My teenage niece, Sunshine loves the arts. She is super talented at sketching and loves comics. This past year I took her to an open studio in The Columbia Vista, Studio Cellar and we both fell in love. They offer classes, private events and open public studio times. For open studio times you simply pop in, pick the size of canvas you would like to paint and pay one price. They have all of the supplies set up for you and ready to go. The best part is the folks that work there. Their backgrounds and interests vary but all of them are knowledgeable about basic painting skills and are willing to guide you through the process.
I will admit that the first stroke is intimedating. If you are like me, not an artist, it’s difficult to determine where to begin. The studio has tons of sample work and once you get started it is super fun.
Sunshine and I made it a priority to visit the studio once a quarter starting in January of 2019 and we had a great time paining our way through the seasons. The staff’s tips and tricks helped us both improve as the time passed. Some of our sessions lasted for hours, we just couldn’t stop. They provide everything you need, you just have to show up with an idea. And even if you don’t have an idea there are tons of samples to take a look at and build off of. I will admit that most of my creations were combinations of pieces I saw in the studio and then I just sort of put them together.
Don’t hesitate to take one of their classes if that feels like a better starting place for you. I have taken classes with co-workers, hosted birthday parties with friends and have even taken my husband, Sugar, for a fun double date with another couple. Who cares what the weather looks like outside as it’s warm and cozy or super cool in the studio and their large windows makes it fun to Vista people watch while waiting on your paint to dry. Take your family and get creative. Support the ARTS! CREATE! Use your imagination.
The final day of our August Summer cool down trip to the mountains took us on a drive along the parkway through The Pisgah National Forest. I was unfortunately on the third row in the car so the views were challenging and there are no pictures but the drive is spectacular. https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/recarea/?recid=48114
The road winds back and fourth to higher elevations, through tunnels with views all around. The Pisgah Inn, looked to be quite rustic with a walk-able campground close by, exactly what you expect on a Mountain getaway. We stopped for a warm breakfast and beautifully breathtaking views. THIS is definitely a photographic must stop. Cute gift shop, friendly wait staff and a small provitions area where you can pick up pre-packed freshly made foods to grab and go (perfect for a pic-nic). Pay them a visit when in the area. http://www.pisgahinn.com/ Enjoy their beautiful scenic deck, large enough for any crowds that might gather and sit in the cozy rocking chairs overlooking this amazing view (see below).
Along this beautiful drive you will pass sliding rock, a great place for family fun and a dip in the cool mountain water. We didn’t stop on this trip but I have before and it’s an exhilarating dip. Be warned that you’ll just have to find a spot to pull off the side of the road (as there’s not really a parking lot), and you might need to walk a piece, the line is typically quite long but you’ll be glad you braved a little slippity slide and you’ll dry off by the time you get back to your car. Water shoes and clothing are a must for this activity. https://www.romanticasheville.com/sliding_rock_north_carolina.htm
Another pull off spot is, Looking Glass Falls. We lucked up and found a close parking spot so the walk wasn’t very long at all. This is a great spot to see a waterfall from the side of the parkway without actually having to hike, in case those abilities are a struggle for anyone in your group. There are steps and you can make your way down to the water, even swim up under the falls if you want. We were there on a Saturday and it was packed. I have stopped in this same spot mid week and there’s definitely less traffic on a random weekday (just a note for best accessibility).
Our last stop on this windy trip was back over to Chimney Rock. I was so excited to be back in this area as it’s one of my favorite childhood vacation memories with my parents. I haven’t visited this area in 30+ years so the memories are vague but there. Along this route we passed more mountain side traps; antique stores, farmers markets, orchards and there’s even a small village with campgrounds, hotels, restaurants and a small theme park. It actually looked like a fun place to stop and spend a few days. Upon entering the gates to Chimney rock itself you are asked to pay an entry fee per person and it’s not super cheap so be prepared. You’ll want to spend a little time there in order to make it worth the money. There are multiple hikes along the water and trail paths or you can do as we did and just take the elevator up to the observation desk and climb the short distance the rest of way. (We had a tired two year old in tow so hiking wasn’t going to be the most peaceful option.) https://www.chimneyrockpark.com/
The view from the top is pretty breathtaking. Looking down on Lake Lure, a place I have yet to visit, surrounded by the mountain peaks is definitely something to see. The experience was mostly as I remembered it from my childhood. The great thing about Chimney rock is that it is rather friendly to all abilities, even if you can’t climb you can enjoy the views from the observation deck. (Check their website first to make sure the elevator is open at the time of your planned visit) It’s a great place for an entire family. The staff was friendly and full of information. Where’s a fun gift shop that includes snacks but by now most of you will guess what I am about to say about that. There are just too many great stops along the way to pass up packing a pic-nic and enjoying lunch in nature. Another fun trip in the books, one we are so thankful to have had the opportunity to take. Family time is the best time, always.
