A collection of photography and exploration focusing on Upstate South Carolina and beyond.
Way back in 2013 I wrote a post about a paddling trip to the ghost town of Ferguson in Lake Marion. That post went viral, and is one of the most visited posts on this site. That article is listed in footnotes of several Wikipedia articles about the area. It’s even listed in the Congressional … Read More “Heading Back to Ferguson in 2026” »
After eating grits with pimento cheese at Biscuit Head, I’ve gotten where I like a spoonful in the grits I cook at home. I’ve just been using the standard Ruth’s brand. I got ahold of some locally made at a farmer’s market and it was so good I decided to try my hand at making … Read More “Tom’s Pimento Cheese” »
First, an update…. The Pickens Flea Market Musicians have a new home. The Market at the Mill has welcomed us with open arms. They have shown us hospitality and have even heavily promoted our presence there. We have now been dubbed The Mill Jammers, which one of my friends said sounds more like industrial sabotage. … Read More “Setting the Stage….Or Not” »
Just off of Old Easley Bridge Road sits a lovely old house, somewhat out of character for the surrounding mid-century ranch homes. The home has been beautifully restored and now operates as the Tanglewood Inn. Behind the nicely appointed suites, the exquisite antiques, and comfortable common areas, though, lies a tale of tragedy. The history … Read More “Tangled Up in Odd Fellows” »
After posting my Requiem for a Flea Market Musicians Circle I got some additional news, and have some updates. Ivan got a call from Ralph saying that the flea market owners had tripled his monthly rental rate, and he wasn’t going to pay that. That meant that the musicians shed was once again available. After … Read More “An Update about the Pickens Flea Market” »
EDIT: For some reason Podbean is returning an error when I try to embed the episode. Here’s a direct link: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-ukqt8-1ae3ced
This is a hard post to write. A 40+ year tradition has come to an end. The Pickens County Flea Market Musicians Circle is no more. I got this news as I was in a plane on the taxiway, just having arrived in Seattle. I’ve been dealing with it for the entire time we were … Read More “Requiem for a Flea Market Musicians Circle” »