CHE CKING UP on DOWNTOWN CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA 7...
a n o t he r ye a r in t h e book s
PRE SE RVING MARITIME HERITAGE
an d t he Cra f t o f Woode n Boa t Buil din g
It's just a trail until you bike it, run it, hike it, sleep on it... experience it. Explore the fascinating history, rich culture, and geographical diversity of south carolina.
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Philosophy We believe the idea of tradition is ingrained in the souls of Southerners. We have a relentless respect for our deep heritage and an unwavering dedication to living out the traditions of the past.
We believe tradition can be honored while simultaneously welcoming contemporary thought and style and that there is a movement to merge these two lifestyles through intentional, healthy and meaningful living.
We believe happiness is rooted in simplicity. If our minds and places are free of clutter, there is more room for things that matter.
We believe local is better. It’s about being a part of a larger community. It’s about connecting with
those who grow, catch, brew and create our food and that closer means fresher, tastier and healthier.
It’s choosing fruits and vegetables in season, drinking wines from vineyards in the region, seeking out the work of local artisans and supporting independent, locally owned stores.
We believe in leaving a positive fingerprint. The measure of our success will be the condition on which we leave the world for the next generation.
We believe these thoughts embody the emergence of the “New South” and we’re honored to be presenting this movement in our pages.
Thank you for joining us on this journey.
FLAVOR 50-53: HYPER-LOCAL INGREDIENTS Make Beer Better 54-55: GRITS 201 56-57: SNEAKING in ANCHOVIES
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INNOVATION 64-69: TURNING OLD PLACES into NEW SPACES
LIFE
10-14: CHECKING UP on DOWNTOWN CHARLESTON 16-21: PRESERVING MARITIME HERITAGE and the Craft of Wooden Boat Building 22-25: ATALAYA ART The Perfect Blend of Cultural & Natural Resources 28-35: SOUTH CAROLINA 7 ...another year in the books 36-39: U.S. HIGHWAY 1 THROUGH SOUTH CAROLINA My personal experiences along the famed eastern seaboard route as it snakes across the Palmetto State
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WELLNESS
72-77: GIRLS WHO HIKE SC Empowering Women in the Outdoors 78-81: SOUTH CAROLINA HEALTHY BUSINESS CHALLENGE
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his summer I completed a 30day adventure across the state of South Carolina as a core team member of the South Carolina 7 Expedition. It was an amazing experience. I’ll be honest; there were days that I hated every step in what was often a 104 heat index, I spent evenings scratching my bugs bites until they bled, and my hair was a hot, frizzy mess the entire month (ladies, you know what I mean). But, I set a goal and I did it. I did it! “Yay ME!” The SC7 Expedition highlights seven (7) geographic wonders that are unique to South Carolina through a month-long adventure from the mountains to the sea. The event encourages people to get involved with protecting our natural wonders and inspires people to get outdoors for health and wellness - my dear friend and fellow expedition team member, Dr. Susan Johnson, refers to this as “green exercise.” You can walk on a tread mill with earphones in your ears. Or, you can walk along a trail and listen to the sounds of nature and watch the activity of the wildlife around you. Actively immersing yourself into nature can not only improve your physical health, but also your mental health. For me, it’s not about the intensity of the activity, but about exploring areas around me, experiencing the outdoors in new and exciting ways, and finding passion in helping to protect our precious natural resources. Fall is a perfect time to get outdoors and explore. The weather is getting cooler, colors are more vibrant, and wildlife is busy getting ready for the winter. There is so much to see and appreciate. Why wait for New Years to set a goal? Set one for yourself and your family. See you on the trail.
Michelle McCollum CEO & Editor in Chief Anna Joyner Artistic Director & Production Manager Yuka Greer Managing Editor & Operations Director Abbey Stevens Editorial Assistant
SOUTH CAROLINA NATIONAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR BOARD OF DIRECTORS Don Alexander
Ken Durham
Bob Alexander
Rhoda Green
Donna Livingston
Pete Weathers
Neal Workman
Hope Blackley
Dr. Susan Johnson
GET THE SOUTHERN EDGE MAGAZINE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR! thesouthernedgemagazine.com
SOUTH CAROLINA NATIONAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR Publisher Profits from The Southern Edge will go back into the preservation, conservation, and environmental educational programs of the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor. National Heritage Areas are designated by Congress as places where natural, cultural, and historic resources combine to tell nationally significant stories.
SOUTH CAROLINA NATIONAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR
BENJAMIN CULBRETH WRITER
A native of Upstate South Carolina, Benjamin Culbreth is a freelance copywriter who writes for multiple corporate clients and news publications. He enjoys spending time outdoors, whether it’s hiking, camping, or taking pictures of wildlife and landscapes. A graduate of Anderson University, he now resides in West Columbia, South Carolina with his wife and dog. benjaminculbreth.com
PHIL GAINES WRITER
Phil Gaines is a Professor of Practice in the Parks Recreation and Tourism Management Department at Clemson University. Phil completed a 37year career in State Parks in 2018. He began his career in parks as an entry level Park Ranger at Kings Mountain State Park and served as Park Superintendent at three different state parks. Phil served as Director of South Carolina State Parks for 13 years. Phil also served on the Board of Directors for the National Association of State Park Directors, and the National Association of State Outdoor Recreation Liaison Officers.
DARLENE GREENE WRITER
A graduate of both Anderson and Clemson Universities, Darlene has degrees in Journalism and English. She has written professionally for both corporate and news publications for over 35 years. At the same time, she has sought knowledge, training and tools to live a healthier, more spiritually connected life. Certified in numerous energy healing modalities including Reiki, Ama Deus, Access Bars and Intuitive Counseling, Darlene loves helping others find their truth and their life’s passions. She is married, has one grown son, two rescued dogs, Finn (pictured) and Ginger, and two rescued cats, Smokey and Bandit. healingwithsoundsoflove.com
We are always willing to consider freelance photographers & contributors. Please send queries to info@thesouthernedgemagazine.com
W. THOMAS SMITH, JR. WRITER
MARIE GOFFWRITER
W. Thomas Smith Jr. is a formerly deployed U.S. Marine Infantry leader, counterterrorism instructor, and retired colonel in the S.C. Military Department. A New York Times bestselling editor and an internationally acclaimed writer whose work has appeared in countless newspapers and magazines worldwide, Tom has traveled to Iraq, the Balkans, elsewhere and other wars. He is also a senior officer with the National Security Task Force, S.C. Floodwater Commission. Among Tom’s awards, honors, and military decorations, he is a recipient of the Order of St. Maurice (a national Infantry award) and a recipient of the Order of the Palmetto. uswriter.com
Brigadier General Marie Goff completed over 37 years of military service in the United States Army and the South Carolina National Guard. In 2010, she was selected as the Assistant Adjutant General and later the Director of Joint Staff, where she served until her retirement in April 2015. Marie graduated with honors from Lander University with a degree in Sociology. She holds an M.A. in Computer and Information Management from Webster University and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. Since retiring from the military, she has traveled to over 25 countries, and throughout the U.S. She is a writer and photographer, appearing in various publications, including her travel blog at TravelNotesandStoryTelling. com. She is married to Colonel (Retired) Eddie Goff.
JANE JENKINS HERLONG - WRITER
JAMES SAXON WRITER
Jane Jenkins Herlong is a Sirius XM Humorist, bestselling/award-winning author, professional singer, recording artist and professional Southern humorist. A recent inductee into the prestigious Speakers Hall of Fame, Jane is the best-selling author of four books. A former Miss America contestant, Jane’s award-winning singing and comedy is featured on Sirius XM Radio, Spotify and Pandora Internet Radio. For speaking engagements visitjaneherlong.com
James "Jamie" Saxon is a Red Hills and Cotton native of the South Carolina Upcountry, to which he returned after a couple of decades in other places. A graduate of Furman University, the University of South Carolina, and the Cumberland School of Law of Samford University, he has been a college administrator, worked in private practice and public service, and former associate probate judge for Anderson County. He loves books, jazz, food, friends, labs, and his crazy Southern family.
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he street was dark except for the glow of gas lamps. A lively melody spilled from the entry of the pub. The singer's voice was familiar. He's a regular at Tommy Condon's Pub on Church Street. Guests find him perched on a stool inside the door with his guitar in hand. As we entered, he smiled and nodded. We'd been there before and enjoyed the lively atmosphere and Lowcountry seafood. The singer half-heartedly joked with the crowd between familiar melodies and then came over to our table to sit for a spell. Singer, songwriter, and musician Carroll Brown PLAYING his regular gig at Tommy Condon's Irish Pub & Seafood Restaurant.
In 2021, readers of Travel & Leisure voted Charleston the No. 1 City in the World! The magazine's readers have voted Charleston No. 1 in the nation for years, the most romantic too. However, this was the first time any U.S. city achieved the world designation. Readers vote for the sights, landmarks, culture, cuisine, friendliness, and shopping. These attributes fit Charleston to a tee. I checked my hotel app for available rooms on our drive to Charleston. To my surprise, The Elliott House Inn popped up. Nestled in between other elegant structures on historic Queen Street, within steps of Charleston's Museum Mile, the French Quarter, and the Battery, typically, there is no chance of getting into The Elliott House Inn. We didn't hesitate to book the room. Entering the city on Meeting Street, we took pictures around the historic Charleston City Market during the wee hours of the morning. Getting a shot of the main landmark structure is almost impossible any other time in the crowd-thronged area. But early morning, when Charleston is asleep, the city takes on a different mood. It's the best time to glimpse the city's bones and imagine its storied past. In the fall, the air begins to cool, becoming moist and balmy; it's downright enchanting on the streets. We noticed other photographers with the same idea.
After eavesdropping on a sleeping city, we turned onto Queen Street and checked in at The Elliott House Inn. The Elliott House Inn (1861) is a quaint structure known as "Charleston's most charming historic inn." The desk clerk informed us of the complimentary breakfast and the evening social, genuine southern hospitality on display. Surrounding The Elliott House Inn are other magnificent structures. These include 82 Queen (1688), Husk (1893), and Poogan's Porch (1888). Like The Elliott House, they began as private residences and now serve as the backdrop for some of the most incredible southern cuisine. We called for reservations next door at the Husk, known as the "southern ingredients restaurant." As we suspected, the maître d' advised that they were booked solid. With understated charm and etiquette, she suggested that walk-ins were welcome; they would see what they could do. We walked over, and with an apology, she seated us on the secondfloor balcony; no tables were available on the inside. No apologies were necessary! Our location was stunning! We dined under the enormous branches of a live oak tree, with the pale pink walls of The Mills House Hotel in view. Husk boasts about their ingredients, "If it doesn't come from the South, it's not coming through the door." A pleasant surprise at Husk is that you never know what's on the menu. It changes daily, sometimes as often as twice a day, depending on what produce is available. These were our menu selections:
First (Sharable) Gem Lettuces, SC Figs, Pickled Blueberries, Ricotta, Toasted Walnut, Peach Vinaigrette
Dinner Sweet Chili Glazed Duck Leg, Pan-Fried Cabbage, Heirloom Peppers, Blackberry, X.O. Broth, Cilantro - spicy and cooked to perfection, no knife needed for the duck, just a fork. N.C. Chicken, House Made Pasta, Golden Turnip, Spinach, Preserved Lemon, Chicken Jus, Aged Cheese - perfect blend of Southern vegetables with a little sour kick.
We planned our walk in the city at dusk, the time of day when Downtown Charleston is gorgeous! Photographers call it Blue Hour at dusk and dawn when the sun is below the horizon. It produces deep blue hues and cold saturated colors that present a tranquil mood for cityscapes. As we walked, we noticed more than ever the essence of what people love about Charleston and why readers continue to vote it the No. 1 city. Gas-lit streetlamps illuminate magnificent live oaks and centuries-old architecture. It's a hauntingly romantic scene, perfect for Charleston Ghost & Vampire Tours. Spot these brave souls on the street huddled not too closely around the storyteller.
Early the following day, we headed to The Battery to take pictures. Stunning views at The Battery look across the harbor toward Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park and back to Rainbow Row on E. Bay Street. Shortly after sunrise or sunset, the sky turns red to yellow, creating golden tones. It’s Gold Hour, for landscape photography. The Battery was empty except for a lone runner on the promenade. The sweeping view of the harbor provides extraordinary inspiration for walking, running, and biking. We turned back towards Meeting Street to have breakfast at Toast! voted "a must eat" by the New York Times. The menu offers something for everyone, elegant to simple, and all Southern. Our selections included both. Shrimp Etouffee atop creamy Carolina stone-ground grits, topped with fried green tomatoes. Old Fashioned Oatmeal served cold with skim milk, bananas, blueberries, brown sugar, walnuts, raisins & honey. The sight of the iconic vendors uplifted us at the City Market: Gullah artisans selling sweetgrass baskets; the refreshing art of Johnathan Green; the hat shops, where we love to try the latest styles. A tour of Downtown Charleston is not complete until you've visited the Historic King Street shopping district. Three sections include Lower King Street Antiques District: Middle King Street Fashion District, and Upper King Street Design and Dining District. Planning is essential with so many shops; as they say, you will shop until you drop. With little time to spare and tired feet, I headed directly to the Fashion District, with Eddie reluctantly following. In a little under a mile, we walked up one side of Middle King Street and down the other. Like everyone who does the King Street walk, we left with our arms full of shopping bags. We were again humbled and inspired by the beauty of the Holy City and the resiliency of the people. Children were playing at The Fountain, Waterfront Park. Nearby, we passed the busy construction site of The Cooper Hotel, Charleston's new waterfront hotel coming soon. We thought in awe about how we as a people adapt to change and inspire it as well.
Summerville Sweet Tea Festival Saturday, September 17th
Come and explore The Birthplace of Sweet Tea. Tour the shops, sites, sips, and tastes that make Summerville so sweet with a free Sweet Tea Trail Guide. visitsummerville.com
PRESERVING MARITIME H E R I TA G E and the Craft of Wooden Boat Building Words by Benjamin Culbreth Photos Courtesy of the South Carolina Maritime Museum
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eorgetown’s maritime history is as old as the town itself. In a city that pre-dates the American Revolution, boating and life on the water are ingrained in the culture. For the past 33 years, the Georgetown Wooden Boat Show has preserved and celebrated the area’s deep maritime heritage. Starting as a single exhibit at what was known as Bayfest, the Georgetown Wooden Boat Show is now the biggest event of the year in this coastal town. It boasts more than 10,000 visitors every third weekend in October. The boat show is a significant driver of the local economy and is the best sales weekend of the year for many businesses and restaurants. Over time, the event has changed, but the commitment to showcasing Georgetown and its maritime legacy has always been at the show's heart.
Telling the Story of Maritime History The Georgetown Wooden Boat Show is organized by the South Carolina Maritime Museum each year. Revenue generated by sponsorships, exhibitor fees, food and beverage tents, and the auction (affectionately known as the Goat Island Yacht Club Regatta) funds the museum’s annual budget. Despite the challenges of the last two years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021 was a banner year according to South Carolina Maritime Museum Director Hope McFaddin, "We raised the most money ever with sponsors." Those funds support the museum's operations, including research about South Carolina maritime history. Although it’s located in Georgetown, the museum takes its namesake very seriously as it works to preserve and educate visitors about the state’s history on the water. This mission has led to unique opportunities, like receiving a $25,000 Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation Grant for the exhibit “Across Time and Many Waters,” which amplifies the history of enslaved Africans, from their journey across the Atlantic to their impact on Georgetown maritime culture. The exhibit first went on display during the 2021 boat show. The preservation and research work sheds light on South Carolina’s maritime past, especially those voices and cultures that are traditionally underserved. "We've been working on oral histories related to Gullah and maritime,” Susan Davis, Vice President of the South Carolina Maritime Museum Board, said.
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The museum is always looking to offer new programs and exhibits to help people learn more and increase foot traffic, which has grown over the past few years, according to McFaddin. "We're in the perfect place. We get 20,000 plus visitors in the museum each year. And it's growing," McFaddin said. Participation interest is also increasing, McFaddin stated. She’s already receiving calls and emails about signing up as a vendor or exhibitor months before the show begins.
"It's Really for Everyone" Each year, the boat show begins on Friday with an auction and event for sponsors. Saturday and Sunday are for the main event and are open to the public with free admission. Visitors can enjoy seeing a variety of handcrafted wooden boats, along with other events such as knot tying. One of the most well-attended events each year is the boat-building competition. Teams of two grab their saws and tools to build a boat from nothing but pieces of lumber. They’re given a time limit of four hours to build the boat and then launch it to test its seaworthiness. Another type of competition is drawing big crowds at the boat show: the Corrugated Boat Regatta. "More people have come on Sundays because of the corrugated boat race,” Davis said. "It's almost as big as the boat building [competition].” Teams build boats out of corrugated cardboard and like their wooden boat counterparts, they must launch their vessels to see how well they do in the water. Kids can enjoy various activities and nautical-themed merchandise is available from vendors. When it’s time to grab a bite or something to drink, Georgetown has plenty of local
restaurants in the downtown area where attendees can relax and enjoy their time along the waterfront. Davis said the boat show couldn’t happen without support from more than 200 volunteers, some of which are seeing the coast for the very first time. For the last few years, high school students from West Virginia have made the journey to Georgetown to volunteer and participate in the Corrugated Boat Regatta. "For some of them, it's the first time they've seen the ocean, the first time they've gotten out of West Virginia,” Davis said. The Wooden Boat Show also celebrates nautical artwork and selects a featured artist each year. The art depicts Georgetown’s maritime culture and prints are available for purchase. "I think the Wooden Boat Show because we're pretty strict about the 'wooden' part of it, it is preserving the art of boat construction," Davis said. She continued by expressing it’s about preserving the craft of wooden boat building. Education and preservation are a significant part of the Georgetown Wooden Boat Show’s mission. Attendees can learn about boat-building techniques and engage with boat builders about the craft.
And if they attend the boat-building competition, they can see it firsthand. South Carolina Maritime Museum Board President Johnny Weaver said, "I think it's one of the most important things going on in Georgetown."
Three Decades of P reserving Georgetown's Maritime Legacy Weaver has been involved with the show for nearly its entire history. He’s seen it transform from an event featuring 10-15 exhibits to having 140 exhibits, covering three street blocks, and spanning two days. "It's just been unbelievable,” Weaver said. “I don't think any of us dreamed it would be something like this.” Since the beginning, preservation has been a core component for boat show organizers. It was this mindset that helped lead to the creation of the South Carolina Maritime Museum. "As [the Georgetown Wooden Boat Show] grew, the idea came up that one day we might want a museum to preserve the maritime heritage of Georgetown County," Weaver explained.
Weaver said he hopes the show continues supporting the museum’s work. "What we're hoping for with the boat show is it will continue and be the biggest fundraiser for the museum." Such strong interest from sponsors and the community has prompted planners to make changes to the event. They’re planning to add additional tent space for sponsors and always looking for ways to make events even better for those in attendance. McFaddin said visitors don’t need to love wooden boats to have a great time at the boat show. "It's really for everyone. There's a little bit of everything. If you love history, art, or water, it's for you.”
That idea came to life in 2011 when the South Carolina Maritime Museum opened its doors.
This year, the Georgetown Wooden Boat Show will be on October 15th-16th in downtown Georgetown.
"It started off as a boat show with a tiny museum,” Davis said. “Now, it’s a museum with a boat show.”
"It's the third-largest festival of its kind on the east coast,” Davis said. “The whole community benefits from it.”
The Wooden Boat Show’s growth has organizers excited. Now, they’re looking at what the future may hold for the event.
For the Georgetown community, the weekend is vital to preserving the area’s maritime history and supporting one of the oldest towns in South Carolina.
A boutique hotel is being built in downtown Georgetown, creating more options for visitors to stay when they attend the boat show.
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T H E P E R F E C T B L E N D O F N AT U R A L A N D C U LT U R A L R E S O U RC E S Words by Phil Gaines
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t’s a new decade, the 1930’s and Archer Huntington and his wife Anna Hyatt Huntington are among New York’s elite; he a philanthropist and scholar with ties to the railroad and shipping industry, while she is among New York’s most prominent sculptors and successful artists. Together they are a vibrant couple with a common love for the arts and dreams of making a difference. 22
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A diagnosis of tuberculous for Anna would bring the couple to Georgetown County, South Carolina for a milder climate with a healthier winter environment for her illness. It was also a place of inspiration; and a place to study nature and produce what would be magnificent pieces of art. They would build a “castle” near the ocean, an art studio, and a dream. It was in this rural, somewhat isolated sanctuary that Anna Hyatt Huntington conceived the first modern sculpture garden in the United States. Today, we know Anna Hyatt Huntington’s Garden as one of the premier sculpture gardens in America. Brookgreen Gardens, with its many works of Huntington, is more than art; rather an experience filled with walkways and garden paths that link the sculptures to a distinctive landscape with stunning vistas of South Carolina’s coastal environment. It is not complicated to understand the allure of the area; the endless landscapes, the majestic live oaks that standout as if they too where sculpted by the hands of an artist, with their outstretched limbs covered with Resurrection Fern and dripping with Spanish Moss. Brookgreen Gardens rightfully features the description of the Gardens as “a place where art, nature, and history merge” for a delightful experience.
The Huntington’s would be very pleased to know that their dream of a sculpture garden has had a positive impact on all who have experienced it over the years. Directly across Highway 17 down the “straight road” from the Gardens lies Atalaya and the studio that would help fill the gardens at Brookgreen. The Huntington’s would spend the winters at their winter home Atalaya, what the locals would refer to as "the castle.” Atalaya, which means "watchtower" in Spanish, is defined by a nearly 40-foot tower, reminiscent of a citadel, which housed a 3,000-gallon water tank rather than guards. The tower divides the inner courtyard and serves as the focal point of Atalaya. Archer Huntington was a noted scholar of Spanish culture and art and designed the residence himself from Spanish Andalusian coast models. Thus, the look. He also designed it for Anna, who would use it as her studio, and place for inspiration. Atalaya is sheltered behind the dunes and bird-filled trees within earshot of the sounds of the mighty Atlantic, and breezes that provide coastal cooling on the warmest of days. The ideal location to blend inspiration, art, and nature. Archer would also work on the property to enhance wildlife habitats and unprecedented opportunities for observation
- efforts that visitors and wildlife continue to benefit from today, as Huntington Beach is considered one of the premier birding locations in the southeast. Archer would take advantage of the unique coastal environment of the property that features salt marsh and tidal waters, maritime forests, shrub thickets, and the 3 miles of beach. The diversity of habitat is what draws the many different types of waterfowl and wildlife. The ideal outdoor studio for an artist and the perfect spot to begin a legacy that would have a lasting impact on art and their community.
