Carolina Children’s Garden, Columbia free, fun and magical things to do

Recently we visited the Carolina Children’s Garden inside the Clemson Research and Education Center, right across the Sandhills shopping center. The garden is open daily from dawn to dusk and admission is free. Dogs are welcome but must be kept on leash at all times.

The view from inside the park is spectacular. I’ve seen people walk around the lake, sunbathing on the lawn or just enjoying a picnic with family and their four legged friends.

Very young kids can enjoy a slide, a large sandbox and many places to play hide and seek.

I liked the fact that the garden is themed after famous children stories and songs. You can visit Old McDonald’s Farm…

Learn basic gardening skills, like using a wheel barrel to carry things around.

Hey, these are Peter Rabbit’s clothes! And that’s how you build a scarecrow for your garden

Kids can see and even sift through a tiny compost bin. And yes, there are few live little crawlers in it!

Every month there is something going on, check the website for upcoming programs and events. Next to the garden is the Conservation Station where you can learn how to protect the forest, wildlife, and the quality of water, soil and air.

Mark your calendar! Every year, on the last weekend in April is the Sparkleberry Fair at the Clemson Research and Education Center.

Relax with Winnie, Tiger, Peter Rabbit, The Three Little Bears at the beautiful Caolina Children’s Garden!

Free and romantic Hilton Head attractions: mysterous Leamington Lighthouse, a ghost legend and military treasure

Featured on the National Register of Historic Places, the Leamington Lighthouse, is a legendary historic site on Hilton Head Island.

1881 Lighthouse belived to be haunted by light keeper's daughter ghost

Originally known as the Hilton Head Range Light Station, the unusual skeleton and cypress wood structure was built to guide ships into Port Royal Sound.

It is the only historic lighthouse on Hilton Head Island and one of few surviving lighthouses in South Carolina

Historic Highlights (courtesy of Friends of the Lighthouse)

• In 1863 Union troops built the island first light, but only 6 years later the original tower was destroyed by a storm.

• In 1881 a pair of range lights was erected to guide vessels into Port Royal Sound. The front light stood 35 feet high right above the keeper’s house while the rear light was served by the 95 feet high skeleton-like tower. The cypress wood lantern and watch room were reached by climbing 112 steps.

• In 1884, a mobile front range light was constructed to track the shifting channel.

Lighthouse cistern ruin

• In 1932 the lights were decommissioned and during World War II the surrounding area became Camp McDougal, a training facility for Marines men, dogs and horses.

• In the 1960s, the keeper’s dwellings were moved to Harbour Town at Sea Pines Plantation Resort.

Currently, one dwelling serves as a Bakery and Cafe, while the other is home to the Sea Pines Real Estate Company.

• In the mid 1980s the lighthouse was incorporated into the new Arthur Hills Golf Course at Palmetto Dunes Resort.

• Today the only remains are the old brick oil house and the cistern.

The Lady in Blue Ghost Story… (from “Ghosts of the Carolina Coasts”, by Terrance Zepke, 1999)

In 1898 a powerful hurricane washed over the island. Keeper Adam Fripp rushed to protect the lights.

Drenched in heavy rain, Fripp made his way to the tower and up the spiral staircase. A powerful gust of wind shattered one of the glass panes in the lantern room.

The strain of the ascent coupled with the shock of the exploding glass was more than Fripp’s heart could handle.

What was once Camp McDougal WWII, a Marines training site

His daughter Caroline noticed her father’s prolonged absence and went in search of him.

She discovered him inside the tower who, with a last breath, implored her to “keep the light burning no matter how dangerous the storm.”

Several days passed before anyone made it to the island. Caroline had managed to tend the light throughout the storm, but her sorrow and exhaustion proved too much, as she died shortly thereafter.

People say that on dark rainy nights a girl in a blue dress may be seen on the beach or near the skeleton tower signaling with her arms to “Go back… Go back”.

