Guide to Getting Away from the Sunnyside Traveler

View from Wayah Bald A few years ago the ladies in my family did a trip to the mountains in July and we stayed in Dillard, Georgia. It was the first time I had stayed in the area and I enjoyed my time there. We went kayaking, hiking, found a salvage yard, and visited a fun French-ish restaurant that was located adjacent to a gas station. I liked the area and wanted to return.  In the years since, I have been back to the Franklin, North Carolina area a few times. This year, we went over 4th of July weekend. We decided to go there because we thought it would be a good place to avoid the crowds that you find in many areas of the North Carolina mountains. It was a good choice. We were able to do all the things we wanted to and didn't feel that we were ever in a situation where there were too many people in close quarters.  During this visit, we hiked two short trails. I was amazed at the flowers we were able to find along the trails and roads, since it was July and many flowers ha...

2019 Hiking Week 40 Cheraw State Park We're getting close to the end! Just four state parks left on our list! We recently checked off three parks in the northeast region of South Carolina. We explored the area and had fun visiting some new places. The three parks we visited were Little Pee Dee State Park , Cheraw State Park , and the H. Cooper Black Jr. Memorial Field Trial and Recreation Area.   Little Pee Dee State Park has a lake but the level has been lowered to make repairs on their dam. The H. Cooper Black Park is mostly for people with horses or hunting dogs. We spent the most time at Cheraw State Park. Cheraw State Park reminded us of Hickory Knob State Park. There is a golf course, a lake, lodging, and trails. When we arrived, it was cloudy, cool, and overcast, but as we walked around, the sun came out and it was really pretty. The park ranger was nice and helpful. We decided to walk the boardwalk around part of the lake to the spillway. We didn't realize tha...

2019 Hiking Week 29 Most of the time, people in Columbia take I-77 North to visit Charlotte. Whether it's for a flight, a concert, or just to shop at IKEA, many drive right past the Rock Hill area. Rock Hill is home to Winthrop Univeristy and has become a suburb of Charlotte. I enjoy stopping there on my way in or out of Charlotte, or sometimes we go there just because of the good restaurants and breweries there.  Recently, we were going to be in the area so I wanted to stop by the Glencairn Gardens . They were featured in the book "Classic Carolina Roadtrips"  and I thought of how many times I had been to Rock Hill but hadn't seen these gardens. They are just outside of downtown Rock Hill. Since we visited in the middle of summer, it was pretty green but not a lot of flowers. The park is 11 acres in the middle of an older neighborhood. It has many different sections: lawn, amphitheater, ponds, waterfalls, a "victory garden" and children's...

2019 Hiking Week 23 Brookwood Park Trail Section Hi all! Sorry I'm a bit behind on my posting. We haven't been doing many adventures since the weather is hot and buggy. This past weekend, to escape the heat, we traveled to the upstate and visited a small section of the Palmetto Trail that goes through Landrum. Downtown Landrum Landrum is a small town off of I-26 near the North Carolina state line. It's not far from Tryon, North Carolina, and the area is known for the horse farms. Two sections of the Palmetto Trail meet in Landrum. One is the Blue Wall Passage , which goes around Lake Lanier and other natural areas. The other is the Peach Country Passage , which follows back-roads from Inman to Landrum. From what I can tell, both of these passages have large sections that are on roads and highways. They mention that they are best for cycling along. But at the place where the two passages meet, Brookwood Park in Landrum, has a nice trail loop. From that park, i...

2019 Hiking week 18 This weekend was pretty busy so I didn't get a chance to go hike anywhere. But last weekend, besides walking the Three Rivers Greenway , we also visited the Lake Wateree State Park . We had never been to this state park and I had never been to Lake Wateree (that I remember). The lake is about 40 miles north of downtown Columbia. It's a popular place for people in the area to boat and cool off in the summer. Some also have lake homes in the area. Lake Wateree State Park is primarily a place for people to camp and be on the lake. There's a small nature trail and a playground area but not much else. Admission is $2.00 per person which is paid at a collection post. There is a nice drive to the park which cuts across the lake. It was a pretty view and we even spotted a turtle trying to cross the road. Or maybe he was just warming up in the sunshine. But it's a nice park that I imagine gets pretty busy during peak boating times. It would be nice to...

