The swamp garden

The boys love hands-on outdoor play. Digging in the dirt, making mud pie, pouring water type of stuff. We have the mud kitchen in our backyard, but we are always looking for new places to explore in addition to returning to the tried-and-true. Some of our Greenville favorites include the RMSC butterfly garden and Linky Stone Park, even though neither is meant for digging but more for exploration and observation. We often head to Paris Mountain State Park for outdoor hiking, to pick up sticks and find rocks, but as a State Park digging is frowned upon and lugging a bunch of containers and toys out can be tiresome. However a new spot has gotten our attention as a sort of giant mud kitchen – the Swamp Garden.

I’ve written before about our nearby bakery & locally-sourced grocery, the Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery – here about the store and here about their produce boxes. We often meet our friends at the Cafe because it is a great spot for a short hike on the Swamp Rabbit Trail and a healthy snack afterwards. Picnic tables with shade awnings provide relief from the sun and cool drinks and treats from the store are always a delight. However we always had to be extremely diligent in watching the kids, because in addition to the vehicular traffic there was also bicycle traffic to worry about.

The solution is the Swamp Garden. Its intention is to “provide a free-range play area for small children in order to inspire their curiosity and a love for nature.” A non-obtrusive fence helps corral the kids while plenty of stuff keeps their attention for hours, and really it seems that there’s something new on each visit. It started off small, with stumps and picnic tables for parents to rest while the kids grabbed some of the containers from the shelf to collect hickory nuts or cicada shells. Then the wagon and various tricycles appeared, rendering the kids mobile. The bug cabinet with nets and fake bugs encouraging the capture of real bugs. A sand box ingeniously designed with a hinged lid that can be closed to protect from wandering nocturnal animals but is perfect for sand play. And the simple – a few kid-sized shovels for digging in the dirt and then all the things the kids have found: sticks, rocks, nuts, seeds.

This Halloween the Cafe & Grocery hosted Little Monsters Night on Halloween. With a scavenger hunt, pin-the-spider-on-the-web, story time and all sorts of other fun stuff, the boys had yet another chance to show off their costumes and play with friends. Wouldn’t you know it, despite all the arranged activities and their costumes, all they wanted to do was dig holes and pull that wagon around!

The swamp garden is what your kids make of it, just like the little library housed in the miniature house next to the picnic tables. I suggest stopping in to grab a fresh scone and coffee from the cafe, and then settling in for an hour or two while the kids play. Enjoy a brisk autumn day (or even a hot summer one as the mature trees provide plenty of shade) with friends and let them do their thing – be kids and dig holes.

Trick or treat?

Several friends mentioned waiting expectantly with a bowl full of candy for the trick-or-treaters that never appeared this Halloween. While I can’t say we didn’t get any masked characters at our door, it is only because the group caught us on our way out the door to go trick-or-treating ourselves. They piled out of the car and hit up a house or two that had lights on before jumping back into the car and continuing on to what I can only assume were greener pastures. We bundled up, turned the porch light off and headed out ourselves: one dashing pirate, one little firefighter and one pumpkin-turned-hipster after the latest blowout.

This is our third Halloween at this house; we had barely moved in on the first, and on the second I stayed home again to hold down the fort while the boys scavenged for candy. Both years we had around 50 trick-or-treaters which I thought a good amount. However I was in for a shock, because the crowds we saw just a short walk from our house were unbelievable – one could barely walk through the crowd with a stroller, much less maintain visual contact with all members of our party at all times! The residents had gone all out with live music, fire-eaters, gigantic decorations and buckets upon buckets of candy. There were lines of children at each front door, people sitting on their stoops handing out treats as fast as they could. While accompanying Mikus I heard more than one adult request candy, supposedly for the kid “too tired” or “sick at home.” Although the majority of children had costumes (some so elaborate I wonder at the time spent making them!) there were also those with just a bandana, a mask, or nothing visible that could be defined as a costume. All in all we didn’t stay long in the chaos; the boys were having fun people watching, but it was really just too much – I wonder if the people living in these houses really enjoy shelling out a few hundred bucks on candy when they don’t even have a chance to enjoy the costumes of those coming to their door… I felt bad that we were joining in the fracas while there were neighbors sitting at home, waiting for the bell to ring.

the band is playing on the left and the lady swallowing fire is on the right

So we walked home, trick-or-treating as we went. Those homes with porch lights on welcomed us with outstretched hands full of candy for the boys, as they had seen few children all night – very hard to believe with the costumed masses just up the street. When we got home the boys poured out their haul onto the table, where mom and dad took a look (and a small fee) before selecting one piece and then heading off to wash the mustache and chocolate off. A very nice evening, as the weather cooperated and the boys had tremendous fun.