B ro o kg re e n G a rd e n s
The gift of Anna Hyatt Huntington goes beyond her work as an artist. She is known as much for her work as a supporter of the arts as she is for her work as a sculptor. This year the South Carolina State Parks celebrates this contribution with the 47th annual Atalaya Arts and Crafts Festival at Huntington Beach State Park during the last full weekend of September. Here, artists share their passion and inspiration in the very place where Anna Hyatt Huntington was inspired and created some of her most memorable works of art. “The whole idea behind Brookgreen Gardens was to have a way to showcase not only her art but other artists as well. I think she would love to see the artists showcasing their talents during the Arts and Crafts festival at her home Atalaya,” Park Manager Brenda Majors explains. Potential artists go through a thorough jurying process, the result is an exceptional display of art presented in an extraordinary setting. She further explains the impact of the festival on both the arts and the park. “This setting speaks for itself. Atalaya, the beach, the ocean, the marsh, the ponds, the birds. This unique blend of art and nature is inspiring for both the artists and the visitors who come to experience the festival.” Having walked through Atalaya countless times, the walls often feel cold, even on the warmest
of days. During the festival, "the castle” feels different, no doubt the crowds have something to do with it, then again, maybe this feeling is what has drawn the crowds to this National Historic Landmark for decades. The eclectic inventory of rooms, hallways, and corridors, quickly make sense as the once cold rooms are filled with artists and their work - a warmth not related to the coastal temperatures. The home is once again alive with creativity and inspiration. You not only see the artwork, but you feel it as well. Maybe it’s the art, perhaps the artist, or could it be that it’s simply the place; the place where art was not only meant to be seen but felt as well. It’s something to experience, whether you are a connoisseur of the arts or just looking for something to do, you’ll leave the festival appreciating the unique blend of nature, history, and the arts that is found at this place called Atalaya. I think Mrs. Huntington would be pleased; in fact, I know she would. See you outside!
Fe s t i va l p h o t o s co u r t e s y o f S o u t h Ca ro l i n a Pa r k s . co m
BRING THE ENJOYMENT OF SMOKED COCKTAILS FROM YOUR FAVORITE BAR TO YOUR HOME KITCHEN OR BAR. ENJOY THE SWEET SMOKED FLAVOR ADDED BY OUR SPECIALLY SOURCED BOURBON BARREL STAVES. UNLIKE OTHER SMOKING KITS MADE FROM BARREL STAVES, OURS ARE DESIGNED TO FIT A LARGE RANGE OF GLASSES TO MAKE IT EASIER TO INCORPORATE INTO YOUR HOME BAR OR KITCHEN. TREAT YOURSELF OR GIVE THE PREFECT GIFT FOR THAT WHISKEY LOVER IN YOUR FAMILY OR CIRCLE OF FRIENDS.
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PHOTO BY MARIE GOFF
SOUTH CAROLINA 7 ANOTHER YEAR IN THE BOOKS Words by Michelle McCollum, SC7 Logistics Officer
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he third annual South Carolina 7 (SC7) Expedition concluded on July 30th, and what an adventure it was! The team traversed our way across South Carolina for 30 days hiking, rafting, kayaking, boating, and diving in what our team leader proclaims to be “some of the most beautiful places on earth.” SOUTH CAROLINA 7 is a partnership between two South Carolina based non-profit organizations, Global Eco Adventures and the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor. The mission of South Carolina 7 is to get people in the outdoors, so they gain an appreciation for the outdoors, and therefore begin to actively do their part to protect the outdoors. We strive to be the change we wish to see in our world and have committed to not only talking the talk, but walking the walk; literally, across South Carolina.
There are three pillars to SC7; Environmental Resiliency through Active Engagement, Economic Development through Eco-tourism, and Health and Wellness through Green Exercise. Each year the expedition has a primary focus that guides our discussions along the trail. Our SC7 2022 focus was sponsored by the Medical University of South Carolina and was “Utilizing the Outdoors for Physical Health and Mental Wellness.” Dr. Susan Johnson with MUSC joined as an official member of the core expedition team and brought additional partners like the SC Healthy Business Challenge and the Lowcountry Land Trust to the table as Daily Adventure Partners - organizations that partner with the core expedition team to plan and execute our daily excursions. As President and CEO of the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor, I and my team serve as the logistic officers for the expedition. We have the privilege of working alongside communities and partners to plan and oversee the daily logistics of
PHOTO BY MICHELLE MCCOLLUM
PHOTO BY MICHELLE MCCOLLUM
As the expedition team makes our way across the state and to each of the 7 Wonders, we explore other amazing areas of the state and meet with community leaders, organizations, and elected officials to discuss environmental needs and eco-tourism opportunities. As the expedition comes through a community, it provides leaders with the opportunity to partner with SC7 to highlight wonderful outdoor recreation projects or unique natural resources, bring attention to environmental challenges, and engage local citizens.
the 30-day event. It is so rewarding to bring attention to the great work of our South Carolina communities to protect and promote all that is naturally wonderful about our state. As people begin to learn more about SC7 and want to become engaged, our challenge for future expeditions is to determine to how engage the general public. What a great challenge to tackle!!
PHOTO BY MICHELLE MCCOLLUM
Both Global Eco Adventures and the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor are leaders in environmental resiliency, environmental education, and eco-tourism. Each organization manages projects and programs separate from SC7, but they come together on the signature 30-day expedition each July. Following the Palmetto Trail as the guiding pathway from the mountains to the sea, the annual expedition highlights the South Carolina ‘7 Wonders’ – so-named for the seven geographic wonders unique to the Palmetto State (more on the 7 Wonders later).
PHOTO BY MARIE GOFF
PHOTO BY MARIE GOFF
PHOTO BY MARIE GOFF
PHOTO BY MICHELLE MCCOLLUM
PHOTO BY MARIE GOFF
SC7 2022 concluded with a groundbreaking event; the first installation of a ‘Smart Reef ’ system that will eventually connect across the entire South Carolina Coastline. The dive was led by Tom Mullikin with the assistance of Coastal Carolina University, the SC Department of Natural Resources, Force Blue, and retired Green Berets, Marines, and SEALs. The Smart Reef system facilitates real-time data feeds into Coastal Carolina University’s ocean-atmosphere-wave-hydrologic modeling system to improve advanced model applications. More simply, the data will provide valuable information such as water temperature, wave intensity, and ocean floor movement. And this data will help inform discussions about hurricanes and tropical storm impacts such as flooding and storm surge and, ultimately, how to mitigate threats to our coastal environmental and economies. There has been one catastrophic severe weather event in South Carolina annually since 2015, costing our state billions of dollars. This reef system is yet another example of how great people from South Carolina are coming together to make our state more environmentally resilient.
PHOTO BY MICHELLE MCCOLLUM
See you next July!
PHOTO BY MICHELLE MCCOLLUM
There is no way to adequately describe the complexities of the SC7 program or the details of the expedition in one article. Everyone is encouraged to watch the SC7 documentary “Higher Ground” and view our Digital Field Guide from the website southcarolina7.com, and, to also follow along on the SC7 social media outlets as plans take shape for SC7 2023.
PHOTOS BY CASEY SHOUB
"At its core, SC7 Expedition is an opportunity to showcase some of the most beautiful places on earth. From some of the oldest mountains on earth with the Appalachian Mountains to amazingly beautiful beaches, SC7 examines and highlights the diverse ecosystem of South Carolina - but it is much more. Each day of the expedition is designed to teach, encourage, and execute activities to protect our beautiful environment. From cleanups along the trail and planting trees and spartina, to establishing a Smart Reef along the coast of South Carolina, SC7 has moved beyond aspirational hopes to operational plans to protect our environment." – TOM MULLIKIN, SC7 EXPEDITION TEAM LEADER
INTRODUCING THE 7 WONDERS The “South Carolina 7” is a concept created by worldrenowned explorer and SC7 Expedition Team Leader, Tom Mullikin. As Tom and his son, Thomas, were sitting at base camp of Mount Everest several years ago discussing their goal of hiking “the Seven Summits” (a mountaineers challenge of hiking the tallest summits on each of the world’s seven continents), Tom wanted to identify seven locations in South Carolina that every South Carolinian should strive to experience. Working in partnership with the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor, the seven locations were identified that are unique to the natural environment and ecosystems of the state.
CHATTOOGA RIVER
WE ENCOURAGE EACH OF YOU TO ADD THE “SOUTH CAROLINA 7” TO YOUR BUCKET LIST. THEY CAN BE VISITED ON YOUR OWN OR WITH AN EXPERIENCED OUTFITTER OR GUIDE. AND, EACH SEASON OF THE YEAR PROVIDES A DIFFERENCE EXPERIENCE, SO MAKE SURE TO VISIT MORE THAN ONCE TO TRULY UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE THESE AMAZINGLY DIVERSE AND BEAUTIFUL PLACES.
Chattooga
River
Famed as the location of the movie Deliverance, the Chattooga River is the crown jewel of southeastern rafting in a truly natural undeveloped setting offering the best and most challenging whitewater in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountain region. The Chattooga was named a National Wild and Scenic River on May 10, 1974 - just six years after the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was established on October 2, 1968. The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act is celebrating its 54th anniversary this year.
SASSAFRAS MOUNTAIN Sassafras Mountain, the Roof of the Palmetto State, is the highpoint of South Carolina at 3,533 feet above sea level. The geology of Sassafras Mountain reflects millions of years of plate tectonics. It lies within the inner Piedmont belt and is thought to be part of a continental fragment that attached or even reattached North America during the Middle Ordovician at a time of continental collision and mountain building called the Taconic Orogeny (mountain-building episode). These geologic processes caused active stream down-cutting and the resultant modern scenic gorges and waterfalls that surround Sassafras Mountain.
JOCASSEE GORGES Named by National Geographic as one of the “50 of the Last Great Places.” In the uppermost reaches of South Carolina, the clear waters of Lake Jocassee splash against the base of the Blue Ridge Escarpment that represent the sharp transition between the South Carolina Mountains and the Piedmont. Here forested slopes drop in elevation by 2,000 vertical feet in a matter of one to two miles. The name “Jocassee,” according to Native American legend, means “Place of the Lost One.” The region is characterized by a high diversity of flora and fauna as a result of its location at the interface between the mountains and piedmont. Both mountain and piedmont plant communities are represented in the area creating a transitional zone from lower rolling hills to higher elevation mountains. The region has drawn the attention of scientists for centuries. It is where, in the mid-1700s, William Bartram discovered the famed azalea along with other species new to science and enjoyed “a view inexpressibly magnificent and comprehensive.”
Congaree National
Park
CONGAREE NATIONAL PARK Congaree National Park contains the largest remaining area of old growth bottomland hardwood forest in North America. The Congaree boasts the tallest known specimens of 15 species! Emerging above the canopy layer is a loblolly pine that looks down on everything from 167 feet, just 18 feet shy of the Boogerman white pine in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the tallest known tree in the East. Among the other first-place record holders for loftiness in the canopy are a sweetgum (157-feet), a cherrybark oak (154 feet), an American elm (135 feet), a swamp chestnut oak (133 feet), an overcup oak (131 feet), a common persimmon (127 feet), and a laurel oak (125 feet). The Congaree is known as the “Redwoods of the East.” The Congaree is currently home to six national- and 23 state-champion trees. For every three-square miles, there are two champion trees.
Edisto
River
EDISTO RIVER The Edisto River’s name originated from the word edisto, a Native American term that means “black” and refers to the dark color of the river created from decaying leaves and other plant material. The Edisto is considered the longest free-flowing blackwater river in the United States and one of the longest worldwide. The Edisto supports several rare, nationally threatened, and endangered species such as the red-cockaded woodpecker, southern bald eagle, wood stork, loggerhead turtle, and short-nosed sturgeon.
