Eglītes - the new man bun

So I didn’t know what a man bun was. And then my mother came to visit and of course I ended up googling it, and it’s a thing (although if you can trust the Detroit Free Press it’s a ‘do women hate). It’s also probably over, since I only find out about things once they’re passé.

Of course the circumstances that brought us to the man bun conversation are relevant; we’ve invented a word. Well, actually it is a new use for an old word, but it’s now being used on a regular basis at our house and I think will hit mainstream conversation soon.

eglīte -es, dsk. ģen. -šu, s.

vīrietim ‘zirgaste’, veidota galvas pašā centrā

The Latvian word for “little spruce” now also refers to a men’s ponytail, preferably on the top of his head. Originating as a way to keep Vilis's locks out of his face in the heat until his mother works up the courage to give him his first haircut, most popular with Mikus, often prompting smiles from even the most serious adult.

Of course there’s also the ponytail beard. Thanks dad! 

In order to not end on a note of facial hair, here’s a video showing the traditional Latvian folk costumes in a whole new light. “Katram savu tautas tērpu. Latvia Suits You. Dienrāža 2016 fotosesija.” Happy Friday!

A walk on the wild side in Congaree NP

Only 120,000 visitors visit Congaree National Park annually, as compared to the more than 9 million Great Smoky Mountains National Park gets in a year. As if we needed another reason to visit this ancient forest full of native hardwood trees, home to “champion trees,” the largest known survivors of their species. Our previous visit coincided with a serious downpour, during which we explored the Visitors Center and not much else. This trip (following right on the heels of our two days in Dreher Island State Park) saw sunny, though hot weather, but we still debated postponing our visit before even leaving the car – the black flies in the parking lot were intimidating (although thankfully mostly contained to the entrance and visitor center area)!

Congaree envelops the largest tract of old growth bottomland hardwood forest left in the US, the 26,546-acre National Park escaping being logged like much of the surrounding area due to intermittent flooding. Historically, over one million acres in South Carolina were covered with floodplain forest, but in less than 50 years they were logged and cleared, the surviving remnants drowned by reservoirs. After a campaign by the Sierra Club and local activists, Congaree Swamp National Monument was established in 1976 protecting the forest, although it was 2003 before it was renamed a National Park.

The best way to see the enormous forest, 57% of which is designated wilderness area, is by kayak or canoe. We were on foot, and therefore opted for the self-guided boardwalk tour beginning at the Harry Hampton Visitor Center. From chatting with other visitors we were disappointed to learn that the elevated boardwalk section between Weston Lake and Sims Trail was closed due to storm damage, and although this slightly extended the length of our planned hiking loop from 2.4 to 2.7 miles it was still an impressive tour.

The informational booklets provided at the visitor center are extensive and varied. The kids enjoyed searching for trees, animals and other things listed on the Kids in Parks Congaree Scavenger Hunt Track Trail, while the adults learned a few new things from the guided boardwalk tour; the brochure provides interesting factoids corresponding to numbered placards dotting the trail (which the boys exuberantly spotted and tracked, making sure we didn’t accidentally pass one up). For example, #11 involved a former state champion tree, a 150 foot tall loblolly pine. Nearby was another loblolly (#10) that could have been 200 years old; it fell during Hurricane Hugo in 1989. And somewhere is a loblolly (can be seen on the “Big Tree Hike”) that measures 170 feet tall and 15 feet in circumference, one of the park’s champions.

In comparison there is a bald cypress in the park over 27 feet in circumference, the wide margin due to the buttressed base. We learned about cypress knees, switch cane, water tupelos and the area’s rich soil, not much escaping our notice including snakes, lizards, turtles and interesting insects. On the last portion of the loop we even flushed a deer, the white tail quickly disappearing from view into the dense vegetation.°

At the far end of the loop we found the elevated viewing platform for Weston Lake. Once a bend in the Congaree River, Weston Lake is now an oxbow lake. Although it is slowly filling in with clay and organic debris, the lake is home to freshwater turtles such as the yellow-bellied slider and common snapping turtle, as well as catfish, bass and alligator gar.

A system of hiking trails fan out from this end of the boardwalk, for those visitors looking for a more intensive glimpse into the Congaree forest. With names like “Kingsnake Trail” I was sorely tempted, but we were content with retracing our steps to the Sims Trail and taking that back north in lieu of the low boardwalk.

Can you spot the alligator gar?

