Charleston To Sweden--An Extraordinary Hotel That Hangs With The Trees

The tree is by far the biggest, tallest and most prolific of the living things with whom we share this beautiful planet. They have been venerated by ancient cultures and protected by modern laws--Summerville, SC adopted the motto "Sacra Pinus Esto"--"The Pine is Sacred."

The lungs of the earth, trees pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and return oxygen. They fuel the fires that keep us warm on frigid days, they provide the products we use to shelter our families, and are the inspiration of many poems.

Right here in our beloved Lowcountry, Angel Oak on John's Island is reportedly the oldest living thing east of the Rockies. Coming in at 1,500 years, it is not the tallest or the oldest, but its branches spread out over the landscape some 89 feet with a trunk circumference of 25.5 feet. Unknown to many Lowcountry residents, in the middle of Runnymede Plantation on the Ashley stands an oak tree with a circumference of 29 feet. Simply called the Oak, it is about 1,000 years old.

The biggest tree in the world is a giant sequoia named after a Civil War leader, "General Sherman." Located in Sequoia National Park in Tulare County, CA, it has a girth of 102.6 feet at ground level. The world's tallest tree is a coast redwood located in Redwood National Park, California. It is named "Hyperion," after a person in Greek mythology, and stands no less than 379.7 feet tall.

The world's oldest non-clonal tree is a pine tree located in the White Mountains of Inyo County in eastern California. In 2014, it turned 4,845 years old. It is fittingly named after a Biblical figure of longevity, Methuselah. The world's oldest clonal tree is a mere 16 feet tall and believed to be 9,550 years ancient. It is a Norway Spruce located on the Fulufjället Mountain of Dalarna province in Sweden.

Once in awhile, I write about places to see and things to do at destinations other than Charleston and Sweden, the location of the aforementioned oldest tree, is home to an extraordinary amenity that leaps out of the box of conventionalism.

Sweden is a country with long, rugged coastlines, 95,700 lakes, deep forests, rolling hills, majestic mountains, hundreds of unspoiled islands, and summer houses. With a reputation for cold winters, the climate can be much milder than you might expect because of a warm Gulf Stream. The landscape is dotted with small villages and Harads is one of them--a village of 600 featuring a restaurant, shop and guest house. From there, it is just a five-minute stroll through the beautiful Swedish landscape to five treerooms with a fantastic view of the Lule River valley, miles of forest and the powerful river. It is aptly called the Tree Hotel and was inspired by the film "The Tree Lover" by Jonas Selberg Augustsen.



The Birds Nest

On arrival, you check in at Britta’s pensionat where breakfast, lunch and dinner are served Tree Hotel guests. A buffet breakfast is always included in the room price, as are all meals in the package deals. Britta’s pensionat has an authentic 1930-50’s setting and offers a restaurant, bar, sauna and relaxation area, TV, and internet. The treerooms do not have TV and internet. Focus is on nature.

The Mirrorcube

The UFO

The list of activities is long and include a guided tour of the hotel, walking tour of Harads, Tree Sauna, trekking the Nordic flora and fauna of Storklints, mountain biking, kayaking the historic Lule river, tour by horse, midnight riding under the Northern Lights, fishing the beautiful Bodträsk River, and riding a zipline.

Treeroom rates: from 4400 SEK=$677.44 US to 4600 SEK=$698.09 US for two or 3300=$500.80 US for one. Extra adult: 850 SEK=$128.31 US and extra child: 450 SEK=$67.93 US. Rates may have changed. The Dragonfly rates are 7200 SEK=$1086.86 US 2 to 4 persons--6800 SEK=$1026.48 US in the summer season July-August.

View from the Blue Cone

It is a long trip from Charleston to the beautiful land of Sweden. The Tree Hotel is a once in a lifetime experience of the extraordinary kind. It is a place where you can forget about the time constraints of everyday life, enjoy the serenity of unspoiled nature, and rejuvenate in a sophisticated yet familiar environment. A place where you can become one with the oldest of our planet's inhabitants.

The Trials And Triumphs Of A Lowcountry Walkabout

Sunday, I went on a Lowcountry walkabout. The day began with plans of fishing at Bulow Landing. A friend told me about the place and shared stories of the fish he caught there. The ideal time is two hours before high tide and two hours after. I packed a couple of sandwiches, a drink, got in my truck and headed to Bees Ferry Rd and Savannah Blvd where I searched for shrimp. After trying to locate a bait place, I ended up purchasing a half-pound at the Publix off of Savannah Blvd.

Bulow Landing is a paved boat ramp on Rantowles Creek, also popular with paddlers. When I arrived, the tide was already heading out. The ideal time was missed. Despite this set back, I decided to make the most of it. I baited my hook and tossed it into the fast moving current. It moved swiftly up the creek, making it necessary for me to reel it back. I tossed it in a second time. On this attempt, it got hung up on an oyster bed. My only option was to break the line. In the process, my rod tip broke off. In this short span of time, things were not exactly working out for the best. I rebaited and tossed it in again. It started to rain. After a few more casts and somewhat wet, I packed it in and headed out back onto Savannah Blvd.

I recalled seeing a sign pointing the way to Kiawah, Seabrook and Beachwalker Park while searching for bait earlier. It was at that moment I decided to turn at recalled sign onto Main Rd and follow the gray snack to wherever it would take me.

The spotty rains had passed for the moment and the sun was shining. The first notable landmark I ventured onto was the Limehouse Bridge over the Stono River. I was tempted to make the turn to Limehouse Landing located just below the bridge to try my luck again, but I resisted and pressed on.

Main Rd became State Rd, which ended at a traffic circle where Kiawah Island Pkwy led to Beachwalker Dr and the beach access. To my dismay, parking was $8, but I made a deal with the person at the parking booth and was able to park for free. I told her I would only be there a 1/2 hour at most. From the parking area, the view of Kiawah River was beautiful. The wooden walkway to the beach was picturesque. The beach was spacious, and this should be of no surprise, excellent for beachwalking, but I wasn't there to beachwalk. I stuck my feet in the water and took pictures. On the way off the beach, I stepped on some nasty beach prickers while trying to get one more good shot of the river. Ouch. I exited with a wave of thanks to the booth attendant. Next stop, Freshfields Village.

The Village is an eclectic island oasis of shops and restaurants located at the crossroads of Kiawah, Seabrook and Johns Island. There are 500 large trees, including over 200 palm trees adorning its streets and landscape. All of the trees were transplanted from the Coastal Islands. It has a man-made lagoon stocked with two alligators considered village "mascots". At present, The Andell Inn is under construction and slated to open early 2014. The hotel will have 100 rooms starting at $250 a night. I just might consider a stay during its grand opening.

Driving back from Kiawah, cruising in and out of the broadening shadows of the old live oaks lining the road, I made a quick stop at Angel Oak. While I was taking pictures, a young man standing nearby in awe of the sprawling tree summed it up when he said, "I have never seen anything like it." Angel Oak looks like a giant octopus covering 17,200 square feet of real estate and from tip to tip its longest branch is 187 ft. At 500 yrs young, it has survived hurricanes, civil war and everything else the Lowcountry has been able to throw at it.

On the road again, I finally did make the turn to Limehouse Landing. I fished with an watchful eye on the horizon. Dark clouds relentlessly moved in from the southwest with lightning and the threat of heavy rains. No luck fishing. It was 5:30 pm. It was the end to my triumphant Lowcountry walkabout.