Anyone familiar with Columbia, SC?....

Welp, it looks like I'll be delivering my Brother's bike to a friend in Columbia, SC (hopefully this week.) http://davesgarden.com/t/441799/#new

Turns out if I go I wanna leave early but won't be able to deliver the bike till after 6:30-7:00 pm. This means I'll either need to find something to do all day or not leave till later in the day from here (which means hitting afternoon traffic, 5:00 traffic, etc).

I was thinking if I went early I could find some sights/places to enjoy while waiting during the day.

Any of ya'll S.Carolinians know of something that would hold ones interest. (If not, trust me, I'll find some way to entertain either myself or others.)

Just thought I'd put this out there to see what my options were.

Many thanks!

http://www.columbiacvb.com/

http://www.city-data.com/city/West-Columbia-South-Carolina.html

Just do a google search on it - you might be surprised on what ya find. :) Hope you have fun! Wish I could go!

Shoe, I lived in West Columbia as a youngster... but I doubt you'd want to do the things we did. On second thought maybe you would... cruising the criks in an inner tube and that sorta stuff!

Hey, Shoe, what route are you planning to take to Columbia? If you decide to do that banjo/mandolin trade you may be coming near enuf we could meet you somewhere!

darius...that sounds like my kinda thing! Long as they bring me bck upstream to my truck!

Shaz...I think (at this point) it looks like an Interstate drive (my least favorite!)

You near 85 or 77?

That would put you coming thru Statesville & Charlotte. That's about 2 hours from me. What day you goin'?
PS- I hate 'em too. I used to have to drive I-95 in south Fla. on a daily basis. WHEW!!!!!!

This message was edited Jul 12, 2004 9:42 PM

Guys and Gals - that's what I did when I was a kid, but of course, down in Walla Walla, Washington, on the Walla Walla River. We'd take tubes (real tubes, not those boat tubes you see now) and cruise down the river, around Rooks Park. It was great!!!! When I became a better swimmer, and more confident, I threw the tube away and went for this great rockier part of it, and slid down my poor torn shorts. You got pushed and dumped into a pool of water that instantly drug you down, but if you didn't panic, would then get you in the stream of water, to tow you further down, about 100 yards from the dam.

Not real sure how I made out of all that fun alive! lol! But glad I did!

I wonder some times if we over protect our kids, from what we actually got to enjoy while kids, just because we are so afraid of them getting hurt, or if society has changed so much that we no longer have that in our lives.

Kids don't go outside anymore. They don't play like we did.

Computers, X-Box, Video Games, Cable Television, Steroes, Discmans, little portable Game Boys................

Sad.

I was adventurous - I have even more scarier stories than that.

Well - WOW - guess I spilled a mouthful this time.

Amen, sister! Mine will barely even climb a tree! I LIVED for climbing trees when I was a kid. And you're right-I DO overprotect mine. Wonder why that is? Were we really THAT crazy as youngsters?? I know I did a lot of dangerous stuff, but I always seemed to make it out alive. If I caught my kids attempting HALF the stuff I did, I'd kill them myself and get it over with!!!!! :)

I'll check a map, Shaz. Will be in touch either here or at the Gathering Place. (Not sure which day I'm going yet.) (Sure wanna see that banjo though!)

Karrie...we did that too! Burnt out many a cut-offs cruising down Sliding Rock creek in the Pisgah Forest. (Nowadays it's a tourist area...in my day it sure wasn't!)

As for kids...I know so many that are hooked on TV/Games/etc, but not here! Outdoor time is a requirement! As are creeks, woods romping, catfishing, canoeing, etc. Hopefully the list will go on and on and on as the children age.

columbia holds a zooilogical garden which is nice.

http://www.riverbanks.org/

they have a musuem there too. a nice size mall on harbison blvd

its about an hour and a half from me.

also depending on what day you come you might travel about 30 - 40 minutes more to greenwood sc( which is sorta in beteen columbia and me) and see park seed company which they are open to the public.

www.parkseed.com

gives you a few things to do.

'Shoe! Sliding Rock!!!! One of my all-time favorite places in the whole world when I was a kid. I can't go anymore because of back problems, but the kids love it. You are right, though. There are so many people there on a given day now, it just doesn't seem the same. Yep, went thru many a pair of cut-offs there, meself!

Shaz...I was so disappointed a couple yrs ago when I took DD on a camping trip. It used to be a "pull off the road and park, walk thru the weeds, and play" place. As you know, there are now bath houses, parking lots, and an admission fee. (plus a ga-zillion people).

Are you going down 85 ' Shoe?

You'll be awful close to me if ya do .....

I'm not in Columbia , and don't know much about it , but Greenville sure is on the way there & back ...

Yep...will go 85 and pick up 77 someplace. (Have to check out my directions again.)

I imagine you'll be at work on my way down there...and it looks like a nite time driving trip on the way back. (Ugh, better double-check my trailer lights.)

Kinda wish I could make it a weekend trip but maybe there'll be less traffic during the weekdays, eh?


This message was edited Jul 13, 2004 10:52 AM

You can always go "as the crow flies" and go by the sun and the moss on the trees! You might even wind up doing some hiking before it is over.

That sounds like a whole lot more fun than interstate driving! DH & I-pre-children-used to do that. We'd just get in the car and go. Wherever we wound up, well, there we were. I miss those days!

I spent quite a few years doing that also...often-times walking/hitch-hiking but also with a few cars and vans from time to time.

Ah, them good 'ol days...

er-yup - them good ole' days. This thread took me down memory alley - was a nice visit! Better go change my worn cut offs now! Back in a bit! There's a freezing cold swimming hole up in the Blue Mountains calling my name! ;)

Yay!....I got a reprieve! Won't have to go for another two weeks! That gives me plenty of time to get my ducks in a row for that journey.

Thanks for all the help folks!

Ya planning to take your ducks with you on that trip, Shoe? I would advise against that. It will just make the journey a whole lot harder keeping up with them. They are inclined to get out of line a lot and sometimes they even go flying off.