Visiting The Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies At Landsford Canal State Park on U.S. Memorial Day Weekend

Greetings & Salutations, Y'all!

Here in South Carolina and the United States this is U.S. Memorial Day weekend. For many Americans, this is a three-day weekend honoring those U.S. military personal who gave the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the United States in all of this country's wars.

In addition to the solemn act of visiting and decorating the graves of the honored dead, the holiday -- which falls on the final Monday of May each year -- is also a weekend where many American citizens celebrate the unofficial start of the coming summer time activities, especially the younger people who get out of school for the next few months.

Many honor this holiday by various means from large family gatherings and backyard parties, to the humble act of decorating the graves of U.S. military service personal -- sometimes both depending on the person. 

I spend the Friday before this year's U.S. Memorial Day weekend enjoying a nice peaceful drive out to nearby Landsford Canal State Park in northeastern Chester County, South Carolina, along the Catawba River in order to enjoy a special one-a-year treat. 

The state park is the home of the largest known stand of beautiful Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies (Hymenocallis coronaria), which are only known to grow in the Southern U.S. States of South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. 

The peak time of the year to see them in full bloom is mid-to-late May when these rare flowers blanket the rocky shoals of the Catawba River in a beautiful white and green.

I captured some really great shots of these amazing flowers for y'all to enjoy, along with some other shots of the beautiful views along the river hiking trail and the lock ruins that the park is named for.  

I took a moment to sit at this bench and just enjoy the view and
the sounds of nature.

I did, thank you.

A beautiful American Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus).
The blue tail signifies that its a juvenile.

Overall, it was a peaceful way to spend a beautiful spring day and enjoy the wonders of this world God blessed us with.

That being said, when I returned and drove through my hometown of Chester, I made it a point to make a few stops along the way to honor and to remember the men and boys from Chester County who sacrificed themselves in America's wars for my peaceful day off. 

Thank you....you are not forgotten!