Cypress Gardens, Moncks Corner, SC

Tucked away in the flat lands of the South Carolina Lowcountry, north of the coast and east of the bustle of civilization, down a two-lane road bordered by pines and oaks interspersed with sweet-smelling mimosas is a piece of land that was once part of the golden era of rice. The rice is gone now, with the exception of two-pound bags sold in the gift shop, and the field once drained during low tide is a swamp. Change brought about by an era gone by, mismanagement, and hurricanes. What once was Dean Hall Plantation, settled in 1725 and named for a town in Scotland, is now a off-the-beaten-attraction known as Cypress Gardens.

Summer is not the best time of year to visit wooded areas in the Lowcountry. Every child of the south knows the stories of how plantation owners and their families fled to the mountains for respite from malaria and the yellow-banded bugs they didn't know carried the disease. My husband and I have our own history with these pests: I remembered the swarms and bites we suffered during our visit to Hampton Plantation last year and consequently, was disinclined to offer my blood on this visit. I called Cypress Gardens and was told the park had a balanced ecosystem, which kept the mosquito population down. I doubted that, but it was just after 9:00 A.M., early enough, I reasoned, to avoid a full frontal assault, and having had our curiosity piqued by the glossy photos of bald cypress trees surrounded by black water, we decided to check it out.

We arrived forty-five minutes after the park opened, and fifteen minutes before the guided tour of the swamp would begin. Having been told it was the best tour of the day, we held our ground like good little southerners, and waited on the dock. The time wasn't wasted. As we chatted with Joe, a young man who grew up in the area and gave us bits of information about the park and nearby Cooper River, we watched an otter hike down the nature trail and a smiling bride float along the swamp in a rowboat.

A twisted, but interesting start to our day.

We had the option of taking a rowboat and touring the swamp ourselves, but we wanted to hear the stories. Good choice. Soon, we joined six others and Joe in a small boat made of cypress, and took off. The kid two rows behind us talked and talked and talked, but despite the fount of misconception spewing from his mouth, Joe managed to tell us about Dean Hall Plantation and its evolution into Cypress Gardens. He explained how the gate system that once flooded the rice fields worked, and why the swamp was black (the water is clearish, but the bottom is black thanks to the cypress trees.) He showed us crumbling yet picturesque pillars and a bridge over still waters--scenery left from the filming of the movie "The Patriot". Joe also pointed out five alligators, a turtle sunning itself on a branch, carnivorous bladderworts, stunning lily pads in bloom, and a swarm of honeybees plastered to a tree. I asked how the park was a balanced ecosystem for indeed, we had yet to suffer one mosquito bite despite floating along what should have been stagnant waters. Joe explained that the cypress trees in the swamp produce an oily substance that skimmed the water, trapping the mosquito larvae laid there. An abundance of alligator gar, bass, what the bride called "big daddy catfish, yum yum" and who knows what else that lurked beneath the water then ate the eggs. I felt a pang of disappointment when the tour ended. That along was worth the price of admission.

After the boat tour, we investigated the butterfly house, a 25' by 20' humid room filled with colorful flowers and even more colorful butterflies. We spent about fifteen minutes inside, watching gorgeous bugs that don't make me scream flutter about and breaking out of their cocoon. Then we decided to check out Crocodile Isle.

My original impression was that the park could do without this attraction. I felt it was too kitschy, and bordering on mean. Though the crocs in the habitat are small and their exhibits clean, I felt the area they live in is too cramped for such creatures. Kelly, the park's Fish and Birds curator, contacted me with the following note, which I'm pleased to include for clarification:

"A call came 2 years ago that a zoo was being closed down in Florida and they were going to have to euthanize all of their animals. We quickly went to work to be able to help them out." (Please take a moment to read Kelly's full note in the comments section.)

We left Croc Isle after a few minutes, stopping only to chat with Triton, the park's engaging Cockatoo.

Cypress Gardens also has a small aquarium, but since the South Carolina Aquarium was next on our list, we quickly walked through it, and then headed toward the nature trail, where we had spotted the otter earlier that morning.

The trail is short--only four point five miles--and like the Lowcountry, flat and worth the time we took to explore it. We stopped to watch two turtles sunning themselves near the swamp. Checked out the charming wedding gazebo where, I assume, the catfish-loving bride would soon be married. Spent time oohhhing over the pitcher plants growing in a field, and as we went, I searched for other carnivorous plants such as Venus flytraps and sundews. And then I felt it. A bite. I looked down at my arm and saw a mosquito feasting near a freckle. I slapped my arm and felt another. I killed the new invader and suggested we head back. My husband didn't argue.

*sighs* I guess you just can't get rid of them all.

Cypress Gardens is open from 9:00 - 5:00, seven days a week. Admission price covers all attractions in the park. For more information, go to www.cypressgardens.info/

To see photos of our trip to Cypress, see the SC Aquarium/Folly Beach post, or go to my Webshots site.

For more information on Dean Hall Plantation, go to http://south-carolina-plantations.com/berkeley/dean-hall.html Check out Kelly's blog on animal care at www.birdsandfishes.blogspot.com/