from the lake

Our maiden voyage.

Welcome to the Lake Murray edition of Lakeside, a quarterly publication from the team at The Lexington County Chronicle taking a look at what’s happening when it comes to culture and tourism in the areas around the Midlands’ popular reservoir.

Our publication launches with a look at an anticipated re-launch. The cover story for our spring/summer edition focuses on The Spirit of Lake Murray, a yacht that once took revelers around the lake and is set to return to service soon after an extensive renovation.

This being our inaugural issue, we asked J.R. Fennell, director of the Lexington County Museum, to take a deep dive into the history of the lake, explaining how it became such a big part of the Midlands’ culture and economy.

We also have a piece detailing why the lake is a worldrenowned spot for bass fishing, including perspective from local anglers — and a map of boat landings and marinas in case you’re curious where you can launch your own vessel and see for yourself.

Turning to the areas surrounding the lake, we checked in with one of the area’s biggest breweries in Cayce’s Steel Hands, which recently took the leap of opening a second location across state lines, stepping into unfamiliar territory