ACE BASIN
Ace
The Ashepoo, Combahee and Edisto Basin (abbreviated as ACE Basin, and pronounced “ace basin”) is one of the largest undeveloped estuaries along the Atlantic Coast of the United States. Located primarily in Colleton, Charleston, and Beaufort counties in South Carolina, the Ashepoo, Combahee and South Edisto rivers combine into the larger St. Helena Sound and drain a significant portion of the Lowcountry region. The 350,000 acres area is known for its natural environment and the preservation of its marshes, wetlands, hardwood forests, riverine systems and the fauna that occupy the area. National Geographic called this area “one of the last great places” on earth.
Bull
BULL ISLAND Bull Island is arguably one of South Carolina’s most beautiful and remote places. The largest of four barrier islands found within the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, Bull Island is a 5,000-acre maritime forest with fresh and brackish water impoundments and a beach area. The six-and-a-half-mile uninhabited island remains virtually untouched and is home to countless wildlife and endangered species and has a world-renowned reputation for its bird life. More than 275 species of birds are found on or near the island. The place is a nature and bird-lover paradise.
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U.S. HIGHWAY 1 THROUGH SOUTH CAROLINA My personal experience along the famed eastern seaboard route as it snakes across the Palmetto State Words by W. Thomas Smith Jr.
L
Fort Kent, ME
ess than a mile from my house is U.S. Highway 1 (US1 or Route 1), the LONGEST NORTH-SOUTH ROAD IN THE UNITED STATES. Beginning at the very tip of Key West, Florida, and running north for nearly two-and-a-half thousand miles to Fort Kent, Maine at the Canadian border, US1 passes through all but one (Delaware) of the original 13 colonies and more. I have always been fascinated by this road. Not sure why except that there are so many interconnected lives, legends, and strange old stories associated with it: That, and I have lived and worked so close to the highway for most of my life.
US1 from Key West to Canada is 2,370 miles long and connects many if not most of the major cities of the east coast. The stretch of the highway through South Carolina is 171 miles long and is every bit as storied as any stretch of the highway anywhere along the eastern seaboard.
Key West, FL
As mentioned, US1 runs south to north (or vice versa depending upon how you might orient yourself ), but as it enters and stretches through my home state of South Carolina, it runs geographically from the southsouthwest at the Georgia line to the eastnortheast ending at the North Carolina line about five miles above the town of Cheraw, S.C. Though US1 is a major thruway – and has been so for centuries (officially for nearly 100 years) – the old highway is not the track most South Carolinians and visitors to our state think of when they consider traveling from one end of the state to the next. Most end-to-end travelers consider the various highway routes paralleling the nowfamous Palmetto Trail which runs from the
Blue Ridge Mountains in the Upstate then south-southwest through the Midlands and ultimately to the Awendaw community and the Intracoastal Waterway along the S.C. coastline: It’s the old touristy idea of crossing the Palmetto State from the mountains to the sea. A beautiful track to be sure, the mountains-to-sea route features the seven wonders of South Carolina as showcased annually in the popular SC7 expedition from the Upstate to the Lowcountry. But let’s not dismiss Route 1 or US1 which is equally beautiful and worth writing about. In fact, let’s look at US1 from my somewhat unique perspective as it stretches across South Carolina.
US1, which is also known as Jefferson Davis Memorial Highway (named for the president of the former Confederate States), crosses the Georgia-S.C. border from Augusta, GA (yes, the home of Augusta National) over the Savannah River into North Augusta, S.C. The route then passes through Aiken (I have lots of family from here as well as nearby Williston, Edgefield, and Springfield), then Moneta, BatesburgLeesville (a great barbeque town), Lexington (where I once lived on Lake Murray) and West Columbia (lots of friends hail from here). At West Columbia, US1 crosses over the Congaree River into Columbia from the famed Gervais Street Bridge (aka the Congaree River Bridge), one of three vehicular bridges that crosses directly into the city. Easily one of the most impressive and certainly one of most photographed bridges in our state, the Gervais Street Bridge was until the early 1950s the only bridge that crossed from the west bank of the Congaree to the east (Columbia).
The story ‘cover photograph’ of the Key West, Florida, Highway 1 sign is published courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration, March 1951. The two photographs on this page are of the Congaree River (Gervais Street) Bridge and an image of a few blocks of Gervais Street (US1) as the highway passes through Columbia, S.C.
Built between 1926 and 1928, the Gervais Street Bridge is the third span to have been built on approximately the same site as the previous two. I say “approximately” because the remains of the first two bridges are slightly north of the 1928 bridge. The first Gervais Street Bridge was built in 1827 and was burned when Union Army General William Tecumseh Sherman came to town near the end of the American Civil War in 1865. The second was built in 1870, five years after the war ended. The modern bridge we cross today replaced the second in 1928, the year before my dad and my stepdad were born. I love the Gervais Street Bridge. Some of my earliest childhood memories are of my family and me crossing the bridge heading west for whatever reason. I’ve since driven across the bridge countless times. I’ve walked across it, fished under it, canoed and kayaked near it, and photographed it. In fact, a photograph I took
of the Gervais Street Bridge in 2006, wound up on the cover of the 2007-2008 Greater Columbia-Lexington, S.C. BellSouth telephone directory. But we’ll save that for another story.
then Gervais and Park. At the Gervais and Lincoln office, I ran and played, placed pennies on the railroad tracks and watched the trains flatten the pennies as the trains crossed Gervais (US1).
Continuing east along Gervais Street (aka US1) as we enter the city, Gervais – which for several miles is also known as the Blue Star Memorial Highway (honoring members of the U.S. armed forces) – passes the State Museum, crosses Huger Street, then a few streets up (east) intersects Lincoln Street and ultimately Park Street.
When Dad moved his office to Gervais and Park, I was a little older, so it was more work and less play. I also explored a little, ran errands for Dad and some of the men who worked for him, and I got to know the city blocks around both offices like the proverbial back of my hand. Dad called that commercial neighborhood, his “little corner” of downtown. In time, that little corner became mine too.
My dad, who was president of R.H. Clark Company, had at varying times office locations on Gervais and Lincoln and
Further east, Gervais Street passes directly in front of the S.C. State House (that too we’ll save for another discussion, interconnected of course and a very important part of my life’s story) as the highway intersects with Main Street. Main, by the way, was another of Dad’s corners where we watched parades; gazed at Christmas lights; stared at Christmas displays in storefront windows; ate in local restaurants; watched the demolition of two buildings (one of which was the old Wade Hampton Hotel); and bought newspapers, magazines, comic books, Cokes, and candy at the nearby Capital Newsstand. A few miles further east, Gervais (US1) takes a left northerly turn onto Millwood Avenue (US1), passing another of the former sites of the old R.H. Clark Company where I worked as a teenager. The road then becomes Two Notch Road (eventually passing less than two miles from my boyhood home in the township of Forest Acres), continuing northeast along Two Notch (passing the headquarters of the Richland County Sheriff ’s Department where I work part-time today) all the way to northeast Columbia, Jimmy’s Mart (best hot dogs in central S.C.) and Sesquicentennial State Park, from which more of my favorite boyhood memories emerge (swimming, diving off the dock in the middle of the lake, and a baseball team birthday party in which I deliberately ate more hot dogs than anyone else), later as a young and middle-aged man hiking and leading hikes. Passing Sesqui is Polo Road, which leads to where I attend church about a mile away. But we stay on Two Notch (US1), passing
Cheraw, South Carolina
the Clemson Extension Center – another of my favorite former hiking acreages until the University closed its land to the public following COVID – then Pontiac, Elgin, and Lugoff where my sister’s family once lived and my nephews attended elementary, middle, and high school.
Then running east-northeast from Camden, US1 passes through a few small towns like Bethune, McBee, and Patrick, then up to Cheraw (the town where my granddaddy once lived and which my dad always jokingly referred to as “Sherry”) and up to the North Carolina border.
In the spring of 1791, George Washington visited Columbia. On the first leg of his return trip he crossed this very same stretch of Two Notch (future US1), which at that time was little more than an old Indian trail so-named because the natives notched or “blazed” the trees along the trail for navigational purposes.
In 1926, the same year construction began on the Gervais Street Bridge, construction also began on U.S. Highway 1, much of which – like old Two Notch Road – followed ancient Indian trails predating the first European settlements. The highway was completed by 1937.
In his journal entry of May 24, thenPresident Washington wrote: “The road from Columbia to Camden [future US1], excepting a mile or two at each place, goes over the most miserable pine barren I ever saw, being quite a white sand and very hilly.” Sandy and hilly indeed, which is why today the area is known as “the Sandhills.” Passing through Lugoff, US1 eventually crosses the Wateree River and runs straight through historic Camden, the oldest inland town in S.C and home of the famous Carolina Cup steeplechase race (today the Mullikin Law Carolina Cup).
US1 from Key West to Canada is 2,370 miles long and connects many if not most of the major cities of the east coast. The stretch of the highway through South Carolina is 171 miles long and is every bit as storied as any stretch of the highway anywhere along the eastern seaboard.
SPOTLIGHT THE SOUTHERN EDGE magazine (The S.C. National Heritage Corridor, National Park Service) congratulates COL. W. THOMAS SMITH JR. on his having been awarded the prestigious ORDER OF SAINT MAURICE, a national infantry honor bestowed by the National Infantry Association (NIA) and signed by the chief of Infantry of the United States Army. Col. Smith – a formerly deployed U.S. Marine Corps Infantry leader, counterterrorism instructor, SWAT team officer in the nuclear industry, and a retired S.C. Military Department officer – is a professional writer (his work regularly appearing in THE SOUTHERN EDGE), a New York Times bestselling editor and an internationally acclaimed military technical consultant. A veteran war correspondent, Smith has covered conflict in the Balkans and across much of the Middle East, including traveling twice to Iraq during the war. The award for Smith was nominated by Col. (Ret.) William M. “Bill” Connor, U.S. Army, and approved by the NIA, March 17, 2022. “I’ve known Tom and his work for many years,” said Connor. “His initial service as a Marine Infantry leader and follow-on work as a military writer embedded with U.S. and British forces during the Iraq war as well as service as director of the S.C. Military Department’s first-ever counterterrorism task force and so much more made him a stellar candidate for this lofty recognition. The NIA board chose wisely.” The Order of St. Maurice is awarded at one of five levels: The highest level is Primicerius, followed by Centurion, then Legionnaire, Peregrinus (for distinguished foreign military personnel), and Civis. Smith was awarded Centurion, the second highest level. Smith was presented the award by Col. Connor and S.C. Senator Thomas C. Alexander, president of the Senate, in the Senate chamber, S.C. State House, May 25, 2022. The Order of St. Maurice is named for Saint Maurice, legendary commander of the Theban Legion of the Roman Army in the 3rd century A.D. XX
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“Good things happen over a cup of coffee!” OneNation Foundation and the
HERO Program are teaming up for their first one of a kind charity golf tournament and we hope you join us! In 2021, the low country chapter of Stand Up and Play Foundation developed a groundbreaking golf therapy program designed to help emergency responders who have developed challenges, illness or injuries suffered in the line of duty or after serving and protecting. The HERO Program (Helping Emergency Responders Overcome) was co-founded by Rich O’Brien and a medically retired firefighter, Josh Swindle, who was paralyzed in the line of duty. He knows first-hand what the challenges are that emergency responders face and is now a man on a mission to help his fellow emergency responders.
