All vaxxed up and nowhere to go? 50 things you need to see and do in SC
After a year of ... well, you know ... the next few months are shaping up to be the official Summer of Doing Things.
In South Carolina, where almost nowhere is more than a day trip away, there are sights, festivals, activities, quirks, foods and natural beauties to fill a full year’s worth of fun and adventure.
So get your vaccines and start planning to make up for lost time. Fill your calendar with these 50 must-do and must-see things in South Carolina (trust us, it was hard to narrow them down to only 50). We can’t wait to see you here, there and everywhere in the year to come.
Be aware, this to-do list contains some of South Carolina’s long-running annual events. As life continues to resettle from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the timing of some of these events might be affected this year. Be sure to check event websites for the most up-to-date information on their plans.
1. Catch a minor league baseball game at Fluor Field in Greenville (modeled after Boston’s Fenway Park), “The Joe” in Charleston (where you might spot resident celeb Bill Murray), Pelicans Ballpark in Myrtle Beach or the award-winning Segra Park in Columbia.
2. Speaking of baseball, visit the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum in Greenville, dedicated to the baseball legend and local native.
3. Tour the S.C. State House and its grounds. While the legislature is session (January-May), tours are offered every half hour. The rest of the year, they’re available every hour on the half hour.
4. Trot out to the Carolina Cup steeplechase in Camden in May. Bonus points if you dress in your best preppy attire (and, ladies, don’t forget to don your best hat or fascinator!).
5. See the famed Angel Oak on Johns Island near Charleston. Not just any tree, the Angel Oak is more than 400 years old, close to 70 feet tall and 28 feet around.
6. See fireflies sync their lights at Congaree National Park in late spring. South Carolina is just one of a handful of places in the nation where you can see this spectacular phenomenon. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, only a select number of visitors will be allowed in 2021; they’ve been selected through a lottery. Keep an eye out for further information and plans.
7. Hike Table Rock. And while you’re in the area, check out Pinnacle Mountain, the tallest mountain in the state, and Caesars Head, which offers “breathtaking views” from the overlook.
8. Walk along the Battery in Charleston. It’s one of the best ways to admire the antebellum homes lining the city side of the seawall, as well as White Point Garden, which got its name from the large piles of bleached oyster shells found there.
9. Eat your way through the S.C. BBQ trail. We’re famous for featuring four distinct sauces across the state — mustard, light tomato, heavy tomato and vinegar. But, ahem, we all know which is the best. (Let’s fight.) True barbecue disciples will make the pilgrimage to Scott’s in Hemingway.
10. Visit the Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden in Bishopville. Three acres of sculpted hedges are the product of 20 years of work by self-taught hedge artist Fryar, who’s received many awards and national notoriety for his work.
11. Float down the Congaree or Saluda rivers in Columbia. Palmetto Outdoors has everything you’ll need: tubes, kayaks, tours and shuttles.
12. Spoleto! If you’re into performing arts, this 17-day and -night festival in Charleston is chock full of established artists and emerging talent. It runs from late May to early June.
13. Hang out at Falls Park on the Reedy River in downtown Greenville. There are pathways for bikers and runners, restaurants, hotels and even a waterfall. (Yes, there’s a waterfall in downtown Greenville).
14. Hike the Palmetto Trail that cuts across the state from corner-to-corner. Check out the Awendaw Passage in the Lowcountry, grab an ice cream cone at The Twirl as you pass through tiny downtown Eutawville, get a burger at Wilson’s Grocery as you make your way along the Peak to Prosperity Passage and take in the beauty of the 60-foot Station Cove Falls along the Oconee Passage in the Upstate.
15. Take in a double feature at one of the state’s drive-in movie theaters, including the Big Mo in Monetta, Drive-In Auto Theater in Greenwood and Highway 21 Drive-In in Beaufort. Check their websites for dates and movies.
16. See the purple martins at Bomb Island on Lake Murray. Known as the first official North American sanctuary for these large swallows, up to 750,000 purple martins migrate and stay here from June through late August or early September.
17. Read a Pat Conroy novel, preferably while basking on a sliver of South Carolina sand. Sure, you could cheat and watch either of the Oscar-nominated films based on his books (“The Prince of Tides” or “The Great Santini”), but some of his best known works are the novel “The Lords of Discipline” and his memoir, “My Losing Season.”
18. Snap a photo of the Peachoid. It’s a 135-foot-tall water tower in Gaffney that was made to resemble a peach, the state’s signature fruit. Some people say it looks like a backside, earning it the nickname “peach butt.” You be the judge. It was also featured in the Netflix series “House of Cards.”
19. Spend a Saturday morning at the Soda City Market on Main Street in downtown Columbia, where you’ll find everything from fresh produce to handmade jewelry to Belgian waffles. The market runs every Saturday, rain or shine, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
20. Take a dolphin tour along the coast, anywhere from Hilton Head to Murrells Inlet and plenty of places in between.
21. Spend a day at Broadway at the Beach in Myrtle Beach, with its 350 acres of food, attractions and entertainment. The city’s boardwalk area also deserves a day (or weekend) of your time.
22. Visit South Carolina’s famous attraction for over 50 years, South of the Border ... and drink a Blenheim Ginger Ale. The independent soda-bottling company dates back to 1903 and is known as one of the earliest, smallest and (in some Southern circles) finest in the United States.
23. Sip tea at the Summerville Sweet Tea Festival in September. Recognized as the state’s signature beverage, sweet tea is celebrated at this annual event, a call to all true Southerners.
24. Lace up your shoes for the 10k Cooper River Bridge Run in September. With more than four decades of races under the banner, you want to sign up early. The race is capped at 40,000 participants.
