Angel Oak - South Carolina

I just got back from a little vacation in (mostly) South Carolina. We had originally booked the trip to go to Smoky Mountains National Park, but the weather had different plans for us. The day we flew in to Atlanta, the region we'd be staying in at the Park was getting 10 inches of snow. We had a 4+ hour drive ahead of us, and all signs pointed to unpassable roads. So, instead of risking it, we cancelled our Airbnb reservations and spent 45 minutes hurridly planning a new vacation that took us south. 

It was a whirlwind of a trip that took us from Savannah to Charleston to a different National Park and a few stops in between. I'll be sharing some highlights over the next week! 

The first is this amazing Live Oak tree we stopped by, right outside of Charleston. It is purportedly the largest tree east of the Mississippi, 400-500+ years old, and absolutely gorgeous. Like seemingly everything in the south, this tree is said to be haunted, and it felt that way as we stood under it in the hot, quiet sun -- the tree has an overwhelming and otherworldly presence that was at the same time both beautiful and eerie to be near. Looking back at these photos it is just as amazing that something like this has been on earth, growing and continuing to grow, for so long. I am happy that the community there has fought so hard to protect it.