Old Purity Cemetery, Chester South Carolina

It’s amazing what an observant traveler can find in South Carolina just by avoiding multi-lane, high-speed, interstate highways. Here’s an example. “Old Purity” Cemetery just outside the town of Chester, South Carolina.

 “Old Purity.” Unusual name, even for a cemetery. I clicked around a bit on the Internet and discovered the name makes perfect sense. “Purity Presbyterian Church” now is located over on Wylie Street in Chester. That’s “New” Purity. Services began there in 1854, after moving from its earlier location at the junction of Routes 97 and 44, now the site of the “Old Purity” cemetery.

Bull Run Presbyterian Church was the name chosen by the original congregation around 1770, later changed to Purity Presbyterian Church. So there’s the explanation!

Graves at Old Purity date from 1787. That’s a long time for American cemeteries. Not the oldest, by any means, but getting right up there.

Cemeteries give us the opportunity to study micro-history. With a focus on families and how macro events have affected their lives. They’re interesting places. The stone above commemorates those who fought in the Revolutionary War. Click for a larger view. The names should be legible.

They also provide clues to a region’s earlier culture, and even economy.

Many older cemeteries are disappointing. Toppled grave markers; overgrown with weeds; littered with trash. Not so Old Purity. This historic cemetery is still used today. The property is maintained by the Old Purity Cemetery Society. Click the link to access their excellent website. Lots of additional information, including history and upcoming events.

So there you have it. Chester South Carolina’s Old Purity Cemetery. Be sure to add this impressive and informative site to your itinerary when you visit this part of the country.

A Few Photos from Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Columbia, South Carolina

When your travels bring you to or near Columbia, South Carolina, be sure your itinerary includes a visit to the Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Gardens. Not just the Zoo, but also the Gardens.

There’s something to see any time of the year. I took this photo of berries in the Garden on February 1st. Not as many brightly colored flowers during winter. But this is South Carolina! So there’s always something to attract your attention.

More on the Garden in another post. But look at the photo above. That’s the work of Anna Hyatt Huntington. One of two on display here. They’re smaller than most of the pieces you’ve probably seen at Brookgreen Gardens, down on the Coast. But nonetheless interesting, and they fit perfectly into the Garden design.

The Garden is across the river from the Zoo. But access is simplified by this train. It makes a round-trip every ten or fifteen minutes. From the Zoo side just walk across the bridge and board the train. It’s free! And like the Zoo and Gardens designed for visitors of all ages.

Speaking of visitors of all ages, an interactive children’s garden is slated to open in April of this year. Those are some of the kid-friendly tree houses still under construction. Click here for more details. This is a Big project, some time in the planning and construction. Riverbanks doesn’t do things by halves.
Back to the zoo. Click on the photos below to open SmugMug photo galleries. Then click the “slideshow” option above the photos for larger views. Remarkable creatures, well cared for.

Edisto Beach State Park in the Winter

South Carolina's Edisto Beach State Park is beautiful even on a rainy winter day.

Click each photo for a larger image

Just outside my campsite.

There's something about this place. Come have a look for yourselves.

Lakeside Cabin at Keowee-Toxaway State Park South Carolina

The cabin on the shore of Lake Keowee at Keowee Toxaway State Park in western South Carolina is, I believe, the largest in the South Carolina State Park system. Three bedrooms, two full baths, and that's just upstairs.

Downstairs there's a fold-out sofa and a half bath. Plus the fully equipped kitchen we've come to expect in State Park cabins. All recently renovated. Granite counters, no less.

This cabin accommodates up to ten people!

Working fireplaces upstairs and down make this cabin ideal for any time of year. Families with lots of children, or even two or three smaller families, would be comfortable here

Two of the three bedrooms have views of the lake, and doors leading out onto a wide deck. Don't know if you can see it through the trees in the attached photo, but the cabin rental includes a private dock. Bring along a boat and enjoy the whole lake.

The only disadvantage of this cabin is that it stays rented throughout the year. Probably because the rent is so low. So, make your plans early and get to enjoy both the thousand acres of Park woods and Lake Keowee. It doesn't get better than this.

A Short Visit to Pickens, South Carolina

When my big city born-and-bred wife saw these photos of Pickens, South Carolina, she said, “Now, that’s a typical Southern town! The way we want them to be.”

I had to agree. Look at this East Main Street view. It’s not often we get to see real mountains from right downtown!

And here’s Legacy Square on the corner of East Main and Lewis Streets. A popular gathering place. If you click the photo above you’ll have a better view of the fancy fountain and masonry wall built in 1993. The project was funded, according to this informative article, by the sale of the commemorative bricks you see in the wall.

A crew of workmen was renovating the County Court House when I walked by. Click the photo above for a better view. Or, maybe their efforts were directed only to the area in front of the Court House. They looked busy, so I didn’t cross the street to ask questions. Next time.
Pickens is another of those South Carolina towns determined to be beneficiaries rather than victims of their history. With a population today of only around 3,000 it doesn’t seem possible they could accomplish so much. But seeing is believing. The third novel in my Dr. Ray Raether and Samantha RV travel mystery series is set several miles north of here. A good excuse to come back. Research, doncha know.

Sadlers Creek State Natural Area, South Carolina

Campsite # 31

This is campsite # 31 at Sadlers Creek State Natural Area on the South Carolinia side of Lake Hartwell. Just about ideal. Beautifully leveled and maintained. I was able to get a few days of RV camping in while the leaves still have some color.

This is the view from this site. Lake Hartwell is down a bit now, but it's still beautiful. Sadlers Creek has to be included in the list of the best parks in the South Carolina system.

