Santee State Park, S.C. Part V. Interview with Park Manager, Nathan Maiwald.

Click here for the first post in this series.

Another beautiful morning here at Santee State Park. The sunrise is only part of it. Somehow, I’ve got to learn how to record the sound of the birds. I don’t know much about birds yet. Something else to learn!

But even to the untutored ear, bird sounds are quite different from Park to Park. And even at different spots in the same Park. Here on site # 87 of Santee’s Lakeshore Campground they have a great time early in the morning.

A brave soul or two starts things off with a few notes about an hour before daybreak. Five or so minutes later, several more early risers add their contributions. By the time the sun peeks over the horizon, the concert is well into the first movement. Great to hear!

Enough about the birds. Today I’m getting ready for a 10:00 a.m. interview with Mr. Nathan Maiwald, Park Manager here at Santee State Park. I talked briefly with Mr. Maiwald on Monday. This is certain to be a good interview.

We met in Mr. Maiwald’s office at the Visitors Center. It has the look of a working office. Functional and compact. A good sign, in my experience. I tried to photograph some of the awards and certificates on the walls. But Mr. Maiwald asked that I refrain. Suffice it to say, the Park Service and others have recognized his efforts over the years. Though, respecting his wishes, I won’t be more specific than that.

As usual, I asked Mr. Maiwald to describe his career. His education. How he decided on a Park Service career. And how he arrived in his current position. Click to hear his response.

Coastal Carolina should be pleased with this! I’ve met several graduates of the Coastal Carolina program who are doing very well in the State’s Park Service. It’s essential we maintain a steady stream of these potential managers. The quality – even survival! – of our Parks depends on it.

I then asked Mr. Maiwald to explain the Park Service’s personnel system. Just how are Park Managers selected? How are Park Rangers classified? And all of that. Here he gives a clear explanation.

Some South Carolina parks are known for a single feature. A particularly beautiful piece of natural scenery. Or an unusual species of wildlife. Or whatever.

Even in the short time since arrival on Sunday, I’ve been able to identify several special features here. So I was interested to hear how Park Manager Maiwald would respond when I asked him what was unique about Santee. Click for his response. Sorry for the cell phone ringing in the background. That was mine! Forgot to shut it off while recording! Live and learn.

Next I asked Mr. Maiwald to identify his greatest managerial challenge here at Santee. Again, his response proved interesting. On the one hand the Park must maximize the number of people who visit the Park. Their fees provide essential revenue.

But on the other hand, this important 2,500-acre natural resource must be preserved and maintained. A challenge indeed. And one faced in a constantly changing natural and social environment.

Who would have dreamed ten years ago that State Park visitors would expect WiFi access while they are camping? Just one example. Parks that don’t recognize and adapt to changes in their natural and social environments are bound to suffer the consequences.

Driving toward the Lakeshore Campground on Sunday, I was surprised to see wide areas of burned forest like this on both sides of the road. Something I haven’t seen in other Parks. So I asked Mr. Maiwald about this.

The photo above is of an outdoor sign near a burn area that explains one reason for “prescribed burns” in forests. Mr. Maiwald gives us a more comprehensive explanation. Click again to listen.

I next asked Mr. Maiwald to describe the visitors to Santee State Park. He noted strong participation from the local community. And also those people who find the Park while traveling I-95 to some more distant destination, north or south.

I’d met several groups of those “Off I-95” campers while wandering around the campground. It’s hard to imagine a more diverse group! Some hoping to learn more about the real South Carolina. Others eager to confirm the negative preconceptions of the State they brought with them. Click to hear Mr. Maiwald’s response.

At the end of our conversation, I asked Mr. Maiwald about his plans for the future. Always a hard question to answer. A prudent manager will never go out on a limb with descriptions of grandiose plans that may never be realized. Yet denying any plans for change is equally inappropriate.

Listen here as Mr. Maiwald describes some of the innovations that already have been made here at Santee. In the photo above he points to the relatively recent addition of a small lending library. Excellent titles, by the way. Including one Louis L’Amour! He also mentioned board games available for visitors to borrow.

These are inexpensive innovations that may well improve the experiences of many visitors who otherwise would leave with bad tastes in their mouths, so to speak. Programs I like to describe as “High Bang; Low Buck” innovations. Essential in this time of budget crisis. Glad to hear it!