OneNation Coffee is a Veteran and First Responder owned roast to order coffee company located in Summerville, SC. It was founded by a Navy EOD Technician, a Navy Submariner, and a Law Enforcement Officer with a passion to give back to the communities they serve. Their coffee is roasted in small batches to maintain the highest quality and freshness. They offer a variety of roasts ranging from light to dark in addition to single serve coffee pods (commonly known as k-cups). Passion Brews Purpose at OneNation Coffee and they have always given a portion of their proceeds to charity. In 2021, OneNation Foundation, a 501©3, was created as the action arm of their company to support Veterans and First Responders in need through acts of service and financial assistance. OneNation Foundation met affiliates of PGA Hope while serving a local food bank for Veterans and attended the Hardees Chip in for Charity Golf Tournament hosted at Wescott Golf Club. Soon after, they sat down over a good cup of OneNation Coffee and started learning more about the HERO Program. Through OneNation Coffee sales and donations received, OneNation Foundation provided the HERO Program with the startup capital they needed to launch the program. The HERO Golf Therapy Program has quickly become very popular with the emergency responder community and their families, making it one of the largest adaptive golf programs in the country. October 13, 2022, the OneNation Heroes Cup will take place in Summerville, SC. Come join us and help give back to our veterans and first responders. Register today at HEROESCUP.ORG. Together we can make a difference!
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SOUTHERN GALS and SACRED FOOTBALL GAMES
Excerpt from Sweet Tea Secrets from the Deep Fried South
More religion than ritual, college football in the South is both New York’s Fashion Week and a Paula Dean food-and-fun feast. Matters not if it is 101 degrees out with 100 percent humidity, Southern women will dress to steal your date while toting a pot of Parmesan-jalapeno grits and a cooler filled with enough deserts to trigger Type 1 diabetes. Her entourage—date, boyfriend, husband, whomever the lucky lad is—trails behind her, pulling a cart loaded with a generator, grill, fans, big screen TV, tables, chairs, and enough decorations for a mobilehome park. A rainbow of the team colors, logos, and mascots printed on tablecloths, tents, hanging lanterns, umbrellas, and even cupcakes mark the boundary lines of loyalties. I know what you’re thinking: folks up north tailgate too. But, honey, it’s not the same. Not even close. For one, New England “tail-gators” talk funny and ask stupid stuff like, “Where can I pock my cah?” when it’s clear from the signs staked into the grass along the road leading to the stadium that you cannot park your car anywhere near our hallowed turf. Carpetbaggers traveling down from north of the Mason-Dixon Line are relegated to the shuttle lot. New Yorkers use words like mudder a lot. I’m not 100 percent sure what they mean by mudder, but their loud spraying of spittle suggest that my momma, God rest her soul, would have insisted that stadium security order such persons to wash their mouths out with soap before being allowed to sit in our visitor section. For another, Yankee women don’t dress properly on game day. They may wear a team jersey with the number of their favorite player. But that kind of half-hearted attempt isn’t acceptable at a Southern football game. Southern women dress in their team’s colors from head to toe—matching earrings, mascot necklaces, monogramed shoes. Even their underwear is team-themed, for good luck. Their lipstick matches the team’s color too. On the side of their cheeks is a tattoo of the team’s mascot—tiger, gamecock, gator, dawg, tomahawk …. and the list goes on. Once Thomas and I traveled to Syracuse for a Clemson away game. Niagara Falls was frozen over; snow paths in the parking lot hinted at where cars might have once parked. When we arrived, the rows 46
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and rows of vehicles resembled moguls on ski slopes. God bless them, a clot of Syracuse fans stood around a rusty gas grill, trying to cook a piece of meat that I can only imagine came from a recently excavated wooly mammoth discovered in a melting glacier. The bare-chested Syracuse fans warming themselves beside the grill reminded me of our Southern female football fans who bare too much of their bodies at the first hint of spring. As older seasoned Southern women, we feel duty bound to approach our own kind and ask, “Now, what would your Momma think of you dressing like that? Instead of showing cleavage, you should be smart and using cleverage.” Competition is fierce on game day, and if we can run up the score, we will. Ours is a blood sport where the goal is to out-host your fellow Southern sistah to the point where next time she’ll think twice or three times before bringing a bucket of store-bought KFC to the game. If you haven’t put the hours in Monday through Friday, don’t even bother to show up on Saturday. Arrive early and stay late, but above all else look good and eat well. True to Southern hospitality, we expect to have guests stop by and sample our food. Often no one in the tailgating party knows these random strangers. They could be, as one man of God, maybe even the apostle Paul, was fond of saying, visitors from outside the conference. “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” (NLT). So in keeping with Hebrews 13:2, fans from other teams are invited to graze our football cuisine. For some this might be the only real home-cooked meal they get all year. A few years back, legendary 1981 National Champ Clemson head coach Danny Ford parked his cattle truck near our space. That’s right: Danny Ford arrived in a manure-scented, mud-covered utility farm vehicle. Since he was Danny Ford, he did not have to say something stupid like, “Where can I pock my track?” Danny is a living legend to us Tiger fans, so he is welcome to “pock” that “track” with all its glory anywhere. We all knew Danny liked applecrunch cake, so there was a lot of it at Clemson home games in hopes that he’d swing by and have a bite. Folks walking by would stop, stare, and whip out cell phones for a shot of Danny sampling a sistah’s apple-crunch cake.
Danny loves to tell about the time when our good bud Keva Jackson’s heart stopped, and he collapsed. “I was standing right by Keva when he went down,” Danny says. “Practically got on top of him to do mouth-to-mouth. Thank the Lord, right then Keva’s heart defibrillator kicked in. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was me ‘bout to kiss him on the lips. Quick as a linebacker blitz, Keva said, ‘I’ve died and gone to hell!’” But we all know that in reality if Keva had chosen when to go it would have been in the presence of his orange idol in, ironically, Death Valley. Or to quote country singer Paul Craft, “Dropkick me, Jesus, through the goalpost of life.” In the South, football is religion, but it’s not the religion, so if you come South for a game, plan to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance and the singing of the National Anthem, and then bow your head for the game prayer. Ready to score with another sip of Southern sweet tea from a tall glass? In the South, we’ll tolerate most things, even store-bought KFC if that’s the best you can do, but when it comes to God and patriotism, you best show respect. At our Southern football games, when you add a prayer, the Pledge, and a few jets flying overhead, even the biggest rivals in college football are on the same team … as it should be.
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Jane is the best-selling author of four books and a professional Southern humorist. For speaking engagements visit janeherlong.com
AUTUMN in the SOUTH
The amazing, achingly beautiful Summertime by George and Ira Gershwin and South Carolinian DuBose Heyward, says summer is when life is easy, when we rise up singing, and it’s time for baby to hush his crying. But summertime in the south hasn’t been the languid season for many decades has it? Instead, that comes after summertime. Contrary to oft-perceived wisdom, we do have autumn in the south. Here, too, our leaves turn beautiful colors of burgundy and gold, the sunshine is dappled through tree limbs and those colorful leaves, there’s a crispness in the air, the days become shorter, we begin thinking of the holidays. Leaves are being raked, fires being lit, and a bit of lassitude is felt in our thoughts and attitudes. There’s the huge southern love of football and hunting, and mostly-fun rivalries pick up steam. There are county and state fairs, farmers’ markets begin closing, and Christmas tree farms begin setting up stands. Our autumn is much shorter than New England’s, but so is our winter, so we win anyway. And we all play a game to see how long we can go before turning on the heat. I don’t know about you, but it’s the crispness in the air that strikes all sorts of wondrous chords in me, along with the smell of burning leaves and logs. And the beauty of dusk in autumn, what our Scottish ancestors called the Gloaming, that time when one more easily sees the face of God, tugs at our heartstrings. The temperatures drops below 70 degrees, so we get out our sweaters and jackets, perhaps more wistfully than practically, and pretend they’re comfortable. Every church and temple, men’s group, and charity starts having oyster roasts, and there’s a quickening of the spirit to accompany the cooler temperatures—remember that it’s all relative, so our autumn doesn’t have to be as cool as in the northern states. In a region already famous for being nostalgic, preferably for the good aspects of our past, we start recalling and story-telling in earnest. Remember daddy hanging a radio from a tree limb so we could listen to the ball game while we were raking? Remember lying in the bed of the truck, snuggled under a blanket with all the kids, looking up at the stars? Did you hate snapping beans with granny as much I did? How about those huge oysters and chicken bog at the Episcopal church? Do they still have North-South football games? They should never have stopped having the Big Thursday games!
Don’t forget to "meet me at the Rocket," and bring me a funnel cake. Hey, can we make some hot chocolate? Maybe some Russian Tea when it gets cold? Let’s drive up to the mountains for the Apple Festival or just the ride and to get a few bags of apples and some cider. What on earth are we going to do with that last basketful of zucchini and corn? Should we have one more Frogmore Stew? I don’t know, I’m about ready for some extra spicy chili beans, with corn chips. It’s after Labor Day, so we’ve long stopped wearing white, and we were tired of bright colors anyway, so out come the earth tones and corduroys and light sweaters and sweatshirts. If a person is particularly high-falutin, he or she may have switched from evening G&Ts to Manhattans or other, darker adult beverages. And we’ve dusted off our flasks for taking to our favorite college football games (FUATT—if you’re an alum, you know what that means, and it is not dirty); we do not take flasks to high school games! It’s time for those lattes whose flavor we won’t mention. Oktoberfest. Convertible rides—if you’re lucky enough to have access to one. Sweet potato pies, pumpkin pies, pecan pies. Oh, walks and hikes, whether or not with a governor on the Appalachian Trail. Maybe the Swamp Rabbit Trail or one of the hundreds of others scattered around the south. Maybe you have a tradition like re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird every autumn—remember the scene with Scout in her ham costume walking on crunchy leaves? This is when life begins to slow, if only a little. One memory is of a close acquaintance who hated autumn. Hate autumn? What are you, a Communist or something? She felt it signified dying and ends and all sorts of gloominess. Not for me. Mother Nature is telling us not to count her out anytime soon: “you just watch how beautiful I become in October and November. Besides, I’m just settling down, not going down for the count.” After a short (in the south) winter’s nap, I’ll soon be back with my azaleas, hydrangeas, bright green leaves, and dreams of summertime—and air conditioning.
GRANDMOTHER’S RUSSIAN TEA
(NOT to be confused with that powdered abomination) Please note that measurements are mere hints for this. Brew tea as for a gallon, using 3 family-sized bags or 6 regular bags (as strong or weak as you like) 1 to 2 cups sugar, depending on how sweet you want it 1 ¾ cups pineapple juice 1 ½ cups orange juice ¼ cup lemon juice Water 3 heaping teaspoons (not measuring spoons), each, whole allspice, whole cloves, and about 7 3-inch long cinnamon sticks After removing the tea bags, stir the sugar into the tea while it’s hot until it’s fully dissolved. Pour into a one-gallon, lidded container for keeping in the refrigerator for up to a month. Pour in the citrus juices and stir well. In a small saucepan with a lid, add the spices and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then immediately remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for 5 minutes. Strain this liquid into the tea mixture, and repeat two more times (using the same spices—you’re getting “all the good out of them”). If any room is left in the pitcher, add water and stir. This is better when it sits in the fridge overnight. Nowadays, we heat individual cups in the microwave, but heating in a saucepan is just as effective.
