CarolinaConsidered Visits Laura’s Tea Room in Ridgeway, South Carolina. Part Three

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The Thomas Company building has been a Ridgeway landmark since it replaced the “old building” in the late 19th century. In this segment of the interview, Mrs. Allen tells us how owner, Lee Thomas, employed local contractors and craftsmen for a combination renovation and restoration.

It was an ambitious project, requiring nearly two years. And the effort shows. When you visit be sure to wander around, upstairs and downstairs, paying attention to details such as the original pressed tin ceiling, the beautiful hardwood floors, and the original “mercantile” shelving that has been preserved.

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CarolinaConsidered Visits Laura’s Tea Room in Ridgeway, South Carolina. Part Two

Click here to return to Part One of this series and the table of contents.

If you click for a larger image of the picture above you can read “The Thomas Co.” up over the awning. It’s still called The Thomas Company, and Laura’s Tea Room proprietor, Mrs. Allen, explains why in the next segment of her interview.

When you visit, be sure to note just how carefully this building has been restored and maintained. Here’s a shot of the original pressed tin ceiling, and what appears to be some of the original, albeit latter-day, electrical wiring. The restoration alone makes a visit worthwhile.

Click here for Part Three of this series.

CarolinaConsidered Visits Laura’s Tea Room in Ridgeway, South Carolina

Programs in This Series

• Part One: Introduction to Mrs. Allen and the Tea Room
• Part Two: The Thomas Company and “Mercantile”
• Part Three: Building Renovation/Restoration and Startup
• Part Four: “High Tea” and the Tea Room Staff.
• Part Five: The High Tea Menu and What to Expect.
• Part Six: Conclusion: The Clientele of Laura’s Tea Room, Including Ridgeway Residents.

Laura’s Tea Room in Ridgeway, South Carolina, is something! A be-sure-not-to-miss institution. Driving through Ridgeway on Route 21, the way folks used to go between Columbia and Charlotte, it’s impossible to miss. Right on the corner where Route 34 intersects Route 21, as you can see in the photo above. The site of the town’s only traffic light!

I discovered Laura’s Tea Room a few years ago, not long after it opened, while camping at Lake Wateree State Park. Internet access, and even cell phone service, is notoriously sketchy at that beautiful Park. It’s improved some in recent years, but still can be a problem. Anyway, I drove out of the Park in search of a WiFi connection. The town of Winnsboro has many, but I hoped for something closer.

Imagine my surprise while driving through the charming little town of Ridgeway to see a sign in front of an inviting storefront advertising the availability of WiFi. Well! I had to stop. What luck!

Laura’s tea room is open Tuesday through Saturday, with tea served 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The new deli serves between 10:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. And the gift shop is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. A complex schedule. But you’ll see why when you visit. Click here to access the website.

Returning earlier this year, back in May, I was lucky enough to catch Proprietor Carol Allen for an interview. Mrs. Allen works! So it wasn’t easy to find a time. Have a listen to the first segment of our chat with her, in which she introduces herself and her interesting business.

You can view the video in the small window above, or click it for an expanded view. And be sure to click below to access Part Two of this interview.

Click here to access Part Two of this series

Calhoun Falls State Recreation Area: A Return Visit

[Click any photo for a larger image]

With temperatures routinely rising about 100 in Columbia, it was time to plan camping trips to cooler climes. Oconee State Park, up in the mountains, seemed a good bet. And it was a little cooler. A little, but not much.

Calhoun Falls State Recreation Area too seemed a good bet, located as it is on a peninsula jutting out into Lake Hartwell. Well, I arrived here on Sunday afternoon. And by Monday this was the situation:

That 107 outside reading was in the shade, now. Thank heaven for a reliable air conditioner. Even on medium temperature and low fan it keeps the Aliner comfortable.

Still, even with outside temperatures like this, Calhoun Falls State Recreation Area is a great place to visit. This has to be rated one of the very best, if not the best, South Carolina state park for RV camping in the whole system.

According to Park personnel, the Corps of Engineers built this Park and campgrounds for the State system. Compared with the South Carolina state park system, the Corps has piles of money. Which may explain why Calhoun Falls has such beautiful RV campsites.

Click on the photo above to see site # 28, the one I reserved for this trip. Beautifully situated, smoothly paved, well designed, and as private as it could be made and still have lakeshore access. Yet, compared with the other RV campsites here, it’s nothing special. They all are at least as nice as this one.

I first visited Calhoun Falls State Recreation Area toward the end of March last year, if memory serves. [click highlighted links for related material] Park Manager David Drake then was in the midst of building a state-of-the-art fish cleaning station, out behind the office building. Well, David and a crew of workers, since this fish cleaning station includes ample rinse water, huge grinders [required because Lake Hartwell fish grow so large, doncha know …] and even its own septic tank system.