Avid for more ghost stories and romantic sites? Drive to Sea Pines Plantation to wander around the haunted Stoney-Baynard Ruins and 4,000 years old mystery-filled Indian Shell Ring.

Life is good at Sea Pines! Hilton Head free fun things to do with kids

On our second Hilton Head vacation I finally got a chance to explore the amazing Sea Pines Forest Preserve.

On the Buggy Gut swamp trail

Admission is free, however visitors need $5 all day guest pass to get inside the Sea Pines Plantation.

In less than 2 hours we came close to alligators, anhingas and blue herons, and stepped back in time along the old Lawton rice fields and the prehistoric Indian shell ring.

That’s about all the outdoor trekking my 5 year old could take…so I drove to the Harbor Town playground, her favorite spot at Sea Pines.

Fun things to do and see

• Walk or bike on the historic trails through lush maritime forests and around pristine lakes. The most popular one is the 1 mile Boggy Gut board walk that takes you along an 1840 rice fields operation. Here is a detailed map along with the preserve overview.

• Admire the abundant wildlife, plants and trees. Common reptiles: alligators, snakes (copperhead, cottonmouth, black racer, Eastern King and yellow rat) and yellow-bellied turtles. The forest is a bird paradise, home or winter rest to over 200 species. Popular plants are the cat tail, saw grass, swamp willow, duck weed and marsh perry-wart.

Cute baby alligator resting on a log at Sea Pines

• Fish at one of the several freshwater lakes inside the preserve. Only children can fish at Lake Joe. You can drive or walk to Fish Island. There are picnic tables, a shelter and restrooms. Permits can be for free obtained at the CSA Security Office. More info by phone at (843) 671-7170.

Organized “catch and release” fishing is provided by Sea Pines Plantation guides on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 to 10:30 AM. Fish for large mouth bass, crappie, bream and catfish with tackle provided by Shakespeare. Reservations are required, call (843) 842-1979.

Family fun fishing at Lake Joe

• Walk around a replica of a 4,000 years old Native American ceremonial site made out of oyster shells. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Indian Shell Ring remains a mystery as no signs of permanent settlements have been found to date. Experts believe the area was used only for celebrations and hunting rituals.

In the middle of a 4,000 years old shell ring replica

Tips to know before you go
• Bring a bug spray! No see ums and mosquitoes really own the place. Apply sunscreen generously every 2 hours.
• Make sure to carry water with you, there are no water fountains around (at least none that I could see / use)
• Expect the unexpected…you never know what wildlife you may encounter. Some attractions look better on paper (like the shell ring)… while pleasant surprises pop up at every corner (we ran into a Christmas Present poem, a funny buck head like tree stomp and a baby gator)

Hi there Anhinga bird!

Spend an hour with the earth and her nature
And I promise that you will surely see
The truest meaning of the season
The one best present you could receive – The Christmas Gift

Make sure to also visit the rewarding Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn plantation for nature and turtle walks, exclusive history tours and beautiful butterflies! (admission is free, donations welcome)

Here is a virtual tour of our favorite historic sites you can visit on Hilton Head Island.

Live curious in the South Carolina Lowcouuntry!

A Taste of Freedom Park, Charlotte’s best outdoor family recreation

Freedom Park is an oasis of natural beauty, peace and healthy relaxation in the heart of the Queen City. Charlotte’s “Central Park” has indulged, pampered and energized, in a rite of passage, entire families for generations.

Freedom Park duck pond

Fun things to do

(Freedom Park parking and activities map)

• Hike, jog or bike on miles of trails along the lake and Little Sugar Creek Greenway.

Beware it gets crowded in the weekend as roller bladders and skaters take control of the many paved trails.

• Play tennis, soccer, baseball, volleyball or basketball. Cheer for the Dilworth baseball and softball teams, little league heroes since 1951!

• Bring your little ones to the 2 playgrounds where there is even an antique locomotive replica to climb on!

• Get the family together for an outdoor picnic at one of the five grill-equipped shelters.