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HYPER-LOCAL INGREDIENTS
Make Beer Better Words by Darlene Greene / Photos by Sarah E. Photography
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arolina Bauernhaus Brewery & Winery™ is a hybrid farmhouse brewery and winery based in Anderson, South Carolina, with a second brewery location and beer garden in downtown Greenville. The initial founders, David Thornton and Keston Helfrich, joined forces while David was teaching at Clemson University. Keston was a homebrewer, experimenting with brewing “wild, funky and sour ales” while David, a bioprocess engineer, taught a science of beer class at Clemson and served as the faculty representative to the student Homebrewing club. The final member of the founding team is Brad Thomas, an avid home brewer and local attorney. Brad helps CB team with all things legal and his current practice covers a wide-range of issues that affect alcohol producers, retailers, and distributors in South Carolina. David’s work in biofuels and breweries includes construction of 26 biodiesel and ethanol facilities worldwide. His first company, SouthYeast Labs, sourced a variety of yeast strains for the beer industry. Both David and Keston have a holistic approach to the beers, ciders and wines they produce. Knowing quality, organic ingredients result in better brews, they carefully source everything that goes into their products. While they don’t carry the organic classification, if you trace their produce materials to their source, you will discover that they use ingredients locally and regionally grown from farms that use regenerative and sustainable farming methods for their produce. They work closely with their producers to ensure all of their ingredients are ethically, and sustainably produced, free of pesticides and unnecessary chemicals.
PICTURED BELOW (L to R): Brad Thomas, Keston Helfrich and David Thornton
The word Bauernhaus means Farmhouse in German. The company’s focus is to produce farm-to-table beers, ciders and wines so that consumers experience an excellent quality brew with unique, yet local flavor. Carolina Bauernhaus brews are award winning and have broadened the horizon for other breweries after winning a Great American Beer Festival Gold Medal in 2017 for their fermented Saison featuring prickly pears from Clemson’s botanical garden. At the time, prickly pears were not considered an approved ingredient for beers but David and Keston made the case of the natural nutritional benefits of prickly pears. They won their argument, made the Gold Medal winner and now many breweries around the country offer a beer brewed with prickly pears. In 2019, their Keowee brew was chosen as a favorite beer from SC by The Beer Travel Guide. Keowee is a Cherokee word meaning “Place of Mulberries.” This sour ale, blended with locally foraged mulberries, is aged for a total of 7 months before bottling. The result is a “rustic refined ale with bright acidity with jammy and dark fruit notes, rounded out by a vinous barrel character.” David and Keston, committed to utilizing as much as possible from local SC sources, have created one of the very first beers made solely from 100% South Carolina ingredients. It took 7 years of research and experimentation with Clemson University and local growers, but the end result was well worth it. Oconee Pale Ale is a hyperlocal pale ale made from Cascade and Nugget whole cone hops grown on Oconee Hop Farm, in Salem SC. The local hops are brewed with Malted Carolina Crisp barley from Palmetto Malt House in Orangeburg, SC and Graham Oats, named for the smallgrains breeder Doyce Graham, Professor Emeritus of Clemson University, retired. Due to their entrepreneurial spirit and innovative approach, David and Keston are natural collaborators. Since opening their first brewery in 2015, they have collaborated with other breweries over the years to create specialty brews. They recently partnered with Freehouse Brewery in Charleston to
create the Oconee Pale Lager. Freehouse Brewery, located on the Ashley River, is a certified organic brewery. The collaboration resulted in another excellent beer featuring 100% organic ingredients. Freehouse Brewery is “an expression of beer as we wish it to be—seasonal, drinkable, and local.” The collaboration has resulted in Freehouse planning a second brewery to be located in Oconee County. More details on that in a future TSE issue. Whether you visit their Anderson or Greenville location, at Carolina Bauernhaus you will have the chance to enjoy the current pours from their ever-changing selection. In addition to the brews, ciders and wines available, the Bauernhaus features a food menu that offers charcuterie boards, locally fermented pickle plates from Blue Ridge Brinery, bratwursts and more.
"GRITS 201" Knowledge by Mayumi / Words by Yuka Greer
I am very sure that most of The Southern Edge readers know how to appreciate the Southern delicacy we call “grits.” It’s a staple item in Southern pantries and a regular item on local menus; from diners to upscale restaurants. When I moved to the United States from Japan, many of my new friends were so adamant about stone-ground grits that they persuaded me to stay away from instant or quick grits as I learned about Southern cuisine and experimented with new dishes and recipes. Needless to say, I’m very glad they did. Mayumi, our healthy-eating advisor, shared with me some insights on the nutrition of stone-ground grits vs. quick-cooking grits. Did you know that stone-ground grits are way more nutritious than instant, regular, or quick grits? Here is why. Like other grain
products, the less the grain is processed, the more nutritional value it has. Pericarp (outer skin) and germ (embryo bud) of corn grain is packed with nutrients such as calcium and vitamins A and C. These nutritious parts are removed to produce instant, regular, or quick grits where stone-ground grits are made by coarsely grinding dried corn kernels.
Mayumi, a certified anti-aging food advisor and a fermented food sommelier, has lived in Upstate South Carolina and now bases her living in Yokohama, Japan where she continues to spread the philosophy of healthy-eating and share healthy recipes with The Southern Edge. Her motto is to create simple, healthy (calorie, sugar, fat, sodium, etc.) and nutritious recipes that can be made ahead. She maintains her health by exercising, eating healthy, watching calories, avoiding snacks between meals, avoiding food and drinks after 8 pm, and taking a bath for detoxing. She enjoys cooking, photography and hiking.
Nutrients oF Stone-Ground Grits •
Rich in vitamins, minerals, folic acid, and dietary fiber.
It does take longer to cook stone-ground grits. But, believe me, the slow-cooking method provides a naturally starchy texture and enriches the real corn flavor.
HEALTH BENEFITS oF Stone-Ground Grits •
For our stone-ground-grits enthusiasts, try Mayumi’s recipe. The addition of beets will not only give your dish a beautiful purple hue, but it is also very nutritious. It’s definitely a fun twist to our traditional grits recipes.
Powerful antioxidants – protects cells from damage
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Protects eyes
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Helps prevent sun burns
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Helps prevent anemia
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Improves digestion
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Helps lower cholesterol
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Provides fullness faster
ITALIAN-ISH GRITS WITH BEETS MAIN INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup grits 1 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup milk 1 teaspoon minced garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 fresh beet or cooked beet, diced (reserve some slices for topping) 1/4 teaspoon salt (to taste)
Topping 4 tablespoons parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons olive oil Black Pepper Beet slices for decoration
PREPARATION In a large pot, add all main ingredients and cook according to package instructions. Serve in a shallow bowl with the topping.
NOTES For lighter flavor, substitute milk with a mixture of 1/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup water or 1/2 cup of Half & Half. thesouthernedgemagazine.com 55
SNEAKING IN ANCHOVIES
Who likes anchovies? Hmmm, rarely do we ever see anchovies on a list of top favorite foods. But it does appear quite often on the top of many healthy food listings, especially those containing omega-3 fatty acids. Anchovy contains 1,200 mg of omega-3 fatty acid per serving with the serving size of 2 oz., where wild salmon has 1,774 mg per serving with the serving size of 6 oz. 1
Not only favored for its nutritious advantages, this small fish (6-10 inches) is also widely used all over the world also for its “umami;” the robust savoriness found in fermented foods. In ancient Rome, anchovies were the base for the fermented fish sauce called Garum, which was very popular due to its long shelf life.
NUTRIENTS & HEALTH BENEFITS Omega-3 Fatty Acids •
Rich in DAH and EPA
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Regulates immune response and helps burn off fats
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Activates brain function
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May prevent blood clots
Vitamin B12 •
A great source of B12
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Maintains healthy nervous system function
You can cook fresh anchovies or preserved anchovies. The strong taste that some of you might have experienced from canned/jarred anchovies is due to the fermentation and maturing through salt brining - anchovies are packed in oil or salt. Mayumi, our healthy-eating advisor, has shown us how to sneak a few fillets into your meals with a versatile sauce to liven up your recipes. Keep in mind that due to high sodium content, use canned/jarred anchovies in a moderate amount. It’s always better to use fresh anchovies when possible.
Selenium
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Warms your blood and improves gastrointestinal function
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Improves blood circlulation
Per “Omega-3 Fatty Acids: An Essential Contribution” Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
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Activates enzymes in thyroid hormone production
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Helps prevent blood clots
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Promotes anti-aging through anti-oxidation effect
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Helps prevent lifestyle diseases and cancer
As a Medicinal Food
ANCHOVY CARROT DRESSING MAIN INGREDIENTS 2-3 anchovy fillets, chopped 1/6 sweet onion, grated 1/2 garlic clove, grated 1/4 cup grated carrots 1/2 cup olive oil 5 tablespoons apple vinegar or white balsamic vinegar Salt and pepper to taste
PREPARATION In a large bowl, mix chopped anchovies and the remaining ingredients. Chill in the refrigerator.
USE Mix before use on salad, baked potato, chicken or seafood.
NOTES: You can use more anchovies to increase the saltiness. Manually grate the vegetables or use a food processor. thesouthernedgemagazine.com 57
Fall SANGRIA
Add a little Spain to your evening this fall with two delicious sangria recipes. Making sangria is easy and takes very little time to prepare, leaving you more time to enjoy a good book by the fire with a cozy blanket. Sangria can be served red or white and cold or warm. Use different garnishes and have fun experimenting.
Cold Red Sangria
INGREDIENTS 1 apple 1 pear 1 orange
2 tablespoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1 750ml bottle red wine (you do not want it too sweet) 1 750 ml bottle sparkling apple cider Optional garnishes: Cinnamon stick / rosemary sprig / orange slices INSTRUCTIONS Slice the apple, pear, and orange and place sliced fruit into a bowl. Stir in sugar and cinnamon. Let stand for one hour. Transfer to a large pitcher. Pour in the red wine. Use immediately or chill in refrigerator. To serve, fill a glass with ice. Fill halfway with sparkling apple cider, then halfway with red wine mixture. Garnish with cinnamon sticks, rosemary, or orange slices.
Warm White Sangria INGREDIENTS 1 apple 1 pear 1 orange White wine Pear liqueur 1 tablespoon agave syrup Apple cider Cinnamon sticks Fresh rosemary INSTRUCTIONS Slice the apple, pear, and orange and place sliced fruit into a bowl. Add cinnamon sticks and agave syrup. Stir and let stand for one hour. Transfer to a crock pot. Pour in the white wine, pear liqueur and apple cider. Heat on warm for at least an hour. Serve in a mug. Garnish with cinnamon sticks, rosemary, or orange slices.
