Tag Archives: South Carolina

Basic Intro to Aiken, SC

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I took a recent day trip to Aiken, just after Christmas. I once lived in Aiken and have maintained friendships there over the years that keep me going back from time to time.

If you like horses, then surely you already know of Aiken’s identity as the “Horse Capital of the South.”  Also considered “America’s Polo Capital” due to its establishment as a winter colony for wealthy elites from up north who came to play polo, it is also the training grounds for stellar Thoroughbred race horses such as Dogwood Stables’ Preakness winner Summer Squall and Belmont Stakes winner, Palace Malice.

During times of the year when the horses and jockeys are training, you can drive into the grounds of one of the tracks on Two Notch Road to watch them train in the early morning. Ease up to the rail, without being loud or obtrusive, and you will be able to feel the pounding of the ground underneath you as the sleek, gorgeous beasts effortlessly gallop past you on the track. You will hear and see the puff of their breath as the riders breeze them down the track.  Afterward, head around the corner to the Track Kitchen for breakfast. This is an authentic Aiken experience that has been enjoyed by locals for quite some time. It’s a little green and white building on Mead Avenue that you might miss if you don’t know what you’re looking for. My grandparents lived in this same neighborhood, and my grandfather took me on this excursion on a few chilly mornings, way back when.

My grandparents’ old home, which was also where I had my wedding:

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If you’re up for an actual race event, check out one of Aiken’s Triple Crown events in the spring. Here I am at last year’s Steeplechase.

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Now, moving on to lovely, hip downtown Aiken…

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There’s so much to downtown Aiken in the way of shopping and dining that I can’t really fit it all in here. But that area has been sort of revitalized (if it really needed revitalization) and has acquired some cool, funky spots like the Mellow Mushroom, where I ate lunch.

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I would be remiss if I did not mention the Willcox, a historic hotel where my husband and I spent part of our honeymoon. It is a grand old inn that once hosted Winston Churchill, among others of note. The gorgeous rooms are all very special, but no, I don’t have any pictures of our honeymoon suite. It was before the days of camera phones when taking pictures was a little more of a deliberate notion, so I didn’t think to snap any pics of the room to toss up on Facebook. But think of a four poster bed, luxurious furnishings pointed toward a working fireplace, and a bay window looking out at some of Aiken’s beautiful magnolia trees. There’s also a fabulous restaurant at the Willcox, where I dined many times over the years.  Most notably, I went to the Aiken High School prom with a friend when I was 17, and we had dinner there. It was always an upscale experience, as you would expect by looking at the outside of the hotel.  If you take a look at their website, you’ll see that it’s now part of the Southern Living Hotel Collection, and that Travel & Leisure and Conde Nast are pretty big fans of the place. In fact, a stay at the Willcox, by itself, makes for a nice celebration of a special occasion.

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As always, you can call on Azalea Travel to book your stay there. You won’t be sorry.  And you won’t be disappointed in Aiken. It happens to be one of my very favorite towns in the south. I have not done the place justice with my little hack smartphone pictures in this post.

Greenwood, South Carolina – Part 2

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The reason for my last trip to Greenwood was to celebrate the grand opening of the Carolina Executive Car at the Railroad Historical Center.

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This car was of particular interest to me, because it was the car my great-grandfather, Frank Harrison Cothran, used as his mobile office during the years that he was President of the Piedmont & Northern Railroad. My parents made the trip with me.

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That’s my father down the narrow hallway, right outside the bedroom that was his grandfather’s.

But even without the family connection, this train was well worth the trip to see inside. It makes for a fascinating trip back in time. The wood paneling, the service quarters, and kitchen all give rise to imagination to see the car in its heyday, when it was more than just a mode of transportation.

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You can almost feel the motion of the car sliding forward and see gentlemen in their suits sitting at the table in the conference room, mulling over contracts and making things happen with inkpens, handshakes, and friendly jokes.

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It is part of The Museum & Railroad Historical Center in Greenwood, which has two locations with two different functions. From April through October, the train cars are open Thursday through Saturday, 10am to 5pm. There are other cars being renovated, and a depot will be built, as well.

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In the meantime, the museum portion of The Museum and Railroad Historical Center, which is just down the road a few  blocks, is open year-round.  And it is a treat.

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It’s the best museum I have seen in a town of Greenwood’s size.  The only better ones I have seen are in larger cities. Their collection is quite impressive on the first floor.