Thanks again, Mr. Nathan Maiwald, for your generous contribution of time this morning. You’ve helped our Carolina Considered readers and listeners to better recognize the value and beauty of this remarkable South Carolina Park.

Stay tuned to this station, as they used to say, for at least one more post on the opportunities available at this Park.

Oh, and if you’d like to listen to the interview with Mr. Maiwald from beginning to end, click here.

Click here for the next post in this series.

Santee State Park, S.C. Part IV. Paddling Lake Marion.

Click here for the first post in this series.

The weather today at Santee State Park could hardly be better. By late morning the temperature had risen into the mid-70s. With a 5-10 mph breeze from time to time off Lake Marion.

Now, how’s that for a morning greeting! Right outside the Mobile Studio’s window! The picture, as usual, hardly does it justice. If you click on the photo and look closely you’ll see the sun rising above a long bridge. That’s where I-95 crosses Lake Marion. Imagine that!

Sorry that you can’t hear the symphony of bird songs in this part of the Park that accompanies the sunrise. Somehow daybreak seems to inspire more species to add their songs to the concert. Wish I could record some for you.

Today is reserved for kayaking. The weather’s perfect. And the forecast is for rain on and off during the rest of the week.

So, off I went to one of the heated bath houses in the Cypress Campground for a good hot shower. Ah, this is roughing it! Then back to the Mobile Studio on Site # 87 for a few hours of writing and editing photos.

Soon it was time for lunch here in the Mobile Studio. Almost anything tastes good when grilled outside in surroundings like this. And, according to some authorities, food prepared in the “wild” this way is calorie-free, meaning it can be consumed in any quantity! Or, so I think I’ve heard ….

With the kayak motor’s fuel tank topped up, and more, it was over to the boat ramp near the Visitors Center. The Lakeview Campground has its own boat ramp. But nobody was around when I stopped by. So I decided to use Park’s more active ramp. Always good to have a few people around when kayaking. Especially in a new place. Especially for ElderKayakers like me.

Fisheagle Tours rents canoes and kayaks here, and operates their nature tours of Lake Marion from this part of the Park. I was fortunate to meet Tim, owner of Fisheagle Tours, while inflating my kayak in the parking lot.

Tim provided excellent advice for my first paddle of Lake Marion. The ideal thing would have been to take a tour on their huge lake boat beforehand. But they weren’t running today, and there would have been too little time anyway.

Following Tim’s advice, I put in from the Park boat ramp and headed northwest, then into the cove just beyond the Visitors Center. Conditions couldn’t have been better. Just the right combination of sun and breeze to make for comfortable paddling.

First, past the Park’s ten wildly popular round cabins on the piers. Fish right off the deck! I personally prefer campsite # 87. But these cabins stay booked throughout the year. Maybe because they’re fully furnished, and even have satellite TV and WiFi! More on the cabins later.

The nearby cypress trees along the shore of the lake are remarkable. How can trees grow in such an environment? Let alone, thrive! There’s endless variety in their shapes and sizes.

Here’s some cypress right next to the cabins’ pier. I took the photo earlier from the shore. Think there might be an alligator or two somewhere in there??? Well, everyone says they’re are. But I didn’t see a single one during the whole paddle. Lots of turtles. Some fairly large. Out sunning themselves on logs. But nary a single alligator.

Oh, and before I forget it, there were deer tracks all over the shore here. Coming down to drink, right in one of the busiest sections of the Park.

Deer abound in this Park! Last night while grilling dinner outside in the dark, a persistent rustling of the leaves just beyond the campsite caught my attention. It’s always a good idea when camping to know your visitors. So I pointed a light-up-the-world SureFire flashlight toward the sound. There stood seven deer. All does. A couple, quite large. Irked by the bright light, they nonchalantly ambled back into the woods to continue their night forage.

Back to the paddle. Conditions remained ideal. Here and there a breeze ruffled the water. But for most of the way the surface of the water was smooth as glass.

The Advanced Elements Expedition, especially with the bow-to-stern backbone installed, paddles effortlessly and tracks well. It’s as stable as one could wish. Ideal for those of us whose Zippety-DooDah White-Water-Running days are long past. It could be tipped over, but it would take a concerted effort. And, I find it easy to maintain a steady 3-knot speed for quite long distances when that’s required.

