Biking Around Summerton and Santee Cooper Lake Country

Like to go Biking? Try one of the many scenic rides around Summerton, Santee, and Lake Marion in South Carolina.

Biking, also known as bicycling or cycling, involves the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Today, there are more than 1 billion bicycles in use worldwide.

The more common types include utility bicycles, mountain bicycles, racing bicycles, touring bicycles, hybrid bicycles, cruising bicycles, and BMX Bikes. You can also find tandem bicycles, lowriders, folding models, and ergonomic recumbent bikes.

When you visit Summerton and nearby Lake Marion, you will find many nature trails and back roads to ride as you explore the wildlife and historical sites throughout the region. Some of these include:

• Killer Three Loop Trail
• Palmetto Trail
• Santee National Wildlife Refuge Trails
• Santee Shuffle Bicycling Route
• Santee State Park Biking Trails
  

Bicyclists in the U.S. save at least $4.6 billion a year by riding instead of driving. The average annual operating cost of a bicycle is $308, compared to $8,220 for the average car. The latest trend is towards use of electric bikes. - See “Best eBikes”

Selected Information Sources

• League of American Bicyclists
• Palmetto Cycling Coalition
• South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
• South Carolina Great Outdoors
  

 

Biking in Santee State Park, S.C.

* Be sure to visit the Summerton SC: Nature & Outdoor Recreation web site. Also, read our blog on 'Smart' Bikes.

Town of Summerton, SC – Slowly Growing , Looking Up, and Pulling Together

Summerton SC ‘Super Saturday’ this past weekend was another in a growing series of successful events that have been held in our town over the past few years. Think DuckFest, Spring Fling Car Show, Briggs v. Elliott Commemoration, Black History Month, the Summerton Health Fair, BirdFest, the Christmas Bazaar and more – see Summerton Outdoors Events. These events are sponsored and supported by numerous local groups that play a quietly active role in the daily life of our town and the surrounding communities. For example:

• The leaders in our local government are rarely acknowledged for their role in helping maintain and slowly revitalizing our town. If you looked closely, you saw the mayor, town council members, and local government employees in the background helping to ensure the success of Super Saturday and the many other events held in and around Summerton. See Town of Summerton web site.
• Also, many leaders of local businesses and business groups are always there, contributing funds and offering their support for the many community events that are held throughout the year. Thank you to Wen Lily’s, the Cookie Store, Short Trip, Summerton Pharmacy, the Rotary and many others who are always there in the background helping out. See Summerton Open Phone Book – Local Businesses. 
  
  
  
   
• Look around and you will also see our many local churches of all denominations and their members offering encouragement, use of their facilities for meetings, encouraging participation by their congregations, working together more and more to help unite the our residents behind constructive community events. See local Summerton Churches.
• There are a number of non-profit organizations such as the Lake Marion Artisans, the Historic Preservation Society, the Pink Dogwood Garden Club, the Swamp Fox Murals Trail Society, American Legion… that also regularly step up and provide volunteers and support in raising funds and helping coordinate many of our local community events. See Summerton Open Phone Book – Non-Profit Organizations.
• The administration, teachers, parents, and students at our local public and private schools are also active supporters and participants in helping out at local events, whether its students supplying their artworks displayed at the annual Black History Month art show at the Lake Marion Artisans art gallery, band members marching in local parades, helping out at fundraisers, preparing our youth to enter the job market and so much more. 
   

Summerton has weathered the ‘Great Recession’ over the past decade and is now coming out more vital and prepared to adapt to the ‘Information Age’ of the 21^st century. Retirees and new businesses are slowly but steadily moving into the area. The town has gone online and now has a fairly robust web site. The Lake Marion Artisans, Pink Dogwood Garden Club, Summerton Weekly News, Historical Preservation Society, Swamp Fox Murals Trail Society, Wen Lilys, Short Trip, Carolina Tree, CamStar and many other local organizations are now have web sites and are on Facebook and Twitter – see Summerton Open Phone listings.

As I look around I am very encouraged and proud of the many individuals and organizations I see working together quietly to maintain and slowly revitalize our town and the surrounding communities. They are all starting to coalesce around a vision of the future that emphasizes our many strengths – strong small town family values, the abundance of outdoor recreation resources (e.g. boating, golfing, hiking, fishing, hunting...), opportunities to explore and enjoy the many wildlife preserves and parks around Lake Marion, the many local festivals, and so much more.

