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 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 20 This time of year is the best time to visit Landsford Canal State Park . The park is known as a prime location to view Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies. There are only a few places where these flowers grow in the Southeast. There are three locations in South Carolina - Columbia, McCormick County, and the Catawba River near Landsford Park. These flowers like to grow in the rocks in rivers and begin blooming around mid-May.  Last year, I was able to visit the park with my mom in May. They have a short trail that leads from the parking area along the river to a viewing spot for the lilies. When we were walking along the trail, we kept looking for the flowers but didn't see them. We were worried that we were too early but once we got too the viewing deck, we were able to see tons of them. It was really surprising. It ended up raining on us but we had a good time checking out the park and the trails. The park is actually a historical site of the ...

Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site 2019 Hiking Week 15 This weekend was full of adventures. First, my husband took me on a surprise road trip and we visited the Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site . It’s between Summerville and North Charleston. It was a pretty neat park. It was a 1697 settlement by congregationalists from Massachusetts on the Ashley River. The park is $2.00 per person to enter and you pay using the envelope system, so be sure to bring exact cash.    Once you park, there is an informational sign with a self-guided tour that starts by the river and winds its way around the settlement.  Tabby Fort There’s a fort that is built out of oyster tabby. It was originally built as a back up storage for Charleston’s gunpowder. There are also archaeology sites, tombstones, and a large bell tower from the former Anglican church. The settlement was abandoned in the revolutionary war and it didn’t recover. It’s a beautiful place on the ...

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...