• I’On Community. The I’On Community in Mt. Pleasant offers a terrific backdrop for a leisurely stroll. The Avant Garden has one of the most spectacular views of the lake as well as benches and tables for a nice chat. The Village Walk boasts a self-guided five mile walking trail throughout the community with interesting environmental, historical and architectural features. The guide is available for $5 at most of the businesses on I’On Square. You can also enjoy the many miles of gravel paths along the three primary water features and admire the beauty of Perseverance Park, a formal garden with benches, lots of shade and a lovely fountain for reflecting. www.ioncommunity.com
• Street Walking! When's the last time you went downtown, parked your car, and got out and walked the streets of Ansonborough or South of Broad, Wraggborough or Radcliffeborough? Why not do it this Spring? Be prepared to be dazzled by the beauty of the architecture, the grandeur of the mansions, the amazing restoration of many, the lovely gardens that peek from behind gates and porticos. And bring your camera! You're living in one of the USA's favorite cities - appreciate it with your eye and that of your camera. Rediscover this wonderful historic place!
• Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site. The park provides seven miles of paved and unpaved trails. Walk along the marsh or through the 80 acres of English park-style gardens, featuring thousands of azaleas, camellias and live oaks, some several hundred years old. www.southcarolinaparks.com
• West Ashley Park. This newer park near the Glen McConnell Parkway features a selection of hiking trails around a pond and wetlands and West Ashley has many more parks to visit! Check 'em out here: www.charlestoncity.info
• Mallwalkers at the Citadel Mall. Enjoy walking alone or with fellow Senior Service Advantage members in a climate controlled, safe environment at the mall during extended hours. Mallwalking is fun and great exercise, walking the duration of the mall is approximately one mile. In addition to walking, members are entitled to exclusive monthly meetings focused on a variety of health topics. For additional information, call Roper St. Francis Advantage at 724-2489. To register for a monthly educational breakfast, call 402-CARE (2273).
• Summer Wine Strolls. Every Wednesday through November, enjoy wine tasting in the Gardens of Middleton Place! Summer Wine Strolls will be held every Wednesday from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. Cost is $10.00 per person. Each Wednesday, Middleton Place will host the wine tasting in a different garden location. Enjoy strolling through America's oldest landscaped gardens while sampling a variety of summer wines. Wine Stroll participants are urged to extend their evening with dinner at the Middleton Place Restaurant. For dinner reservations, call 843-266-7477.
• Sawmill Branch Trail. Just outside downtown Summerville is a popular walk/bike trail that parallels the Sawmill Branch Canal. This flat, 10' wide paved trail is over 6 miles in length and is a great place to hoof it or ride your bike. It's open dawn to dusk, and is maintained by the Town of Summerville. Parking area on Luden Drive. www.scgreatoutdoors.com
• Visit the Patriots Point Nature Trail. Enjoy the wildlife of Mt. Pleasant as you stroll through one of the hotspots frequented by neo tropical song birds flying south from Canada to South America. This protected habitat offers a flat, stone surface that crosses over the south part of Patriot’s Point Blvd with a scenic watch tower and astonishing views of the Charleston Harbor. SC Trails.
• Palmetto Island County Park: Needlerush Parkway. Pick up a map at the Park Center, where you can begin your island exploration on a series of trails through lush green, tropical-looking foliage including magnolia, sweet gum, cedar, and palmetto oak draped with Spanish moss. Quieter areas of the park peninsula can be accessed by hiking the unpaved trails on either end of the park. You can also cross on a boardwalk to a beautiful tidal marsh island filled with herons and plenty of other wildlife. 4.6 miles of interconnecting trails. $1 per person. Needlerush Parkway. November through February 10 am-5 pm. SC Trails
• Capers Island. Although only accessible via boat, Capers Island is a beautiful place for a fall stroll. This classic, undeveloped barrier island located about 15 miles north of Charleston is home to so much wildlife! Large oak, magnolia, cedar, and palmetto trees provide shade and sandpipers, loons, cormorants, pelicans, and gulls populate the shoreline. Approximately 5.0 miles of trails. Dock at Capers Inlet (Marker 99 ICWW). Call 843-795-6530, visit SC Trails or Barrier Island Eco Tours for more information.
• Bull Island. This easy, self-guided, two-mile loop trail Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge is accessible only by boat. Amply marked and mostly flat, the trail meanders through forests, wetlands and along beaches. This trail is more favorable during cooler months. Two other longer trails are also available to hike on Bull Island, the Sheephead Ridge Loop and the Old Fort Loop. SC Trails or Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge