Taking advantage of the beautiful day, my friend, Danita, and I took the Z4 to Lake Hartwell, stopping first at the Hartwell Dam overlook on the South Carolina side of the Savannah River.

Getting to the overlook from the parking lot requires climbing a bunch of steps followed by a short walk on a paved path along the shore.

Once at the top of the stairs, visitors are rewarded with a wonderful view.

A beautiful summer day translates to a lot of marine traffic on the lake. Boaters, water skiers, jet skiers, and kayakers were everywhere.

Several small islands can be seen from anywhere along the walk to the Dam.

Zooming in on one of the many small islands on Lake Hartwell.

Another small island visible from the Dam Overlook side of the lake.

The level of the lake seems a bit lower than usual. This allowed for some of the very small islands temporarily grow.

Zooming in on one of the islands, a marine buoy can be seen on the right side of the photo. I am guessing that the water level can completely submerge the island at times.

Zooming in on one of the small islands on Lake Hartwell.

Looking the other direction, the Big Oaks Recreation Area public boat ramp on the Georgia side comes into view.

We made the short walk along the path to the Dam Overlook to take in the fantastic view. I noticed the patterns made by the lawn mowers on the way back to the car.

Patterns made by the lawn mowers look pretty cool !

From the Dam Overlook on the South Carolina side, we went back across the border to check out the Big Oaks Recreation Area that contains a public boat ramp and waterfront park.

Big Oaks Recreation Area, Lake Hartwell.

Big Oaks Recreation Area, Lake Hartwell.

Big Oaks Recreation Area, Lake Hartwell.

Big Oaks Recreation Area, Lake Hartwell.

Big Oaks Recreation Area, Lake Hartwell.

Big Oaks Recreation Area, Lake Hartwell.

Looking back at the Hartwell Dam Overlook where we were a few minutes earlier.

Before departing for home, I zoomed in on one of the small islands again.

Small island on Lake Hartwell.