South Carolina 2013 - Palmetto State

South Carolina Department of Parks & Tourism
What’s New
• Mann-Simons Outdoor Museum: This fascinating attraction features five ‘ghost structures’ – frames of buildings that once stood on the site – including a former lunch counter, grocery store, outhouse and residences. The site also includes interpretive signage that tells the story of the Mann-Simons family who lived there and the significance of this African-American heritage site. This outdoor museum is the first for the state of South Carolina and one of only a handful of exhibits of its kind in the country. The outdoor museum is free of charge and accessible 24 hours a day. Guided tours of the property are available Tuesdays to Sundays for $6. Columbia.
• Movie Tour: This takes you to film locations and sites where the stars stayed in the Beaufort area. Locations include ‘The Gump Medical Center’ (in the movie this was funded by the “gazillions” that Forrest earned running the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company), the ‘National Cemetery’ where The Great Santini was buried, and ‘the big tree’ from Forrest Gump, where Forrest and Jenny played as children. Beaufort.
• Artfields: This new juried art show features two and three dimensional original art from around the South East in the tiny tobacco town of Lake City.  Scheduled annually for mid April, the 10-day festival will showcase artists who will vie for the largest cash prize in a contest of this kind – $100,000. Other highlights of the festival include live concerts, celebrated chef demonstrations, artist workshops and a farmers’ market. Lake City.

South Carolina Department of Parks & TourismAttractions
• Myrtle Beach Boardwalk: The mile-long oceanfront boardwalk has shops, cafes and arcades.
• SkyWheel: Touted as the tallest attraction of its kind east of the Mississippi, SkyWheel has 42 enclosed glass gondolas. Myrtle Beach.
• Broadway At The Beach: A huge collection of shops, entertainment, attractions and restaurants in the heart of Myrtle Beach. Attractions include Ripley’s Aquarium, MagiQuest and Margaritaville. Myrtle Beach.
• Magnolia Plantation: Founded in 1676 by the Drayton family, the plantation provides a well preserved example of traditional English gardens and Southern plantation life. Its focus on slavery at the site adds a new dimension to the property’s place in history.
• Patriot’s Point: Maritime museum features USS Yorktown. Charleston.
• South Carolina Aquarium: Depicts the natural habitats and environments of the state in a two-hour journey. Charleston.
• EdVenture: For children age 12 and younger, this high-tech and high-touch educational facility boasts 450 individual exhibits. Columbia.

Events
• Canadian-American Days Festival (March), Myrtle Beach.
• Carolina Cup (March), Camden.
• Coastal Uncorked Food And Wine Festival (May), Myrtle Beach.
• South Carolina Festival Of Discovery And Barbecue Cookoff (July), Greenwood.
• Euphoria Festival (September), Greenville.
• South Carolina State Fair (October), Columbia.
• Concours d’Elegance And Motoring Festival (October), Hilton Head Island.
• Chitlin Strut (November), Salley.

South Carolina Department of Parks & Tourism
Places
• Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site: Interprets this settlement era of South Carolina through its museum and self-guided tours.
• Hunting Island State Park: Secluded semi-tropical barrier island. Its 19th-century lighthouse is listed on the US National Register of Historic Places.
• Landsford Canal State Park: The best-preserved of South Carolina’s river canals from the 19th century retains remnants of all its major structural features. Catawba.
• Chattooga National Wild & Scenic River: The South’s first National Wild and Scenic River and one of the premier whitewater rafting rivers in the eastern US.
• Myrtle Beach: Boasts more than 123 championship golf courses, several amusement and water parks, the world’s largest collection of outdoor American sculpture, Ripley’s Aquarium, the Waccatee Zoo and Alligator Adventure.
• Heritage Green: Urban arts and cultural campus with four museums – the Greenville County Museum of Art, the Museum & Gallery at Heritage Green, the Upcountry History Museum and the Children’s Museum – plus the Greenville Little Theatre and public library. Greenville.

Hidden Gems
• Conway: This historic city offers a self-guided tour of stately homes, picturesque churches and more than a dozen buildings and sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• Hobcaw Barony: The Barony was once a royal land grant, but in 1718 it was sub-divided into 14 individual plantations. A three-hour guided van tour travels a portion of the original King’s Highway and takes in historic sites like Friendfield Village, the last 19th century slave village on the Waccamaw Neck.
• Cheraw: This charming small town boasts blocks of immaculate antebellum homes.
• Congaree National Park: Pristine river bottomland forest near Columbia.
• Benjamin E Mays Historic Site: Showcases the birth home of Dr Mays, the mentor and advisor to civil rights leaders and presidents. Greenwood.
• Greenville: This up-country city is growing in popularity for its fine dining, shopping options and cultural attractions. It has been named one of ‘America’s Top 10 Downtowns’ by Forbes Magazine. The magazine stated that the recent downtown redevelopment has transformed Greenville from a “backwater to a really functional and beautiful place”.

South Carolina Department of Parks & TourismDid You Know?
• State Motto: While I Breathe I Hope
• State Flower: Yellow Jessamine
• State Bird: Carolina Wren

Fast Facts
• Region: THE SOUTHEAST
• America’s Byways: Ashley River Road, Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway, Savannah River Scenic Byway.
• Direct Flights: Air Canada, Porter Airlines.
• Cruise Lines: Carnival Cruise Lines, Norwegian Cruise Lines.
• Sales Tools: Culinary website, golf website, and a South Carolina girlfriend getaways website. Travel trade section on website includes links to DMOs and itineraries.
• Info: South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism
(888) TRVLSC (878-5272)
www.discoversouthcarolina.com