As a last chance to get fuel and stretch your legs before arriving at the Grand Strand (or one more adventure before you leave), this cache is readily accessible from the parking lot of a busy convenience store along Hwy. 378. Your biggest challenge will be avoiding the muggle population that always crowds the area, so take care. The cache is located nearer to the road than to the store so hopefully that will help you on your quest. This is a microcache containing only a log and description of geocaching for those muggles that may find it "accidentally", so you will need to BYOP.
Welcome to Marion County, South Carolina. Located along the Great Pee Dee River, the area is rich with Revolutionary War history. Marion County is named after General Francis Marion, the "Swamp Fox" (1732-1795). Known to have established his camp in this very area along the Great Pee Dee River and adjacent Snow's Island, he used tactics that he learned in the French and Indian Wars to wage war on the British. He led his men into battle and used the landscape to conceal themselves in the backwoods and swamps and mount devestating ambushes on the British troops. Marion and his irregulars often defeated larger bodies of British troops by the surprise and rapidity of their movement over swampy terrain. Even British Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton, known for his speed and ruthlessness, could not find Francis Marion. In fact, Tarleton gave Marion the nickname that remains to this day. In November 1780, Tarleton learned about Marion’s position and moved with his cavalry to intercept. However, Francis evaded the British cavalrymen for near seven hours and twenty-six miles, eventually escaping into the Pee Dee River swamp. Tarleton gave up the pursuit saying, “as for this damned old fox, the Devil himself could not catch him.” This story traveled around the South, and Francis Marion earned the name the "Swamp Fox."
Following the American Revolution, Francis Marion returned to his farm at age 54 and stayed in the public and military limelight. He commanded a peacetime militia and served in the South Carolina Assembly assisting with writing the South Carolina state constitution and then retired from public life.
If you are traveling to the Grand Strand, please enjoy your visit. If you are traveling home just remember, you have to leave in order to return. Good hunting and happy trails!