I paddled the Expedition along, close the shore. Slowing or stopping here and there to enjoy the sight and songs of birds, and to watch the turtles watching me as they sunned themselves on rocks and logs. Then on again, with the whoosh-whoosh-whoosh of the paddle adding a nautical flavor to the scene.

I won’t continue to bore you with more photos of these incredible cypress trees. I took a bunch of them during the paddle. Hoping to find evidence of an alligator lurking in one or more of them. No luck! They’re beautiful, though. I’m eager to paddle back out for another look around.

Back to the Park boat ramp all too soon. This lake has cypress trees and stumps sticking out of the water from a long shallow bar less than a mile from shore. It’s a great place to see impressive water birds. Their huge nests are visible from the boat ramp.

Lake Marion is known for these outcroppings, and the floating debris they produce. Obstacles for power boaters. But opportunities to view spectacular wildlife for kayakers who provide their own power. If you’re not ready yet to paddle a kayak, then take one of Tim’s Fisheagle Tours. You’ll get to see the area from the comfort of a huge pontoon boat. And with a knowledgeable guide.

I was tempted to paddle out to those cypress trees to view the incredible bird life there. But the hour was late. Better judgment prevailed. So in to the boat ramp with much more left to see.

Anyway, it was almost time for another grilled dinner! Maybe the deer will drop by again tonight and I can get a photo.

Stay tuned for more on this beautiful State Park, and an interview with Park Manager, Nathan Maiwald.

Click here for the next post in this series.

Santee State Park, S.C. Part III. Checking in and the Lakeview Campground.

Click here for the first post in this series.

And, as always, click any of the photos to view a larger image.

The Mio GPS, however adventurous, landed me at the parking lot of the Santee State Park’s Visitors Center at just before noon. Well ahead of schedule, and well before the normal 2:00 p.m. check-in time. With trepidation, I entered the building.

The starchy lady in attendance checked my identification and reservation in the computer. I was certain I’d have to wait to check in. As was only proper. But she kindly prepared a window tag for the car, and directed me to my site. Which, fortunately, was already vacant. I thanked her and went outside for a look around.

The parking lots at both the Visitors Center and the dock/boat ramp area were busier than I expected for this time of year. People loading and unloading boats. Families picnicking. Local young people here doing what young people do, while enjoying the natural environment of this Park.

I spotted a new Aliner parked nearby, and spoke with its pleasant owners. They were from Baltimore, and just passing through. The I-95 SuperHighway is near enough, it seems, to encourage that. On their way north from Florida, if memory serves. They had reservations at Little Pee Dee State Park for that night. [I look forward to visiting there in April!] But pulled off here just to have a look around. Said they were pleased with their Aliner. No surprise there!

Then, map in hand, off I went to find campsite # 87. Santee State Park, it turns out, is an enormous place. Nearly 2,500 acres in all. Encompassing a variety of environments. More on those diverse environments later on.

The Park maintains two campgrounds. The Cypress View Campground with 50 sites, 13 of which are pull-throughs, is near the Visitors Center. The Lakeshore Campground with 107 campsites, 19 of which are designed as pull-throughs, is nearly five miles east, on the shore of the lake.

I’d chosen a likely-looking site in the Lakeshore Campground when making the on-line reservation. And was delighted with the selection upon arrival. More on that too in a moment.

Santee State Park is open for RV camping year round. But, according to one informant, only the Cypress View Campground is used during the coldest winter months.

This Lakeshore Campground, then, was just awakening from its winter hibernation. Shaking off the accumulated winter-long efforts of the surrounding forest to reclaim its rightful territory.

Here and there Park Service folks had felled trees that awaited cut-up and removal. Many of the most desirable campsites had been blown free of leaves, while leaves and small branches still covered other sites. All of the sites I saw had hard-packed dirt and sand surfaces. With the maintenance challenges those fragile surfaces bring.

Site # 87, it turned out, was right on the northeast corner of the Campground. Just as the on-line reservations map had suggested.

The surface was rough, as you see above, with tree roots sticking out here and there. It sloped toward the lake shore. Which made leveling the Mobile Studio a challenge. Thank heaven for the BAL Leveler!