It was during the night that we got our biggest surprise… snow! During moments awake with Vilis I heard the wind howling and even hail on the roof, but with sunlight we saw the white stuff had lingered in shadier spots as it tends to do. Lauris and Mikus downed their breakfast in record speed while I emptied the front closet in search of snowpants and gloves that fit (it was the first time the boys even wore their winter hats this season). Luckily we got them out the door in time and they had just enough time to soak through their shoes and get a few well-aimed snowballs in before it melted.

Vilis made it outside for a few minutes too, as this was his first snow. He wasn’t impressed.

And today the temperatures are back up to 70 degrees… Who knows what tomorrow will bring? 

Jumping Off Rock

While living in France we quickly learned that the Michelin Guide was a good gauge of the “must-see factor” of an attraction. The more stars, the bigger the effort we made to get there. Of course the stars weren’t everything, but they more than once proved an accurate measure of the wow! we experienced upon reaching our destination. I would like to present Jumping Off Rock, a top-rated must-see site in the Upstate according to the Femme au Foyer guide…

Located in northern Pickens county, this is the best view of Lake Jocassee you can find. The lake’s name Jocassee comes from the legend of a Cherokee maiden. An Oconee tribe inhabited the west side of the Whitewater river, while a rival tribe lived on the east. Nagoochee, a young warrior from the east, often crossed the river to hunt. During one such clandestine expedition he fell and broke his leg. Jocassee was the maiden who found him, nursed him back to health and fell in love with him, but it was her brother that eventually killed him. Legend has it that Jocassee walked on the surface of the river to meet the ghost of her beloved, and in honor of Nagoochee the name "Place of the Lost One."

The 7,500-acre, 300-foot deep reservoir was created by the state in partnership with Duke Power in 1973. Although most structures were demolished prior to the flooding of the valley, divers recently discovered the remains of a lodge. Another spot that is now underwater is Mount Carmel Baptist Church Cemetery, which was a setting for a scene in the film Deliverance (1972). You might recognize the current day lake from The Hunger Games, as it was one of the filming locations for the 2012 movie.

Jocassee is famous for the clear and cool water, fed by rivers descending from the Appalachians. The westernmost is the Whitewater River, which flows southeast into the northwest corner of Lake Jocassee. The Thompson River flows due south to the same corner, and the Horsepasture River and Toxaway River feed into the northeast corner. The Jocassee Hydro Station, located in the southeast corner, separates it from the beginning of Lake Keowee. The damn is 385 feet high and 1,750 feet long.  

Ironic as the lake is man-made, the surrounding area is largely pristine mostly because the majority is owned by Duke Power and the State of South Carolina. The Oconee Bell (Shortia galacifolia), a rare wildflower growing wild only in a few counties in the Blue Ridge area was discovered in the area in 1788 by French botanist André Michaux. (Sadly, the creation of Lake Jocassee is thought to have caused the destruction of the heart of the species' range.) The Eastatoe Creek Heritage Preserve was transferred from Duke Power Company to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources in 1979 due to the extremely diverse flora occurring there; biologists have documented the occurrence of a number of rare, threatened and endangered species in the area.

It came as no surprise then that we had to travel almost twenty miles on unpaved, mountain roads to visit Jumping Off Rock. For detailed directions (as well as seasonal road closure info) please visit the SC Department of Natural Resources magazine’s article from 2006 here. We drove north from the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway 11 on US Highway 178 eight miles before turning onto a gravel road into the Jocassee Gorges Management Area. From there it was another 9+ miles on the winding, narrow and in some places steep Horsepasture Road before we reached the small pull-off for vehicles that marks the trail for Jumping Off Rock. Not more than a few hundred feet will take you to the rock and the view.

There are no guardrails or cables, so exercise due caution and keep those kids close. The deep blue waters contrasted nicely with the autumn colors, and the dark green mountains covered in firs stretched off into the distance – North Carolina and Georgia clearly visible. To fully appreciate the scenic beauty you must visit yourself. We made the return trip via Cane Creek Road and Shooting Tree Ridge Road, another 9+ miles to pavement, and the time spent in car from Greenville amounted to about 4 hours. It is suggested to make the trip in a vehicle with high clearance, although a Ford sedan works just fine if you take it slow and careful… which was just the way I liked it on a gorgeous fall day. 

BOO!

Happy Halloween!!!

This year the list of Halloween activities for kids grew by a mile; there was absolutely no shortage of things to do, places to haunt or spooks to see. The local family website Kidding Around Greenville gives a good idea of the options with their 2014 Ultimate Halloween List – crazy, right?

We opted to go back to Greenville Zoo for yet another year of Boo in the Zoo. Once again, remember to buy your tickets beforehand in order to use the “fast lane” to get in and go the first week if possible; this is helpful in avoiding the lines. The night we went we would have done well to go later in the evening, as the crowd had thinned out by then.

