Guide to Getting Away from the Sunnyside Traveler

I've recently been sharing some places in Savannah to friends who are visiting or thinking about visiting. I thought it would be helpful for me to share that in a new post. Some of these places I've mentioned before and some are new. It's always good to check to make sure these places are still open! Businesses are always opening and closing.  I'll group things by area.  Tybee: Favorite restaurants: North Beach Bar & Grill (casual, mostly outdoor seating), Sea Wolf (fancy hot dogs and other specials, good cocktails and wine), Raw Ingredients (down by the pier, good sushi), Mi Vida ( breakfast and lunch, healthy options), Tybean for coffee, Fannies (by the pier, we like their quesadillas), Crab Shack is an experience but kind of touristy Things to do: bike around the island, watch the sunset on the back pier (https://maps.app.goo.gl/PtbfLEqR9u3W2dmK9), check out what's going on at the Tybee   Marine Science Center (they do special walks) and Lighthouse, w...

Since the South Carolina State Parks have reopened on May 1, the parks have a limited number of visitors they can have there at one time. So far, each weekend, about 10 or more parks reach their capacity by noon. I've been keeping an eye on the parks to see which ones are the most popular and fill up the fastest. I thought I would share with you some of the fun but lesser known parks. Just be sure to check the state park facebook page to see the latest announcements. First, though, I should tell you the parks that are busiest and have the most restrictions. Edisto Beach State Park is only open to campers and those staying overnight (until May 11). No day visitors. Jones Gap State Park has a lot of restrictions on visitors. On the weekends, you have to purchase a parking pass before arriving. Other popular parks that are filling up on the weekends before noon: Paris Mountain, Caesars Head, Keowee-Toxaway, Table Rock, Kings Mountain, Landsford Canal, and Musgrove Mill. Basicall...

2020 Hiking Post 5 As a Gamecock fan, it can be hard to admit it but there are some nice spots for outdoor activities in Clemson. Since the school and town are located in the foothills of the mountains and there are many lakes in the area, trails and water activities are everywhere. Trail Map Just outside of the town of Clemson, is the Clemson Experimental Forest.   It is over 17,000 acres with miles of trails for hiking and mountain biking. It also borders part of Lake Hartwell. Many of the trails are mixed use but I had heard about a trail to a waterfall that was for hiking only. The Waldrop Stone Waterfall Trail is a short trail of about a mile that takes you along a creek to a couple of waterfalls. It has some challenging parts, where you have a steep descent to the waterfall (which means you have to hike back up that hill on the return), but they have built some steps and railings to help in sections. It’s also nice there are quite a few benches that you can ...

2020 Hiking Post 4 You might remember how last May, we visited the  Battle of Rivers Bridge State Historic Site . Recently, we returned there so we could explore the park more. This site is the only SC State Park where Confederate soldiers fought Sherman's troops as he made his way from Savannah to Columbia. There is a short trail (less than a mile) that takes you around the battleground and shows you the battle and what conditions were like at the time. There are still earthen rifle pits and other embankments that the soldiers built. Lots of informational signs along the way. Rifle pit mounds Retreat Trail There's also another trail that marks the route that the soldiers took as they retreated and a cemetery that has the dead from the battle. The park is free and has good visuals of how the battle took place and who was involved in it. There is also a community center and some neat events that take place throughout the year that show you what life wa...

2020 Hiking Post 3 Outside of Greenville, near the town of Mauldin, there is a wilderness oasis in the suburbs. I had heard about Lake Conestee Nature Park and driven by it before but I didn't realize it was so large (400 acres) with so many trails. The Swamp Rabbit Trail has a 4 mile section through this park which runs north, past the park, to connect with the section of the trail on Cleveland Street. (Be advised, there is a section that is not complete on the trail where you have to go along side traffic on Parkins Mill Rd.) This nature park has miles of paved and unpaved trails (about 12 miles) that take you around the Reedy River and Lake Conestee. Lake Conestee was a man-made lake on the river that was built for the Conestee Mill in the early 1800s. The dam and mill are still there but everything is gated off. Looks like there is talk of renovation but we'll see if that takes off. It would be a great location. Conestee Mill When we visited, on a Sunda...

2019 Hiking Week 39 Happy December! It's been almost a year since I started posting about local South Carolina hikes and outdoor adventures. We have seen so much of the state. With just seven state parks left to visit this year, we have driven through almost every county in the state and I've learned more about the history and character of different regions of South Carolina. It's been a lot of fun and a lot of miles! The river coming from the dam. Recently, we visited Goodale State Park , outside of Camden. I had been saving this park because I wanted to paddle their blue trail for kayaks and canoes. But, the warm weather got away from us so we decided to go anyway on a Friday afternoon. It is a beautiful little park just outside of downtown Camden. The main feature is the civil war era mill lake with a paddling trail for visitors. There is also a nature hiking trail and some picnic and gathering spaces. We were able to walk around part of the lake on the d...

2019 Hiking Week 36 Hope you are enjoying the winter weather we are having! It seems like in South Carolina we just skipped fall and went straight into winter. But don't let the cold weather stop you from going outside! This past weekend we visited King's Mountain State Park , about 2 hours from Columbia, outside of York, and on the border of North Carolina. It was a cold day but the sun was bright and the fall leaves were abundant. Kings Mountain State Park is a large park that is next to Kings Mountain National Military Park . It is the site of a Revolutionary War battle victory for the Americans. The park is over 6000 square miles and has a lot of long trails for visitors. Some trails are accessible for horseback riding. There is also a campground and options for back country camping, even with your horse. There's a nice lake and a replica of an 1800's farm house. The cost for admission is $2.00 per person. When trying to decide what trail we would hike, ...

2019 Hiking Week 35 The Savannah River runs along the southern border between South Carolina and Georgia for over 300 miles. Many lakes have been formed along this river through man-made dams. There are 6 South Carolina state parks along the Savannah River. From west to east, these parks are Lake Hartwell State Park, Sadlers Creek State Park, Calhoun Falls State Park, Hickory Knob State Resort, Baker Creek State Park, and Hamilton Branch State Park. We’ve finally visited all of them, so I thought I would share them in one (long) post. Since all of these parks are located along lakes and the river, they all are primarily parks for people to access the water and enjoy camping and fishing in these natural spaces.  Lake Hartwell State Park Lake Hartwell State Park is just off of I-85 on the South Carolina/Georgia border. The lake is a large, popular lake in the upstate of South Carolina and it covers 680 acres. The park primarily gives people access to the lake, as we...

Hiking 2019 Week 33 Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand area of South Carolina is probably one of the most popular parts of the state. People have been flocking to the area for over 50 years to enjoy the beaches. Even though I grew up in Florida, my family would meet other family members in the summer at Pawleys Island. I remember staying on the beach, playing putt-putt golf, and setting off fireworks. Since moving to South Carolina, my family doesn’t visit Myrtle Beach as often. Since it’s about three hours from Columbia and Charleston is only about an hour and a half, we tend to go to Isle of Palms or other Charleston beaches. But there are two state parks in the Grand Strand area and one plantation state park just south of the area. We decided to do a day trip to visit all three. Myrtle Beach State Park Our first stop was Myrtle Beach State Park . It is an oasis in the middle of all the tourist areas of Myrtle Beach. You have a glimpse of what the area must have looke...