Ashley River

Charleston is a wonderful paddling environment. We have the Atlantic Ocean, the harbor, marshes, black water creeks, old rice plantations, rivers… you name it. Pop a Folbot in your car trunk and in minutes you can be in any of these great locales ready to paddle.

The Ashley River is a perfect example. From its headwaters in the  Wassamassaw and Cypress swamps, it travels 30 miles into Charleston Harbor, where  it joins with the Cooper River to create the mighty Atlantic Ocean — turning from freshwater to salt.

Yukon on the Ashley

As you head to the ocean you will pass some of the most spectacular plantations in the world. First you will come to Middleton Place, a National Historic Landmark:

Then you will pass Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, with the oldest gardens in the United States (over 325 years old!):

Finally, you will come to Drayton Hall, one of the crown jewels in the National Trust for Historic Preservation crown:

Ultimately you will go by Charleston (and Folbot HQ) into the harbor, past Fort Sumter

and into the Atlantic.

Nice paddle.

David A.

Wonders of Charleston

Charleston, SC is known for more than just being Folbot’s home.

Rife with incredible antebellum homes and spectacular architecture (Pat Conroy in his new novel, South of Broad, described the city as “the mansion on the sea”),

and steeped in history, the city is a wonderful place to wander and wonder (The New York Times recently described Charleston as having “charm-smothered streets”).

Water also plays a huge role here — the harbor is home to one of the busiest ports in the world, the marshes and creeks are beautiful, it is teeming with wildlife — from pelicans to dolphins — and is home to Fort Sumter, where the American Civil War began.

The newest wonder of Charleston is the incredible bridge spanning the Cooper River:

Not only can you drive over it, but you can bike, walk and run all the way across. And, of course, paddling a Folbot underneath is an amazing experience.

So come and visit us at Folbot. After you have taken a paddle you can eat at some of the incredible restaurants (Charleston is home some of the best food in the US), stroll the streets, walk the bridge, visit a plantation, go to the beach, take a ghost tour (lots of ghosts here too!), and enjoy some southern good ‘ol southern hospitality (did I mention that Charleston is perennially voted the most mannerly city in the US?). The list goes on…

David A.