SCOVG20 digital edition-1 - Flipbook - Page 101
LEFT: COURTESY OF BLUEWAY ADVENTURES
E X PLOR E
SANTEE
COOPER
COUNTRY
Can’t Miss
Events
APRIL
Striped Bass Festival,
Manning
santeecoopercountry.org
This celebration of spring
includes a parade and
carnival rides.
MAY
Festival of Roses,
Orangeburg
festivalofroses.com
Celebrate the South’s best
bloomers at Edisto Memorial
Gardens.
Iris Festival, Sumter
sumtersc.gov
Swan Lake Iris Gardens
provides the backdrop for
this spring showstopper.
OCTOBER
Duckfest, Summerton
clarendoncounty.com
Join the fishing tournament
or duck-calling contest and
enjoy activities all day long.
By Colleen Troy
FISH
Bragging rights are practically
in the bag, thanks to Lake
Moultrie and Lake Marion,
the “Great Lakes of South
Carolina.” Brimming with
blue gill, catfish, crappies and
striped bass, their shores are
bejeweled with campgrounds,
bait shops, boat charters and
fish camps that welcome visitors to cast a line and reel in
some memories.
SNIFF
Originally a “lovely mistake,”
Swan Lake Iris Garden blooms
nearly year-round with amazing variety (did someone say
“Chocolate Garden?”), and
sports eight swan species in one
habitat. Enjoy acres of roses,
azaleas, cypress stands, butterfly
gardens and natural delights in
the Edisto Memorial Gardens.
REFLECT
Replete with fossils, Native
American artifacts, war remembrances and modern curios,
Berkeley Museum and Calhoun County Museum preserve the area’s past. Don’t miss
the Swamp Fox Murals Trail,
30 giant paintings that capture
the campaign of General Francis “Swamp Fox” Marion, who
helped lead the rebels to victory.
CHILL
The grace and solitude of
Mepkin Abbey inspire you
to set that internal clock to
“calm” and let your spirit—and
body—drift through the gardens and riverside sanctuary
trails. Or pack walking shoes,
field glasses, your birding list
and curious mind to hit the
Santee National Wildlife
Reserve astride Lake Marion.
FLOAT
Ponds, rivers, lakes and
creeks beckon paddlers to
the Berkeley Blueways’ 175
watery miles of varying intensity. Or float the Edisto
River, a tree-lined ribbon of
blackwater meandering from
here to the coast. Access via
public landings, and remember an extra tube for your
cooler!
DECEMBER
Fantasy of Lights, Sumter
sumtersc.gov
Marvel at this spectacular
display as Swan Lake Iris
Gardens glitters with thousands
of lights.
Left: Lake Moultrie
Right: Santee State Park
DiscoverSouthCarolina.com
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