Nine years ago this past Thursday, Donna and I went on our first date. We spent it at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Oakdale, Long Island. To celebrate our special day we decided to kick off our “Ultimate Outsider” Challenge. The Ultimate Outsider Challenge is to visit all 47 state parks in South Carolina and once that is completed you get an “Ultimate Outsider” t-shirt and receive discounts at the parks, even some free stuff! So this will be a new topic for me to blog about. I know I haven’t shared much lately so this has lit a fire under my butt to blog.

We decided to start with the park closest to our apartment, Sesquicentennial State Park. What a gem!  There is a campground for rv’s and tents and rentals for canoes, paddle boats and standup paddle boards that you can take out on the 30 acre lake.  You can even rent fishing poles, just make sure you have your fishing license first.

The trees in the park are amazing.  I have included pictures but in order to experience their awe you truly need to see them in person.  There are small waterfalls and wild life all around.

It was so serene just listening as the water fall cascaded beside us as we sat and reflected on the past 9 years of our relationship.  How grateful we are for each other and for our new life here in South Carolina.  Both of us have been awakened by our new home, finding hidden talents and new strengths that were buried inside both of us.  The south is truly our “happy place” and we never want to leave.