Visit to Oconee Point Corps of Engineers Campground, SC

Last week I visited Oconee Point Corps of Engineers Campground on Lake Hartwell for five days. Making the reservation, I thought this would be a first visit. Not so! Been here before. Must be getting old. Oh well. Beats the alternatives.

Oconee Point has 70 RV campsites. Every one of the campsites is right on the water. Well, with the exception of the two permanent sites for the Campground Hosts.

Click this link and have a look at the interactive map the Corps has prepared for this campground. Remarkable. A photo of every campsite with just a click of the mouse. Wouldn’t it be nice to have such a map for all campgrounds. Especially in our State Parks. Must be an expensive project, though.

Oconee Point is a terrific place to park your RV if you’re planning to complete a long writing project. Or if you bring along a boat. It’s also a great location from which to visit sites of interest in surrounding counties.

Pendleton is just 10 miles or so away. And those are interesting miles, along two-lane highways that will give you a nice look at the surrounding countryside. The Pendleton District Commission now has the Hunter’s Store building open. Here’s a link to a description of the ceremony. Take time while you’re there to look at the remarkable exhibits they’ve created.

Talk about “High Bang; Low Buck” projects! Those exhibits are fine examples. They provide lots of information without costing a fortune. The Commission also maintains a reference library there for public use. Be careful with that library, though, if you’re academically inclined. You’ll end up spending the day!

When you leave the Hunter’s Store building, step across the street to have lunch or dinner at Vaqueros Mexican Restaurant. What the heck? Go to Pendleton, South Carolina, for Mexican food? Just do it! You’ll thank me later. Somebody back in the kitchen really knows how to prepare Mexican cuisine. It’s the real deal. With Huge portions and very reasonable prices. [That’s Polite for cheap!] The building, by the way, started life as “The New Hunter’s Store.” So have a look around.

Pendleton is one of those towns in South Carolina, like Cheraw, that’s learned to take advantage of its rich history. Here’s an example. Their “Health and Heritage Walking Trail.

You’ll see colorful footprints like these all through town. Just another example of how a town with innovative management can leverage their scarce community development funds. I could easily have spent a week visiting Pendleton. Probably more. A wonderful place.

Back at Oconee Point Campground you’ll find those modern Corps of Engineers bath houses that are so nice to use. There are three or four of them, if memory serves. They’re clean, and have plenty of hot water for showers.

So there you have it. Another great place to park your RV in South Carolina. Bring along a kayak, or a boat. Or bring along a long writing project, like I did. You won’t be disappointed.