• Enjoy music and art performances at the Mahlon Adams Pavilion throughout the summer.

Bridge over Little Sugar Creek

• Learn about the abundant and colorful flora and fauna of the Carolinas at the Charlotte Nature Museum ($6 admission)

Upcoming events at Freedom Park

• Amphitheater at Sunset – bring chairs, blankets and a high spirit for free movie nights under the sky on July 10 and August 14

• Annual Festival in the Park, September 24 – 27. Join tens of thousands of music and art lovers and enjoy one of the best festivals in the South.

Hundreds of craft artists, entertainers and music bands will perform for free every day (remember Friday, September 25 is Kids’ Day!)

The park is open year around form dawn to dusk. For more info, tennis classes and facility rentals check the parks and recreation website or call (704) 432-4280.

Feeling artsy? Short drive from the park is the incredible Charlotte Museum of Art Museum now featuring fancy platform shoes and haute couture fashion collections!

While in Charlotte, you must take the kids downtown to Discovery Place, the coolest science museum in the Southeast! It was recently renovated with fun and exciting exhibits kids will love to play in. Admission is $12 adults and $9 children 2-13.

Summer is best enjoyed in Freedom Park, Charlotte NC!

Free weekend fun in Walterboro: The Great Swamp, Artisans Center and Tuskegee Memorial

Great Swamp Sanctuary

The Great Swamp Sanctuary is South Carolina’s newest nature-based attraction providing the ultimate Lowcountry experience: a pristine black waters swamp filled with history, culture, recreation and education.

Kids walking on the Great Walterboro Swamp trails

The swamp is located within the ACE Basin and its entrance is just minutes from I-95. At 842-acre, the Sanctuary is the East Coast’s largest estuarine preserve featuring the only “braided creek” swamp accessible to the public.

Fun things to do inside the Sanctuary
The swamp consists of hardwood flats abundant with wild turkey, deer, raccoons, otter, mink, opossum, squirrels, fox, and wildcats. There is a variety of song birds, wading birds, ducks, and predator birds.

Bird watching – Over 80 species have been observed including wild turkeys, wood ducks, warblers, wood storks, pileated woodpeckers, bald eagles, accipiters, buteos, falcons, owls and kinglets.

Beaver Dam at the Great Swamp Sanctuary

Hiking, walking, jogging and bicycling – There are miles of overland trails and boardwalks crossing the braided streams and the historic Charleston to Savannah wagon road.

A bicycle path follows an existing easement that will become a part of residential and the historic downtown area.

Canoeing and kayaking – 1.5 miles of Ireland Creek are navigable by shallow draft boats allowing you to enjoy the sanctuary or to learn to canoe in relative safety.

Lowcountry Preservation – The headwaters of the Ashepoo River originate in the sanctuary. The Charleston to Savannah wagon road runs through the heart of the sanctuary.
The decayed wooded bridges have been replaced with boardwalks and the road bed has become an integral part of the trails.

Gullah Dolls

Now you can traverse the Old Wagon Stagecoach Road like our ancestors did hundreds of years ago!

Once rejuvenated outdoors soothe your spiritual cravings at the standout SC Artisans Center downtown Walterboro.

There are new artists showcased every year, from paintings to pottery, from glass to wooden toys. My favorites this time around were the Gullah and Kudzu-based crafts.

No visit to Walterboro is complete without a tribute stop at the Tuskegee Airmen Memorial. The Black Bird Men (as feared by the Germans), or the Red Tail Angels (as reveered by Americans) proved to be formidable pilots during WWII raids over Western Europe.

Make sure to also visit the Colleton County museum (also free to attend) housed in a hundred year old jail.

Hero Tuskegee pilot (photo by Hiram Mann)

Be proud, healthy and curious in the ever mysterious Lowcountry!

Delight your soul with vibrant roses and iris flowers at Edisto and Sumter Swan Lake Gardens

A sea of roses, a swamp of irises. Brilliant colors, sublime aromas and joyfulness in the air. You can’t help but feel happy!

