South Carolina – Page 9 – Random Connections

Paddling the May River with Lowcountry Unfiltered

May 17, 2016 Tom No Comments

It’s another Lowcountry Unfiltered Second Saturday, which means paddling with my friends. Last month we traveled up to the Fall Line to paddle Turkey and Stevens Creeks. This month we would be hanging close to home, at least for the majority of our paddlers. We would be paddling the May River, launching from Bluffton. It wasn’t close to home for me, though. I made the four-hour drive down yesterday in time to do some pre-LCU paddling with Tim Brown on the New River. Today’s exploration with the larger group would be quite different.

Hidden Mill Cemeteries of Greenville

April 16, 2016April 16, 2016 Tom 8 Comments

History and Genealogy, Local, Rambling

So far I’d found two old textile mill village cemeteries somewhat by accident. These reminded me of an article in the Greenville News by Judy Bainbridge from 2009. The article was entitled “Woodside, other mill villages need care.” Bainbridge had listed several mill village cemeteries in town, and at the time I’d thought about trying to find them. Then I kind of forgot about it. That is, until my recent discoveries. Now I was ready to seek out these other forgotten cemeteries.

Flea Markets and Weird Songs

April 14, 2016April 14, 2016 Tom No Comments

Miscellaneous, Music

Yeah, I guess it’s getting to be a habit. It’s Wednesday and I was back at the Pickens Flea Market. I had gone specifically to listen to the musician’s corner and see if someone was playing the banjo this time. What I found was music of another type entirely.

A River with an Identity Crisis: Paddling Turkey and Stevens Creeks

April 11, 2016April 11, 2016 Tom 2 Comments

Paddling, Photography

Another Second Saturday and time for a Lowcountry Unfiltered adventure. This was actually a cross-over event, with as many participants from the Church of the Double-Bladed Paddle group on Facebook as LCU participants. Granted, two of us were in both groups, but still. The venue was one for the books – Turkey Creek and Stevens Creek in McCormick County turned out to be a waterway with an identity crisis. It didn’t know if it wanted to be Upcountry or Lowcountry.

The Tobacco Trail through Clarendon County

September 25, 2015 Tom 4 Comments

Geocaching and Maps, History and Genealogy, Photography, Rambling

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.

The Rise of Santee on The Tobacco Trail

September 22, 2015September 26, 2015 Tom 1 Comment

Geocaching and Maps, History and Genealogy, Rambling

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.

The Golden Llama

September 21, 2015September 21, 2015 Tom No Comments

Restaurants

I was out running errands and wanted to grab a bite to eat. The same old same old just wasn’t doing it for me. I wanted something more…interesting. How to accomplish that without risking bodily harm was beyond me. I was about to give up and go to the new Hardees that opened at Pelham and East North Street. That’s when I saw it. A sign saying that the Golden Llama is now open in the BiLo shopping center at that intersection. I had to check it out. To be honest, I didn’t know if it was a restaurant or a weird gift shop.

The Tobacco Trail through Orangeburg County, Part 2

September 20, 2015February 1, 2020 Tom 14 Comments

Geocaching and Maps, History and Genealogy, Photography, Rambling

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.

The Tobacco Trail through Orangeburg County, Part One

September 18, 2015September 23, 2015 Tom 3 Comments

Geocaching and Maps, History and Genealogy, Photography, Rambling

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.

Sparkleberry at Low Water

September 14, 2015 Tom 2 Comments

Paddling, Photography

It was a Second Saturday and time for another Lowcountry Unfiltered outing. This time we planned to paddle Sparkleberry Swamp. Our group had paddled here a couple of times before, and I’ve been here lots of times, most recently with Dwight and his son Adam back in June. I’ve already written huge amounts about what a magical place it is to paddle. This time we had some newbies with us, and this time we experienced the swamp as we never had before.

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