The second part of our “cool down in the Mountains” August Trip went like this …
Hendersonville is another small town with a hopping Main Street area. On Friday night they close off a section of downtown for live music and a car show. In other times of the year they have arts festivals and even an apple festival. We have been fortunate enough to check out a few of those over the years. There’s no shortage of places to eat, shop and socialize along this stretch of town. During this trip we enjoyed a lovely dinner at SHINE, walked around downtown with our precious family baby, who loved looking at the bear statues on every street corner, looked at the historic cars and danced to the fun street band. https://www.visithendersonvillenc.org/
Cideries, Breweries and Wineries, OH MY!
We are not big drinkers in my household but I do love a good Cider and on occassion enjoy a refreshing wine. On this trip we checked out two very different Cideries but saw so many others in the area. A great idea would be to hire a driver, sit back and enjoy the view and taste test along the way.
Bold Rock Cider is a well-known high production cider. We popped by during their featured Sunday brunch and tried a tasty flight. It would be fun to go back for an actual tour. The grounds are spotless and features a music stage. I can only imagine how much fun this place would be on a Fall Saturday afternoon. https://boldrock.com/
Appalachian Ridge Artisan Cidery was by far my favorite. It’s a smaller production, locally owned Cidery that is also part of the Saint Paul’s Vineyard, just across the street. They converted an old worn barn into the most gorgeous site for their Cidery, even using the downstairs stable doors to make tasting tables out of. On the outside the barn just looks like a regular white siding building but when you step inside, the warmth and history envelopes you and you just don’t want to leave. The young-man that lead our tasting was phenomenal and fun. The tasting was $10 and included 6 ciders and 2-cordials. Yes, we walked away with a few treats to enjoy this fall. All were delicious and did I mention how beautiful this location was? They offer service on their patio on the weekends, often times featuring live music and a food truck. I highly recommend this stop along your travels. https://www.facebook.com/Appalachian-Ridge-Artisan-Hard-Cider-494317397428080/
Apples!
Along this same stretch of Hendersonville you will find orchards until your heart is content. We made a pit-stop at Grandad’s who were just opening for the season and not quite super busy yet. Not all of their varieties were ready but we were able to pick up a few pears which delighted my pear loving heart. The views were gorgeous with apples, corn and sunflowers growing in the foreground with the mountains in the background. They have a large fenced in play area for the kiddos, my husband loved that part as you can see. Fresh HOT apple doughnuts and cold apple slushies along with many preserves and other canned or bagged fun take-aways. We thoroughly enjoyed seeing how another orchard does it as My Mom and I have a favorite annual stop that I will tell you about closer to September. https://www.grandadsapples.com/
By the time August rolls around each year we’ve typically had enough of the heat and on top of that we’ve had an unusually dry summer. This year we decided to head toward the mountains for a reprieve from the scorching temps. The humidity was still high but the temperatures were a bit lower and even though there was an 80% chance of rain we lucked out and the trip was not a wash out. We saw a couple of small showers but the rain mostly crossed over while we were sleeping. PERFECT viewing conditions!
Saluda, North Carolina is about 130 miles North West of Columbia. We took a Friday off from work and jumped in the car early in order to have time to fit a few things into the day. There’s just so much to do in the area that making a decision of what to try this time versus next was a bit of a challenge.
To plan your trip to the area take a look at: http://saluda.com/ You can’t possibly watch that clip and not want to go check that little town out. I had stopped in Saluda, N.C. a few times traveling to other spots but had never made it a destination or given it the time that it deserves. When I say small, I do mean the town is small. A couple of City blocks, 20 store fronts or so but goodness there’s quite a bit packed into the area. Restaurants, a museum, a B& B or two, several high end shops, a couple of historic hardware and antique stores. Cute, Cute Cute!
Saluda, famous back in the day for their railroad has so much to offer. We began our visit by grabbing lunch at Wards Grill. While the town is quite small the historic stretch of building is filled with a variety of different types of stores that are all so inviting you can’t possibly pass them by. While some are high end others are historic in nature such as the general store and an antique shop. Deciding where to grab lunch was a tough call as there are a few locally owned options to chose from and every single one of them looked to offer a delicious experience. Because we had big dinner plans we opted for a smaller fare of a BLT and a famous Sausage burger at Wards Grill.
After our visit in town we drove about 5 minutes to the starting point of Pearson’s Falls. Be forewarned that cell signal is hard to come by in this spot so you might want to have an idea of where you are traveling. I can only imagine how beautiful this area must be during fall.
At the gate we were greeted by a friendly park ranger. The cost is $5/person to enter. He promised that there’s no real way to get lost on this trail and if we didn’t come out in a reasonable time he’d be in after us. Pearson’s Falls has public “green” restrooms, a water fountain and plenty of pic-nic spots with various tables and benches (some covered). I believe you can reserve the covered pic-nic area for larger groups. While the hike is short, 1/4 mile each way, it is mostly up fairly steep stairs. I would classify it as a medium grade. Strollers and wheelchairs are not the best idea. We passed a few families when we were hiking in, and all of them commented that going up is much easier than coming down. It wasn’t a bad hike at all. Other than those few families coming out we had the place to ourselves the hour or so that we were there. It was extremely peaceful. There are many benches along the trail that would be perfect for sitting and enjoying the sounds of nature. I told my husband more than once that it was a perfect spot to sit with a book and just take in the quiet.