Nestled between Mineral Springs Mountain and Lake Rhodhiss, Valdese is the perfect place to spend the weekend. Conveniently located along I-40, between Morganton & Hickory. The quaint small town offers a great getaway. Plan to catch a show at the Cranford Amphitheatre, experience Waldensian heritage at the local museum, take a hike to McGalliard Falls and enjoy the lake views at Valdese Lakeside Park.
visitvaldese.com
FOR SPORTS. FOR PLAY. OR JUST TO GET AWAY. VISIT NORTH AUGUSTA South Carolina’s Riverfront
VISITNORTHAUGUSTASC.COM
PRODUCED IN COLLABORATION WITH NORTH AUGUSTA A-TAX COMMITTEE
THE SUMMER SEASON MAY BE OVER, BUT PADDLE SEASON IS NOT. FALL IS THE PERFECT TIME TO ENJOY THE BLUEWAYS OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
GOPADDLESC.COM
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Celebrating
The Southern Edge magazine (The S.C. National Heritage Corridor, National Park Service) congratulates LORICK OFFICE PRODUCTS on the occasion of its 85th ANNIVERSARY. Lorick Office Products – a family owned company and a certified “Woman Owned Business” (cousins Jeanne Lorick Brutschy and Karen Lorick Broach, president and vice president respectively) – first opened its doors on Labor Day 1937. David Clarence Lorick, Sr., the Lorick cousins’ grandfather founded the business with three employees, himself included; partner W. Leo Couch; and a bicycling delivery boy. Clarence’s sons, Harry G. “Jerry” Lorick ( Jeanne’s father, now 90-years-old) and the late Dave Lorick (Karen’s father), were the follow-on generation of Lorick owner-operators. Lorick Office Products, which began as Lorick-Couch Office Equipment, later Lorick Office Supply, began serving the Columbia area from its 924 Gervais Street location (today Motor Supply Company Bistro) in what would become known as the Congaree Vista district. Lorick then moved up the street to 1004 Gervais across from the old R.H. Clark Company at Park and Gervais. In 1995, Lorick Office Products purchased, remodeled, and moved into its expansive 15,000-square foot store-showroom and warehouse at 910 Washington Street still in the Vista. Lorick today serves businesses locally, regionally, and nationwide. A wonderful piece of Columbia history and three generations – spanning nearly nine decades – of the Lorick family story: Again, congratulations Jeanne and Karen and all of the company’s 15 employees, its partners, and the loyal lifelong patrons of LORICK OFFICE PRODUCTS on 85 years in business. – Pictured L-R are Karen Lorick Broach and Jeanne Lorick Brutschy.
lorick.com
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C O O L S PAC E S Words by Darlene Greene
You smell the soul of a building, and the building tells you how to redo it. –Cameron Mackintosh
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here is something special about seeing any building lovingly repurposed, but it takes a person with vision, time, and patience to create a really cool space out of an old place. It also takes a village. You need quality contractors, artisans, engineers, designers, and more. You also have to have a little faith, because it is an investment of time and money that may not produce a return for a while. People that love old places and the process of turning them into new, fashionable, cool spaces are special. They want to embrace the character of the old structure while bringing to it a fresh new perspective and purpose. Those that refurbish old buildings must be willing to deal with structural issues, electrical issues, plumbing issues and more. They see the bones of the building, the character of it, and they know it is just waiting for someone to see its soul.
The building located at 216 E Main Street, Walhalla has a special owner and a wonderful history. Jared Ketterman grew up in Walhalla but left after completing his education and lived out of state for many years working in the corporate world. When he decided to move back to his hometown, he knew he wanted to make a difference. He wanted to be a positive part of the community and to give back to it. He bought the 216 E Main St property in 2015. He wanted to fill a void and help create jobs. He began renovating the retail space on the 1st floor first and opened an outdoor store, intending to cater those that visited to take advantage of the outdoor recreation opportunities in the area, including the new section of The Palmetto trail being built in Stumphouse Park. “The new trail system under construction was a huge influence on my decisions and renovation of the property,” said Ketterman, “we wanted to create a community in one building.” The building is now home to two retail spaces, two upscale Loft apartments that are rented out on Airbnb, and a small, quaint craft beer tap room. “Sleep under the sheets, over the street” became the slogan for Lofts Over Main, loftsovermain.com. The beautifully renovated spaces are “rustic chic” with all the amenities of an exclusive hotel, but with the warmth and feel of a well-appointed home. Once Ketterman got
the 216 E Main St property underway, he began looking for other properties he could purchase, renovate, and re-purpose. He now owns several other retail spaces that have been gutted and renovated and are home to new businesses in the downtown district. “One of the coolest renovations we did is on the building which is now home to a State Farm office. We had to gut it, redo all the electrical and plumbing and create access to the 2nd floor (it had been boarded up by previous owners). Once we got up there, we found a beautiful mural on the wall which we preserved. It is now a loft-style space that is used as a private office,” said Ketterman. “My overall goal is to have a positive effect on my hometown. To leave things better than I found them,” said Ketterman.
Other savvy entrepreneurs, seeing the successful renovations by Jared Ketterman, have been inspired to purchase and renovate old buildings in downtown Walhalla. Alisaun Crenshaw and her husband purchased 300 E Main Street in Walhalla on July 1, 2020. The building was previously divided into 2 retail spaces with some living space on the second floor, but all in poor repair. After purchasing the corner building in the heart of the downtown business district, Crenshaw drew up plans for the space but quickly learned that the upfit she wanted could not be accomplished without addressing the structural issues first. Since the building was originally constructed in 1889, the brick was worn and deteriorating. The reconstruction process required around $80,000 in safety equipment (sprinklers and fire safety systems). They also had to stabilize the support beams and tear out the interior floor and walls down to the bare dirt and brick. Because the building had initially been home to a general store and print shop, they decided to put up exterior signage that just says “Mercantile”. “We wanted to maintain that feel of an old-time general store. The mercantile signage and old-style lanterns on the front of the freshly painted brick evokes that historical element. It is also reflected in our broad range of products—home décor and housewares, as well as clothing and wide array of personal accessories,” said Crenshaw. “The retail shop is called Sunni Ann after my grandmother and the fact that my nickname as a child was Sunny.” Sunni Ann Rustic Shop was such a success, it took Crenshaw another year to complete the renovations on the 2nd floor loft to create two sumptuous Airbnb suites, The Residences at 300 Main. The attention to modern convenience, with a rustic-modern style ambiance, offers guests a luxurious experience. The Residences opened Memorial Day weekend this year. To learn more or schedule a stay at The Residences at 300 Main Street, visit OconeeHospitality.com. “We love being able to offer outstanding accommodations to our visitors and help them discover all the great things to do in the area—museums, lakes, waterfalls, trails for hiking and mountain biking, rivers for fly fishing or rafting, a performing arts center and more,” said Crenshaw. “I love history and this building is the result of 2 years of hard work in demo, renovation and upfit but I believe we have maintained the integrity of the building’s charm. You have to really love this type of historical property to take on a project like this but I am very happy with what we have accomplished—successfully blending the old with the new.”
Greg Harris saw the need for more dining options in Walhalla with the increase in visitors seeking all the outdoor recreation opportunities. His first venture, Gather 205, was a coffee and gift shop that offered some light breakfast and lunch fare. He purchased and renovated the old Avalon Mill office building on John Street. Even being 2 blocks off Main Street, the business was a success and quickly became a gathering spot for locals. Because the COVID-19 shutdown created such a downturn in the local economy, Harris did not feel reopening the coffee shop would be viable. He opted instead to rent a space on Main Street and spent several months gutting, stabilizing, rewiring, replumbing a very old building on the northwest corner of Main and College streets to create a new restaurant and gift shop, Gather Uptown. Harris’ family owned a sporting goods store years ago and the first motorboat sold to Camp Chattooga in 1956 has a place of honor in the restaurant providing bar type seating for guests. The décor has a nautical theme featuring old boat motors and walls made from reclaimed wood in the soft blues and greens reminiscent of area lakes and forests. The menu features farm fresh, local ingredients with an upscale, urban flair. “We wanted to be more than the standard meat and 3. We also wanted to showcase all the great local farm fresh foods of our community. Locally sourced and organic ingredients are used whenever possible,” said Harris. Gather Uptown has recently expanded their menu and their hours, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, 6 days a week. They are closed on Wednesdays. “Our renovation process is not done,” said Harris, “we have ideas for creating an outdoor dining space utilizing the back of the building or possibly the rooftop. It takes time and it is a process, but once we get a vision, we will work it until we can bring it into reality.”
The “Jewel of Walhalla”, Bauknight House, is a historic home, vacation rental and event venue. This beautiful Greek revival home, located at 408 E Main Street in downtown Walhalla, was built by Charles Bauknight for his bride and completed in 1906. The stately home served as a private residence to a series of families from the early 1900s until it was purchased by Ryan and Kimberly Owen in March of 2021. Growing up in Walhalla, Kimberly was always fascinated by the imposing structure, but she never had the opportunity to see the inside until it was placed on the market for sale. Kimberly and her family wanted to see the property’s potential expanded, polished,
and made available to the community. “Renovating this private home into a bed and breakfast was quite an undertaking,” said Kimberly, “there were several issues that had to be addressed. We had to update the bathrooms, repair some of the plaster walls, replace some of the exterior gutters and paint.” “It has truly been a labor of love for us, and I am so proud we are able to open the property up to the community so that more people have the opportunity to experience the grace and charm of this historic home,” said Owen.
Turning old spaces into cool places takes time, money, and effort but the results are well-worth it. Seeing the transformation, preserving the old while creating the new, is thrilling. Knowing that you are leaving something better than you found it is the reward. –Jared Ketterman
Visit these cool spaces in Wa l h a l l a , S o u t h C a r o l i n a . LO F T S OV E R M A IN .COM 300M A INWA L H A L L A .COM S U NNIA NND E S IG N S.COM G AT H E RU P TOW N WA L H ALL A .COM BAU K NIG H T H O U S E .COM
WELLNESS
girls who hike sc EMPOWERING WOMEN IN THE OUTDOORS Words & Photos by Emily Clark + Micalyn Dineen
The presence of women in the outdoors has increased significantly over the years, and the need for community among women in the outdoors has never been greater. Creating a safe space that is inclusive and encouraging for women of all sizes, races, and backgrounds is the goal of Girls Who Hike SC, a Facebook community of over 17,000 women hikers.
GIRLS WHO HIKE SC CO-FOUNDERS (L TO R): EMILY CLARK & MICALYN DINEEN
Girls Who Hike SC members at Big Rock Mountain, Nine Times Forest.
Virginia Hawkins Falls
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hat started as a small community of women in 2015, quickly grew to a national organization with many local state chapters and thousands of hiking members. Girls Who Hike was established on the west coast and, eventually, chapters were created throughout the country, including the South Carolina chapter which began in 2017. When the national organization dissolved in 2019, the local South Carolina chapter of Girls Who Hike was left to a small team of ambassadors to run the organization. At the time, there were approximately 1,600 members in the Facebook group Girls Who Hike SC. The community has seen exponential growth over the past three years and there are currently over 17,500 women that have joined.
Big Rock Mountain Full Moon Hike
The mission of Girls Who Hike SC is to create a community of like-minded women who can connect, network, and discover together through local trails. This mission is accomplished with the help of ambassadors who volunteer their time to organize monthly events for the community. The ambassador team consists of women in the Upstate, Midlands, and Lowcountry who commit to hosting one event every month for the calendar year. Hiking, biking, paddling, yoga classes, social meetups, rock climbing, river tubing, and litter cleanups are a glimpse of the ambassador-led activities that Girls Who Hike SC members can access through the Facebook group. Any member of the Facebook group looking for a hiking buddy can host their own event as well. The group is an incredible resource for finding hiking partners if you are not comfortable hiking alone. It is also a great tool for finding new trails to explore. Members of the Facebook community can post their hiking photos and share details about their past hikes, while also asking questions about local trails and hiking conditions. By participating in a women-focused community, Girls Who Hike SC members are naturally more comfortable discussing topics such as feminine hygiene on the trail, chafing, and deciding on which undergarments to wear while hiking. The Facebook group is an excellent platform for discussing these types of topics and is a judgment-free zone for women in the hiking community.
