A Traveler's Experience

Savannah River Scenic Byway (SC)

One thing that stands out clear in my mind from my trip on the Savannah River Scenic Byway is the dirt. Seems kind of strange, but it was so red and made such a beautiful contrast against the leafy green of the Sumter National Forest. It reminded me of reading Gone with the Wind. I just had to bring some home with me. Eventually we stopped, and I filled an empty film canister full. Now every once in a while, I pop off the lid of the canister and just look at the redness of the dirt. I think this just goes to show that if the dirt is good enough to remember, the rest of the Byway must be pretty spectacular too.

Another aspect of the Savannah River Scenic Byway that I remember are all of the churches! If I were to rename this Byway, it would be something like, Land of the Thousand Churches. I loved looking forward to the white steeples peeking over the tops of trees. As a fan of vernacular architecture, I was fascinated by all the variations on a common theme. I wished I had taken photos of all the various churches because they really were absolutely beautiful and unique.

My friend and I didn't have much time while traveling this Byway, so we were forced to daydream about what it would be like to camp there, relaxing in the southern sun, under shady trees. We visited several campgrounds that offered so many amenities that we wished we could stay. One particularly tempting site was at Clarks Hill, where there was actually a swim beach! Being from Utah, I'm used to lots of campgrounds, and if you're lucky, there's one by a stream. But a campsite by a large lake that offers swimming?! What a treat!

Since we were more of the casual tourist-type and not prepared for some serious camping or boating, I enjoyed visiting Abbeville. We went antique-shopping and toured an old church there. We also got to participate in the grand opening of a new cafe there in town. It totally made me feel like part of the community. Another historic community along the Byway is McCormick. We stopped there for lunch and wandered around the town. Unfortunately, it was Sunday afternoon, so not much was open, but there was a fascinating old train depot there with a locomotive out front.

The Savannah River Scenic Byway was such a pleasant drive. I felt like I really got to see the true South Carolina, full of life and history and plenty to do. My one regret was that a friend advised me to make sure and stop and get some real southern barbeque, and I never got the chance. What a missed opportunity! Still, I experienced so much while traveling in the South that I really have nothing to complain about. When I returned home and showed everyone my photos, they were all quite jealous. And that's how you know you had a good trip.