By Stratton Lawrence Of the many Charleston residents who make regular pilgrimages up I-26 to the Blue Ridge, few likely wear bigger smiles than those taking the biannual trek to the Lake Eden Arts Festival (LEAF) in Black Mountain, N.C. Sullivan’s Island native Joel Timmons recalls attending his first LEAF in seventh grade, as part …
Category: Roadtrips Charleston
Sep 04 2012
Exploring Western Virginia
By Carol Antman I thought I had planned the trip so well, but it started out very badly. My sister Lila and I had driven from Charleston to Abingdon, Virginia, stopping along the way in Charlotte to pick up our third sister, Barbara. A long drive. When we arrived at the hotel I’d booked, it …
Aug 01 2012
Going to the Chapel
By Carol Antman The long stretch of I-95 between Charleston and Chapel Hill is filled with opportunities to enjoy the journey. And to learn a few things on the way to college. Before I left for example, I wondered why anyone would go to Fayetteville, NC. My image: an unprogressive, unimpressive town with no ethnic …
Jun 29 2012
The Power of Pawley’s Island
A house by any other name… The fanciful names of the houses let you know this place has character: Pawley Wawley Doodle All Day, Justavacation, Fantasea, Tottering on the Drink, Dad’s Lega-sea, Conched Out, Snail’s Pace, As it Was, Mommy’s Relief. It’s obviously a place full of characters, too who prominently display their iconic bumper …
Apr 25 2012
Roadtrips Charleston!: The Best Tables in Town for Mother’s Day
By Carol Antman Whenever I’m asked how I’d like to celebrate Mother’s Day, I always ask for a picnic. Skipping the crowded restaurants on one of their busiest days of the year always seems like a good idea to me. Often our extended family celebrates together and we moms are hosted to croissant creations or …
Mar 23 2012
Saluda: a Traveler’s Refuge since 1880
By Carol Antman Back when summers in Charleston meant malaria and inescapable heat, Saluda, North Carolina, was a refuge. In the late 1800s, it had over thirty boarding houses where families spent the season. Visitors often arrived via the east coast’s steepest mainline railway, which crested there. Today, Interstate 26 follows that route into the …
Dec 01 2011
To Sleep in a Tree
By Carol Antman “We’re putting in the canoe at the cat-hole,” Scott explained, as we bumped along in his truck on the way to the river. “It’s named for the big red whorehouse that used to be on the banks there. Boy! There were some wild times there back then!” Suddenly Scott stopped at a …
Nov 10 2011
Beach Bonfires are the Best
By Carol Antman One of fall’s greatest pleasures is a bonfire on the beach. What’s better than s’mores, hotdogs on sticks, maybe some guitars or drumming? This adventure doesn’t even require a long road trip. Although most local beaches do not allow fires, you can get a permit to have fires on Sullivan’s or Caper’s …
Sep 02 2011
Roadtrips Charleston: Join the Conga line at LEAF
By Carol Antman Does your routine, conventional daily life ever get you down? Do bumper stickers like “What if the hokey pokey is what it is all about?” or “Normal people worry me.” amuse you? Have you worn enough khaki for now? Want to reach into the back of your closet for that tie-dye or …
Aug 06 2011
Road trips Charleston: Up Mt. Le Conte and back into history
By Carol Antman In the 1920’s, before any national parks existed in the Eastern part of the country, visionaries from Washington climbed the 6,300 foot peak to Mt. Le Conte and perceived the vast spectacle of what they would later name the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. As we gazed at the same wondrous vista …