Best things in life are free. And yes the incredible Edisto Memorial Rose Gardens in Orangeburg and Swan Lake and Iris Gardens in Sumter are free to attend.

This Memorial Day weekend bring your family to the annual Sumter Iris Festival. There will be fun things to do for kids, music, food, gorgeous iris flowers for sale and of course the ever popular swans!

Not too far away is the nature’s wonder Congaree National Park, another FREE family attraction you must enjoy at least once a year. The park features the world’s tallest deciduous forest, cathedral canopies, abundant wildlife and miles of hiking, canoeing, and fishing along the mysterious Congaree River.

Walk the 3 miles stroller friendly nature boardwalk around the Visitors center or join the FREE ranger-guided canoe tours every Saturday and Sunday. Call (803)-776-4396 ext. 0 to make reservations (requires 2 weeks advance notice).

Here is a customized map with these 3 amazing attractions.
Enjoy!

Fun free family time at the Cheraw Spring Festival: arts, music and Civil War demonstrations

Cheraw is Pee Dee’s jewel, a vibrant little city filled with music, arts and magnificent historic houses and churches. Cheraw is famous for the SC Jazz Festival that celebrates her beloved son, Dizzy Gillespie. This weekend the city will open its arms to welcome visitors to the 34th annual Spring Festival.

Beautiful Cheraw Town Hall

Historic Events
• Living History Expo – Saturday and Sunday until 3PM at Riverside Park
The 26th SC Volunteers will demonstrate camp life in the Confederate Army. Enjoy a “skirmish” reenactment at 2PM (Free to attend).

• Civil War Lantern Tours – Saturday 8:30 – 9:30PM at Riverside Park
Experience the Civil War ravages by camp fires and lantern lights. Tickets sold in the morning at the park, $5 adults and $4 for kids 12 and under.

Confederate Army Camp

• Confederate Church Service – Saturday 10AM at Old. St. David Church
The Old St. David Church was completed in 1774 and was used as a hospital by four armies. The churchyard features the country’s oldest Confederate Monument.

Art and Car Shows
• Arts and Crafts – Saturday 10AM – 5PM and Sunday 12 – 5PM at the Community Center.
Over 100 artists are displaying their wares and demonstrate their craft.

Howdy!

Enjoy live music, magic shows, juggling and clown acts, and dance performances.

Delight your taste buds with delicious BBQ, Greek foods, baked goodies, hot dogs, hamburgers and funnel cakes.

• Classic Car Show – Sunday 11AM – 2PM at Market Street

Old Beauty

Just for Kids Events
• Children Fair and Wagon Rides – Saturday 10AM – 5PM and Sunday 1 – 5PM at Town Green
On Saturday kids can enjoy petting zoo, pony rides, face painting and story telling (1 and 3PM). Horse drawn wagon rides start at 11 on Saturday and 1PM on Sunday.

• Antique Fire Truck Parade – Saturday 10AM on Market Street
Over 20 antique fire trucks will parade down Market Street then there will a free demonstration at Cheraw State Park

Here come the fire trucks

• Duck Regatta – Saturday 11:30AM – 12PM at Riverside Park
See ducks race to the finish line. Ducks are $20 each and ca be purchased at the Community Center before 10AM. Cash prizes for top 3 contenders.

Drive to nearby Bishopville to see the world’s famous Pearl Friar Topiary Garden and the unique Button King Museum.

Alligator Strike! Free, raw and uncensored show at Huntington State Park…your place for memorable Myrtle Beach attractions.

Need a breath of fresh air? Tired of the every day gloom and doom? Love, pristine beaches, miles of nature trails winding through lush maritime forests and the romantic Atalaya Castle await you at Huntington Beach State Park, just half an hour drive from Myrtle Beach and Georgetown. Just next door is Brookgreen Gardens, the country’s largest and most amazing outdoor collection of sculptures by American artists.