Click on the photo above to see the result. It didn’t take long for a smiling fisherman to come by with with a nice-sized fish he caught just casting off the bank of his campsite. Not large, for Lake Hartwell, but ideal for a nice meal for two.

I asked several Park personnel if visitors were using this new facility. They all said it gets a lot of use. That some folks living nearby even pay the Park’s $2.00 admission fee just to come in to clean their fish!

Most important, it has reduced fish cleaning debris in the area of the boat ramps, and in the trash dumpster areas throughout the Park’s three campgrounds. Fish cleaning residue dumped there in the past attracted flies, bees, and inevitably generated an unpleasant odor around the dumpsters. See the sign above that discourages disposal in the trash dumpsters.

Lake Hartwell is a big lake that provides diverse habitat for fish. That makes it a favorite location for those fishing tournaments we sometimes see on television. It’s hard not to catch fish in Lake Hartwell. Even from the banks of the Park’s campsites! So, some method of coping with fish cleaning debris was essential.

While wandering around the Park Office area yesterday, I came across this little sign. S’mores! An established favorite of campers throughout the country. Trouble is, we often forget to bring the “fixins.” Don’t worry. The store at Calhoun Falls has S’mores kits in abundance! They sell very well here. Undoubtedly encouraged by this sign.

So, be sure to add Calhoun Falls State Recreation Area to your RV camping agenda. There’s something here for every age group. You can’t avoid having a great time.

A Visit to Split Creek Goat Dairy Farm in Anderson, South Carolina

Next time you visit Upstate South Carolina save time to visit Anderson’s celebrated Split Creek Farm.

Split Creek is a Grade A Goat Dairy owned and operated since the 1980s by Evin Evans and Patricia Bell. Visit their website by clicking here. There you’ll find a description of the farm, and links to all sorts of information about dairy goats.

Now, don’t be misled by the fancy website and sophisticated advertising. This is a real working farm. D’GenuWine, as we used to say OverHome! Here, the lucky visitor will see what’s actually involved in the production of milk and other dairy products. A rare opportunity these days. 

Visitors are welcomed at Split Creek from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday through Saturday, and from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM on Sundays. I mention this because it helps to make the point that farm life is pretty much a 24/7 responsibility. Animals don’t take weekends off, or go on vacation. And they expect their owners to provide feed, water, and care on their schedule.

Speaking of visitation, I urge you to call ahead to arrange a lecture and tour. During my first visit, I was able to join a tour led by co-owner Patricia Bell. She’s forgotten more about goats than I’ll ever be able to learn. And, she has the enviable skill of presenting her knowledge so that folks like me can understand. A lecture and tour will help you make sense of what you’ll see here at Split Creek Farm. 

Pat Bell, by the way, also is Folk Artist in Residence. See her work with a click here. Be sure to visit “The Hen House,” pictured above, to see examples of her intriguing pieces first-hand.

A visit to Split Creek Farm really begins as soon as you make the turn and pass through the gate. Drive slowly, now. All sorts of domesticated, wild, and semi-wild animals call this magical 40-acre plot of land home. And not all of them accept the primacy of automobiles on their property. Even on the roads. So be on the look-out.

Look to the right to see the milking herd and their Great Pyrenees canine guardians in the pasture. Preparing for their next milking. It’s a calming sight, somehow. Helps to put the cares of daily life into perspective. At least for me. Then on down the narrow lane to the parking area. It’s that grassy area on the left, I guess.

There you’ll begin your walk about the farm. You’re free to wander around as you wish. Just don’t open any gates. Be sure to visit the barn and store. I never knew goat cheese and fudge was so good. As you see above, Split Creek regularly wins national-level awards for the products from their dairy.

If you’re lucky you may meet Gulliver, a four-year-old pet buck, or more properly, wether, who seems to have free run of the farm. Gulliver is very friendly and considerate of visitors. He seems to love the attention.

And be sure during your visit to take note all of the different kinds of goats at Split Creek Farm. The milking herd is mostly Nubian, if memory serves.

But every imaginable breed seems to be represented.

Here are a few examples. All adult does, or “nannies,” as most of us would call them.

If you visit during the right time of year you also may get to see kids. This one Pat’s holding above was only a few days old at the time of my first visit. Oh my.

So, there’s something for everyone at Split Creek Dairy Goat Farm in Anderson, South Carolina. I’ve been twice, the second time, as you see above, with granddaughter Janie. And I hope to make several more return visits. Enjoy!