I'm using the Blogaway Pro app for the first time, posting directly from the smartphone. Hope it works. If it does it will save a lot of time.

Visit to the University of South Carolina’s Campus: The Horseshoe in May 2014

(Click this and any other photos for a larger view)

Back in early May I drove downtown intending to pay another visit the gardens of the Robert Mills House. On arrival I found school busses parked cheek to jowl in the street fronting the property. Fortunately, it was blocked off. Children of all sizes swarmed around the Mills House property. I continued south without stopping. Ending up in a USC parking lot near the Horseshoe.

As an alternative to the Mills House gardens, the Horseshoe area of the USC Campus is hard to beat. It has to be one of the most beautiful and carefully tended pieces of real estate in Columbia.

Look at that tree! Generations of children have abused its low-hanging branches. Irresistible up to a certain age. Only one example of the care and skill of USC’s arborists over the years.


The University was preparing for graduation ceremonies when I arrived. A picturesque setting. But you can’t imagine how hot it is out there on a sunny May day, especially with a long-winded commencement speaker!

All worth it, though. Graduating students treasure memories of this day for the rest of their lives. That’s McKissick Hall, now McKissick Museum, you see in the background. Be sure to visit. Here’s a link to their website. Quite an impressive collection. The building alone is worth the time.

The Caroliniana Library anchors the other end of the Horseshoe. I doubt that they encourage casual visitors. But there’s plenty to see outside. Including a delightful garden surrounded by a brick wall out back. Great place to read and make notes. Have a look at the Caroliniana Library’s website with a click here. Some more of architect Robert Mills’ work. In continual use since 1840, it’s said to be the oldest free-standing university library building in the country.
There’s much more to see here on USC’s beautiful and historic Horseshoe. All within easy walking distance. Even for older folks like me who don’t get around as easily as we once did. Here’s a short video that shows a bit more. But you’ll just have to visit to get a comprehensive view.

(If your browser fails to display the video above, click here to go directly to YouTube.)

A Visit to Barnwell County, South Carolina

No visit to Barnwell County, South Carolina, is complete without a stop at Barnwell State Park. Park Manager Eddie Richburg and his crackerjack crew maintain the Park’s acreage and extensive facilities in top condition.

Last week I was able to spend a few days with the Aliner parked on one of Barnwell’s “full hook-up” sites. Level as a platter of – well, of water -- these full-hook-up sites feature both 50-amp electricity and sewer connections. In other words, they’re made to accommodate even those large motorhomes we often see. The Barton camp host family arrived during my second day. A great addition to Park Manager Richburg’s crew. Hope they can stay for a while.

More good news! In addition to Barnwell’s hiking, fishing, conference/picnic facilities, cabins, and peaceful campground, Swimming is Back! A decade or so ago, only few South Carolina State Parks maintained their swimming facilities. Now, more seem to be coming back. Barnwell is one. Good news for folks who don’t have country club memberships or live near large towns.

Did you know Barnwell is one of South Carolina’s original sixteen CCC state parks? I didn’t. Here’s a closer look at the informational sign in front of the Park Office.

(If the embedded video above fails to play in your browser, click here to go directly to YouTube)

Magnolia Blossoms in Spring Valley, Columbia SC

Why are magnolia trees like wind chimes?
Both are best enjoyed in a neighbor’s yard.
Magnolia trees are beautiful. But when their leaves fall they make quite a mess. Wind chimes are a delight to hear. But they’re best appreciated from a distance. Making them the ideal gift for a neighbor.
Here’s a short video featuring the blossoms of the remarkable magnolia tree.

If the video embedded above fails to play in your browser, click here for a direct link to YouTube.

“Early Tech Week” at Hammond School, Columbia, South Carolina

Ask most any graduate of Hammond School in Columbia, South Carolina, what they remember most about their Hammond experience and they’ll mention Mr. Mancke’s Early Tech Week.

Each year for the past twenty-some, Hammond fifth-graders have trooped down to Mr. Mancke’s cabin for a week of hands-on learning about important technologies used by American Indians and colonial-era immigrants. Experienced specialists, including Mr. Mancke himself, teach the Hammond fifth-graders about six major technologies, each occupying a full school day.

Just one example. Consider string. Or cordage. Or rope. There’s more to learn than you might imagine. Unless you’ve spent time in the woods without a piece of rope you badly needed. Benjamin “Raven” Pressley from North Carolina visited Tech Week last year to show Hammond fifth-graders how to make cordage from materials found in nature, and how it’s used. Learn more from Raven Pressley on-line at http://goo.gl/xtIJml
I could go on and on about what I saw during a visit to Hammond’s 2013 Early Tech Week. Instead, I decided to interview our granddaughter, now a Hammond sixth-grader, who agreed to describe her experience last year and show us some of the materials she created.
Here, Janie recalls her overall Early Tech Week experience, describes the six “stations,” or technologies presented, and explains the decorations on the statue in the Amanda Walker Taylor Courtyard.

If your browser fails to play the embedded video above, click here for the YouTube iteration.

Next, Janie describes the first two early technologies she learned about last year: cordage and paint making.

Again, if your browser fails to play the second video, click here

In this third and final segment of the interview, Janie presents three more early technologies: burn and scrape, though which cups and bowls were made from sections of tree trunk; creation of musical instruments from river cane; and how even the feet of harvested deer were used by early Americans rather than wasted.

Click here for the YouTube version of the above video.

So there you have it. One of Hammond School’s remarkable initiatives, as seen through the eyes of a sixth-grade participant. Thanks, Janie, for your help. And take good care of your Early Tech Week artifacts. Well … maybe that frozen deer foot has passed its best-by date …..