Our trip continued into the Mills River, Hendersonville area for a long weekend with family but I will break the visit up by day and tell you about the other attractions separately. Saluda, NC is actually a great day trip from the Columbia area. Fill the tank with gas and hit the road to climb a mountain today.
Columbia, South Carolina is privid to have three rivers running practically through downtown. A great way to beat the heat during those dog daze of summer is by taking a little trip down the river in a tube, canoe or kayak. Personally, I enjoy a great kayak trip but that takes a little bit of skill and not everyone wishes to learn. For a less labor intense way to enjoy the river, consider signing up for a super fun river tube trip and just go float. It’s a perfectly relaxing way to beat the heat and see the City from a different angle.
There are quite a few tour companies to sign up with but we typically use Palmetto Outdoors. The main appeal is that they actually set up on the banks of the river and you can grab a tube and go on your own or you can take one of their buses to a location further up the river for a longer float. https://palmettooutdoor.com/tube-trips
We reserved 5 tubes and took the bus option that allowed us to put our tubes in the Saluda River above the Zoo. It’s always fun to float under the Riverbanks Pedestrian Bridge, families get a kick out of waving and saying hello from above. Eventually the Saluda meets the Broad and there they become the Congaree. I cannot convey just how beautiful the area is and how unique it is to see the three rivers come together as it’s not something you can easily see from the banks unless you just happen to know a property owner and like to hike. Further up the river, the Saluda features huge rapids. That’s not exactly the kind of fun and excitement we were looking for on this lazy Sunday afternoon but we did see kayakers out in the middle of the rapids, practicing their skills. That looked exhausting and somewhat terrifying.
Our trip was $25 each for the deluxe tubes, life jacket and shuttle service. Parking at the West Columbia River Walk is tight, we found a spot on State Street which is about a two block walk. The City of West Columbia also offers shuttle services to and from the river district during the summer, so check their website for those details. A guide goes over the route and safety precautions before guiding you down to the launch site. You are welcome to take coolers, snacks, etc, some folks bring along a smaller inexpensive float to tie off to their tubes for provisions. The river water is quite chilly and refreshing. We took along carabiners to secure our dry bag, water camera and to attach our tubes to one another. I had also frozen bottles of water for each of us to take along and they stayed cold the entire trip. The guide did offer rope for tying tubes together right before we launched but I am not sure that is a standard offering so you might want to be prepared and bring your own. We didn’t stay connected the entire float but at certain areas we hooked up so that we could stay together. It’s easy to lose one another on the river as some will move faster than others for many reasons. On this trip we were responsible for 3 teenagers so definitely didn’t want anyone getting out of site.
After launching we almost immediately went through a small rapid. There were about 6 or 7 small rapids along the route, most at the end once you hit the Congaree and none of them over a 2.5 class. All of them are easy and fun as long as you watch out for rocks and steer yourself accordingly. The second rapid on the trip is a bit larger and longer than the others and it is SO MUCH FUN! I am told that some people get out, walk up the bank and do it over and over again. I am not sure that I am quite that skilled as getting in and out of the raft is a bit challenging. Admittedly the end of the float is the most fun and exciting where the beginning is more relaxing, or boring if you are teenager.
The river and surrounding area is gorgeous. We saw beautiful homes built along the banks. What a treat because most of these homes are not visible from the road. I can only imagine how breathtaking the views are from inside of these homes.
We saw quite a few turtles, fish jumping here and there and birds soaring overhead. Fortunately we didn’t see any snakes, gators or other unsavory river animals.
I really want to know how to get to that chair from the road and who owns it and if they might allow me to come visit and just sit a spell. How Spectactular!
Tips: Allow approximately 3 hours give or take for your float. Wear water shoes (we picked ours up at CVS for bogo), although you don’t have to touch the river bottom much it is covered in LARGE rocks, think boulders, and you do need to walk in and out of the water and be prepared should you flip over or want to bank and swim a bit. Lather up with Sunscreen before you pick up your tubes, bug spray might be good to have on hand if you are susceptible to bites although it was not very buggy during our trip. Definitely wear a hat and I would recommend shorts and a water shirt over your bathing suit, you can take those items off along the way if you desire. Invest in a dry bag or box if you have any other type items that you would like to carry such as your ID’s, chap-stick, inhaler or epi-pen for those with allergies, etc. Less is better. You will need to leave your car key with the attendant where you pick up your tube. Don’t worry, they have a tagging system and will give it back to you as soon as you return the tubes and life vests. Be prepared for a bit of an uncomfortable bus/van ride. It’s hot and they pack you in but it’s a short drive so shouldn’t be too terrible. Also be prepared for a little walk, some of it on uneven ground, carrying your tube and gear to the launch area. Again, I can’t stress enough that you will want to have on shoes, preferably water type shoes with good soles as some of this walk is on a hot asphalt road and then back down a gravel covered dirt path.
All five of us make it back to the take out spot without incident and even the teenagers managed to enjoy themselves for a few hours without their phones and technical devices, shocking, I know. We highly recommend a trip down the river as a fun way to beat the summer heat.
The Southern Curious Itinerant Blog 
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