But imagine that view! Lake and lake shore from the Mobile Studio’s front window, and from both side windows. With beautiful trees in every direction. With a little effort I could almost imagine I was out in the forest! Though, the water and electricity provided at the site were a blessing. I wouldn’t have traded this site for any other in this Park. Or for any in other Parks as well. It’s incredible.

After set-up, I walked around this Lakeview Campground, delighted with my good fortune. For the next five days I’d be able to enjoy this special environment in relative comfort.

Now, Santee State Park’s Lakeview Campground is no sterile, “full-service” campground. It exists unapologetically in the wild. Those facilities available are simple and practical. As you can see in the photo above. They fit into their surroundings.

To enjoy all this, we RV campers are required to make some accommodations with nature. [Like some extra effort to level rigs on a site!] But the effort is worth it.

Stay tuned as I introduce more of the Park’s features in the next few posts.

Click here for the next post in this series.

Santee State Park, SC. Part II. The Drive Down.

Click here for the first post in this series.

Off to Santee State Park, Mobile Studio in tow, this morning at 10:30 a.m. MapQuest and GoogleMaps agreed the trip would take less than two hours. But since this was the first time to visit Santee State Park, I thought I’d allow a little extra time to find the place, if necessary. Check-in at South Carolina State Parks is 2:00 p.m. And I didn’t want to lose any daylight hours.

With the confidence of a de Soto, or of a grizzled Lewis and Clark Expedition veteran, this trip I relied almost exclusively in the Mio GPS to guide me. Recently, I’d found an obscure menu item that promised to eliminate “highways” from routes the Mio GPS proposed. And had enabled it with high expectations. The perfect thing!

Well, avoid “highways” it did. Though I should have noticed that no solid definition of the term “highway” was mentioned. This new setting turned the trip into quite an adventure.

Everything was fine for the first fifteen or twenty minutes. The Mio GPS skillfully guided me in the general direction of Route 601, which would have been fine. It eliminated those irritating demands to return immediately to Interstate I-77, or I-26, or some other “I.” Which was encouraging.

Apparently liberated by this new setting, whenever a shorter route was available, the Mio GPS Lady turned me onto it. Probably to demonstrate her detailed knowledge of the area. Also encouraging. How wise I’d been to select the Mio over more expensive brands a few years ago.

However, she did so even when the road indicated was only dirt, and barely passable. About 30 minutes into the trip, obeying one of her prompts, I drove more than 4 miles on a one-lane dirt road. Well, not really a road. Hardly more than an upwardly mobile path. Aspiring one day to become a proper road. I drove as fast as possible past hunting camps, abandoned barns, forgotten cemeteries, tall antenna towers with their surrounding buildings, and herds of bored cattle.

At any moment I expected a large and determined truck to rush down on me from the opposite direction. Demanding that I, the lesser road creature, either back up or pull over.

Either option would have been impossible. The first due to my limited driving skills. The latter because of high banks of soft, trailer-devouring earth on both sides of the road.

In the event, nobody came from the opposite direction. Drivers in the area must have learned long ago to avoid that road.

All turned out well on that 400-mile – well, really more like 4.5 mile -- strip of dirt road. It eventually fed into a beautifully paved thoroughfare.

It too boasted only a single lane. But here and there were the beginnings of what in a few years might be described at "shoulders." That is, areas where one could pull over without fear of being swallowed up for discovery centuries later by a curious graduate student in anthropology.

That wasn't the end of the "no highways" experience. Thereafter, the Mio GPS Lady guided me onto three or four additional dirt roads never intended to support automobile traffic. Let alone an elderly Town Car pulling a small travel trailer. None, however, were as exciting as the four miles of single-lane track described above. Nor, for that matter, as scenic.

One, in fact, was downright funny. About two-thirds of the way to Santee State Park, the properly paved road forked. One branch turned slightly to the left; the other slightly to the right.

It was immediately obvious that the left-turning road was the proper choice. The Mio GPS lady insisted, however, that I bear right. Trusting in the Power of Technology, I meekly obeyed, and right we went. Abandoning the obvious choice, with visions of the earlier dirt track still vivid in my mind.

Well! Within a tenth of a mile, the Mio GPS Lady instructed me to make a sharp left turn. I slowed, naturally. Always eager to please. But no road was visible. The GPS voice then snapped "route recalculation," as the GPS screen went into confusion for a second or so. Then again, with no hint of apology or regret, she barked "Make a sharp left turn!"

