Riverbanks Botanical Garden

April 25, 2013 By 1 Comment

Riverbanks Botanical Garden

Located across the Saluda River from Riverbanks Zoo, The Riverbanks Botanical Garden may not be as appealing to young children as the animal exhibits, but it is a delight for those who have a fondness for nature, gardening, and flowers. The gardens are literally ablaze with color. Beautiful pinks, vibrant yellows, soft whites, and brilliant purples. Whether it be spring, summer, or fall the Botanical Garden is a sight to see.

Riverbanks Botanical GardenMuch younger than the neighboring Riverbanks Zoo, the Botanical Garden opened in 1995 and is made up of 70 acres containing 4,200 species of native and exotic plants. The walk across the brick-paved foot bridge expanding across the Saluda River provides some awesome scenic views and photo ops.

You can also park at the Riverbanks Botanical Garden Entrance at 1300 Botanical Parkway West Columbia instead of entering from the Zoo.

Saluda River Columbia

Once across the bridge, you can wait for a tram to drive you up to the upper gardens or you can walk on foot. It is about a 3/10 of a mile hike uphill. (Might be best to take the tram up and walk back down.) The tram runs about every 10 minutes.

Riverbanks Botanical Garden

The tram lets you off right in front of the Visitor’s Center, behind which is a beautiful walled garden. To the right is an amphitheatre. The Visitor Center is quite large, but there’s not a whole lot of interest. ( The bathrooms might be some of the cleanest and least crowded you find so they are worth a stop.) The building appears to be mainly offices and meeting rooms.

Riverbanks Botanical GardensExit the rear door of the Visitor Center and you will be treated to an expansive and beautiful view of the Walled Garden. A canal that expands 300 feet is the focal point of the garden. Cascading fountains spread out along the length of the canal provide visual interest. Most of the plants are well labeled.

Riverbanks Botanical Gardens Columbia SC Botanical Garden

riverbanks zoo botanical gardens

Riverbanks zoo botanicalIn addition to viewing the walled garden, you may also want to take a hike along the Botanical Garden trail system which not only runs alongside part of the river, but passes several areas of historical significance including the location of one of South Carolina’s first water-powered textile mills as well as the place that General Sherman’s troops camped out during the Civil War before marching into and setting fire to the city of Columbia.

botanical gardens Riverbanks Zoo

Every Thursday evening in the month of May, enjoy live music in the garden from 6 to 9pm. Cash bar and food available for purchase.

Don’t forget to save time to head over to the Riverbanks Zoo where you’ll find elephants, giraffes, gorillas and much, much more.

Riverbanks Botanical Garden

1300 Botanical Parkway

West Columbia, SC

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Weekend Trip: Georgetown- Kudzu Bakery

November 7, 2012 By 1 Comment

Kudzu Bakery Georgetown

If you’re ever in Georgetown, SC and only have time to stop at one place, without a doubt that place should be Kudzu Bakery. They have the most heavenly sweets: cookies, cakes, muffins, pies, and more. In addition they sell sandwiches (egg salad, shrimp salad, chicken salad), wine, frozen specialty foods (duck, frog legs, rabbit, etc), fresh bread, and a wonderful selection of local delicacies.

Kudzu Bakery Georgetown

On the day we visited there wasn’t a very large selection of baked goods, but we visited in the fall. I would imagine they have more offerings in the summer months. We settled on a piece of chocolate cake and a piece of red velvet cake. At first I was a little nervous because the cake looked pretty average, like something you would find at a church bake sale. There was no wow factor.

Since there’s really no where to sit inside so we took our cake and a couple of bottled RC sodas to a table in the courtyard just in front of the bakery. One taste of each cake and I was on Cloud 9. Without a doubt the best cake I’ve eaten in ages. Rich, moist, amazingly sweet, and the taste of fresh ingredients shining through. I can’t even pick a favorite between the two. They were both amazing. And I am more often than not disappointed with red velvet cake.

