Skip to content

Random Connections

A collection of photography and exploration focusing on Upstate South Carolina and beyond.

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Photos
  • Resources
  • Other Voices
  • Post Archives
  • Home
  • rambling

Tag: rambling

The Phoenix Riots and Dr. Benjamin Mays – An MLK Day Ramble

Posted on January 19, 2023January 19, 2023 By Tom No Comments on The Phoenix Riots and Dr. Benjamin Mays – An MLK Day Ramble
History and Genealogy, Rambling

Every year Alan Russell and I do some sort of ramble or exploration on the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. This tradition started when both of us were in education and had a rare winter Monday that we didn’t have to work. This year we invited my brother, Houston, and Dwight Moffitt to come along … Read More “The Phoenix Riots and Dr. Benjamin Mays – An MLK Day Ramble” »

Ghost Towns of the Pee Dee – Part 4, Jordanville to Dalcho

Posted on July 22, 2017 By Tom 1 Comment on Ghost Towns of the Pee Dee – Part 4, Jordanville to Dalcho
History and Genealogy, Photography, Rambling

Old Spring Branch School

I was out and about exploring the Pee Dee region of the state, searching for ghost towns. I’d already found a couple of potentials – Ella’s Grove, Centenary, and Eulonia – and I’d stopped by the Marion County Museum and had lunch on Main Street in Marion. Now it was on to a couple more remote locations, and eventually find my way back home.

Read More “Ghost Towns of the Pee Dee – Part 4, Jordanville to Dalcho” »

Ghost Towns of the Pee Dee – Part 3, Marion Museum

Posted on July 22, 2017July 22, 2017 By Tom No Comments on Ghost Towns of the Pee Dee – Part 3, Marion Museum
History and Genealogy, Photography, Rambling

Marion County Museum-002

I had one day to explore the ghost towns of the Pee Dee region of South Carolina. So far I’d visited several potential locations, including Ella’s Grove, Centenary, and Eulonia. On these trips I always like to stop in at the local museum or historical society to see what additional information they might have. With that goal in mind, I set off for the Marion County Museum in downtown Marion.

Read More “Ghost Towns of the Pee Dee – Part 3, Marion Museum” »

Ghost Towns of the Pee Dee – Part 2, Centenary

Posted on July 20, 2017July 21, 2017 By Tom 3 Comments on Ghost Towns of the Pee Dee – Part 2, Centenary
History and Genealogy, Photography, Rambling

Centenary Grocery

I was on a quest to visit potential ghost towns in the Pee Dee area of the state. So far I had visited Ella’s Grove and the Palmer School and Cemetery. I still had quite a bit of exploring to do. Next up was the town of Centenary and the community of Eulonia.

Read More “Ghost Towns of the Pee Dee – Part 2, Centenary” »

Ghost Towns of the Pee Dee – Part 1, Ella’s Grove and Palmer

Posted on July 20, 2017July 21, 2017 By Tom 1 Comment on Ghost Towns of the Pee Dee – Part 1, Ella’s Grove and Palmer
History and Genealogy, Rambling

Ella's Grove-001

Yes, I’m still working on my ghost towns list. However, I have some serious gaps in the places I’ve visited. The eastern part of the state toward Myrtle Beach is uncharted territory to me. I decided that before I move out west and seriously start on this book I needed to make at least one visit to this area.

Read More “Ghost Towns of the Pee Dee – Part 1, Ella’s Grove and Palmer” »

Good Friday Rambles – Madison to Monticello

Posted on April 17, 2017April 17, 2017 By Tom No Comments on Good Friday Rambles – Madison to Monticello
Photography, Rambling

Madison Graded School and Museum-001

Easter weekend. Laura had Friday and Monday off from Furman and decided that she needed to head back down to Florida to check on her mom. She decided that she needed some “sister time” with Amy to talk about how their mother’s care was going. That being the case, I decided to needed some “brother time” with Houston, so for the holiday weekend we headed in different directions.

I arrived at Houston’s farm below Watkinsville, Georgia about mid-morning on Friday. I was loaded to the gills with every toy we might need – kites, cameras, banjo, drums, recording gear, computers, and paddling gear. I was set for any eventuality. We would actually use quite a bit of that gear.

