Colleton Whispers

Colleton State Park whispers.  It is unassuming and quiet.  It is small and primarily reaches out to those looking to escape into the woods in an RV or a Boy Scout tent.  In its quietness, there is acceptance.  Colleton welcomes the wild yells of boisterous Boy Scout groups.  She smiles as they run and shout and explore and learn next to the slow black waters of the Edisto River.
 
Colleton is so very small by acreage but is vast in her impact.  She has made it her mission to remind boys of the value of the wild things and to teach them that outdoor adventures are even more compelling than the virtual reality of their mobile devices.

As we travelled across the state from Columbia to Charleston, Hunting Island, Santee and all points south, Colleton smiled and whispered her greeting via her interstate sign.  We always returned the salutation, alerting each other to the sign, the park and our own memories of her respite.  We laughed when we thought of the children discovering the fun of a simple game of throwing pine cones  into a knothole of a great tree.  We smiled as we remembered each of the four staggering off the tire swings in a dizzy stupor.  We sighed as we heard the children remind each other of the wonder of the Luna Moth they discovered on the beam bordering the playground.

Colleton may be small, but she is intimate.  She is neighborly.  She is necessary.  Colleton is content to whisper an unassuming welcome and to offer her hospitality and respite whenever we can grant her the pleasure of a visit.