7 towns and 44 miles of yard sales along SC 23 this weekend

If you need a perfect excuse to hit the road, the Peach Tree 23 Yard Sale, on Friday, June 3 and Saturday, June 4, is it.

Spanning 44 miles along S.C. 23 – from Batesburg-Leesville to Modoc – this community event runs through seven towns. Most of the towns along this route are railroad towns – meaning Southern Railway tracks run parallel to main streets, and there may be a main square or parking area where you can park and walk the three or four blocks of shops, restaurants and yard sale vendors. The area is also known for its older Victorian homes, peach and pecan trees and asparagus farms.

Here’s a bit of what you might find in each town:

Batesburg-Leesville

Larger big-box stores – like Walmart, Goody’s and Hibbett Sports – can be found on the fringes of town, but the older main space is occupied by antique and thrift stores where you might turn up a cool bargain.

B-L is also the home of Shealy’s Bar-B-Que and Jackie Hite’s BBQ, so you can always get your fill of pork and chicken here.

Monetta

Monetta is the home of the Big Mo Drive-In theater, a perfect way to end an evening of shopping. Between Monetta and Ridge Spring, you will pass through orchards of peach trees. When the fruit ripens, swing by Peaches N Such, a Watsonia Farms retail store, where you’ll find fresh-from-the-farm peaches and vegetables.

Ridge Spring

Main Street Ridge Spring is an antique lover’s paradise. Park in the shaded town lot and wander. For lunch, check out Chef Brandon Velie’s Juniper restaurant. Juniper is a sandwich shop for lunch and a white-linen establishment for dinner featuring one of the few chef’s tasting menus in the area.

Ward

Horse country begins here for the lower southern portion of South Carolina. Wonderful Weekend N Ward hosts group horseback riding weekends in April and November.

Johnston

This Edgefield County town declares itself the Peach Capital of the World. The wide main avenue is lined with shops and local restaurants. During the Peach Tree 23, members of Johnston United Methodist Church will sell barbecue sandwiches and hash-and-rice bowls at Calhoun and Lee streets.

Edgefield

This small town is most famous for being the birthplace of long-serving U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond. Edgefield’s beautiful Courthouse Square is the heart of downtown and small shops, restaurants and the town’s newspaper line the square. Check out The Village Blacksmith, a working ironwork shop, at 203 Jeter St.

Modoc

The end of our journey takes you up to the banks of the Savannah River. The town is named for the Modoc indigenous tribe of Northern California (yes) who were brought to South Carolina for resettlement in the early 1900s after the Modoc War. Camping and racing featuring late model cars are popular activities in the area.

More information at www.peachtree23.com.

Susan Ardis, sardis@thestate.com

This story was originally published May 31, 2016 at 7:42 PM with the headline "7 towns and 44 miles of yard sales along SC 23 this weekend."