Read More “Good Friday Rambles – Madison to Monticello” »

The Tobacco Trail through Clarendon County

Posted on September 25, 2015 By Tom 4 Comments on The Tobacco Trail through Clarendon County
Geocaching and Maps, History and Genealogy, Photography, Rambling

Motel Featherbed

I had come to a roadblock on the Tobacco Trail, quite literally. The Highway 301 bridge across Lake Marion still exists, and still connects across the lake. However, in 1987 it was closed to automotive traffic, and now serves as a fishing bridge. If I were going to cross from Orangeburg into Clarendon County, I was going to have to do some backtracking.

Read More “The Tobacco Trail through Clarendon County” »

The Rise of Santee on The Tobacco Trail

Posted on September 22, 2015September 26, 2015 By Tom 1 Comment on The Rise of Santee on The Tobacco Trail
Geocaching and Maps, History and Genealogy, Rambling

Tobaco Trail-3

For some reason the town of Santee intrigues me. It’s something of an anomaly compared to the other cities on the Tobacco Trail. There is no main street or central business district. Those features make me think that the town as, say, Orangeburg, Allendale or Bamberg. I decided to find out more about it. In the process of that research I discovered a new ghost town.

Read More “The Rise of Santee on The Tobacco Trail” »

The Tobacco Trail through Orangeburg County, Part 2

Posted on September 20, 2015February 1, 2020 By Tom 13 Comments on The Tobacco Trail through Orangeburg County, Part 2
Geocaching and Maps, History and Genealogy, Photography, Rambling

Tobaco Trail-1

I was out exploring the Tobacco Trail through South Carolina. So far I had started at the SC-GA border on the Savannah River and had crossed Allendale, Bamberg, and a good portion of Orangeburg Counties. Orangeburg is a large county, and is bordered by Lake Marion on the east. I was ready to check out the rest of the county, and see how far I could go on this day’s exploration.

Read More “The Tobacco Trail through Orangeburg County, Part 2” »

The Tobacco Trail through Orangeburg County, Part One

Posted on September 18, 2015September 23, 2015 By Tom 3 Comments on The Tobacco Trail through Orangeburg County, Part One
Geocaching and Maps, History and Genealogy, Photography, Rambling

Coffee Cafe B&W

So far I had traveled across two South Carolina counties on The Tobacco Trail, aka US Highway 301. I still had a long way to go, though. I was able to get through about a third of Orangeburg when we had a death in the family. Yesterday I was able to go knock out another huge chunk of the highway.

Read More “The Tobacco Trail through Orangeburg County, Part One” »

Posts navigation

1 2 … 6 Next

Categories

  • EdTech (200)
  • Entertainment (202)
  • Family (121)
  • Gear (115)
  • General Technology (99)
  • Geocaching and Maps (208)
  • History and Genealogy (266)
  • Internet (144)
  • Local (451)
  • Miscellaneous (550)
  • Music (196)
  • Paddling (248)
  • Photography (779)
  • Podcast (6)
  • Rambling (227)
  • Rants (161)
  • Recipes (34)
  • Religion (48)
  • Restaurants (165)
  • Science (48)
  • Things Overheard (29)
  • Travel (411)
  • Uncategorized (129)
  • Washington Sabbatical (113)
  • Weirdness (60)

Recent Posts

  • In Search of the Road Builder
  • The Phoenix Riots and Dr. Benjamin Mays – An MLK Day Ramble
  • An Obsession with Steak Knives
  • An Epiphany on Patriotism
  • Kayaking Bates Old River and Running Creek

Recent Comments

  • Walter Kokoszka on Mysterious Mayucha and The Wolf Pit
  • Elizabeth on The Temple of Health: Ground-Truthing in Antreville
  • The Bay Area Basketball Fan’s Guide to March Madness on FU All the Time!
  • Why You Should Root For This March Madness Underdog on FU All the Time!
  • Gregory Davis on Ghost Towns of the Pee Dee – Part 2, Centenary

Tags

blogging cemetery Christmas Columbia Edisto River edtech Entertainment family Flickr Florida Furman Furman University gear Georgia geotagging Ghost Town Ghost Towns Google Earth Google Maps GPS Greenville Greenville Chorale history Instructional Technology kayaking Lake Jocassee LCU Lowcountry Unfiltered maps Music North Carolina Paddling Photography rambling restaurant Restaurants review singing social networking South Carolina time-lapse Travel video Washington Washington State
March 2023
S M T W T F S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031  
« Jan    

Copyright © 2023 Random Connections.

Theme: Oceanly by ScriptsTown