Well, this weekend's adventure took us to Augusta, GA. Let's be honest here now. The brochures and website boasting Augusta's rustic olde town environment on the river...well....it's a bit misleading.
Augusta looks like it closed in 1920, and all that's left are the rotting empty buildings. It is on the Savannah river and has a long riverwalk area with benches and picnic tables for people to enjoy. From the Georgia side of the river, you look across to South Carolina and large beautiful mansions lining the water. It sort of made me think "am I in the wrong state"? It definately did have a historical aire to it, and I found out that the entire time we'd been standing on the levee built 70 years ago to avoid floods. So, Augusta...not much going on there.
A few interesting facts....and empty streets.
The highlight of the Augusta trip, however, was Phinizy Swamp nature park. We pulled into the gravel parking lot with very low expectations of what we were about to see. A short climb through the trees brought us to a sign post announcing we were about to take the Cattail Trail to the visitors center. Several hundred feet more and we stepped onto a wooden boardwalk and looked ahead of us to see what I can only describe as an otherworldly scene.
A long winding wooden boardwalk has been built about a foot over the swamp. It takes you to the very high tech looking visitor center. Cypress trees abound, naturally beginning to uproot which has caused hundreds of strange stumps to appear in the muck they call swamp water. They look like animals until you get close enough to see that they are simply part of the trees. Moss hangs from all the branches and cattails do indeed grow here in abundance. The water itself is black with all kinds of algae. As we walk along this strange boardwalk, I watched the water beneath me through the large spaces in the planks. I was very unnerved at first. Occasionally I would hear a "plunk" in the water and feel a vibration beneath my feet...still not sure what caused that!
The visitor center had pictures of all the animals that inhabit the swamp...the only one's we were lucky enough to see were water moccasins (which literally look like tiny Loch Ness monsters, and are deadly) and a great white heron that floated effortlessy above us and landed in the water. Oh, and of course....hundreds of dazzling dragonflies in irradescent greens and purples and blues....did you know that dragonflies are called water nymphs and mosquito hawks? The warnings at this park? Do not ride bikes on trails. Do not drink alcohol or do drugs. Do not swim. Really?
Does anyone need a sign warning them to stay on dry land in this environment? So, I can say that while Augusta was a bust, the swamp experience did make the drive quite worth it. I have never seen anything like it.
Augusta looks like it closed in 1920, and all that's left are the rotting empty buildings. It is on the Savannah river and has a long riverwalk area with benches and picnic tables for people to enjoy. From the Georgia side of the river, you look across to South Carolina and large beautiful mansions lining the water. It sort of made me think "am I in the wrong state"? It definately did have a historical aire to it, and I found out that the entire time we'd been standing on the levee built 70 years ago to avoid floods. So, Augusta...not much going on there.
A few interesting facts....and empty streets.
The highlight of the Augusta trip, however, was Phinizy Swamp nature park. We pulled into the gravel parking lot with very low expectations of what we were about to see. A short climb through the trees brought us to a sign post announcing we were about to take the Cattail Trail to the visitors center. Several hundred feet more and we stepped onto a wooden boardwalk and looked ahead of us to see what I can only describe as an otherworldly scene.
A long winding wooden boardwalk has been built about a foot over the swamp. It takes you to the very high tech looking visitor center. Cypress trees abound, naturally beginning to uproot which has caused hundreds of strange stumps to appear in the muck they call swamp water. They look like animals until you get close enough to see that they are simply part of the trees. Moss hangs from all the branches and cattails do indeed grow here in abundance. The water itself is black with all kinds of algae. As we walk along this strange boardwalk, I watched the water beneath me through the large spaces in the planks. I was very unnerved at first. Occasionally I would hear a "plunk" in the water and feel a vibration beneath my feet...still not sure what caused that!
The visitor center had pictures of all the animals that inhabit the swamp...the only one's we were lucky enough to see were water moccasins (which literally look like tiny Loch Ness monsters, and are deadly) and a great white heron that floated effortlessy above us and landed in the water. Oh, and of course....hundreds of dazzling dragonflies in irradescent greens and purples and blues....did you know that dragonflies are called water nymphs and mosquito hawks? The warnings at this park? Do not ride bikes on trails. Do not drink alcohol or do drugs. Do not swim. Really?
Does anyone need a sign warning them to stay on dry land in this environment? So, I can say that while Augusta was a bust, the swamp experience did make the drive quite worth it. I have never seen anything like it.
you would sure need to look deeper into Augusta to find some of its beauty, while we locals call it dis-gusta, I've been here most of my life and could show you some of the more intimate spots that really set it apart. btw... you totally didn't see the masters, that in its self is a treasure.
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