Kudzu Bakery Red Velvet Cake

Apparently Kudzu sets out to make desserts that look simple and homemade, just the way grandma would have made them. And it’s a wonderful reminder that appearances aren’t everything. How many times have you been in those fancy smancy bakeries with cupcakes and cakes decorated to the nines, only to take one bite and realize that the cake has been sitting there looking pretty in that case for one day too many.

 Kudzu Bakery is most certainly my favorite place in Georgetown and luckily they have expanded to have two new stores in Mount Pleasant and Pawley’s Island.

Kudzu Bakery

120 King St

Georgetown, SC 29440

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Bridge to Bridge Run Georgetown, SC

October 19, 2012 By 1 Comment

This past weekend my husband and I traveled to the South Carolina Coast spending one night in Georgetown, SC and the next one  in Charleston. You can read a  little about the wonderful little scenic seaport that is Georgetown in this previous post.

We spent the night in the Historic Harbor House Bed and Breakfast which not only has a great location right on the river, but also boasts a long history. Built in 1765, the home features heart pine floors, 8 fireplaces, and 4 guest rooms.

We couldn’t linger long the next morning as we had signed up to run the Bridge to Bridge 5k with a 7:30 start . If I had known the race had such an early start, I’m not sure I would have agreed to it. Luckily the start of the race on Front St was just a few short blocks from the Harbor House. There was also a half marathon which started at the same time as the 5k and then the 2 races went in separate directions around the 1.5 mile mark.

Post Race

Georgetown SC

The race was one of the most scenic courses imaginable. I so badly wanted to stop several times during the race to take a few pictures with my I-phone. Early in the race, we ran down the tree-canopied street in the above picture. It looked like a tunnel with a dense stream of runners going through it. Would have made a fantastic shot!

Georgetown SC From this point, we circled around East Bay Park and had some really gorgeous views of Winyah Bay. The house pictured above is one of the homes overlooking the Bay. Next we ran through the historic neighborhood next to downtown Georgetown and back into town from the other side.

Georgetown SC

Fortunately for me the course was very flat. I’m just over halfway through with my Couch to 5k training so I didn’t expect to run the whole thing without walking. I did 4 very brief (maybe 10-15 second) walking segments. My legs felt fine but my heart rate was getting a little too high. I finished in 32 minutes 34 seconds, or something like that. Not bad considering I had 3 alcoholic beverages the night before and was feeling rather dehydrated.

Historic Georgetown SC

The 5k didn’t involve any bridges, but the half marathon went over three of them and the third one had quite a steep climb. Maybe someday I’ll have a desire to do a half marathon. Probably the only thing that would give me incentive to do it would be thinking about how much food I could eat afterwards.

After the race we grabbed some coffee at a neat little coffee shop downtown and walked back to the Harbor House. The Harbor House has mega 5 star ratings on Trip Advisor. The location is fantastic. The front porch is literally a stone’s throw from the river. Immediately in front of the house is where the shrimp boats dock. It is so close that the owners of the Harbor House warn those with shellfish allergies that this might mot be the best place for them to stay.

Harbor House Inn Georgetown SCHarbor House Bed and Breakfast

There are 4 rooms in the Harbor House. Two on the second floor and two on the third floor. We stayed on the third floor and liked the privacy of being way up there. The ceiling sloped down pretty low on one side so we clunked our heads a few times. It actually made us a little nostalgic for our old home in Dilworth with a converted attic. The bed was the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept in. It was a pity we had to get up so early to run.

Harbor House Inn Georgetown SCGorgeous Oak Tree behind Harbor House

Breakfast was to be served at 9am and online reviewers rave about the innkeepers Southern Breakfasts including sweet potato pancakes. We returned to the B&B after our race at around 8:45 and went upstairs to take a quick shower and pack our clothes. When we made it back downstairs at 9:15 we were informed that we had missed breakfast. I wasn’t too disappointed as I had a full day of eating planned in Charleston, but Ted looked a little disappointed.

