Lee Davis Perry - South Carolina Off the Beaten Path®: Discover Your Fun

Open your eyes for new terrain and distant panoramas as you enter the Uplands. The land north and northwest of Aiken changes dramatically from low, flat pastureland to lush foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and finally to the mountains themselves, which rise to more than 3,500 feet. West of Aiken are the J. Strom Thurmond Dam and the J. Strom Thurmond Lake. If this isnt enough Strom Thurmond for you, you can go 20 miles northwest to Edgefield, where you can see him striding manfully in bronze in the middle of the town square; this is his home. Edgefield is a beautiful town built around a classic courthouse and a small formal square. It has been home to nine South Carolina governors as well as governor and US Senator J. Strom Thurmond, who retired at age 100 after 48 years in the Senate.

The most famous trial at the courthouse here was the one of Becky Cotton, born in 1780. She killed her first husband by running a mattress needle through his heart; she poisoned her second; and she split the head of her third with an ax. The trial was even more interesting than the murders. While the evidence of her guilt was overwhelming, her beauty was too much for the judge and the jury. Not only was she acquitted, one of the jurymen became her fourth husband.

UPLANDS & COLUMBIA

Later, the author Mason Locke Weems seized on the story for one of his moral pamphlets, The devil in petticoats, or Gods revenge against husband killing. From his quill we read, Mrs. Cotton came off clearnay, more than clearshe came off the conqueror. For as she stood at the bar in tears, with cheeks like rosebuds wet with morning dew and rolling her eyes of sapphires, pleading for pity, their subtle glamour seized with ravishment the admiring barthe stern features of justice were all relaxed, and both judge and jury hanging forward from their seats breathless, were heard to exclaim, Heaven! What a charming creature!

East on Highway 23 for a couple of miles and then up Highway 121 for 40 miles through some very fine pastureland, youll come to Newberry, home of Newberry College. Along with the college youll find whole blocks of historic buildings dating from the 1800s. The college and many of the homes are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Theres more on Newberry College at newberry.edu.

On Main Street, right in the heart of the old town, is the Old Newberry Courthouse, which is now a community hall. The flamboyant relief on the front of the buildingan eagle with a palmetto tree in its clutchessymbolizes the federal governments hold on South Carolina during Reconstruction. For further information about the history here and a tour of Newberry College, go to the Newberry County Chamber of Commerce at 1209 Caldwell St., or call (803) 276-4274. The website is newberrycountychamber.com.

TOP RECOMMENDATIONS IN UPLANDS & COLUMBIA

Cafe and Then Some
101 College St.
Greenville
(864) 232-3287
cafeats.com

Chattooga National Wild and Scenic River

Motor Supply Company
920 Gervais St.
Columbia
(803) 256-6687
motorsupplycobistro.com

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden
500 Wildlife Pkwy.
Columbia
(803) 779-8717
riverbanks.org

South Carolina State Museum
301 Gervais St.
Columbia
(803) 898-4921
scmuseum.org

Trustus Theater
520 Lady St.
Columbia
(803) 254-9732
trustus.org

Just down the street is Newberrys pride and joy and reason for celebrating The Newberry Opera House. It was originally built in 1882, but over the years it had deteriorated to the point where it had to be closed. After an extensive renovation, costing more than $4 million, it had a gala opening with the South Carolina Philharmonic performing Beethoven, Bach, and Handel as well as George Gershwin. Camelia Johnson and Kevin Maynor of the Metropolitan Opera were also on stage as well as Hal Holbrook and Dixie Carter. The house has 426 seats and in the past has hosted everyone from Lionel Barrymore to cowboy acts. Nicholas Smith, conductor of the South Carolina Philharmonic, and one of the planners for recent eventswhich range from opera to opryis very excited about the future. He said, Theres no question, its going to work; of course its going to work. Theres too much good will, good feelings, good effort for it not to. And time has proven him right.

A few years ago much of downtown was crumbling and on the verge of falling down. But with the renovated opera house, the centerpiece, the old town has come back to life. Art galleries, antique shops, and restaurants now line the once-deserted streets and, what is even more important, above the stores people have moved into apartments. For tickets or more information, write Newberry Opera House, 1201 McKibben St., Newberry 29108; call (803) 276-6264 or visit newberryoperahouse.com. The building alone is worth a visit.

Five minutes from downtown Newberry is the Carter and Holmes Nursery at 629 Mendenhall Rd., where you can see some of the finest orchids in the Southeast on display and for sale. There is no admission charge, and the range and variety of orchids in the greenhouses are nothing less than stunning. Open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon through Sat. Call (803) 276-0579. You can even order online at carterandholmes.com.

A little nourishment is best done 7 or 8 miles away down Highway 17 at 121 N. Main St. in Prosperity at the Blend of Art and Coffee. I had the cinnamon roll with their locally roasted house-blend coffee, and it was divine. Johnnys Donuts, available Sat mornings only, regularly sell out early. They also do a great job with other breakfast fare, offering choices like raspberry and apple cinnamon scones, and blueberry and banana nut muffins. The seasonal fruit smoothies and protein shakes are especially tasty, too. Im partial to the homemade pimento cheese and chicken salad sandwiches. From the looks of the next tables dessert plates, Im also getting some brownies and pound cake to go next time. And, oh yes, the restaurant displays and offers for sale a selection of South Carolina artists work while you slow down and savor the small-town atmosphere here. Open Tues through Sat from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Closed Sun and Mon. Call (803) 364-3288 or visit blendcafe.net.

A Very Short History of South Carolina Football

Right smack in the middle of the dog days of September, when the northern transplants are wondering when, and if, the summer will ever end, the madness begins. We break out our Gamecock jackets, caps, and banners, and start politicking for a parking space within 1,000 yards of Williams-Brice Stadium. And then its Saturday and there we are, where weve been sitting forever, watching Gamecock football. The game goes on and the stouthearted fans of 10, 20, 30 yearsyou name itcheer and shout, groan and scream all the way into the fourth quarter (even in the days when we were 14 or 21 or 27 or 36 points behind). Talk about a loyal fan base!

Looking down the 120-year-old Spanish mossdraped tunnel of Gamecock football, there is one grim and comic statistic that is seldom reported by the local press. Our best year (until 1984) was 1903seven wins and three losses. But one of the victories was against the Columbia-based YMCA and the other, an 89 to 0 humiliation of the Welsh Neck High School.

But all this started to change in 1984, when we won five in a row and were rated up there with the name brands in the Associated Press Poll. I covered the games that year, and here are the notes from my journal: Back in the not-so-long-ago days of 83, 82, 81, and 80, right about now wed be three wins and three losses, and wed be looking forward to basketball and the winter solstice. But this year was different. This was too crazy to believe. We actually had a football team. Wed always had a football team, but this one was winning. We were actually undefeated in five straight games and were right up there on page one of the sports section in the New York Times, the L.A. Times, and the Chicago Tribune. Right up there with Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Ohio State: schools with ball teams that get on national television and go to bowl games. Schools where the old grads die and leave oil wells and skyscrapers and coastlines to the Athletic Department. Serious big-time, household names like Michigan, Penn State, Southern Cal, and Notre Dame.