Oops Forgot this Barbeque Contest Video!

Must be getting old. There was so much to see at last month’s annual Agriculture Commissioner’s Barbeque Cook-Off and Festival out at the South Carolina Farmer’s Market in West Columbia that I forgot to include this video in the earlier blog post! Oh my.
There was plenty more than barbeque at this event. Here are a few of the displays and offerings. Enjoy.

If your web browser fails to play the above video properly, click here for direct access to YouTube.

The 2014 Annual Commissioner’s Cup BBQ Cook Off and Festival, Columbia, South Carolina

(Click all photos for a larger version)

One of the many advantages of living in the South Carolina Midlands is waking up each morning smack dab in the middle of American barbeque culture. With all the State’s barbeque opportunities no more than a three-hour drive away. Of course, some of the best are right here in the Columbia area.

Late last month I drove across town to the third annual Agriculture Commissioner’s Cup Barbeque Cook Off and Festival held at the State Farmer’s Market in West Columbia. The festival began Friday night, but I attended only Saturday morning and early afternoon.

What an event! Serious barbeque cooks from all over South Carolina gathered in two of the Market’s open-sided buildings, offering samples of their culinary art. Why, there were even a few from other states. Here to study and learn, I suppose….

There was still room to park when I arrived. But traffic increased rapidly. Latecomers faced quite a hike from their parked cars to the barbeque displays.

All that walking must have increased appetites since barbeque was running low by the afternoon. Click this link to hear Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers explain to WIS-TV how that was handled.

This event wasn’t all barbeque. Cody Webb from Ridge Spring, South Carolina, provided music that went well with barbeque. He’s enjoying some success these days on the country music scene. Well deserved, judging from his performance at the Cook-Off.
Here’s a quick look at some of the contestants and their booths.

(If your browser does not display the video above properly click here to view on YouTube)

When you were full of barbeque ‘n fixins’, there was special popcorn, snow cones, lemonade, corn dogs, and a huge selection of Canebrake Farms’ preserves and fresh fruits and vegetables. That was just the beginning. Kids were running around with brightly painted faces, begging parents for another turn on the jumping pillows. A great family event.

I left the Farmer’s Market around two o’clock and drove back through town along the Charleston Highway, or Route 321. Or 176 or 21, for that matter. Plenty of social and natural scenery throughout. Then, look what came up on the right-hand side of the road? Well! I had to stop.

Piggy Park is the first restaurant in which we had dinner upon moving to Columbia from Washington, D.C. Talk about lucky!

Mr. Bessinger passed away back in February. But the barbeque and fixins’ are as good as they’ve always been. I made a special effort to confirm that. The only difference I noticed was that the display tables inside the restaurant now are devoted exclusively to barbeque and Piggy Park’s signature mustard-based sauce. No political literature in sight.
Piggy Park still serves the barbeque and fixins’ by which I judge all other barbeque. ‘Nuff said.

(If this video doesn’t play properly in your browser, click here for the YouTube version)

Popular Animal Exhibits at the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, South Carolina

Last week I stopped by Columbia’s Riverbanks Zoo to see their elaborate western lowland gorilla exhibit. Click here for some photos and video.

Animal exhibits at the Riverbanks Zoo, though, are like potato chips. You can’t stop at just one. The elephants, for example, live right next to the gorilla exhibit. Riverbanks is home to four female East African bush elephants. In a comfortable setting that includes a bathing tank.

But elephants are just the beginning. Here are a couple of short videos that provide a glimpse of a few of the more impressive displays. Enjoy.

If the videos embedded above fail to display properly in your browser, click the links below to access them directly from YouTube.

Elephants, Grizzlies, and Lions

Vultures, Hornbills, Flamingos, and Baboons

Western Lowland Gorillas at Columbia South Carolina’s Riverbanks Zoo

Last week I visited Columbia’s remarkable Riverbanks Zoo again. This time to see “Patrick,” a twenty-three-year-old male gorilla who arrived from Dallas late last year. Click here to read the Zoo’s recent press release on his arrival.
In the event, Patrick wasn’t on display. But I did get to spend time watching the Zoo’s three other male western lowland gorillas:  Chaka, Mike, and Ajari. Ajari’s the youngster of the group at only 13, while Chaka, 29, is the dominant male. I think that’s Chaka you see in the photo above.

Two USC anthropology students were observing the gorillas and taking notes when I arrived. Field research for a class project, I suspect. They knew a good bit about gorillas in general, and about these gorillas in particular, and kindly explained what was going on.
Here’s a short video I put together from video clips and photos taken during the visit. These are magnificent animals.

As usual, if the video fails to appear in your browser, click this link to go directly to YouTube where it’s hosted.

It’s impossible to walk more than fifteen feet at the Riverbanks Zoo without snapping photos or recording video. More to come, including elephants, grizzly bears, and lions.

A Sunday Afternoon at Columbia South Carolina’s Riverbanks Zoo

Columbia’s Riverbanks Zoo is another of those must-visit spots in the South Carolina Midlands. Its innovative displays and activities have earned national and international awards for years.

Last Sunday I accompanied our daughter and two of our three grandchildren on one of their frequent Zoo visits. A real treat.

Click the photo above for a better view of the Zoo’s new “Zip the Zoo” zip line canopy tour. And click here to view the Zoo’s zip line promo video. There are two courses. One over the Zoo and one over the nearby Saluda River.

Now, this is a pricey addition. Zoo members have to pay $30 for the Zoo route and $40 for the River route. And even at that price reservations are required. We resisted the temptation, in spite of heavy lobbying from the grandchildren contingent.

Here’s a short video of some of the popular features and exhibits at the Zoo.

Should the video fail to display properly in your browser, click here to go directly to the YouTube iteration.

Just after the elephants and before lunch we visited “Sky-High Safari.” Another relatively new Zoo attraction. I resisted the temptation to climb the exhibit’s carefully arranged ropeways. Watching two grandchildren romping up and down was more than enough cardiovascular exercise for the day. Here’s a video of the event.

Again, if the video embedded above fails to play properly in your browser, click here.

So there you have it. A pleasant Sunday afternoon at Columbia’s Riverbanks Zoo. We’ll be back soon to report on new exhibits. So stay tuned to www.CarolinaConsidered.com.