Florida or BUST!!!
Already the end of June and we got SC under our belt!
First stop was Skyland Resort in Luray, Virginia. Located on Skyline Drive which begins and ends in Virginia ~ ultimately turning into the Blue Ridge Parkway. And if you’ve never been on either, I suggest adding them to your bucket list. Since our 1st visit to Skyland was nothing to “write home about,” we decided to give it a 2nd chance because the property/area is so beautiful. Let's just say, they did not redeem themselves. It did not help matters that it never stopped raining our entire visit, so we were limited to exploring the vast trails that surround this place. The Appalachian Trail runs parallel, and we wanted to walk it a bit just to say we did, but it was just too nasty out.
Onto stop #2: Greer, SC. Up and coming with a really sweet downtown. Seemed to have a lot to offer, however, the entire area was under a flood watch due to the incessant rain. Again, couldn’t “walk-about” because it was literally blowing sideways! Spent the night at an Airbnb just outside of town in a beautiful home and sat up chatting until midnight with some really cool peeps. Got up & out early. Headed to…
Stop #3: Easley, SC. Still raining. Has not let up in the least. Had an amazing Philly Cheesesteak here at “Inky’s.” Located in an old Silo Factory with a number of other businesses including, “Silo Brewing” where Tone sampled a Peach Wheat which was stellar! Easley's downtown area is much more "petite" than Greer's and with that came more of a “small town feel.” Enjoyed visiting, however, I think Tone & I would get bored here pretty quickly. Spent the night in the sweetest little camper which, in my opinion, blew the 1.3 million dollar home away from the night before! Sounds crazy ~ but it's true! Onto horsy’s & golf anyone?....
Stop #4: Aiken, SC. Still raining… No, I’m not kidding. This downtown area offers an ample amount of shops, restaurants and art galleries to keep someone occupied. The outlying areas are absolutely beautiful. I can see why people are flocking to this area by the droves. After meeting with Monica Maldonado, a most gracious lady and gifted Realtor (whom we would highly recommend), we headed onward. If you’re into horse’s and golf, this IS the place for you! We spent the night in a little cabin in the woods just outside of town, that I seriously thought we were going to float away in during the most terrific thunderstorms that seem to last ALL night! We didn’t.
Stops #5, 6, 7 & 8 all sort of “morph together” as we were invited to stay with some old friends who recently relocated to Myrtle Beach. Not before putting our feelers out in Little River and spending the night in Conway with THE MOST wonderful Airbnb host yet, Linda! Absolutely loved this lady! Her home was impeccable and the gripping conversations were endless! Finding her was most definitely fortuitous and significant as Conway was never even on our radar and at the end of our SC quest became our biggest contender! This place absolutely has everything to offer us. Downtown is just simply ~ lovely. Walking the Riverwalk, you’d NEVER know you were literally right up the road from Myrtle Beach. I got the “feel” of Washington State here (I know that sounds nuts… I’ve never even been there!). But I did. I love the options this area could give us. Everyone needs to visit this place.
After our visit with friends, we decided to show our faces in Murrells Inlet, walked some beautiful beachfront in Pawley’s Island and set off for Moncks Corner. Kept driving… I’m sure this little town has it’s redeeming qualities; however, we couldn’t find one to make us stop and redeem it! Had an enormous slice of pizza in downtown Summerville and decided it was time to cross the state line…
So, in closing, Conway wins for us! Side note: If we ever hit the lottery, Pawley’s Island has a shot! At least we know now that if Florida doesn’t put on a show,,, Conway better get ready for some Roadbums!