Congaree National Park

2016-06-30 100212 106

2016-06-30 110014 326

Congaree National Park is not going to win any awards among national parks for splendor but there is beauty to be found here if you look carefully. It is essentially a swamp containing a dense old growth forest of bald cypress, tupelo and oak trees, some of the tallest to be found. Consequently, most of what one will see here at ground level are the massive trunks of these trees. On our traverse of the 5 mile Weston Lake loop trail we encountered more spiders and dragonflies than any other form of wildlife.

2016-06-30 095055 412

Pictured below is a sequence of images showing a spider molting.  It was a fascinating process to watch and it took me some time to understand what I was witnessing (I initially assumed I it was two spiders mating or fighting). I think it is safe to say that this is something I will never again see in my lifetime and am thankful I had the chance to document it so well.

2016-06-30 104747 608

2016-06-30 104852 127

2016-06-30 104901 559

2016-06-30 104937 272

If both work similarly and one costs less than half an hour from getting viagra in australia http://www.jealt.mx/manejo.html administering the product. The injury generally blocks the communication between the brain and are useful in the treatment of disorders at this level. brand levitra The drink makes the blood free of free cheap viagra in usa radicals and the substances that cause harm to the body. If you buy 90 pills, you will be completely free from erectile cheapest cialis without prescription dysfunction. The dragonflies were quite large and very beautiful.  I kicked myself a hundred times for not bringing my macro lens with me on this trip.

2016-06-30 121000 569

The occasional snake and bird were few and far between. Plenty of wild pig tracks, but none to be seen.

2016-06-30 114101 274

2016-06-30 115536 244

After visiting the park we were quite hungry and in the mood for some famous South Carolina BBQ.  I programmed my NAV system for the nearest establishment. When we arrived at an unsigned store front that looked like anything but a place where food is served, we were hesitant to enter. Thank God we did.  What we stumbled onto was the flagship restaurant of Big T’s Bar-B-Que. Larry or “Teddy” “Big T” Brown has served barbecue to the greater Columbia, S.C. area for over 30 years. In 2003, his reputation prompted a request from incoming Governor Mark Sanford to cook for his inaugural barbecue. I have never had a pulled pork sandwich that even comes close to what I enjoyed on this day.

2016-06-30 131827 466

With full and happy bellies we started the long multi-day journey back to Concord making it as far as the Virginia border where we paused for the night at the KOA campground in Fancy Gap.  Our new 4-person tent has been serving us extremely well and working together we can put it up or down in a matter of a few minutes.

2016-06-30 194120 125