This time I slowed to a crawl and studied the grassy field between me and what I’d earlier recognized as the proper road. And there it was. A faint track, running directly across the thankfully flat and obstacle-free field of low-growing grasses, straight to the other fork of the road.

Now, this track wasn't a "road" in any but the most tortured sense of that term. It was just a "path" across the field. One worn down slightly by folks like me who’d taken the wrong turn back at the Y, and then had the confidence to drive across uncharted territory to return to the proper road. They too must have been listening closely to their GPS guides.

Now, how did the Mio GPS Lady know about that path, or track, or whatever it was? And why did she prefer said track to the proper road? Ah, the mysteries of travel. Were Lewis and Clark to have relied on GPS, we'd all still be huddled together east of the Mississippi!

All too soon, right after driving through a nice residential neighborhood where folks out manicuring their lawns stared suspiciously at the be-trailered intruder, the Mio GPS Lady routed me onto "State Park Road." Always a good sign when your final destination is a state park. And after a couple of miles, there it was. The Visitors Center, the cabins, the docks, and the boat ramps in all their glory. I’d made it!

Click here for the next post in this series.

Santee State Park, SC. Part I

Table of Contents for This Series

1. Introduction and route down.
2. Drive to Park from Columbia
3. Set-Up and the Lakeview Campground.
4. A kayak paddle on Lake Marion.
5. Interview with Park Manager Mr. Nathan Maiwald
6. More things to see at Santee State Park.

Off on Sunday for Santee State Park. Another of South Carolina’s most popular State Parks. And one I’ve yet to visit.

It’s always nice to re-visit a favorite camping spot here in South Carolina. Like Edisto Beach State Park, Lake Wateree State Park, or the Upstate Keowee-Toxaway State Park. But there’s a special excitement in looking forward to a new campground.

If the new destination is a State Park, there’s no risk that the trip will end up a total disaster. Some South Carolina State Parks are better than others, of course. But none of them – none that I’ve encountered so far, anyway – have made for anything near a camping disaster.

In fact, those Parks that have shown evidence of limited financial resources all have been located in some of the most interesting parts of the State. Which more than compensates. And there’s always – at least in my experience – a good place to park your rig, reliable electricity, water, and a hot shower. There may be exceptions to this, of course. And I’ll surely let you know if and when I encounter any.

The route down looks interesting too. And that’s always part of the fun. It seems possible to avoid the homogeneous super-highways that crisscross the state. They are good roads. But they’re all painfully similar. Not anywhere near the natural and social scenery found when traveling the back roads of the State.

The route indicated above is much shorter than I expected. Only about 60 miles. With estimated travel time of less than two hours. Not bad! I should have visited this Park long ago!

Click on the screen capture photo above to visit Santee State Park’s website. It’s beautifully maintained. One of the most comprehensive Park websites I’ve come across. Full of photos, videos, and general information about the Park and its environs. That website is by far the best place on the Web to find information about this Park. Though I hope to give you some first-hand photos and evaluations in the next few posts!

The videos on the official Park site take a moment or two to load. But do have a look. It’s worth it. The Park Video Tour is especially comprehensive and well done. Click on the link to have a look. It’s an interview with Park Manager, Nathan Maiwald. I’ve e-mailed Mr. Maiwald to invite him to an audio interview for CarolinaConsidered next week. Hopefully he will have time.

In the meantime, to learn more about Mr. Maiwald and his career with the Park Service, click here. A good biographical page. The more I visit South Carolina’s State Parks, the more I realize the difference the Park management makes in the operation of each Park, and in the experience we visitors have while there.

Santee State Park is located in the eastern part of South Carolina’s Orangeburg County. Another of South Carolina’s counties chuck-full of interesting places to visit. At least one trip to Orangeburg, the County Seat, is a must. But it will have to compete with the Park’s immediate surroundings. And, with Lake Marion. Which looks ideal for kayaking. I’ll certainly have the Advanced Elements Expedition inflatable kayak along in the back seat. Hoping to get in at least one long paddle.

So, tune in soon for more on Santee State Park, Orangeburg County, and Lake Marion.

Click here for the next post in this series.