What a great place to live – a place with opportunities galore as we move into the future! Hope to see you next month at BirdFest 2018.

Summerton United Methodist Church - Yard, Plant and Bake Sale April 14, 2018

Summerton United Methodist Church is having a HUGE Yard, Plant and Bake Sale on Saturday, April 14, 2018, from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm.  There will be household goods, electronics, decorative items, pictures, books, music, linens, collectible glassware (Fenton and Lenox), a piano, an amplifier, children's items and holiday items, as well as plants, pots, baked and frozen foods, a truckload of furniture and two trucks for sale.  Church members are selling raffle tickets for a Clemson Tiger football signed by Dabo Swinney, a Carolina Gamecock football signed by Will Muschamp, and a beautiful hand carved Tupelo wooden bowl made by Dr. L. A. Robinson.  There are also several items in a silent auction. There is something for everyone!

Also, don't forget to walk over afterwards to Main Street to see other activities of the Summerton Super Saturday Event.

Smart Gardening Technologies and Tools

This article is all about ‘smart’ gardening technologies and tools now available to the average homeowner. You might get a kick out of what is already out there.

Those of you who have read my previous posts on ‘Smart’ Hats, ‘Smart’Fishing Rods, ‘Smart’Kayaks, ‘Smart’Guns, and ‘Smart’Hiking Sticks - you already know I really often don’t know what I’m talking about. I’m just no longer a big outdoorsman. Instead of going outside to hike, kayak, fish, hunt, or garden, I much prefer to stay at home and interact with the many interconnected and entertaining ‘smart’ systems installed throughout my home.

However, I still know how to get up and go plant flowers, cut bushes, and mow the lawn if needed. Nowadays, whenever I get ready to go out to garden, I first ask my ‘smart’ assistant, Alexa, to start up the robotic lawn mower, my personal drone, and bring up the video feed and data from my lawn cameras, various plant and soil sensors, sprinkler system, ‘smart’ bird feeders, etc… and display the data on my big screen TV. That way I know what I will be facing. Then I grab my trusty ‘smart’ hat, ‘smart’ hiking stick, chair, and smartphone -- and head outdoors.

Definitions Horticulture is the science and art of growing plants – e.g. fruits, vegetables, flowers. It covers the fields of plant conservation, landscape restoration, soil management, landscape, garden design, and more. Gardening generally refers to the construction, cultivation, and maintenance of the gardens envisioned by a landscape artists. Gardening is heavily focused on the growing and cultivation of flowers and plants. ‘Smart’ Gardening generally refers to the design, development, and maintenance of gardens using the latest in modern technologies and tools, e.g. artificial intelligence, robots, drones, apps...

Examples of ‘Smart’ Gardening Technologies & Solutions

Gardening today need not be like gardening back in your Mom’s day. Today, it’s all about ‘smart’ gardening. The following are some recent published articles about ‘smart’ gardening technologies and tools you might want to know more about:

• 'Smart' Gardening: Using Home Tech for the Perfect Lawn
• Best smart garden devices and outdoor gadgets in 2020
• How does your garden grow? With high-tech apps and robotics  
• Latest smart indoor garden gadgets and accessories
• Cutting Edge: The Latest Lawn Mower Technology
• Robotic lawn mowers get voice assistant and GPS upgrade
• First smartphones, then smart homes, now prepare for the smart lawn
• Alexa, start mowing! Husqvarna launches "Just ask Alexa!" for robotic mowers
• Digital Trends: The Best High Tech Gardening Tools in 2020 
• Top Gardening Technology, Gadgets, and Apps heading into 2021
  

The 1^st generation of ‘smart’ technologies for homeowners and gardeners is now here – but imagine what technologies and capabilities the next generation of ‘smart’ solutions will include. For example – think augmented reality software, artificial intelligence (AI), self-driving vehicles, drones… and then onto your outdoor recreation ‘Smart’Fishing Rods, ‘Smart’Kayaks, ‘Smart’Guns, ‘Smart’Hiking Sticks ... Will the wonders never cease.

As I said before, whenever I go outside nowadays to play tennis, ride around in my boat, or watch a ballgame, do a little gardening… I now try to be ‘smart’ about it. What about you?

Other Selected Links

• ‘Smart’ Gardening Events
• C/Net 'Smart' Garden Buying Guide 
• ‘Smart’ Gardening YouTube Videos

 * Don't forget to visit the Pink Dogwood Garden Club web site.