US Airways - June 2012 - (Page 71)

Y ou don’t have to go far to find Columbia’s outdoor activities. Brimming with opportunities to embrace your sporty side, Columbia is custom-made for recreationminded visitors. Kayakers can’t get enough of the Midlands’ three rivers, which are calm enough for inner-tube rides but also offer up rapids, ranging from Class II to Class V, to keep things interesting along the way. Across the region, walking paths meander along waterways, past Civil War ruins, through sundappled forests, along historic canals, and over what was once the nation’s largest earthen dam, located on Lake Murray. Renowned as a bassfishing destination — Bassmaster regularly holds tournaments here — the lake also attracts swimmers, boaters, and Jet Skiers to its cove-strewn shoreline. Need more? Golf is enjoyed year-round, and there’s even a national park. With an office that is the Congaree National Park, park ranger Lauren Gurniewicz loves to go to work. The 26,000-acre swath of floodplain is filled with towering trees, moody swamps, and wide, lazy creeks. Recently transferred from a park in Oklahoma, Gurniewicz can’t get over the range of landscapes, plants, and animals she sees in the park. Her tip for first-time visitors? “Visit the boardwalk. In two and a half miles, you’ll see everything from old-growth forest with gigantic champion trees to swampier areas where cypress knees protrude out of the water and on to Lake Weston,” she says. “If you take the canoe trail that runs through Cedar Creek, you’ll probably spot a few river otters playing.” Congaree National Park isn’t the only way to take in the region’s waterborne beauty. Located just 20 minutes from downtown Columbia, Lake Murray offers almost 650 miles of shoreline and usairwaysmag.com june 2012 Bassmaster holds tournaments on Lake Murray. 71 http://www.usairwaysmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of US Airways - June 2012

US Airways - June 2012
Table of Contents
CEO Letter
From the Editor
Did You Know?
Making It Happen
Hot Spots
Hub Crawl
Adventure: Zip-line junkie
Adventure: Virginia’s Skyline Drive
Wine & Dine
Great Escapes
Gear Up
Behind-the-Scenes Baja
International Itinerary
Charlotte in 2012
Discover Columbia
Welcome to Philadelphia
Must Read
Puzzles
Readers Resource Index
Your US Airways Guide
Video Entertainment
Audio Entertainment
U.S. and Caribbean Service Map
International Service Map
Airport Terminal Maps
US Airways Fleet/Customs & Immigration
Passenger Info/Contact US Airways
US Airways MarketPlace™
Window or Aisle?

US Airways - June 2012