Last night I needed a change of pace. I wanted to, finally, go see "Gran Torino." That didn't work out. Instead, I ended up watching the Jazz-Celtics game into the wee hours. Seeing the Jazz pull of a fantastic win in a close game was fun. That was a bit of a change of pace but still...I felt the same this morning. So I tried something as simple as taking a different route to campus, taking the long way. Over breakfast I had read through the special pull-out section of the "State" newspaper on the new University of South Carolina baseball stadium, which officially opens tomorrow with the season opener against Duquesne. (They are crazy about USC baseball here.) I thought I'd drive by and see the new treasure. I drove past it on Blossom Street and couldn't turn into the access street so I continued over the bridge into the town of Cayce (a charming place I didn't know much about, even though it's just across the river from Columbia). I noticed a sign for "Riverwalk Park." What the heck, I thought, I'll check it out. I'm still relatively new and trying to figure my way around.
The park turned out to be a sight for sore eyes. Just the change of scenery I needed. (I happened to have my pocket camera and snapped a couple shots.) One of my favorite things about living in Salt Lake City was that the Great Outdoors are so close to the city. I'm discovering that the same is true here. Everyone told me that it's great to live just a couple hours from the coast (Myrtle Beach, Charleston, etc.) and a couple hours from the mountains of the Upstate.But no one really told me about the treats right here in the city. Within just a few miles of our house are Clemson's Sandhill Center (with a lake, hiking trails, and a children's garden), Sesquicentennial Park (with a lake, hiking trails), and when we finally discovered the Riverbanks Zoo (one of the best I've been too) we discovered the second part of its name is "and Gardens" because it also has a bridge over the river to a wonderful set of gardens (with walking paths). Congaree National Park, the only one in South Carolina, is just outside the city.
So it was a treat to discover yet another such place right with water and hiking trails right here in Columbia. It turns out its connected to other parks and trails as part of the Three Rivers Greenway. I think I better pull out my mountain bike and get exploring one Saturday soon!