I like that the treats handed out at the zoo are a balance of treats and trinkets, but be warned that the trinkets aren’t made to last. And I know that Pepsi is a local company, but what kind of message are we sending the kids by handing out cans of Pepsi at the zoo? Luckily Lauris and Mikus understood when we said that the organizers wanted to make sure the adults get a treat…

Next up was Enchanted Tracks, the Greenville County Rec event at The Pavilion. Complete with trick-or-treating in a forest filled with fairy tale creatures, bounce houses and all sorts of games, this was much more crowded than last year and luckily we arrived not long after it opened and were able to avoid the lines for the fairy tale forest. George the Train wasn't running due to required maintenance on the tracks, but he should be back up and running in the next few months. Thank you to Macaroni Kid for the tickets!!!

A local group hosted a fun get-together during the week, with a parade, piñata and plenty of friends to race around with. If we only did one Halloween-themed activity next year, I wish we could come back to this party.

And finally, tonight’s the night! I am forgoing my handing-out-candy duties here at the house this year so that I can join the boys out trick-or-treating. Be on the lookout for the pirate, firefighter and pumpkin, and make sure to save a Reese’s for their mom!

PS The boys requested to see their costumes for the last few years, and I enjoyed seeing how they’ve grown! Here is Halloween 2011 (in France), Halloween 2012 and Halloween 2013.

Free mini golf at McPherson Park

McPherson Park was originally known as “City Park” and is Greenville’s oldest public park. The prosperous period of Greenville’s history following the Reconstruction brought a population boom and saw the arrival of three railroads. It was around this time that Caroline Cleveland Choice (wife of attorney and political activist William Choice  and daughter of Jeremiah Cleveland – merchant, banker and one of Greenville's early settlers & large landowners) donated the land for City Park in 1884, located right in the heart of what is now the East Park Historic District.

East Park is significant in landscape architecture as an example of an early twentieth century suburb. The Cleveland family had a vision of a park-like setting, and this was accomplished with retaining walls accentuating the hilly topography, grassy lawns, and trees providing shade – qualities that extended to City Park. In 1907 famous landscape architects Kelsey and Guild were hired to develop plans for beautifying the city, including the park, and plans were initiated to build a band pavilion for concerts, dances and political speeches. 1911 saw additional acreage added with a donation by W.C. Cleveland, and during WWI the park became the site of training marches for soldiers from Camp Sevier, just as it had been used by Camp Wetherill during the Spanish American War. When Greenville saw an influx of wealth with the production of war materials for WWI, the park flourished along with the East Park neighborhood.

Parking lot entrance on the left with Sears Shelter visible behind it, and the bandstand

During the Great Depression the park saw many a patriotic rally, and with the assistance of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), City Park underwent major renovations. It was in 1941 when these renovations were finished that the Greenville City Council recognized John A. McPherson's contributions to the beautification of the city and renamed the park McPherson Park.  That year also saw Sears Shelter opened, named for the $7,500 donation from Sears, Roebuck and Co. that (in addition to WPA assistance and a contribution from the city) allowed its construction. The shelter was immensely popular with city residents, and was the site of everything from teenage square dances and children’s parties to club meetings. During WWII the facility was made available to military personnel every night until the end of the war.

From left: public restrooms, log cabin dedication and the Sears Center

In the 1950s McPherson Park saw its glory days, with a small lake for bathing, a baseball field and the completion of a miniature train for children (constructed by the Kiwanis Club). However, by the 1970s all that was gone, George the Train ending up in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. (In a neat twist of fate the train was actually returned to Greenville County in March of 2001. Although currently down for needed track repairs, you can usually take a ride on it at the Pavilion Rec Complex.) Over the years the recreation center became a Senior Action Center, the bandstand got a new roof and a fresh coat of paint, and shuffleboard courts, tennis courts, covered benches & a miniature golf course were installed.

In 2005 McPherson Park saw additional improvements. Civil War cannons (which had been removed at some point) were returned, the children's playground was refurbished, and a bike/walking path was installed along with a commemorative stone pavilion. Even more recently a second children’s playground was built at the east end, and today the 12.5 acre park is home to the Senior Center and Log Cabin Gift Shop, lighted tennis courts, a picnic shelter and the mini golf course.

Civil War cannons overlook the park at the Park Avenue entrance

If you plan on visiting McPherson Park bring your own golf balls and clubs. I would suggest picking up a couple of putters at a yard sale as the course is outdoors, and frequently has leaf litter and other natural detritus on the greens. There is a large parking lot accessible from Park Avenue, and additionally steps descend from street parking along Main Street. The east playground is intended for children ages 2 to 5, while the larger, central one can be used by older children. Public restrooms are available, and the shelter is available to rent for parties and events. Finally keep your eyes peeled for the resident red-tailed hawk; each time we see it it’s had a successful hunt!