South Carolina Camping
South Carolina camping was our first opportunity to use our new T@B 400. My separate post, Shakedown Trip in New TAB 400 covers the performance of the 400 on the trip. We camped in two South Carolina State Parks, the first in Columbia, the State Capital and the second on the Atlantic. Our trip began early in December and the fall colors were so beautiful!
Sesquicentennial State Park
South Carolina camping began in Columbia. It was our very first campsite in the 400 and we arrived just before dark in the pouring rain. Stressful! Our set up went relatively well, but we were wet and cold when we were done. We had dinner at a nearby restaurant and were very happy to be warm and dry.
There were few campers at the campground. We chose Sesquicentennial because it is in Columbia, which we wanted to visit. Our site was close to the bathhouse and was nice for a state park, just a little too warm. Though our 400 has a shower, we did not use it on this trip. We will save it for boondocking.
Columbia Attractions
We had one full day to see the sights. The rain was off and on for our sightseeing and the temperature was in the 70s.
South Carolina State Museum
The four story museum has a variety of attractions, including a domed planetarium, a variety of exhibits, and a 4D interactive theater. It is the largest museum in the state and seemed a good way to spend a rainy afternoon. The museum offers an abundance of activities for children.
Many exhibits depicted early life in South Carolina like the one below. In 1936, less than 2.5% of the state’s farms had electricity. However, by late 1941, about 40% had acquired it and by 1959, 90% had public power through the efforts of the Rural Electrification Administration.
Another interesting exhibit was the Hupmobile below. I have never heard of one, but Detroit manufactured them from 1908 to 1941. The car below was purchased in Columbia. One interesting fact is that the Hupmobile appeared in front of U.S. Treasury on the 1920s-era $10 bill.
South Carolina State House
The State House was closed because we were visiting on a Sunday. However, we did walk the grounds, which displayed beautiful fall colors.
The architecture of the State House was pretty cool, but it was the grounds that most impressed me.
We had a fantastic meal at Pearlz Oyster Bar. I wanted to have a SC classic, Frogmore Stew, aka Low Country Boil. Pearlz did not disappoint—everything we had was amazing. It was our best meal in the state!
Our two nights in Sesquicentennial were comfortable. Our new camper and its Alde heater made it nice in the mornings to have breakfast inside. We did not spend very much time in the campground, but it was quiet and peaceful.
Edisto State Park
South Carolina camping was next at Edisto State Park. It was lovely, but more remote than I had imagined. There was torrential rain the night before we arrived resulting in large puddles of water throughout the campground. However, it was was lovely and well-maintained.
Nearby Attractions
There is much to see along the South Carolina coast and we tried to do as much as possible on our one full day allocated for seeing the sights.
Angel Oak Tree
The Angel Oak is a giant live oak tree on John’s Island. It is estimated to be 400-500 years old. The tree is 66.5 feet tall and its longest branch is 187 feet long. I love trees, particularly live oaks, so this one was a must see. It was majestic! We later learned that there is some controversy regarding the tree and the cost of producing electricity in the area. I don’t know the specifics, but the tree is amazingly.
Morris Island Lighthouse
The lighthouse on Morris Island opened in 1876. It is on an island that is shrinking and the shoreline is at the base of the lighthouse. It is at great risk to be claimed by the sea and there are efforts to save it. Boats take tourists to the island, but they cannot enter the lighthouse. We viewed it from Folly Island via a beautiful walk along the beach.
Pralines in Charleston
We visited Charleston several years ago and loved it, but did not plan to spend time there on this trip. However, Folly Island was quite close to Charleston. So, we made a little side trip to pick up some pralines at Market Street Sweets. They were wonderful!
Lastly, Edisto also provided us with an amazing sunset.
We loved our South Carolina camping. It is a beautiful state with friendly people, great food, and lots to see and do. I’m glad we were able to spend several days there.
This trip ended in Pensacola at the Tiny Christmas Campout and was our last trip of 2018. For us, it was a great year for camping!
South Carolina Camping Update
We were unable to see everything we wanted on our first South Carolina Camping Trip, so we stopped at an area of interest while on our Long Summer Trip 2019. Kings Mountain was our last stop on that trip.
Kings Mountain State Park
We stayed for three nights at the State Park. The site we booked was terribly uneven and we exchanged it for one that was level, Site # 108.
The park and the site were okay, but we had some terrible neighbors who were yelling and cursing late into the night. Not very pleasant!
While there, my husband’s back began hurting because he was away from his routine at the gym for almost five weeks. He spent a good bit of time on mats at the campsite doing back exercises. I am happy to say the exercises helped a lot!
Kings Mountain Military Park
We were there to visit Kings Mountain Military Park, which is next to the State Park. I am so glad we did because it provided some very interesting history that was new to us. A major battle during the revolutionary war was fought on the mountain.
England was trying to recruit loyalists in the South to aid in the battle to the North. England’s Major Patrick Ferguson had recruited an army of 1,000 loyalist militia and 100 red-coated Provincials. The Patriots had 900 riflemen and were led by Virginia Col William Campbell. The battle ensued on October 7, 1780 and the Patriot victory was said by Thomas Jefferson to be a turning point of the war. Ferguson died on the mountain and he was the only Englishman to fight in that battle.
The Park has a 1.5 mile trail on the battlefield. The trail was wide and was made of soft rubber. It had markers and monuments along the way. However, at times it was quite steep.
My husband complained a lot, but made it to the top. I felt it was well worth the effort, but he was mostly glad it was over.
Kings Mountain Farm
The Farm was settled by a Scottish immigrant around 1765. He was considered to be a “yeoman farmer”, neither rich nor poor. There are several buildings on the property and a cotton gin. The government purchased the property in 1935 for what would become the state park. The Farm is very well-kept and we were told that events with people dressed in period clothing occurs occasionally. It is really lovely!
Carolinas Aviation Museum
Charlotte was very close, so we visited the Aviation Museum. My husband is a big fan of aircraft and I had to make up for the walk on the mountain. The museum has the actual airplane that Captain Sully landed on the Hudson, plus many others. The plane below was one of my husband’s favorites. He also did a great job in the flight simulator.
Lastly, we had lunch at a pretty cool restaurant, Cabo Fish Taco. I had tacos with grilled scallops—delicious!
So glad we got to revisit South Carolina!
I am enjoying your journey. We are planning 2 big trips, so far. One heading West to Big Bend, then into New Mexico to the Organ Mountains and some campgrounds beyond there. Then, in summer, we head east.
Your trips sound great! We took a trip to California last year that included Big Bend and it was amazing. We haven’t yet camped in the northwest, but it’s on the list. Enjoy your travels!