With a dozen different walks and tours available including the Big Tree Hike, Guided Canoe Tours and night hikes, there are plenty of ways to immerse yourself in this primitive world while learning all about the floodplain ecosystem. We emerged back at the Visitor Center tired and sweaty, but despite the battle with the black flies en route back to the car it was a wildly popular hike with kids and adults alike. It’s really just a matter of time until we return for another exploration of Congaree – maybe this time by boat?

Dreher Island SP

There is a treasure trove of state parks in South Carolina, as many as 15 out of the 47 in the Upstate (depending on where you draw the line between the Upstate and Midland SC). We’re far from having visited them all, but slowly we’re checking them off one by one, discovering the unique features which led to them being declared state treasures. Not only does each State Park host unique topography and therefore flora and fauna, but the parks also widely differ in what they have to offer to the public. Our most recent state park visit was to Dreher Island State Park and included a two night stay in one of the lakefront villas.

Only 30 minutes from Columbia, Dreher Island SP actually covers three islands for a total of 348 acres and 12 miles of shoreline. Although there are a multitude of camping spots located along Lake Murray, we opted to rent one of the five villas facing south over the water, providing a fabulous view of the sunrise and sunset. Upon our arrival Friday we were immediately drawn to the water, where a miniature beach allowed the boys lake access. While they splashed the adults unpacked, and utilizing the grill and picnic tables prepared dinner. The ravenous kids ate and were soon back by the water, with first the sunset, then the campfire reflecting on their faces.

After a restful night’s sleep we ate breakfast and set off on our first adventure. There are over 25 geocaches within park boundaries, some of which are on smaller islands and the majority near the shoreline, perfect for canoeists and kayakers. We had already checked off one before heading further into the forest, in search of a second located on the tip of the Villa Lane peninsula. Walking through the woods is very pleasant, with little to no underbrush owing to the mature oak/hickory canopy. As we explored, we hugged the shore finding treasure after treasure: the geocache we had set off in search of, egg shells (probably turtle), a turtle shell and all sorts of footprints, seeds and insects.

With the boys perfectly content to return to their mini-beach for more splashing, I hit the Little Gap Trail, the longer of the two nature trails in the park. Although the ¼ mile Billy Dreher Nature Trail would have been more appropriate for the entire family, I chose the 2.1-mile hike leading out to “Little Gap”, named for the proximity to mainland at the tip of the peninsula. I strolled north through more beautiful hardwoods, with frequent views of the lake as well as abundant wildlife. Although there were other hikers using the trail, I saw at least a half-dozen deer in addition to multiple great blue herons, red-headed woodpeckers and an assortment of smaller mammals. In search of yet another geocache I found the remains of an old homesite, two chimneys still standing to attest to the family that once lived there.

For those looking to fish, with a SC fishing license you can fish for largemouth bass and stripers, catfish, bream, crappie and yellow perch. The island is a popular location and launching spot for national fishing tournaments, but luckily all was calm on our visit even with the “Paddle Bender” canoe, kayak and SUP race one morning. Once the speedboats and fisherman emerged to recreate, the quiet was punctuated with the sounds of motors and people having fun, but somehow it didn’t bother us. I’m sure we added our own cacophony at times, especially when we visited the kid’s playground and found the alligator gar skeleton!

On our last morning on Dreher Island we packed up, but pulled into the State Park loop for one last swim before crossing the bridge back to mainland. Two ospreys circled overhead for a while before perching on snags, their nest nearby. A family was decorating the picnic shelter to celebrate a graduation, and a pontoon boat was anchored in a little cove, the family enjoying the sun. It was a perfect summer weekend made even more enjoyable by good company, and I’m looking forward to our next SC state park adventure – hopefully in the near future!

* If you plan your visit for the late June/early August, you can use Dreher Island as home base to boat to Bomb Island to view the annual purple martin phenomenom, when hundreds of thousands of birds descend at dusk to their migratory roosts on Lake Murray! For more, read my post The purple martins of Lake Murray.

Rainbow Falls

When looking to escape the hot, muggy summer days in Greenville we head for hikes up in the foothills. At just under an hour away, Table Rock and the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area offer countless trails with everything from scenic vistas to waterfalls and swimming holes for those looking for a day’s excursion. Jones Gap State Park on the easternmost edge of the Blue Ridge Escarpment is relatively underappreciated when compared to the other 7 State Parks hugging the North Carolina border, both due to the limited number of visitors allowed per day as well as the lure of attractions in neighboring parks such as the Caesars Head overlooks and Raven Cliff Falls. However, there is no shortage of fantastic hikes within Jones Gap, for families and more serious hikers alike.