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Upper floors reveal additional exciting historical items, plus educational exhibits for children of all ages.

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Are The Museum and Railroad Historical Center worth a trip to Greenwood?  If you have a train enthusiast big or small, then I say yes, without a doubt. Absolutely. Even if no one in your family is a train buff, it’s still interesting and is something folks of all ages will enjoy. Note: Those with mobility issues may not be able to board the train cars.

You can make it to Greenwood from Summerville in less than 3 hours. You could potentially make a day trip of it. If you want to be leisurely and enjoy other things Greenwood has to offer, like shopping and dining in its revitalized Uptown Greenwood area or a production at the theater next door, then Azalea Travel can book you a room at the Inn on the Square, which was the subject of my last post.  Make a night of it, and have a fun family getaway!

Greenwood, South Carolina – Part 1

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I’ve been following Uptown Greenwood on Facebook for some time now, and I’m impressed with what I see.  There are so many little towns in South Carolina that had their heyday decades ago – or even 100 years ago – and need revitalizing now. And revitalization is exactly what’s happening in Greenwood. The recent reopening of the Inn on the Square was just at the beginning of October. But the most recent breath of life is the grand opening of the Carolina Executive Car at the Railroad Historical Center on Friday night. That train car was once my great grandfather’s office on wheels. However, I will cover that in Part 2 of this post. I’m focusing on the Inn on the Square today.

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I think this hotel is doing incredibly well to have just opened its doors again on October 1. I told them so. I can’t be sure, but it’s possible that I may have been the first person to stay in my room since the renovation. My only hint at this is that a man from the cable company had to come into my room and program my television.

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While there was no mini-fridge and no microwave, I’m betting those will be added soon. In the meantime, everything is freshly painted and ready for guests to relax and enjoy. I did suggest that they add another towel bar and a hook in the bathroom for convenience. But I was just fine as it was. One thing I think is interesting is the shower. There’s no shower curtain to collect mildew or to gross out the germophobes. There’s simply a fixed glass pane. The shower is a fresh, modern touch in a vintage hotel.

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The bed was comfortable, the desk was sufficient, and the big armchair in the corner was plush and lovely. My parents’ room on the front of the building had a view of the street. My room on the back had a view of the roof over the reception room. But the views are not the reason you would come to this hotel. If you want a nice view, you would go to the beach or mountains.  This is a bustling downtown area.

The Dining Room

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The service in the Carriage House dining room was fantastic. The wait staff makes it a very personal experience and works hard to please. But Tom, the maitre d’, absolutely makes the experience. Attentive to every request, he treats guests as if each one is a VIP, while maintaining an entertaining and appropriate sense of humor. I hope they hold on to Tom, because he really makes the experience. As far as the food is concerned, everything we had was absolutely delicious. My shrimp and grits was not too saucy, as some are. My mother raved about the monkfish, and my father (a lifelong fisherman, chef of his own catch, and connoisseur of seafood) proclaimed that the tuna was prepared as it is supposed to be, and was delicious. In fact, he was too full to finish and told the waitress, “I hope you have a favorite cat who will get these scraps, because this is too good to throw away.” If you are a guest at the inn, breakfast is complimentary. And this breakfast is no Hampton Inn buffet, let me tell you. You will be seated and served your choice from the menu. The presentation of the food is beautiful, the portions are more than ample, and it’s all fabulous. I believe the restaurant was my favorite part of this delightful little boutique hotel.

Now, there is also a lounge called the Fox & Hound, which was originally a tavern before. This is where the majority of the ghost stories about the hotel originate. I didn’t have a reason to go into the lounge, so I can’t verify whether the ghost (dubbed Bill) actually taps people on the shoulder.

I think it’s important to mention that not only had the hotel just opened a couple of weeks before we were there, but there was also a wedding party staying there. The rehearsal dinner was in this rustically elegant room downstairs on Friday night:

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The reception was on Saturday was also held at the hotel. Not once did I feel slighted or like I was not receiving the attention I needed from hotel staff. They were eager to please and enthusiastically accepted my suggestions about additional towel bars for the bathrooms. They still have a little polishing to do (a dried drop of paint on the floor in my bathroom, etc), but that is to be expected for a newly-renovated place. The public areas are perfect.

I will definitely stay at the Inn on the Square again, and will confidently send clients there.

