Wandering Around America One State at a Time – South Carolina

Posted in Lighthouse, RVing, South Carolina, State Parks, Wandering around America, WaterfallsTagged , , , , , ,

State 36:

Welcome to the next post in my series highlighting states we have visited throughout the years. I hope you will enjoy coming along for the ride!

I will be featuring the states alphabetically. We have never been to Rhode Island so the next state in my series is

South Carolina

South Carolina became the 8th state on May 23, 1788. The capital is Columbia.

For most of my life I have lived about 30 minutes from the Georgia/South Carolina state line. We’ve crossed the Talmadge bridge from Savannah into South Carolina many times to travel the beautiful lowcountry roads for day trips to Hilton Head, Bluffton or Beaufort. We’ve also enjoyed many boat rides in the waters around Daufuskie Island and Hilton Head Island.

Haig Point Lighthouse, Daufuskie Island
Harbor Town Lighthouse, Hilton Head

Before we started our RV travels we made a couple of weekend trips to Charleston. When we weren’t browsing the booths at City Market or enjoying one of the many great restaurants we wandered the streets admiring the antebellum homes with their beautiful gardens.   Our walks would usually end up at the Battery where we strolled along the promenade by the seawall and explored the waterfront park.

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Rainbow Row in Charleston
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Charleston Battery
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Pineapple Fountain in Charleston’s Waterfront Park, The pineapple is a symbol of hospitality.
1997Charleston Battery
Charleston Battery

Henry and I have fond memories of the days we took our children tent camping in Hunting Island State Park so we planned a trip there in our fifth wheel. The Hunting Island Lighthouse is located in the park and the beach is just a short walk from the campground.

The Hunting Island, SC Lighthouse is the only lighthouse in South Carolina which is open to the public
The Beach at Hunting Island State Park Campground, SC
A narrow paved road winds through the campground at Hunting Island State Park, SC

One year the mountains of the South Carolina Upcountry were a great place for a getaway from the August heat of coastal Georgia. Our home for a few days was Oconee State Park, located about 30 minutes from the Georgia state line in one direction and the North Carolina state line in another direction. Scenic drives near the campground took us to waterfalls, unfinished tunnels and swimming holes.

Lake at Oconee State Park
Old mill at Oconee State Park
Issaqueena Falls
Blondie wanted to swim at Bull Sluice
Bull Sluice on the Georgia/South Carolina line is a popular swimming hole
Whitewater Falls
The Stumphouse Tunnell was never finished

Columbia is the capital of South Carolina and the home of the University of South Carolina. We’ve been there for concerts, football games, and to see our grandson play in a soccer tournament. On RV trips it is sometimes a convenient place to spend the night when traveling to another destination.

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Georgia fans in red and South Carolina fans in garnet at Williams-Bryce Stadium

On one of our RV trips we enjoyed stopping at Little Cedar Creek Campground. The park is a nice county park in Ridgeway, South Carolina and we had a great meal at the Old Town Hall Restaurant.

Old Town Hall in Ridgeway, South Carolina
Old Town Hall in Ridgeway, South Carolina

Lake Wateree State Park was another enjoyable place to spend a couple of nights. The park is a popular destination for families and boaters.

Lake Wateree
Along the edges of Lake Wateree behind our campsite

And how could we resist stopping at South of the Border on Interstate 95 just south of the North Carolina state line?

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South of the Border

To read previous posts about the states featured in this series just click on the state name: Alabama      Alaska      Arizona      Arkansas      California      Colorado     Florida      Georgia      Hawaii        Idaho  Illinois      Indiana      Iowa     Kansas     Kentucky     Louisiana     Maine     Maryland     Massachusetts     Michigan     Minnesota    Mississippi     Missouri     Montana     Nebraska     Nevada      New Hampshire     New Mexico      New York     North Carolina    North Dakota      Ohio     Oklahoma     Oregon     Pennsylvania

15 thoughts on “Wandering Around America One State at a Time – South Carolina”

  2. Beautiful! Those old houses are so interesting. When I went on a tour I was fascinated that if a little statue in the window was looking out toward sea then the sailor was away; if turned toward the inside of the house the sailor was home. I forgot about Rainbow Row.

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  3. I was born in Charleston, but only lived there for a few months. So it was exciting to finally visit as an adult to explore. We also loved Savannah. But most of our SC visits were to Myrtle Beach in Oct which was perfect! You have found some great place in the state that you don’t think of as SC.

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    1. You sound like me! I was born in Savannah but we moved when I was three. My husband and I moved to an area near Savannah almost 40 years ago so I have spent most of my life near Savannah. We’ve been to a lot more places in South Carolina including Myrtle Beach but I don’t have any photos to share. I’m sorry I didn’t have any pictures of the beautiful Spanish Oak draped oaks or palmettos in the lowcountry.

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      1. We actually made our first visit to SC on a motorcycle trip in July as we were heading to visit our son in Atlanta. It was 100 degrees with high humidity the day we arrived. Not pleasant in jeans, boots, and sitting on a hot engine. We got a hotel for the night and left town saying we would return some day in the fall. We then did that when we retired. Charleston and Savannah are wonderful in the fall:)

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  5. We have spent more time passing through SC then staying there – will have to check some of these places out since it is so close to home! Do love Charleston though … except in the summer!

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  6. We had an absolutely wonderful time in South Carolina during our RV trip. It has some really interesting, unique places and wonderful campgrounds. I particularly love the low country around Beaufort and Hunting Island. In the early 60s when we used to drive from Connecticut to Florida to see my grandparents, a stop at South of the Border was a great treat. I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or not that it’s still around!

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