I previously wrote about the Jones Gap Falls hike, which is around a 3 mile hike on the Jones Gap Trail more suited for our family of five (including the two with much shorter legs). After a stressful week with the three boys during which Roberts was out of town (thank goodness my mother was visiting!) I gave myself the day off; this is how it came to be that I was leaving the house solo for a morning hike to Rainbow Falls with a good friend, a rather strenuous 5 mile round trip hike I would not attempt with the entire entourage.

On weekends and holidays it is wise to get an early start if you’re headed to Jones Gap, as when the parking lot fills up the rangers close the park, letting in a car only when another leaves. Getting there in advance of the crowds might also make your time spent on the trail more enjoyable, if you like the whole “peace and quiet in the woods” thing. For me it was more the “no whining/lack of child on back” type of enjoyment, as I was only carrying supplies for myself; still, after departing from the parking lot we didn’t see another hiker until nearly at our destination.

To reach Rainbow Falls we parked in the main parking lot (closest to the Learning Center) and took Jones Gap Trail ¾ of a mile in to reach the Rainbow Falls trail. From there we turned north and followed the red blazes, crossing Cox Camp Creek several times as the trail wound north. From the intersection with Jones Gap Trail it is 1.6 miles to the waterfall, most of which is a rather steep climb up the ridge. About 2/3 of the way up, the trail cuts to the creek one last time; there the water flows over a giant boulder, the sliding rock a perfect spot for a few minutes reflection (or catching your breath!) before the arduous hike uphill.

Upon coming to an almost-vertical rock face the trail veers sharply to the west, bringing you back towards the creek. These are the Cleveland Cliffs, almost 200 feet tall at points. The stairs carved into the rock helped with the ascent. 

And before we knew it we were there, the sound of the waterfall reaching us at the same time as the sight of the 100ft falls. A series of smaller cascades at the bottom offer plenty of large boulders for a picnic, or maybe just admiration of the natural beauty surrounding you.

Formerly Rainbow Falls were only accessible by a trail from Camp Greenville at the NC/SC border, the same area we visited not long ago to see Pretty Place. If you can believe it, the new trail (constructed in 2008) from Jones Gap State Park offers an easier hike, despite the 1200 foot change in elevation.The waterfall is located on YMCA Camp Greenville property.

Because of our early morning departure we had the falls almost to ourselves; it was on our descent that we started meeting a multitude of other hikers. It's also on the return trip that we could really enjoy the views, especially that of Little Pinnacle Mountain. The hike down passed quickly, and soon after emerging on the Middle Saluda we were already back at the trailhead – this definitely didn’t feel like a 5 mile hike, possibly because I had such good company?

The Jones Gap Learning Center near the Jones Gap Trail trailhead

It might be some time before we return to Jones Gap as all the other trails I would like to hike are not suitable for our five and three year olds. However several of the Jones Gap trails are on my Upstate to-hike list (including Rim of the Gap Trail connecting JG with Caesars Head) so hopefully it’s not too long until I make my way back up to this corner of the Upstate. Thank you to my lovely friend for the company and the ride - let's do it again sometime!

Upstate Farm Tour part 2: farmed out!

We discovered Saturday evening after a full afternoon of the 9th annual Upstate Farm Tour that my four boys were all farmed out. Luckily Mikus recuperated by Sunday afternoon, otherwise I would have had a lonely second day exploring the farms down around Lake Hartwell. As much as I enjoy solitary time, the farm tour was really more enjoyable with children. Not only do I consider it important for them to know and understand where the food we eat comes from, but visiting working farms is educational and exciting; if it weren’t for all the hours spent in the car on Saturday I would have insisted they all accompany me on Sunday, as there were plenty of unique stops awaiting us that afternoon.

Our first stop was a new stop on the tour, Berry Acres in Anderson. Formerly Hardy Berry Farm, Berry Acres has been producing berries for 30 years. You-pick was closed with all the farm tour traffic and as the season is still young, but we were able to get a taste of the berries with a stop in the farm store after our tour. Being one of the first visitors of the day had its advantages; there were only a few cartons of blueberries available as they have only just started ripening, but we got our share! We also bought a container of giant, luscious blackberries, and not surprisingly both were empty not long after returning home. Berry Acres also have strawberries and honey, although strawberry season is definitely over for the year.

