Azalea Park — Attraction in Summerville

This is a small, peaceful park in close proximity to historic downtown Summerville. It seems like a good place to sit and write. People had strewn some trash around, which we dealt with, and that's hardly the fault of the park itself.

It's always strange to think about what must motivate the trash-scattering behavior.

Anyway, there were a lot of turtles about, but we couldn't escape the feeling of a vaguely solemn or funereal energy looming about the old oaks and crepe myrtles. Along the fence line we spotted a gorgeous Golden Silk Orb Weaver.

There was also a question about whether some of the turtles could actually get out of their small pools; this turned into a meditation about what small pool I might have mistaken for the entire world at various points throughout my life.

Again, hardly the park's fault; but then again, perhaps there's something about it that inclines one to think about these things.

If you expect something more sprawling or conventionally picturesque, you'll be disappointed. But if you need a quiet place to think right outside downtown Summerville, there's something...

The parking lot is small and tends to fill up on the weekends. There's another lot the next road over with restrooms that have decent access (heavy but wide doors) with 2 large single occupancy rooms with grab bars. There's lots of gravel and paved walking paths thru the grand oaks, cypress and pine trees. Benches dot the trails for plenty of places to rest, relax and watch nature go by. There are 2 small white gazebos and a wooden bridge that I've seen people take their wedding, birthday and graduation photos at. The small brick pond with huge cypresses in the middle is a lovely backdrop to one of the gazebos. The brick canal running thru the park is always an interesting sight to see with turtles, fish, birds, blooms and sometimes butterflies depending on the season. The swing bench is located near the avenue of crepe myrtles in a cool shady spot. There is a water fountain near the...

I love the Flowertown Festival. I look forward to the festival every year. I start counting the days begining in January of each year. Every year it gets bigger, and more crowded. The reason i gave a four star rating instead of a five star is the parking problem. My mother is handicap so i have to park in the garage. It was a horrible experience just trying to get a parking spot. People were about to kill each other over spaces as they became available. I witnessed a man cussing an elderly couple out for supposedly stealing the spot he was waiting on. Tempers were flaring in the garage, horns honking and so on. My question is why there isn't anyone of authority in the garage. Seems to me that someone should be in the parking garage if for no other reason to keep the public safe. Especially during large over...