Guide to Getting Away from the Sunnyside Traveler

Well this post doesn't really fall under my usual categories. We're into our second full week of working from home and the first week of the Columbia shut-down orders. It's amazing how quickly life can change so drastically. I just found out this weekend that they are cancelling our Master Naturalist class this year. We will have the option to take it next spring but I am pretty sad about this. I was really looking forward to learning and sharing my knowledge with you. Watching people posting online about exploring their neighborhoods and backyards and seeing signs of spring all around, I thought I would share with you some of the sights we saw recently walking on the Timmerman Trail . I took a bunch of pictures and am using them to help myself identify and learn plants and animals. Thankfully, we received our books for the Master Naturalist class so we have been using them to learn the names of the plants we find. Crab-apple tree Wisteria (non-native, invasive spec

2019 Hiking Week 21 Downtown Columbia from the Saluda This week I wanted to feature a great way to cool off in the South Carolina summer. Columbia has three rivers - the Saluda, and the Broad rivers which merge to form the Congaree River. When the summer heat is too hot to handle, the Saluda River is my favorite place to cool off. The water in the river comes from the bottom of Lake Murray which keeps it pretty cold even in the hottest days. There are many ways to access the river and cool off. The easiest is to visit Saluda Shoals Park and either kayak or tube through them. It's easy to rent the kayaks or tubes and they'll set you up with all you need. You put in at the west side of the park and then they will come pick you up at the east side of the park. It's not a far distance but it's a nice section to float down. The time will depend on how fast the water is flowing. If you want to create your own trip, there are a few boat ramps along the river that

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 17 Back in March I featured the Timmerman Trail and Congaree Creek Heritage Preserve . Connecting to the Timmerman Trail, and near Congaree Creek, is the Three Rivers Greenway. It's also called the Riverwalk here in Columbia. There are a few sections to this trail that will (hopefully) all connect together in the future. They follow the Saluda, Broad, and Congaree Rivers and I am so glad our community has set these places aside for trails. Year-round you can see visitors and people from the area out walking, biking, running, and picnicking along the trails. For Easter Sunday, we actually had a picnic at the Columbia Canal Riverwalk (which is part of the Palmetto Trail). The Three Rivers Greenway is made up of sections at the Columbia Canal, Cayce Riverwalk, Timmerman Trail, and the soon-to-open Saluda Riverwalk. There is also a spur of the trail that is in the Granby Mill Village area. The website says there are at least 12.5 miles of trails but I think it

2019 Hiking Week 13 Hunting Island State Park and Sheldon Church Ruins This past weekend we were able to visit the Hunting Island State Park, outside of Beaufort, SC. On the way there, we stopped by the Sheldon Church ruins . These ruins are from a church built in 1757 but it was burned in the Revolutionary War in 1779, then, after being rebuilt, it was destroyed again during the Civil War. They are currently maintained by the Parish Church of St. Helena , which is in Beaufort. I’ve always wanted to visit these ruins. If you look up pictures, there are some beautiful images from this location. It was interesting to see the church and the grounds. There are a few tombstones from the past three centuries. The oak trees, spanish moss, and dogwoods were so pretty. You can schedule events for the location but you have to go through the St. Helena church.  After visiting Sheldon Church, we went through Beaufort and on to Hunting Island State Park . I was really impres

So, I was supposed to go to Savannah the other weekend but other plans came up and I wasn't able to go. I was bummed when we had such nice weather on Sunday and I knew it would feel like spring in Savannah. It got me thinking about the city and what I would do or recommend someone to do if they were in Savannah for the weekend. I thought I would share with you my ideal itinerary. I'm giving you some "Save" options and some "Splurge" options, you could also see these as save = more family friendly options and splurge = romantic weekend options. I hope you can use these and enjoy Savannah. It's one of my favorite southern cities. First thing I would do, is check the Savannah visitor's website . See what kind of events are going on that weekend in Savannah and Tybee Island. You may want to join these events or avoid them. Also, be sure, if you're going to be spending time downtown, you may want to invest in a parking pass for the city. You can f

Amelia Island is an island off the coast of Florida, near Jacksonville. Amelia is the island's name, Fernandina is the beach on Amelia Island. It's a historical area where many of the original settlers arrived. I've spent some time there and I really like it. It's a good mix of Florida and the southern barrier islands (like those in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina). There's a neat historic downtown area as well as a few parks. Also there's a nice beach and good walking/biking paths on the island. But keep in mind that it's a fairly large island that would take most of the day to bike from one end to another (north and south). There is a wide range of places to stay, from B&Bs to the Ritz Carlton. Below is some information that I've gathered to help you plan a vacation. Visitor website -  http://www.ameliaisland.com/ B&B's in the Historic Downtown: Fairbanks House - Higher end but historical -  http://fairbankshouse.com/ Hoyt

So recently we were able to go to the Florida Keys again and it was just as enjoyable as before. I must say, if you have never been to the Florida Keys, or if your only experience was Key West, you really should try to make the trip. They're so unique. It just makes me happy to see the beautiful water in so many shades of blue when you cross over the bridge. We didn't get a chance this time to try many new places but we enjoyed visiting the places we have been before. Like Morada Bay Restaurant The view from our table at Morada Bay. and Islamorada Fish Company (We've been here before and it can get crowded but it's a good family place and there's a lot you can do while waiting for a table) The sunset from the docks at Islamorada Fish Company and staying at Breezy Palms . This time at Breezy Palms, we saw some manatees as well as some iguanas. Apparently iguanas aren't native to the keys and they want to get rid of them. But they are interesting to