Summer fun in South Carolina!

We set out early this morning for a bike ride along the Swamp Rabbit Trail with Boris and his good friend Joe Rice. Comprised of old railroad tracks that have been covered in asphalt, the trail winds through Greenville, following the Reedy River and its surroundings. I loved it – over 13.5 miles of car-free trails surrounded by lush vegetation, and uber-friendly walkers, runners, and cyclists. We need something like this up north! I was impressed with the fact that the trail not only runs through downtown, but also goes right through the inner-city parts of Greenville – too often our urban kids don’t have access to such amenities, and yet often they are the most in need of safe activities. I would have loved a trail like this growing up – instead, I settled for biking all through the city, which must have made my mother nervous as hell.

It felt really good to get out and bike. I also got the chance to snap a bunch of pictures with my iPhone. I was especially excited to get the chance to crawl into an old abandoned rail car for some interesting shots.

Later in the afternoon, we returned to the Reedy River Park, and took Addison to the splash pool. She loved it! I was amazed at how fearless she was while crawling through the sprays of water. It was a great way to cool down, especially because the South is so dang hot! Oh my goodness, every time we come down here I have somehow erased from my memory just how hot it is – but after a few minutes of standing outside, I’ve easily shed 5-10 pounds in water weight, and my memory is refreshed. Thank goodness we stopped at the Lazy Goat to get gelato!

We finished the afternoon with massages (thanks Jane!). Now I am looking forward to resting my weary body on the couch, filling up on Papa Johns Pizza, and finishing up Harry Potter 6 with Kendra and Jane.