A collection of photography and exploration focusing on Upstate South Carolina and beyond.
Friday morning was a beautiful day, and I was ready to get out and explore. I had an extensive trip planned for Saturday, so I decided to stick to something local. I had spotted that a new boardwalk had opened at the Cancer Survivors Park on the banks of the Reedy River, so I decided to check it out.
Earlier this morning we had been granted access to the Mount Zion Institute, a historic school in Winnsboro now threatened with demolition. Sabi Cathcart and Pelham Lyles had been gracious enough to let Bennie Brawley, my sister Glynda, and I into the historic building. Our tour of the school had ended, but it was still early. We had time for more exploration.
Yesterday I had made a trek down to Winnsboro to donate a crate of Shivar Springs bottles to the Fairfield County Museum. I had a great visit and made some new friends. Sadly, I hadn’t been able to get inside the old Mount Zion Institute. My fellow photographers were not able to join us yesterday, so it was rescheduled for today. I decided that this is a one-shot chance, so I decided to make a second trip down to Fairfield County.
Mount Zion Institute – the old school is an imposing edifice just off of the main street of Winnsboro, South Carolina. I had visited the old school several times over the past few years, most recently a year ago on our 2015 MLK Weekend Ramble. Over the past two days I’ve been granted rare access to interior of the building and was able to photograph it extensively. I’ve also made some wonderful new friends in Winnsboro and at the Fairfield County Museum.
NOTE: I’m still catching up. All of the snow is now melted and gone, and this weekend is in stark contrast to last weekend.
I actually love snow days. There is an entire ritual of activities, soup, and pursuit of warmth that combine to make our rare winter weather a treat. Even though I no longer work for the schools and snow days have long since lost the same meaning, I still get excited when I see the first sign of flakes. This past week’s blizzard (or what passes for one in these parts) did not disappoint.
NOTE: One again I’m trying to play catch-up on blogging. This post is about a week+ behind the times.
MLK Weekend has gotten to be one of my traditional exploration weekends. One of my partners in crime is usually available either that Saturday or the following Monday. It’s a great chance to take advantage of winter exploration conditions. With leaves off the trees hidden features often reveal themselves.
This particular MLK Weekend Alan had a list of sites he wanted to explore. Even though he and I had biked part of the Palmetto Trail through Newberry County just last Saturday, I was up for more adventure. His list included locations in LA, or, as Lower Anderson, as it is known in our part of the world.
Anna has been trying to get me to go trampolining with her and Ethan. This morning I didn’t have any pressing duties or appointments, so I decided to go. We spent a fun hour with an intense workout at Gravitopia. Gravitopia is located off of Butler Road, near the dreaded part of Woodruff Road that … Read More “Defying Gravity” »
Yeah, I bought a Powerball ticket. With the jackpot reaching an unthinkable amount, why not dream a bit? After all, they say that if you don’t play you can’t win. If I can spent money on a Star Wars ticket, then this is a reasonable price for just as absurd a dream.
The first Second Saturday of the new year means a new year of adventure for Lowcountry Unfiltered. In winter months we usually do a hike of some type. Last January our group took a hike to the top of Table Rock. This year we decided on a bike ride along a portion of the Palmetto Trail.
Read More “Biking from Peak to Pomaria with Lowcountry Unfiltered” »
It’s Restaurant Week in Greenville! Participating restaurants offer several courses on a limited menu, usually at a fixed priced per person. Overall it’s much less than if you had selected the same options from the regular menu. This is an excellent opportunity to get out and try new places around town, and perhaps discover a new favorite restaurant.
Laura and I browsed through the participating restaurants, trying to decide on a place for Friday evening. Finally we settled on Passerelle Bistro and made our reservations.