Of course, South Carolina is famous for it's enormous plantations but even after all our trips to the area, we'd never been to one. So this was my one request and, never one to disappoint, Neil planned for us to spend the better part of Sunday exploring The Middleton Plantation. The plantation was founded in the 1700's by Henry Middleton, the President of the First Continental Congress.
In addition to the most amazing collection of camelia bushes I've ever seen (which were in full bloom when we were there!), the plantation sits right on the banks of the Ashley River. The houses on the property (or what's left of them) aren't much to write home about because as you might have guessed, they too were burned and looted during the war by Union soldiers...whole lot burnin' going on in the South during these times...very sad. The gardens and the grounds though have been restored and they are quite spectacular.
A stroll around the reflective pond right at the entrance...
And then through the amazing camelia garden. This place is like one huge maze. You could literally walk around it for hours and there are all these litte nooks with pretty benches amongst the flowers.
Even the camelias are covered in spanish moss. This stuff fascinates me, I wish I could bring some home with me. But alas, like our friend the she-crab, I've never spotted it north of South Carolina.
Our walk down to the Middleton Oak, a 900 year old oak tree on the property. I have never seen a tree create such shade. You could put 150 people under it easily and keep them all out of the sun. With the River in the background, you can see why this is one of the most popular locations for weddings in the area.
After a long walk up some craggley paths we were at the Butterfly Pond. You can't really see one "wing" of the butterfly in this picture but it's basically 2 huge ponds that flank a long piece of land (the body). From the high vantage point of the house, it's quite a sight with the river in the background.
As our walk continued, we noticed someone else enjoying the sunshine as much as we were...
Who's that down by the water? Oh I don't know, just a SEVEN FOOT LONG ALLIGATOR!!!! As we continued to walk we also saw a really scary, big, black snake coiled up on the path. I was going to take a picture but I was busy walking 1/2 mile out of my way to avoid it.
Our time at Middleton ended with a walk through the Octagonal Garden...
..and some time on my favorite southern contraption...the joggling board!
Sitting under a palmetto on a joggeling board...so southern! Someone hand me a mint julep...
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