Rambling Into the Past on Lake Summit at Tuxedo

by Violet Rebecca Jones

The entrance to the small lakeside community of Tuxedo.

Just north of Traveler's Rest, SC and near Flat Rock, NC there is a small hidden gem that many people don't know exists. I didn't know it myself until I just happened to look in that direction and noticed a slice of blue water while diving to Flat Rock, NC.  It is the small community of Tuxedo that surrounds a beautiful., relatively small lake, Lake Summit.  

Looking over the lake from the railing along the shore.

The lake is accessed by a narrow, winding road that gave me a few scary moments as I rounded a curve and knew that if another car were meeting me, we would never be able to pass one another. Since I was closest to the lake, I figured I would be the unlucky one. My fears were probably unfounded as it was obvious that people do travel on this road. There were many small lake houses along the shore and more substantial homes built on the hillsides. 

These piers made me wish I had a fishing rod and reel.

This setting reminded me of a time gone by when life was simple and a summer spent at the lake was  truly a time to  relax, swim, and fish from the deck of one's cottage. The lake houses along the shore were actually built into the water on stilts, and their decks extended out into the lake. Most of them had boathouses built beneath the cottages themselves giving the entire area  a nostalgic atmosphere that made one imagine girls in skirted swimsuits and men in knickers. 

One of the larger lake houses.

Many of the cottages were old, but most had been remodeled and refurbished to bring them up-to-date and provide the comforts of modern living. However, they still retained that quaint, cozy feel that made me want to go in, sit down, and enjoy the sound of the water lapping at the pilings below.

View of the smaller lake cottages that are built above boat houses.

Later, I researched this area and found that there was once a +Zirconia mine in the area in the very early years of the twentieth century. Zirconia was used in the manufacture of incandescent light bulbs, and I was fascinated to learn that +Thomas Edison spent time in the area because of the mineral resources.  http://www.historichendersonville.org/history_flat_rock.htm

Beautiful view of Lake Summit

The lake is a beautiful place to get away from the hustle of world around us. Even the brief drive around the lake gave me a sense of calm that made me want to stay.  Perhaps I will save my money and rent one of those little cottages someday. 

Beautiful view of the lake and the mountains beyond.

text and pictures copyright 2014 Violet Rebecca Jones

A Little Slice of Paradise on Clemson's Campus

by Violet Rebecca Jones

One of the places that I have started rambling to on those days when I need to be alone, quiet, and think is the beach on the lake near +Clemson University.  There are actually several lakes nearby, and most of them have beaches that are open to the  public. However, there is something about this beach that makes it special. I am not sure if it is the fact that it is on a university campus, and therefore, is infused with a sense of youth and vitality, or if it is simply because it is in a pretty location that is easily accessible. Either way, it is a place where one can be both alone and with others at the same time.

I have never been there when no one was around. There is usually something going on, whether it is a rowing class getting underway or simply a group of students lying in the sun or playing a game of Frisbee.  Yet, they never intrude on one's privacy. Perhaps it is because I am considered old by them since I am  past 40 by a few years, well, more than a few years. However, I really think it might simply be that they are inclined to mind their own business since I don't bother them, which is a good philosophy as far as I am concerned.

I kind of like being able to observe without discussion, contemplate without commentary, and simply to rest without explaining why I am not being productive. There are picnic benches and tables where I sometimes sit, but often I simply pull out the folding chair I keep in the trunk of my car, set it up in a nice spot, and watch the sailboats pass by. I can actually feel my muscles uncoil, and my eyes relax as I watch them glide smoothly over the water. I wonder about the thoughts of the sailors and rowers as they maneuver their crafts through the cool water, and whether or not they contemplate who I am and why I am watching them. The water of this lake is very deep, and there is tinge of fear when I see a sailboat tip far to one side. There have been many drownings in this lake over the years, and I don't want to be a witness to one.

Sometimes I take a book with me, but most of the time when I do, I end up not reading it. It seems like such a waste of God's beautiful creation to bury my eyes in a book that can be cozily read while I am curled up in my soft bed at night. It is almost as if I am a dying person voraciously trying to capture every sight and sound that I possibly can before they are seized from me forever.

Sometimes there are geese that fly in for a few hours of rest on their journey, and sometimes I take some stale bread to feed them, but usually I don't. I just watch them, listen to their honking conversations with one another and think about all the places they have seen. It must be wonderful to simply fly away to a new landscape whenever one desires, without worrying about luggage, tickets, or body searches.

This is my little area of paradise, my retreat, my little plot of escape, and even when I cannot go there, I can shut my eyes and recapture its peace and the sense of being far away where worries and cares do not exist.

 For a glimpse of this area, click on the following link:  https://www.clemson.edu/campus-life/campus-recreation/cubeach/events.html


Copyright 2014 Violet Rebecca Jones