Mile 700 - Walterboro, SC

As of March 6, 2008 at 8:00 AM
Steps: 1,654,536
Miles: 700.64

Welcome to the City of Walterboro

Established in 1826, Walterboro offers the best of South Carolina. From a rich history, to being the artistic center for South Carolina, to an appreciation of natural treasures, the City of Walterboro is where the Low Country begins. The City has achieved a balance between being the economic heart of Colleton County and the preservation of its small town character.


South Carolina’s newest nature-based attraction, the Great Swamp Sanctuary in the City of Walterboro offers visitors the ultimate Lowcountry experience, combining history, culture, recreation and education in a singularly southern lowlands setting. Just three minutes from I-95, this environmental jewel is ideally positioned to serve as the gateway to other nature-based centers in the state and as a catalyst for the lucrative ecotourism market.

Nothing like a Chamber of Commerce sales pitch huh?

Regardless - it sounds like a nice place to walk.


The swamp consists of hardwood flats which are defined by a series of streams which braided their way through the area. Wildlife is abundant with native populations of wild turkey, deer, raccoons, beaver, otter, mink, opossum, squirrels, fox, and wildcats. There is a large, year round, population of song birds, as well as wading birds, ducks, and predator birds. The area serves as a stopover for transient and migrating birds.


The Charleston to Savannah wagon road runs through the heart of the sanctuary. While the wooden bridges have decayed, the impressive road bed remains. The bridges have been replaced with boardwalks and the road bed has become an integral part of the trails. The overland commerce of Colonial times moved over this road. Persons interested in history and archaeology are able to explore and traverse the Old Wagon/Stage Coach Road over which all overland traffic passed between Charleston and Savannah.

Hopefully the drought they are having in the south isn't impacting the swamp too much.

Mile 690 - Yamassee, South Carolina

South Carolina - The Palmetto State

As of March 5, 2008 at 8:30 AM
Steps: 1,635,990
Miles: 693.03
Miles to North Carolina: 149.97


Asked by the Revolutionary Council of Safety* in the fall of 1775 to design a flag for the use of South Carolina troops, Col. William Moultrie chose a blue which matched the color of their uniforms and a crescent which reproduced the silver emblem worn on the front of their caps. The palmetto tree was added later to represent Moultrie's heroic defense of the palmetto-log fort on Sullivan's Island against the attack of the British fleet on June 28, 1776.

*-Predates the Department of Homeland Security by quite a bit, eh?


This state has some unusual names - especially the rivers like Pee Dee. The Virtual Walker is somewhere near the "C" in Charleston, nearing the Edisto River.

The Yamassee were a tribe of Native Americans that were dealt a bad hand by fate and by white settlers.

In 1715, the Yamassee began to attack South Carolinian colonists, triggering the Yamassee War, which lasted until at least 1717. Many tribes allied themselves with the Yamassee. In 1716 the Cherokee Indians allied themselves with South Carolina settlers and began to attack the Creek Indians, which turned the tide of the war. While the South Carolina militia could not fight the powerful Creek, they did defeat the Yamassee in pitched battle at Salkehatchie on the Combahee River.

The Yamasee then migrated south to the area around St. Augustine, Florida, and became allied with the Spanish against the English. In 1727, the British attacked the tribe's settlement and slaughtered most of them; this and conflicts with the Creek decimated the Yamasee population. The survivors eventually assimilated into the Seminole tribe.

Red Alert! Red Alert!

As of March 4, 2008 at 9:30 AM
Steps: 1,614,704
Miles: 684.30

The Virtual Walker will just have to wait!


This photograph taken by LadyStyx shows ...what?

Theories abound... The morning news and talk shows are buzzing... Even Regis had something to say about this (granted nothing intelligent.)

My governmental sources are being very tight-lipped - and Deep Throat retired years ago much to the dismay of the Truth with a capital "T" seekers of the world.

Here are some of the latest theories:

1) With pure evil glowing in their eyes, and directed by the big Orange Can Round in the background, these Orange Coneheads are an angry mob bent on revenge. With the failings of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Aliens) to make sure that their fellow Coneheads were kept safe along the nation's highways, streets, and parking lots combined with mistreatment of those Orange Coneheads that are forced to stand outside in the intense heat or cold, day after day without food or drink, things have reached a breaking point. Stay tuned for Fox Network's "When Orange Coneheads Attack!" for more gory hype and mindless speculative details.

2) LadyStyx tells me these critters were in front of a 7-11. A simpler theory would be that they were on strike, protesting 7-11's policy of hiring non-engish speaking, non-americans to operate their stores. Given that Orange Coneheads are also non-engish speaking, non-americans I not sure that this theory, much like Orange Coneheads themselves, has a leg to stand on. Perhaps they are angry about racial discrimination... Whites, Blacks, and Yellows have never gotten along well with Oranges.

I'm sure there is a "pecking order" amongst aliens. Calling Margaret Meade... where are you? Oh never mind, she died in 1978.

3) This is an innocent gathering for a Orange Conehead (Boy? Girl? Its?) Scouts (Coney Scouts?) around a campfire. With all the post 9/11/2001 paranoia going around, could it be this simple?

Let me know what YOU think is going on here.

Is it Surf and Turf?

As of March 3, 2008 at 8:30 AM
Steps: 1,603,314
Miles: 679.64


In Florida the only snow-like "white stuff" on the ground seems to be a bunch of White Ibixes eating bugs after the lawn sprinkler shuts off.


Close-up of a White Ibix. Looks sort of... well, alien with that bill huh? The bird uses this bill for probing for various fish, frogs and other water creatures, as well as insects.


A school in Florida means a bunch of fish! On Grassy Key there is an old quarry that Henry Flagler's railroad used to get stone for the right of way. This quarry has filled with water and was the home of a "aqua farm" and fish hatchery. The quarry is now for sale - and open to the public for those that wish to feed and swim with the fishes - and I mean feed them fish food and swim with a snorkle, not mobster "hit" bodies!

The virtual walker returns in the next posting.