue. Plenty of people were roaming through.

I come here every May-June (for the past nine years) with students so they can get some canoeing…read moreexperience.

It's called Aiken State Park, but it isn't all that close to Aiken (or anything else). The roads…read morestart turning to dirt in some of the surrounding areas. The park offers a road loop, a trail that's sort of a loop (though part of it seemed to be closed so I ended up walking back on the road), and various picnic, camping, and canoeing facilities. The canoe trail in particular looked like a good time. There is a small admission charge (which I dodged on a holiday where they opened up for free). This isn't the most impressive of South Carolina's state parks, but the trees offer a relatively moderate temperature underneath, and the flowing water is quite pleasant.

Home of the Tournament of Roses, Santa's Workshop, the Arts Center and many, many roses, azaleas…read moreand other flowers along the river walk on the Edisto River. Beautiful in Fall, Spring and Summer and nicely decorated for the winter holidays. Absolutely worth a slow stroll or a drive through the grounds.

Driving up to this park takes one through downtown Orangeburg, which was virtually abandoned when I…read morepassed through. The park was no less eerie. A parking lot overlooked the green space, which had a road running through the center of it before one gets to the water. A boardwalk yielded some decent riverside nature, but also a broken water wheel. The parking lot had a handful of people who were simply sitting in their cars for reasons I could not discern. I found the design of the park strange, as a memorial space was immediately facing the parking lot and did not seem like a peaceful place of remembrance. The rose gardens were well manicured, and it seemed like whatever money the city has they put into maintaining them, but signs warned to stay away due to pesticides. There were a number of facilities as far as bathrooms and gathering places, and perhaps the park is more lively at some times, but I would not go out of my way to visit the place on its own merits.

Dear Friends, If…read moreyou want to make an educator happy try using the words free and learning opportunity in the same sentence. The Augusta Canal Discovery Center did just that on their annual Canal Day. I enjoyed it so much that I've returned three times since my Canal Day visit. The center celebrated their second canal day in April by creating a family friendly community event to show off the things that the center offers along with some fantastic performances. Canal Day offered free admission to their interactive exhibits where guest young and old could learn about the importance of the canal. I hadn't realized the significance of the canal until I started exploring. Augusta as we know it would be very different place if Henry Cummings had seen fit to use his intellect somewhere else in North America. After exploring the center, I snagged a discounted ticket on the Petersburg boat. Our facilitator was FANTASTIC!!! Even the littles were entertained with her knowledge and commentary. They also had fantastic performances that day. I didn't include a clip of the performers because I was so engrossed in their excerpt from their play, I completely forgot to record. I'm a sucker for kids showing off their talents. One of my former students performed and my smile was probably the biggest in the crowd. I'll always be in the front row cheering them on. Parents just know that once our kiddo, forever our kiddo. We love getting to see them blossom. I hope that Canal day continues to be an annual event. Until then, check them out. They offer several activities that include the following: Regular Admission: $6(adults), $4(senior/student ) or free with boat tour ticket. Civil War Tour: Call for more information Friday Music Cruise: $27( adults), $25 (senior/student/military). Saturday Music Tribute Tours: $27( adults), $25 (senior/student/military). Canal to Cloth Immersion Tour: $29 (adults), ($27senior/student/military). Group Suggestions for Tours: Have one person book your spots or agree to all book at the same time. The tours have a specific number of seats so you want to be sure everyone gets a spot in your group. Solo Suggestions: Prepare to make new friends and learn. The stigma of solo adventures is lessening and you'd be surprised how your friend circle grows by just getting out there. I would have met my friends Karin and Nikki without going on my solo adventures. Please share your story, reel or photo with me when you venture out to visit them. Wishing you much fun! Sincerely CSRA #augustacanal#canaltocloth#Augustacanaldiscoverycenter#exploringthecsra #augustageorgia #georgia #csra #yelpaugusta

The scope of the canal here is quite impressive and to me, reminiscent of the canal that runs into…read morethe heart of Washington DC, as this one is from around the same time and has a notable aesthetic similarity. This one doesn't go all the way to the mountains, but you could easily spend a day on it on foot, and biking and boating are options as well. The infrastructure was good, and multiple open bathrooms and water fountains were available. The paths were generally quite wide (as former towpaths) and had plenty of space for bikes and pedestrians to share, with a couple of interesting exceptions. I didn't do any tours, but I expect the history is worth pursuing.

They are doing cool things in bowman at soac. We brought our Boy Scout troop there to camp for the…read moreweekend and run the obstacle course. The staff was wonderful. Both hospitable and attentive to safety. Scouts had a blast on the course. Some played disk golf as well. Campsites were nice with access to running water and fire pits. Situated in a you pine stand. I highly recommend the venue. They are working hard to develop the place. Everything centers around "the hub" which offers a nice place to gather.

Awesome place owned and managed by awesome people. Time spent there has always been "well spent".read more