Escape

July 12, 2020



 

 







Escape

Travel certainly has not been our itinerary since the pandemic started in March. Neither Kathy or I had traveled father away from Key West than Big Pine Key since self-isolation started and I would have been happy to keep it that way for the near future at least if circumstances had not arisen that had me traveling north to see my mother in Winston-Salem,  North Carolina. Marta has been dealing with some health issues so, I made the difficult decision to drive up to see her and meet with my sisters as well. 











I did not want to fly, feeling that flying is still not something I am ready to deal with just yet, especially with the virus exploding in the Keys, the state of Florida and across the nation.  There are currently 3,227,879 confirmed cases in the United States and 131,552 deaths to date. Monroe County has 544 cases, with 204 cases in Key West and still 5 deaths.  The numbers have been growing and it seems each day brings record number of new cases.









Driving 16 hours wasn’t something that I was relishing either, but I knew that I could control the circumstances and my environment much better driving alone. Kathy loaded me up with gloves, disinfectant, and masks and sent me on my way with instructions to avoid people as much as possible during my travels. The drive was very normal and the few stops that I did make along the way at gas stations, rest stops and the like were pretty much abandoned and empty of people and had precautions in place to encourage social distancing.









I had to break the drive up and decided to take a chance and visit Columbia, South Carolina- which is where I stopped for the night. I wanted to take some time and explore the area in as safe a manner as possible and looked into visiting the Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Garden which is located in Columbia along the Saluda River. 



 





The zoo is open during the current pandemic, but has limited restrictions as far as the number of visitors they allow in per day by allowing only for advanced ticket purchases based on timed entry. I made arrangements to enter at the first available time at nine am, and drove the short distance from my hotel to the zoo. Any concerns I had about being around other people were immediately allayed upon arriving as there were hardly any other visitors on hand at all.

 







It was almost like having the entire zoo and gardens available for a private visit as if I saw ten other people while I was there that were not employees I would be surprised. They had a full staff, all of whom were wearing the required masks as were all guests, myself included. There were all sorts of signage encouraging social distancing and marks on the ground that would have required people to stand apart, had there been people on hand to observe them.

 







The best part is that the animals themselves seemed to relish the lack of people around and seemed much more active and interested in the few people who were on hand. The zoo and gardens encompass 170 beautiful acres along the riverbank of the Saluda River, and includes the former site of a covered bridge and ruins of the Saluda Factory, both of which date to the Civil War. Confederate troops burned the bridge in 1865 in a futile attempt to keep Sherman’s Union Army from advancing through South Carolina. A footbridge now crosses the river at the site with only the abutments of the original bridge still there.







 



The ruins of the factory can be found along a beautiful wooded trail along the river which adds a cool historical significance to the zoo location. The zoo is home to over 2,000 animals, with collections of mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish including exhibits for African elephants, gorillas, and koalas. The Birdhouse at Riverbanks (opened 2001) was given a Significant Achievement Award by the AZA as one of the best zoo exhibits in the United States, and features a display of king, rockhopper, and gentoo penguins







It is a really beautiful facility and was a wonderful escape and diversion from the frightening realities that our current world situation is experiencing. While I wasn’t planning to visit, I am so glad that I did. As strange as visiting a near empty zoo was, it was a welcome small piece of normalcy that I really needed.








https://www.riverbanks.org/