A collection of photography and exploration focusing on Upstate South Carolina and beyond.
I’ve been wanting to kayak the Bates Old River oxbow lake ever since I saw some intriguing photos of the area on Facebook. Dwight, Alan, and I scouted the area this summer and talked about paddling here when it got cooler, but we just hadn’t gotten around to it. Billy Easterbrooks posted on Facebook that … Read More “Kayaking Bates Old River and Running Creek” »
Wednesday’s Child Wednesday was my birthday. Coincidentally, I was born on a Wednesday. Contrary to the poem, I haven’t been full of woe. Quite the opposite. I feel that I have lived an exceedingly charmed life so far, and I try to stay mindful of just how lucky I’ve been. My birthday week started with … Read More “One Step Closer” »
It seemed like this trip was never going to happen. We had planned it for earlier this year, but the threat of a tropical storm cancelled it. The storm passed by and there was gorgeous weather that day, so we had cancelled for naught. This Second Saturday’s trip on Wambaw Creek seemed like it might … Read More “Exploring the Wambaw Creek Wilderness with Lowcountry Unfltered” »
At the flea market this morning I was told a rather fascinating tale. Ivan had written a new song about a preacher who made moonshine on the side. When he died his coffin burst into flame, incinerating the hearse. Turns out that it was based, in part, on a true story. Ivan made up the … Read More “The Case of the Blazing Hearse” »
Laura’s birthday was about a week ago. We’re both of an age where we no longer want “stuff” for our birthdays, but would prefer the gift of experiences. When I saw that Josh Gates was going to be in North Charleston I figured that tickets for the show would be the perfect gift. We decided … Read More “A Lowcountry Weekend Getaway and an Evening with Josh Gates” »
There’s something about bridges, particularly old ones, that lend themselves to tales of ghosts and hauntings. These structures are ripe for tragedy, crossing potentially hazardous places such as waterways or chasms. Here in Upstate South Carolina alone there are many stories about haunted bridges such as Poinsett Bridge in Greenville County, Booger Jim Bridge in … Read More “The Haunting of Farr’s Bridge” »
It was a second Saturday, which meant that I had lots of options for kayaking. Traditionally my Lowcountry Unfiltered friends would be doing a trip, but that fell through this time. The Bamberg group was doing their paddle on the Edisto, and the Edisto Blackwater Boogie was in full swing. However, when I saw that … Read More “Exploring Stumpy Pond with Catawba Riverkeepers” »
No, I haven’t abandoned this site. I’ve just been going through a bit of a dry spell. I’ve been doing some cool things and taking photographs, but for whatever reason have lacked the inspiration or motivation to write. We’re back in South Carolina after a summer in Washington but things have not exactly been normal … Read More “An Autumnal Equinox Update” »
Yesterday we celebrated the Fourth of July on Samish Island with their annual parade. It was the first time the parade was held in its regular location in several years due to COVID, and there certainly was an air of celebration. We parked at the McDaniel’s cabin and had a short walk to perfect viewing … Read More “To Anacreon, on Samish Island” »
This blog post has been an amazing journey and has taken several weeks to complete. It has involved lots of people and diving down lots of research rabbit holes. I was able to piece together some answers, but I still have lots of questions. Since this is going to be a multi-page post I thought … Read More “Wilkinsville and a Mystery Church” »