Cedar Falls Park
Saluda River Rambler kayaking event
Cedar Falls Park
Yoga + Hiking Event
Heritage Preserve Site, Upstate SC
Big Rock Mountain, Nine Times Forest
Girls Who Hike SC became a non-profit community in 2022. By establishing nonprofit status, the group is making strides at giving back to the community in greater capacities. Current initiatives include regular litter cleanups and partnering with local organizations, such as South Carolina State Parks, South Carolina 7, Keep Pickens County Beautiful, Keep Oconee County Beautiful, and numerous other groups to help educate members of the Girls Who Hike SC community. Girls Who Hike SC also actively educates members on Leave No Trace principles and encourages all members to leave the trail better than they found it. For more information on Leave No Trace, visit lnt.org. Overnight camping trips and backpacking trips are another focus of the Girls Who Hike SC ambassador team. Future goals for the Girls Who Hike SC group include hosting more overnight hiking trips for members and building an inventory of hiking and backpacking gear to make the outdoors more accessible for the community.
Expanding the litter cleanup initiatives and partnering with additional local organizations are just some of the ways that Girls Who Hike SC plans to pour into our state. Building relationships and encouraging each other in the outdoors is what Girls Who Hike SC is all about. Join in the community and hit the trails together! Anyone 18+ who identifies as a woman can request to join the private Facebook community at facebook.com/groups/ GirlsWhoHikeSC. All requests are screened prior to approval for the safety of members. For more information about Girls Who Hike SC, visit their website at girlswhohikesc.org.
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H E A LT H Y B U S I N E S S C H A L L E N G E
L O C A L C H A R L E S T O N , S C P R O G R A M E X P A N D S S TAT E W I D E , L A U N C H E S U P S TAT E R E G I O N
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n June 29, 2022, at the Commerce Club in Greenville, SC the South Carolina Healthy Business Challenge (SCHBC) officially launched the Upstate Region of a statewide program developed to assist businesses and organizations in establishing work environments that promote a culture of wellbeing and support a healthy, thriving workforce. Over 100 participants representing businesses of all sectors and sizes located in or near the upstate enjoyed a healthy lunch, while learning about this free new program and hearing from SCHBC leaders, partners, and sponsors. Featured speaker, Lt. Governor Pamela Evette, discussed organization wellbeing as an economic driver for the state of South Carolina and congratulated SCHBC and attendees for their commitment to prioritizing health at work. The Southern Edge was also there to promote the South Carolina 7 and thought our readers would like to learn more about this free program so we asked founder Dr. Susan Johnson to tell us how this program is making South Carolina Healthier, one business at a time.
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Fro m l e f t – J o ey C u r re n t , Ca i t l i n Tow n s e n d , R i c k G a n t t , L t . G ove r n o r Pa m e l a Eve t t e , M i c h e l l e M c Co l l u m , D r . S u s a n J o h n s o n , M i ke H a r r i s a n d J e n Wr i g h t .
H E A LT H Y B U S I N E S S C H A L L E N G E
The South Carolina Healthy Business Challenge is a collaborative, statewide program created to support businesses and organizations in establishing work environments that promote a culture of wellbeing and support a healthy, thriving workforce. Leadership team members include Dr. Susan Johnson and Kaitlin DaPore, MUSC, Paul Wieters, City of Charleston, Mike Harris, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, Joey Current, Trident United Way Healthy People Healthy Carolinas, Caitlin Townsend and Rick Gantt, Gallagher with support from SCHA Working Well and SC Biz News.
TELL US ABOUT THE PROGRAM, HOW DO COMPANIES PARTICIPATE & WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
with DR. SUSAN JOHNSON CAN YOU TELL US HOW THIS PROGRAM GOT STARTED? In 2011, MUSC joined over 60 other hospitals across the state of SC to begin Working Well, a 3-year South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA) program funded by Duke Endowment which aimed to improve the health and wellbeing of healthcare workers in our state. MUSC was identified as a Center of Excellence for our work in creating a culture of wellness and implementing policies, systems and a built environment around three pillars – healthy food environment, tobacco-free campus and a physically active workplace. When SCHA received additional funding to expand to all sectors of business, the Centers of Excellence were asked to develop a strategy to share
what we had learned and become a resource to other businesses in our communities. I had been involved with a corporate challenge focused on sustainability and thought that model might work for worksite wellbeing so I went in search of a program we could adapt and replicate. I found that program in Nashville, Tennessee. After a visit with then Mayor Carl Dean, who graciously offered his corporate challenge program to us, I reached out to my colleague Paul Wieters, Wellness Coordinator with the City of Charleston and together we created the Charleston Healthy Business Challenge which launched in 2015.
Our goal was to create a collaborative, free program to support businesses and organizations in establishing work environments that support a healthy, thriving workforce. We knew from our experience with SCHA’s Working Well program that networking and sharing best practices with others is a powerful tool to create change, so we built our program around in-person quarterly seminars. We invite businesses and organizations of all sizes and sectors to a join us for a healthy lunch and learn about current worksite wellbeing topics and trends. In addition to our expert speakers, we invite local health-promoting businesses as exhibitors to connect attendees with resources to support their goals. We also invite our members to share their successes through a member spotlight presentation, and we provide opportunities for attendees to network and learn from one another. We also host virtual events, site visits and team building activities throughout the year.
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YOU SAID IT IS A FREE PROGRAM, DO YOU HAVE SPONSORS TO OFFSET COSTS? Yes, we were very fortunate to connect with Mike Harris, VP of Group Sales for BlueCross, BlueShield of SC (BCBSSC) during the development phase. According to Mike, helping customers achieve improved health status is a long-term commitment. Although much of the work of insurance providers focuses on the health of the individual, Mike saw the importance of organizational wellbeing and committed financial support to build and sustain the program. We also receive support from another Duke Endowment program, Healthy People, Healthy Carolinas and received in-kind support from MUSC, City of Charleston, Gallagher and Charleston Regional Business Journal.
WHAT LED TO THE DECISION TO REBRAND AND EXPAND TO A STATEWIDE PROGRAM? Since its inception, our leadership team envisioned expanding the program to create greater impact. Earlier this year, with continued support from presenting sponsor BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina and new support from partner sponsor Gallagher, we rebranded to the South Carolina Business Challenge, renaming the Charleston Healthy Business Challenge the Lowcountry Healthy Business Challenge, launching Upstate Healthy Business Challenge, with plans to launch the Midlands Healthy Business Challenge in 2023. Gallagher’s Caitlin Townsend is leading the Upstate region and plans to tap into existing resources offered by their Better Works portfolio which takes a holistic approach to organizational wellbeing. She shared that Gallagher is thrilled to be a part of this program and do their part to support the business community through shared resources.
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M E M B E R S P OT L I G H T E V E N T H O ST E D BY MT. P L E A S A N T WAT E RWO R KS M e m b e rs t o u re d t h e i r s t a t e o f t h e a r t o u t d o o r f i t n e s s f a c i l i t y a n d l e a r n e d m o re a b o u t t h e i r a wa rd - w i n n i n g wo r k s i t e we l l n e s s p ro g ra m .
ANY FINAL THOUGHTS YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE? I’m so grateful for the support we’ve received from our members, stakeholders and leaders who see the importance of a healthy workforce to promote a healthy economy and healthy state. I believe the collective passion across all represented organizations is having a significant impact on the quality of life in South Carolina. Our leaders are committed, our organizations are healthier and we are changing the norm of the workplace environment in our state to one that embraces a culture of wellbeing as the new standard operating procedure. By making health a priority at work, we see changes in employees, in their families and in our communities.
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S C H E A LT H Y B I Z . C O M O R C O N TA C T DR. SUSAN JOHNSON S U S A N @ S C H E A LT H Y B I Z . C O M
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FIRESIDE LIVING Words by Michelle McCollum
Stacking your wood:
From campfires outside of your tent to firepits around your pool, there is something special about a fire. And Fall is the perfect time to do some “fireside living.” Whether you’re telling spooky ghost stories to your kids or cuddled up under a blanket sipping wine for a romantic date-night, building and maintaining the perfect fire will make your evening magical.
Cone: Light a small cone of kindling around a few handfuls of tinder that are loosely piled in the center of the fire ring. As the fire gets going and begins to burn strong, add larger logs a few at a time as needed. Log cabin: Create a square structure in the center of your fire ring, starting with two parallel logs as the base and build up several layers mimicking a “log cabin” design. Insert your kindling in the middle of the “cabin.” Place a final layer of logs on the top to form a “roof ”, leaving plenty of air space between your layers. Finish with a layer of kindling and tinder across the top. LIGHTING YOUR FIRE: Light your tinder and gently blow or fan the flame to get it going. Aim for a fairly gentle but steady flow of air because if you overdo it, you can easily snuff it out. Once the tinder gets going, add a layer of kindling and a decent flame should catch. As heat is generated, lay a few thick pieces of firewood across the fire, allowing space for oxygen to flow. Use a twig or poker stick to carefully push any bits of tinder that fall or drift away back into the bundle.
Here are a few tips for starting and maintaining your fire. Build fires only in designated fire rings, grills, or fireplaces. Remove any dried brush or low-hanging branches before starting the fire. In dry or windy conditions keep the fire small because flying embers could easily start a wildfire. Have a water source nearby to extinguish your blaze in case it gets out of control. Types of fuel: Tinder: small twigs, dry leaves, pine needles, moss, or even newspaper. Kindling: small sticks, typically less than one inch around. Firewood: any larger piece of wood
Popular types of firewood: Oak: Oak is one of the most popular. It is a slow-burning wood that produces a hot, minimal-sparking fire. Beech: Beech firewood can burn hot and long, but it is extremely dense, requiring is to dry for a long period of time before burning. Maple: Maple wood is dense and known for producing a long-burning campfire. Birch: Birch is a softer type of firewood that tends to burn quickly, but it gives off plenty of heat.
Extinguish your fire by pouring water on it, stirring the ashes, then applying more water. Repeat as often as needed. Ashes should be cool to the touch before you leave the site. Be absolutely certain your fire and its embers are out and cold before you depart. Never leave a fire unattended.
Words by Abbey Stevens
WAKE UP EARLY With the sun rising later in the morning and cooler mornings approaching, the temptation to stay in bed until the very last second is stronger than ever. Resisting the snooze button keeps your morning routine in check, and keeps your body and mind in a healthy sleep routine.
MORNING ROUTINE This tip goes hand in hand with the previous. Having a set morning routine gets you geared up for the day and maximizes productivity throughout the day. Whether it’s getting your workout in, meditating, or just enjoying breakfast with a few moments of silence, having an enjoyable, set routine gives you something to look forward to when getting out of your warm, cozy bed.
Though the days are getting shorter, our schedules get much busier around the holidays. Taking time to jot down a to-do list for the week, month, and season is a good idea to stay on track. Regardless if your list is on the back of an envelope, in a spreadsheet, or on a calendar, writing down tasks and checking them off helps you feel productive and cuts down on stress.
Nothing goes together quite like summer and fresh produce. But if it’s hard for you to reach for a refreshing salad during the cooler months, try a stir fry instead. Just sauté whichever veggies you have on hand with a dash of soy sauce and honey and serve on a bed of kale. Viola! You’ve got a cozy version of a salad while still getting in a ton of micronutrients. Experiment with flavors and proteins to mix it up.
I think most of us are a bit more conscious of our fitness level when we know we will be in a bikini for the season, but don’t let the first below-freezing night also freeze your gym membership. It’s completely normal to add on a few pounds as the temperatures drop, but don’t sacrifice all of the work you’ve put in just because bikini season has passed. Even if you cut your gym visits in half, keeping up with the routine of being at the gym will make it that much easier to kick it into high gear next spring. Endorphins produced from working out will also help fight the winter blues.
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