Road Trip ~ Part III ~ Down By The River

Before leaving for South Carolina, I did a little research on the area my parents had moved to.  I found Landsford Canal State Park was close by and decided I wanted to check it out during my visit.  Here is what the official site of South Carolina State Parks has to say about it…..

A broad river, rich history and rare, hardy wildflowers come together at Landsford Canal State Park.

Stretched along the Catawba River along the South Carolina fall line, the park is home to the well-preserved remains of the canal system that made the river commercially navigable from 1820 to 1835. Locks, a mill site and the lockkeeper’s home are among the numerous intact structures from that era.

Out in the river is one of the largest known stands of rocky shoals spider lilies, tough plants that hang tight in the swift water and bloom spectacularly in a huge blanket of white in late May and early June. An easy-to-walk trail along the river leads to a viewing deck.

This crossable spot on the river (that’s what a ford is, of course) also played a role in the Revolutionary War, as both British and American troops under Cornwallis and Sumter crossed here before and after pivotal battles.

My father joined me on my early morning walk along the river.   It was a warm, hazy morning…but the temperatures had not gotten uncomfortable yet.  The first site you come upon is the restored and relocated 1790 log cabin that is used for group gatherings.  The Ranger’s office is located up a very narrow set of stairs off one of the gathering rooms. A park volunteer showed us the way there to purchase a park pass.  This cabin was amazing. 

On the porch were two Indian wood carvings but the lighting was poor and I was unable to get a clear photo of them with my point and shoot camera.  I’m still editing the images so I haven’t given up all hope on them.

You begin the walk at the cabin area….if you go to the right  you take the canal path……or to the left towards the area where the former caretaker’s house was.  I chose the right for our walk this morning…..

And there are still remanents of the original dam…….just like they said!  🙂

At this point, the path curves a bit off the river and  you can see one of the first set of locks.  The path you see in the upper right hand corner is another one of the walking path tours you can follow.  This one concentrates on the canal locks and does not follow the river…..I opted for the river path.

If you stand on one of the locks, and look back towards the river, this is the view of what once was the canal…..you can see a bridge where the two  paths spilt in the distance.

There were many sites to see on the path by the river……..

But you came to see the river…….here are a few images……

And the Rocky Shoal Lily…….unfortunately it was not in bloom when I visited, but I would love to come back to see them…..this is an image of the lilies from the site …..

Imagine this lily blanketing an area of the river……..here is a small sampling of the lily when not in bloom……

I would love to see these in full bloom!  Along the path, there is also an area to view an eagle’s nest…….one that has been in use since the mid 1990’s.   Each February she lays her eggs and her fledglings leave by late May….the same time the lilies are in bloom.  Imagine, viewing the magnificent lilies from the viewing deck and watching fledgling bald eagles fish the river. 

Again, my little point and shoot camera has it limits…..but if you look at the center of the photo of the pine, you can see the eagles nest nestled in the branches.

We turned around at this point and headed back towards the car.  My father was walked out, but I ventured down the opposite path a short way….

The river appears deeper and is less rocky on this end of the path…….

When I came around a bend, I saw this gentleman fishing.  I asked if he had caught anything, only little ones he said.  He came to enjoy the day.  I asked if I could take his photo, he smiled and said that would be fine. 

I didn’t venture any further down this path.  I will save that for another visit.  Hope you enjoyed your tour of the river.  Next up, images of a very old cemetary I came across while driving to the park.