I'm beautiful! Alligator sun bathing at Huntington Beach State Park

How about some FREE, live and uncut entertainment, like being nose to nose from wild roaming alligators? That’s right only feet from the main road and nature trails these prehistoric monsters are sun bathing shamelessly and undeterred. Or so it seems…

Can’t touch me! Yeah, tell that to the dogs. As you can see from the video below the alligators have an issue with dogs and any other small creatures daring to “step on their toes”. Relax, after few minutes of jaws clapping, muscle pumping force display, everything went back to normal…sleeping as a rock! Meanwhile I got some awesome photos and video footage.

Enjoy!

Ready for more alligator action?

You’re lucky! Alligator Adventure, the “Reptile Capitol of the World” is located right in North Myrtle Beach at Barefoot Landing. Besides hundreds of cute gators, giant Galapagos turtles and Anaconda snakes you can also say hello to Utan the King of Crocs, the largest one on display in the United States!

Admission to Huntington Beach State Park is only $5 for adults, $3 for kids 5-15 and younger than 5 get in for free. The park is open year around. You can visit Atalaya on your own anytime or go on the FREE guided tours offered March through November (at 2PM Tuesday – Friday and noon on Saturday).

Shelter Cove Marina a Mediterranean like waterfront extravaganza fun for the whole family

Water sports rule at the picturesque Shelter Cove Marina! This Mediterranean style marina features Hilton Head’s largest deep-water yacht basin with 170 boat slips for boats up to 135 feet in length. Here you can enjoy deep-sea and inshore fishing, sport crabbing, nature excursions and dinner cruises. During the summer months there is a spectacular and FREE to attend fireworks show.

What’s fun to do around Shelter Cove Marina:
• Dolphin and wildlife watch cruise go either with Adventure or the very kids-friendly Captain Hook)
• Shop at the nearby Mall or the marina mini-shops.
• Relax on the rocking chair watching the boats come and go, drinking a cup of coffee, surfing the net (FREE Wi-Fi at Shelter Cove Marina).
• Go to Shelter Cove Park – every Tuesday during summer months there are free concerts, fun kids programs and breath-taking fireworks. Make sure to bring a chair or blanket.
• Visit the Palmetto Dunes Resort to see the mysterious and ghost haunted Skeleton Tower Lighthouse and enjoy miles of pristine biking trails.
• Take your children to Adventure Cove that features two mini golf courses ($12 per game) and Hilton Head’s largest arcade. You can print a $1 off coupon from their website.

Where to eat:
• Kingfisher – picturesque dinning (steaks, pasta, seafood), spacious decks and live entertainment. One of the best Happy Hour on the island.
• Old Oyster Factory – an island landmark built on an original oyster cannery. Claims to have the best seafood and steaks in Hilton Head.

Here is my Top 5 Fun Things to Do with Kids on the island that are free or very affordable.

Enjoy your family vacation to the fullest on Hilton Head island!

Fun packed family day trip at Sea Pines, a magical world to enjoy the Harbour Town lighthouse, alligators, horseback riding, kayaking and even ghosts!

Visit the 90 feet tall candy striped Harbour Town Lighthouse open daily from 10 AM to sundown. Admission is $3 (kids under 5 years of age get in for FREE) but you can get free passes from the Harbour Town concierge desk. If interested to see more of the legendary Sea Islands lighthouses read this post.

The Marina is the place for adrenaline water activities: parasailing, jet skiing, even shark fishing. Or you can hop on one of the dolphin watch cruises: Vagabond and Spirit of the Harbour.

The main kid attraction is the playground behind the Harbour Town Marina. Best of all is FREE (don’t you love when that happens? 🙂 ). Children go crazy about the tire swing and will rub elbows to climb the odd shaped oak tree next to the bicycles rack. Let them do it. It burns energy and you get a cute photo once they’re up.

Say Hello! to Sea Pines’ “Odd Couple”, the baby alligator and turtle at the Nature Center located across from the playground. If you ask nicely the lady inside the Center may let you pet the snakes! Admission is FREE yet be prepared to spend a few bucks on the souvenirs.