Azalea Travel Agency

Surprise Your Littlest NASCAR Fan

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When my son was just a baby lying on a Boppy pillow on the floor, he would make revving engine noises and extend his chubby, little leg like he was pressing the accelerator . . . but only while NASCAR races were on television. He has always had a passion for racing, and I’m afraid it’s not going away anytime soon. If your child has the same interest, and like me, you’re just not ready to take him or her to a big race, then I’ve got a great idea for you!

Myrtle Beach is the perfect place to catch a little racing activity without breaking the bank, and without exposing your child to whatever unsavory activities might take place at one of the big races, like Darlington. Instead of watching a race, what if your kiddo could actually take a ride around the track? And then practice his or her own skills at a safer speed?

Earlier this year, we decided to cater to my son’s racing obsession and see how he liked it. We didn’t tell him where we were going, but drove up to Myrtle Beach. We went straight to the Myrtle Beach Speedway, still pretending not to have a plan, saying we were just going to “get out and look around.” I think we could have stopped with that and gone back home with a happy kid. But as it turned out, there was another family on the track, getting rides from a professional driver. The official NASCAR Pace Car made its way past us in the stands, blowing our hair back. After those folks finished, we made a brief inquiry, and the next thing we knew, my son was getting ready to take a ride. The young men working at the track that day were beyond wonderful. So friendly and helpful, they made what is probably my son’s most memorable day yet. And for only $20!

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Rain was approaching, so they rushed us onto the track before they had to close. My son got his ride in a real pace car with a real driver on a real NASCAR track where Dale Earnhardt himself once raced and won. After he got out, the driver let him go in the garage, where he was able to touch and investigate one of Dale Jr.’s old red #8 cars. I’ve never seen such a joyful, contented smile on my son. After that, the driver let him climb into an actual stock car used for racing and sit in the seat. He got what we felt was the real V.I.P. treatment, because we happened to be the only ones there at the time.  My son had close to 1,000 questions, and the driver, Brian Voss, answered them all patiently.

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I should point out that adults can also drive an actual stock car around the track, or be driven. That costs more, of course, but it can be a fantastic gift for a grown-up with a need for speed, as well.

Now, it’s hard to beat that. We blew the big surprise right up front. But we did go to Broadway Grand Prix the next day and let him drive go-karts all day. The wristband ends up being the best deal, where you can drive and ride all you want for $35, for the whole day. So he drove until he was worn out, then we went back to the hotel. We freshened up, took a walk on the beach, ate dinner, and actually went back for more go-karting that night, using the wrist bands for re-entry. If you’re not into racing, they also have other rides, mini-golf, games, and an arcade. It’s a fun place. It’s also across the highway from Broadway at the Beach (visible in background of picture below), so if anyone wants to skip the karting and shop instead, they can split off for a bit and do something different.

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All in all, it made for a fantastic, indulgent trip that didn’t have to cost that much.

Want more details? Click here to contact me to make your hotel reservations and find out how to make it a great weekend for your NASCAR fan.

Oceanfront Litchfield Inn

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The South Carolina coast is figuratively flooded with great places to stay. Litchfield is a beach located on Pawley’s Island, SC. There is no shortage of things to do including beach activities, golf, shopping at the famous Hammock Shops, and all that Myrtle Beach has to offer, just thirty minutes away. Pawley’s/Litchfield offers a quieter, more sophisticated environment than Myrtle Beach, and it happens to be a place I love. The Oceanfront Litchfield Inn is a fabulous retreat.

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This refurbished old beach motel stands out because of its vintage charm and modern updates. Aside from fresh paint, this hotel has modern conveniences that are so important, like cable television and WiFi. Add a couple of great restaurants and a very modern tower of newer rooms, and you’ve got everything you need.  There are two pools, one of which has access for handicapped guests. Sitting between the two pools is the Cabana Cafe, where burgers, salads, and fish can be eaten in an open air environment or outside on the patio under an umbrella.  Both positions overlook the ocean. The restaurant upstairs (a little fancier than the cabana, thank you) is called Oceans One, and the view from up there is just what you would expect.  In fact, I know of someone who had their wedding reception in that very space many years ago.

The rooms are privately owned, as this is one of those “condotel” arrangements. So each one may have slightly different decor. But the room categories are reliably consistent, even if decor is different. I have stayed in the deluxe oceanfront tower room, which provides the view you see in the picture.  It was sort of a studio or efficiency with an oceanfront balcony, small kitchenette, table and chairs, and choice of 2 queen beds or 1 king.

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Apologies for the dark picture. But look at that ocean!

For booking information, contact Azalea Travel.