25. If you’re feeling adventurous, discover a literal Planet of the Apes on Morgan Island — a.k.a. Monkey Island — near Hilton Head. The island got its nickname due to the colony of rhesus monkeys that live there. You can only watch the monkeys from a distance as you drive by on boat or paddle by canoe, though, as humans aren’t allowed to step foot on the island.
26. Rev up for a NASCAR race at Darlington Raceway. Known as “The Lady in Black,” this track is still regarded as “too tough to tame.”
27. Plan ahead to attend the spring RBC Heritage golf tournament in Hilton Head. For over 50 years, this golf event has been held a week after the Masters Tournament (which you also might consider a South Carolina “to-do,” even if it is in Augusta, Georgia). Golf legends such as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and the late Payne Stewart have all played this tournament and gone on to become World Golf Hall of Famers.
28. Eat at the Beacon Drive-In. This Spartanburg drive-in has a reputation for being a regional trademark — a Carolina tradition and the second-largest drive-in restaurant in the U.S. The food ain’t half bad either!
29. Visit the UFO Welcome Center in Bowman. The saucer-shaped UFO was built by Jody Pendarvis, whose yard it resides in.
30. Boat along the ACE Basin. Sadly, the original ACE Basin Tour is no longer available. But good news for “Forrest Gump” fans, you can still go see (and relive) the scene where Forrest jumped off the shrimp boat when he saw Lt. Dan, thanks to Beaufort Tours. Owner Bill Reynolds can take you to Lucy Creek where it all began.
31. Drink some water from Healing Springs. Located behind the Healing Springs Baptist Church in Blackville, the mineral water found there is said to have healing properties.
32. Go camping at Hunting Island State Park. There’s 5 miles of beach, a saltwater lagoon, a historic lighthouse (the only publicly accessible one in the state) and 100 highly coveted campsites.
33. See the Hunley submarine. Located at the Warren Lasch Conservation Center in North Charleston, the Confederate craft (the first successful combat sub in history) was lost at sea from 1864 to 1995, when it was finally found. It was raised from the Atlantic in 2000 and later put on display.
34. Visit the last covered bridge in South Carolina. Campbell’s Covered Bridge is about 30 minutes from Spartanburg and was named after grist mill owner Alexander Lafayette Campbell. The historic bridge is owned and operated by Greenville County, which turned the site into a park with picnic tables, access to the site of the old mill, Campbell’s home and a view of Beaverdam Creek.
35. Visit either (or both!) of the forts along the coast. That means either Fort Sumter (where the first shots of the Civil War were fired) or Fort Moultrie (used from 1776-1947).
36. Dine at Miller’s Bread Basket. Located in Blackville, this family-owned and -operated restaurant serves home-cooked Amish-Mennonite-style foods. Can’t find that everywhere in South Carolina, that’s for sure.
37. Take a picture (or selfie) of all the spots where “Forrest Gump” was filmed. Did you know, a majority of the film was made in the Lowcountry? From Savannah to Beaufort, you’ll probably recognize a building, bridge or road from the movie.
38. Find all the “Mice on Main” in downtown Greenville. The city has made a game (and book of clues) for finding all the bronze mice along the city’s Main street.
39. Practice your best screams and squeals ahead of a trip to Scarowinds right around Halloween. The Carowinds theme park is located on the N.C.-S.C. border so, hey, we’re claiming it.
40. South Carolina has plenty of haunted spots (along with a few legends). Experience some of these scary stories yourself by taking a ghost tour in cities such as Charleston, Beaufort and Columbia.
41. Skydive over Chester. Offered by Sky Dive Carolina since 1986, you can learn how to skydive, plan for a solo free fall or go tandem with a professional. FYI for all thrill seekers, the website reports that while you’re in free-fall, you can accelerate up to and over 120 mph for up to a minute, followed by a five-minute scenic descent.
42. Take a hot-air balloon ride with Captain Telegram. A bit of an institution himself, let Columbia’s favorite captain take you on a tour above the Midlands. He also offers trolley rides and singing telegrams, for future reference.
43. Tour the Mepkin Abbey, a Trappist monastery in Moncks Corner. The Roman Catholic monks welcome you to visit the church on a guided tour as well as wander around the Nancy Bryan Luce Gardens.
44. See a concert at the Newberry Opera House. Built in 1881, this historic building was fully restored in its late 1990s glory and is beloved for its live performances as much as its rich cultural significance.
45. Take a tour of the Bluffton Oyster Company. The state’s only oyster house, this old-school operation has been around since 1899 and is known for its freshly harvested, hand-shucked oysters.
46. Visit the South Carolina Aquarium in downtown Charleston. Home to more than 10,000 plants and animals, you can actually touch some of the marine animals in the Touch Tank. If you prefer land animals (and some water-dwellers, too) visit Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia.
47. Don some garnet or orange and go to the USC-Clemson football game in November. It’s the rivalry in the state, so seeing it live is a must. (It doesn’t count if you don’t make it out of the tailgate into the stadium.)
48. Go to Pelion for the town’s annual peanut party in November. Be sure to try the boiled peanuts made by members of the Pelion Ruritan Club. They use a secret recipe for boiling the peanuts.
49. Take a picture of (and on) Poinsett Bridge in Travelers Rest. Although it’s no longer a working bridge, the structure still stands and is reportedly the oldest bridge in South Carolina (and possibly the southeastern U.S.).
50. Finish the year and start the next one right with the Famously Hot New Years celebration in downtown Columbia. It’s known to be the biggest, free New Years Eve party in the Carolinas.
This story was originally published December 4, 2018 at 12:44 PM with the headline "All vaxxed up and nowhere to go? 50 things you need to see and do in SC."