The meal stop on this year’s tour was at Forx Farm. I was intending to stop there anyhow for the artisan gouda cheese, but the availability of Friends Farm & Catering’s food truck sealed the deal. We joined the farm's cheese-making tour with best intentions, but somewhere in the middle of learning about the processes of turning raw milk into curds, whey and eventually cheese we ran out of patience, and following on the heels of a certain three year old I headed out of the cheese room. Forx Farms buys fresh, raw cow milk from nearby Southern Oaks Jersey Farm & Creamery and has the resulting gouda for sale, but they also keep bee hives. We bought some of the Lubsen honey and a thick block of gouda while admiring the beautiful beeswax candles, and then were treated to a view of honey bees turning nectar into honey at the farm’s observation hive.

The Friends Farm & Catering food truck menu was hard to resist, with several “Things” catching my eye including the “Veggie Thing”, “Chicken Thing” and “Fish Thing” in addition to the iced tea sweetened with Upstate honey. However we settled with a “Cheese Thing” made with Forx gouda which we enjoyed under the beautiful large oaks, enjoying the breeze and buzzing bees. Possibly Anderson's first "farm to table" business, Friends Farm & Catering have thirty years of experience under their belts (aprons), and place priority on sustainable, local and safe agricultural practices.

I was excited to visit Split Creek Farm, a goat dairy and cheese maker north of Lake Hartwell. Mikus met the goats but had most fun exploring the grounds, being as there were several interesting tucked-away corners with cool stuff to look at and fun things to spot throughout the garden. We caught a bit of the talk in the milking parlor, but soon stepped out to taste a few of their cheeses. Although we came home with the pesto goat cheese log, the garden garlic goat cheese spread and a bit of homemade fudge, I thought everything I tasted was delicious: the fromage blanc, the marinated feta, the various flavored chevres… Split Creek is also a source for raw milk, crème fraiche, ricotta and yogurt, non-food items including owner Patricia Bell’s folk art and local products from nearby farms such as eggs, honey, grits, corn meal & rice.

With Mikus in a great mood and a quick look at the clock I decided to include Lucky Acres Farm on the day’s itinerary, a bit of a backtrack to Townville. It’s fortunate that we made the side trip to see the alpaca farm as this was our favorite stop on the entire tour! Highlights included petting the gentle creatures as we learned about raising them, meeting a few miniature silky “fainting goats” (and seeing why they are called that!) and taking home some alpaca fleece, fantastically soft and nicknamed by Mikus mākonīša gabals (a piece of a cloud). Despite the heat we remained engaged and interested, and were rewarded with cold lemonade and homemade cookies; the alpacas aren’t the only lucky ones on Lucky Acres Farm!

The next stop along Lake Hartwell was the Seneca Treehouse Project. On my radar for some time due to the sustainability and permaculture principles at the base of this 3-year old community project, we had not been able to visit or participate in any of the learning/building sessions due to distance. However today was the perfect day for a visit as we got the full tour! One of the current owners guided us through the swales composing the gardens and orchard, to the Earthbag Dome – a fantastic example of low-impact construction using readily available materials. He explained the next phase of the project, a water catchment system/swimming pool/fish hatchery before leading us to the poultry pastures and on-site lumber mill. Hands-down the winner of favorite place on the entire two-day tour however, was the treehouse itself. Built into a giant beech with a view over Lake Hartwell, the treehouse is connected to the main house via hanging walkway. Complete with a sleeping loft, writing nook and enough space to hang out, I think Lauris and Mikus would be content to live there for the summer!

I hated to tear Mikus away, but it was time to head towards Greenville to meet the rest of the boys for dinner. As it was on the way, we hazarded one more stop – the Clemson University Student Organic Farm. We made it with only 20 minutes left in the tour, but this also means we had the guides to ourselves. The farm encompasses five acres, which are dedicated to intensive production of seasonal produce, herbs and flowers. With passive solar greenhouses, hydronic heating systems, reflecting fish ponds and rainwater harvesting, the farm is a model of sufficient and sustainable farming. With tour hours coming quickly to a close we asked to fish for minnows; the mosquito-eating fish can be caught with a large net system (and then returned to their home). Our guide then took us into one of the greenhouses to show off the prawn pond, and after catching and inspecting a few freshwater prawns we headed back to the coolers to pick out some peaches and plums to take home. Mikus must have impressed him with his fishing technique (or we gained his compassion by stepping into one of the water gardens and a fire ant mound) because we were allowed to pick enough blueberries for the car ride home – though they only lasted as long as one tired little boy managed to keep his eyes open.