Here's one of the things I love about the South Carolina Lowcountry: You can stop off at a park expecting typical playground equipment for kids. And then you are hit with a view that is anything but typical.

That's what you'll find at Brittlebank Park on the Ashley River near downtown Charleston.

Brittlebank is located just off Lockwood Drive next to Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park, the minor league baseball park known as "The Joe." We pulled off the road to check out the playground equipment (which is pretty nice and includes a cool sea serpent that some toddlers were having fun climbing). Then we took in the panoramic views of the marsh and river. There is a pier and boat dock that juts into the Ashley, a great spot for fishing, crabbing, taking photographs and for checking out some of the birds making their homes in the wetlands. A few sailboats were floating by the day we visited.

There is no charge for admission, and the park even has a special off-leash area where dogs can romp.