2019 Hiking week 5 Waterfall on the trail. This past weekend we had a long, fun, group hike in the mountains. We were visiting my parents outside of Greenville and we went for a hike. My parents have hiked all the waterfall trails and state parks in the upstate and parts of North Carolina. I’ve done many hikes with them over the years so we decided to do another this weekend. This time, my sister joined us with her dog. The trail is called Jones Gap Trail and is from Caesar’s Head State Park  to Jones Gap State Par k. It is mostly downhill, about 5 1/2 miles, with some waterfalls along the way. You follow the Middle Saluda passage of the Palmetto Trail . The section we started with was actually not part of the Palmetto Trail, but we joined up with it later. The park ranger at Caesar’s Head said that they’re planning some adjustments to the trails in the park, which will also change the route of the Palmetto Trail. I’m not sure their time-frame on this but hopefully it...

Asheville, North Carolina, is a great city for beer. It has recently gained popularity for its locally brewed beers and has attracted a few national breweries to the region. If you live in the South, this is a great city to tour and taste the many, varied offerings. Also, there are a few towns nearby that are worth checking out. About 30 minutes to the west is Brevard and maybe 15 minutes to the east is Black Mountain. Not to mention the many other towns worth visiting in the vicinity.  I prefer to start in Brevard and then head over to Asheville. The breweries in Brevard are open earlier so you can get the most out of a day trip. I suggest checking each place's website for hours for their tasting room as well as tour hours. I've attached my map with some places pinned on it. It helps so make a driving plan so you're not going all over town. Downtown Asheville traffic can get difficult, especially on a busy Saturday.  Be sure to have a designated driver for this!  Also...

A follow up to my post for April and May free events. It's been fun finding free things to do around the state. The weather has been great and summer is when it seems everyone is outside. And there's always great events during 4th of July! Some of my resources for finding events: Columbia's Free Times SCiway and local visitors bureau websites (great resources!) June June 1 - Williamston Parkfest -  http://www.williamstonsc.us/festivals.html#parkfest 11 am - 7:30 pm between Anderson and Greenville, off of I-85 family event with music, food, emergency personnel visits, farmers market June 1 - Sweetgrass Festival -  http://www.sweetgrassfestival.org 12 pm - 8 pm Mt Pleasant, under the Arthur Ravenel Bridge (free parking) celebrating Gullah Geechee culture; arts and crafts, music, food, demonstrations, water slide June 1-2 - Old Depot Arts & Crafts -  http://www.olddepot.org/index.php?page=arts-crafts-show 10 am - 5 pm Saturday, 10 am - 4 pm S...

I will hopefully be checking out some of these restaurants soon but I thought I'd share this link: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/28/dining/southern-farmers-vanquish-the-cliches.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all   Good article and good recommendations for Southern restaurants and Southern farmers.  Happy New Year!

Cashiers, NC Christmas tree farm “It’s the most wonderful time of the year...” Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. And for the past few years one of my favorite ways to bring in the Christmas season is to cut down a Christmas tree. I’ve grown up with Fraser firs and love the way they smell. And, luckily, I live in the south where I can drive up to Western North Carolina and have many places to choose from to cut a tree. There are tree farms all across the southern Appalachian Mountains that grow Fraser firs as well as other types of Christmas trees. To really jump into the Christmas spirit and join the masses, head out to get your tree on the day after Thanksgiving (“Black Friday”). This has been our tradition and I would rather fight the small crowds in getting a Christmas tree instead of fighting crowds at a mall. Also, you have a better chance at getting a good tree. We usually go to Cashiers or Highlands, North Carolina. There are a few places in this area ...