Angel Oak

As I've mentioned before, the weather did not cooperate while we were in Kiawah over Spring Break.  It's a fairly small island and there isn't a lot to do when it's cold (maybe some of you wouldn't mind being stuck in a small cottage with two wild and crazy kids but we are not those people).  I was searching for things to do and, while reading a local nature magazine, I came across an article about a local tree that the article claimed was over a thousand years old (sources differ about the actual age). What the what?  As I researched further, I found out that it was only about 15 minutes away.  

We were packed up in the car faster than you can say Jack Robinson.  And you know what? I can honestly say this is the nicest tree I've ever seen. Old, majestic, packed full of soul.  I stood under its wide, strong, antique branches and I thought of everything this tree has seen, all the hurricanes it has survived, the sheer number of folks who've walked under it's canopy, how happy it makes the thousands of people who come to visit each year.  

I'm so pleased I came across the article (the tree was so close!!!) and I feel lucky that we got to see and experience such an amazing tree/soul!  Hope you enjoy the pictures and that you get to see it in person yourself one day....

{the dirt road leading to Angel Oak}

{large posts holding up some of the branches}

{some branches go down into the earth and come back out again}

{I like this one for scale.}

{the annoying signs!  argh. they basically tell you not to breathe next to the tree. i understand their purpose but, seriously, this picture would be amazing ~ and I would probably enlarge and print it ~ were it not for those blasted signs.}