Congo-ree!

We thoroughly enjoyed Congaree NP and the surrounding landscape. Turns out South Carolina is pretty darn cool. We stayed at Poinsett State Park, which was about 20 miles from Congaree. The campground was small, 20ish campsites, which was a welcome change from some of the places we’ve been. It was quiet, green, and had miles and miles of trails to bike. We went wild on the trails and the kids did incredible. There was a lake near our camp spot that felt a little like home. Congaree NP felt like being in a rainforest- It was so lush and green, hard to explain, but magical. We trekked about 4 miles through the park and some of the trails were boardwalks built high above the ground (10+ ft in some areas) so it felt like being in a treehouse at times. We discovered that Congaree is home to one of the world’s tallest temperate deciduous forests with a canopy reaching over 100 feet (taller than the Amazon rainforest). The cypress trees with their “knobby knees” made it feel like an enchanted forest right out of a fairytale. We made it to Asheville, North Carolina yesterday. On our way, we stopped at Sierra Nevada Brewing in Mills River. We have never seen anything quite like it, the facility is massive and immaculate. We took a self guided tour through the facility and had a few beers in the taproom. Today we will work our way to Great Smoky Mountains NP. Happy Easter to all!