I walked slowly through this land of magic, amazed and envious that a Charleston writing friend, who served as my guide, lives in this gorgeous territory. Familiar with decriptions of this unique nature preserve that he has written in the past, it lived up to all my expectations. Caw Caw Interpretive Center covers the grounds of several former rice plantations, built with slave labor during the 18th and 19th centuries. Today visitors can walk beside irrigation canals, earthen dikes and rice trunks (water-contrl structures) that remain from that period of time, as well as walk along marsh-bordered boardwalks and nature trails. Knowledgeable guides are available to answer questions about environmental issues, natural habitat and local Gullah culture, music and folk art. Only once before have I seen the deep set eyes and crinkled back of an alligator, that one in the swampland of Florida. Still, I viewed him only from a distance that time, partially concealed by leaves and branches. Not so today, as this creature lounged in the sun, alongside his reflection in the water. Content to stretch out before me, he moved only his suspicious eye as I circled and observed. My imagined protection, a few feet of water. His perceived safety, the identical distance. Many joined the journey we were on, lizards and turtles, blue herons and dragonflies. Tiny frogs dotted the trails like pepper in the wind, scattering in all directions as our feet moved forward. Lush green branches myrtles, oaks and maples hovered above us as we walked along the paths. Waterfowl played in the sun as we passed the rice fields, built with the hard labor of slaves in the 19th century. This particular paradise was just the beginning. We left the nature preserve to its 300 plus species of animals, birds and amphibians, heading out in search of food for the soul and stomach. The first we found at Books A Million. I admit I hedged at the idea of stopping at a chain bookstore, but my guide knew exactly what he was doing. This location has a section of local and regional travel books large enough to make up a store of its own. Rows and rows and rows, guide books and history and photography. It was heaven. Only our rumbling stomachs managed to pry us away from the feast of words and images. A stop at Atlanta Bread Company for sandwiches, chips and ice cold sodas took care of that.
The plantation home itself is not the only treasure here. A sprawling 630 acres of walking trails, gardens and picnic areas can be found surrounding Drayton Hall itself. Here we encountered two more alligators, swimming contentedly and semi-submerged in a pond a short distance from the main building. Turtles basked in the sun along the edges of the water, though quickly hopped in when I approached to take pictures. Camera-shy, I assumed ;) The humidity was taking a toll on us, so we were relieved to find a soda machine near the Museum Shop. We browsed the shop's goods and gratefully soaked in a little air conditioning, then took a break in sight-seeing until dinnertime, when we headed for Folly Beach. Fortunate with weather so far, our plans for a meal on the pier took a nosedive as the clouds hastily turned a very dark gray. Still, we had a little time to wander the beach, collect shells and listen to the sound of the water lapping against the shore, all the while keeping an eye on the sky. As the crash of thunder and flashes of lightening arrived, I lingered outside, watching the billowing patterns of the clouds. Eventually, the dounpour won out and we ran for cover and a couple of delicious plates of seafood at RJ's Seashell Restaurant. Grouper with a pineapple-ginger salsa for me, fried shrimp and scallops for him. Late at night, we sat together outside the inn, wondering how we had accomplished seeing so much in one day. What an amazing show: nature, alligators, books, thunderstorms, fresh seafood, photo opportunities. It was a perfect day in many ways, and a lesson to me that it's sometimes well worth leaving the intriguing historic districts of towns like Charleston and taking some time to explore the outskirts.
 If You Go:
Caw Caw Interpretive Center
Drayton Hall
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The morning air was already heavy and humid by the time we reached 