Here you can also sign up for Eco-Tours around the island. Reservations required you can call (843)-842-1979.

• The one hour Alligator Boat Tours run every hour 8 – 11 AM and 5 – 8 PM Mon through Fri, 9, 10 AM and 5 and 6 PM in the weekends. Cost is $21 for adults and $17 for children (12 and under). $2 discount for Sea Pines Resort guests.
• Two-hours guided kayak tours through salt marshes on single or double kayaks. Cost is $30 for adults and $20 for children (5-12 years). $2 discount for Sea Pines Resort guests.
• Guided kayak fishing expedition, $220.
• You can rent kayaks ($20/hour for double, $10/hour for single) and go on your own.

You can enjoy some yummy cookies and lunch at the Bakery Cafe next to the Center. This is a historic building: an 1880 Leamington House Lightkeeper Cottage brought to Palmetto Dunes during WII to monitor German submarines activities.

Treat your kids to a horseback and pony rides or a fun petting zoo at the Lawton Stables. One hour western style horse back rides through Sea Pines Forest Reserve are offered daily at 9:30, 11:30, 2 and 4 PM for $60 per person. Must be 8 years or older. Call (843) 671-2586 for reservations.

There are several places to eat at the Harbour Town Marina. By far the most popular and very family friendly is the Crazy Crab. Steamed shellfish, Sandwiches, burgers, soups and salads are ~$8.95. Fish plate ~$12.50 (includes French fires and coleslaw). Seafood pot $15.95. Boiled crab legs at market price. Crazy Crab also serves late lunch (mostly fried stuff) from 3 to 4 PM.

Enjoy a self-guided walk through the Stoney-Baynard Ruins. The mansion house, built in 1790s, had a colorful history: lost at a poker game only to have its owner’s William Baynard die from yellow fever, then burned down during Civil War. Currently the ruins are believed to be haunted by William Baynard’s ghost!

Interesting Facts about Sea Pines Resort and Forest Preserve

• 50 years ago, an oceanfront lot in Sea Pines could be purchased for $7,500. Today this will go for 3-4 millions!
• In 1959 the Fraser family set aside 572 acres for the Sea Pines Preserve. First trails were built in the early 1970s, followed by four lakes – Joe, Thomas, Mary and Chapin – the largest open freshwater ponds on the island.

Beautiful Anhinga inside the Forest Preserve

You can get a fishing permit at no charge from the CSA Security Office located at 175 Greenwood Drive. Swimming is not allowed.

• The Verizon Heritage is the South Carolina’s only PGA Tour event

• The Indian Shell Ring inside the Sea Pines Forest Preserve is the site of a 4,000 years old nomadic Indians village.

Here you can see an elliptical mound of shells and materials used around their huts.

• Over 200 species of birds have been spotted in the Preserve and the area has been recognized as an “Important Bird Area” by the National Audubon Society.

Check out this bike trail map with most of the attractions inside Sea Pines Resort:

More fun things to do at Sea Pines and Hilton Head

Here are more ideas of affordable things to do with kids while on vacation in beautiful Hilton Head, “the Gem of the Lowcountry”:

• Go to the Public Library. It’s FREE and kids will have a blast reading with you.

• Be a pilot, a movie director, a ship captain or a painter at The Sandbox Interactive Children’s Museum ($6)

• Visit Fort Pulaski near Savannah to see live cannons and musket firing, learn about Immortal 600 tragedy and the Waving Girl legend, and become a Junior Ranger ($3).

• Learn about the Hilton Head island history, the rich Gullah culture and sign up for some fun family programs at the Coastal Discovery Museum (free museum admission; guided tours, cruises and beach walks are $5-$30)

• Visit Beaufort an art, architecture and movie-making heaven and historic Port Royal home of the first settlement in the New World.

Soak in the sun, play, learn and always have fun at the serene Hilton Head island beaches!