The Saluda.

One of the best parts of this area of South Carolina has to be the capable drivers and well-informed voters water... and not just because it's so mother loving hot here, either. Though, that has something to do with it. Really, truly there are some great rivers here in addition to our highly regarded Lake Murray. I suppose if you get right down to it, Lake Murray is nothing more than a dammed up part of the Saluda River, so we really should give credit where it's due. Thanks, Saluda River. In addition to the Saluda, Columbia has the Broad River, and these two meet to form the Congaree River. The Congaree converges almost 50 miles away with the Wateree to make the Santee River, which can take you right on out into the ocean. (Just a little SC river system lesson for you guys since school's been out for a while.)

A lot of life in Cola Town is centered around its rivers. The city was chosen as the state's capital because one could navigate the rivers from the ocean to the Congaree in Columbia without much trouble. Way back when, the mills of the city were situated where they could receive power from the rushing waters. My Popa's family lived in a part of Columbia called Olympia, where the cotton mill was located, and all the locals around that area were known as "lintheads" because of the cotton residue that would stick in their hair as they worked in the mill.

I grew up playing in the Saluda. The neighborhood that we lived in when I was a little girl backed up to the river, and we'd go visit her banks as much as we could. We'd play on the rocks and skip stones and swing on vines and splash in the chilly water. Even if our parents told us not to. We just couldn't stay away. There's something entrancing and inviting about the Saluda. In recent years, a great park was developed on the banks of the river, aptly named Saluda Shoals, and it is a super-awesome place to spend free time. There are trails for running, a splash pad for kids, shelters for gatherings, boats to rent, educational opportunities, a put-in, and a fenced-in park for dogs...among other things. It's a place we frequent, a place the kids love.

Saturday, we met our friends, John and Carolyn, and their twins, Mary and Jesma, at the park for a little afternoon canoeing. The weather was perfectly warm and the cool water was perfectly acceptable. Under Carolyn's suggestion, we paddled upstream to the Dreher Shoals Dam (which keeps Lake Murray full). The one very small rapid that we had to go against, gave us an unnecessary run for our money, and had Summit totally freaking out. When I say run for our money, I mean that our attempts to get upstream with paddles failed, and Matt had to pull us for 5 feet. Summit, however, thought we were going down. "Help! Somebody help!" he screamed. "We're gonna die! And we're never gonna get to see Mercy Lou or our house or eat breakfast ever again!" Breakfast, huh? The kid thinks we're dying, and when his life flashes before his eyes, he sees breakfast. Go figure.

 

After the very small hiccup in our trip, our journey continued, and the kids got to see why there is so much love in the Saluda River. Daring kids did some serious flips off a giant rope swing hanging from a tree on the bank. A massive bald eagle's home nestled high in the branches of a tall pine. Cool air blew off the water. A beautiful red-tailed hawk flew right beside us. Mist rose up out of the water. Turtles sun-bathed on logs. A beaver played in the current. It's just stunningly serene.

And, so a tradition continues. The water has stolen a piece of my kids' hearts, and they're ready to go back. (Well, maybe not so much Summit the Overreactor, but he's little. Based on how "awesome" he thought the kids on the rope swing were, that will change.)  But, I'm not surprised. She is one of nature's sirens. An elegant body of water.