With plans to spend our weekend venturing outside of the heart of Charleston, we kicked off Saturday morning with a scenic jaunt to Wadamalaw Island. Our first destination was the Charleston Tea Garden which holds the title for being the only tea grower in North America. There, we looked out across 127 acres of pristine tea plants and enjoyed sipping on a variety of flavors while learning about the production process. Sunshine and friendliness abounding, it was a lovely (and free) way to begin our weekend.

Sunday crested with a soft sunrise and clear skies which prompted us to prematurely rejoice in not having the chilly/rainy day that had been predicted. About an hour into our drive to Columbia we learned to trust the weatherman as dark clouds and torrential rains moved in. Mass at the Basilica of St Peter with breakfast to follow helped our slightly dampened spirits and we were geared up and Congaree National Park bound as the rain continued. Inside the park, this spectacularly soggy Sunday delighted us in bringing the swampy ecosystem to life. Moss glistened, streams swelled, and the plucky plip plip plip of rain drops serenaded us inside the depths of the woods. Six miles of boardwalk and waterside trails gave us our first wild boar sighting (so neat!) and a renewed sense of thankfulness for the great outdoors – and dry socks.