South Carolina

Our snowbird adventure continues with us now in South Carolina.  Modoc CCC campground is on the J. Strom Thurmond Dam and Lake at Clarks Hill.  This is the first COE Flood Control Project built in the Savannah River Basin...completed in 1954.  Originally, the project was to be named Clarks Hill Dam; but, the "s" on the end of Clarks was omitted due to a typo.  So, it became Clark Hill Dam until renamed adding the "s" to make it Clarks Hill Dam.  In 1988, the project was renamed again to become the now J. Strom Thurmond Dam and Lake at Clarks Hill after Senator J. Strom Thurmond (oldest Senator in US history).  The Dam is more than a mile long and 200 feet high.  The spillway has 23 gates.  The lake covers 71,100 acres at full pool and has 1,200 miles of shoreline.  Thurmond Lake is one of the largest inland bodies of water in the South.  You can see below how the land fingers are for the campgrounds.  Awesome!

More than 300 islands jut above the lake's surface.  One nearby our campsite is named "Goose Island" as the geese roost there at night.  We hear them squawking day and night.  A great sound.

There are land fingers around the lake where the COE have 13 campgrounds with over 500 campsites as seen here.  J rode his bike while I and my camera took a hike.  Trees budding, flowers blooming, birds singing, bugs hatching out, fish rolling, water birds fishing, turtles sunning, folk boating and paddling the lake, and strange things seen on the trees. 

White dogwood

Wisteria



A firewood run was productive.  The Rangers had cut some trees leaving behind nice size blocks for the taking.  We also cut some near our campsite, too. 

These hardwoods will produce a nice fire for cooking.  Look out chicken!





Do you think this will be enough wood for  nightly fires for 6 days?  We'll see.














An afternoon ride took us to CVS for milk and distilled water as the nearby minimart had rediculous prices on everything.  A half gallon of milk was OVER $5 and $2 for distilled water.   An invite by our NH snowbird friends for 5 p.m. cocktails was next.  What a joy to spend some time with old friends.

The sunset was beautiful on the lake across from our campsite.

I finally dug the small TV out from under the bed with J hanging it in the bay so we could watch TV outside while we had a nice fire.  Johnsonville dogs were calling for dinner with an apple on the side.  YUM!

I know you have seen a million campfires; but, I never can have too many photo shoots.  :)  Guess I'm just camera HAPPY!





A great warm, sunny day.  Until next time...take care...travel safe...see you by the campfire.