We had felt up to that point that the innkeeper was acting a little icy towards us and the lack of breakfast further solidified our feelings. The online reviews all rave about how hospitable and friendly she is, so this may have just been our experience. My husband did happen to get a really good online rate on our room so that may have been the reason she wasn’t willing to waste too much time on us.

Harbor House Inn Georgetown SCView of Shrimp Boat from front porch of Harbor House

But even still, we really enjoyed our stay at the Harbor House. And the complimentary cookies are delicious. There is also complimentary wine and shrimp dip set up in a wet bar area on the second floor.

Harbor House

15 Cannon St

Georgetown, SC 29440

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Lunch at The Red Stag in Asheville

December 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Yesterday we went to visit with my father in Asheville. We met for lunch at The Red Stag located within the Grand Bohemian Hotel, a Tudor-style AAA Four Diamond Boutique Hotel in the heart of Biltmore Village.  The location is ideal as it is walking distance to many fabulous shops and is just minutes from Biltmore Place. The hotel contains 104 luxurious guestrooms and suites along with an elaborately decorated lobby with a massive four-sided fireplace serving as the focal point.

Fireplace in Lobby

Intricately detailed woodwork and furniture

Ballroom on fourth floor

The Red Stag with upscale Hunting Lodge Decor

Calamari with tomatoes, olives, asiago, coriander, and moroccan aioli

Crabcake with Wendell Sauce (huge plump capers)

Bison Burger with shoestring fries, thin and crispy with a hint of truffle oil, Parmesan Cheese, and herbs

Spinach and Rabbit Salad

Red Stag Chop House Salad

Shredded Poulet Rouge Chicken, mixed greens, avocado, tomatoes, almonds, goat cheese, dates, and croutons with

a creamy smoked jalapeno dressing.

Colorado Lamb Burger

Ground lamb, arugula, tomato, Looking Glass feta, and curry ailoi

We were all in agreement that the food was uniquely prepared and pleasing to the palate. Both the ambience and the service were exceptional.

The Red Stag is also open for breakfast and lunch.

The Grand Bohemian Hotel

The Red Stag  Grill

11 Boston Way

Asheville, NC 28803

Toll free Reservations 888.717.8756

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Durham Road Trip- Lunch at Parker and Otis

September 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Yesterday after our tour of the Duke University Campus, we ate lunch at Parker and Otis. You can eat breakfast or lunch here or you can grab a cup of coffee, a bottle of wine or shop for specialty foods, cheese, candy, bath products, cookbooks, and stuff for your kitchen. It is a little like Dean and Deluca, only with a more funky, less-reserved vibe.

Parker and Otis was opened by Jennings Brody  in a renovated tobacco warehouse in the Brightleaf District of historic downtown Durham. The city of Durham has done a wonderful job of transforming itself from a place that there was no reason to visit and was known for its high crime to a place that was recently named by the NY Times as one of the top 41 places to go this year (in the world!).

There is not much parking out front (just along the street), but there is a large parking lot behind the building. Enter by way of the porch off the back which also serves as a large outdoor eating area. Upon entering the back door, there is a coffee counter to the right and a small nook to the left with shelves of cookbooks. Keep walking and there are 8,000 square feet of restaurant and specialty store intermingled together. The floors are pine, the walls are exposed brick, and the ceilings soar 30 feet high. There is so much stuff that it can be a little visually bewildering. In addition to all the stuff, there are lots and lots of people. It was crowded when we went and it apparently stays that way most of the time.

Assortment of Chocolates

Le Creuset Cookware- love the colors

Orders are placed at the counter and you are pretty much on the honor system as far as paying goes. You order your drink at the counter and then get it yourself out of the drink cooler which is nowhere near the counter. Once you order, you tell them whether you are eating inside or outside and they bring the food to you. We wanted to sit outside on the expansive patio, but there wasn’t an available table.  Instead we ate inside and it was a little noisy, but I passed the time waiting for our food by looking at all of the food products and kitchen gadgets for sale.

Line to get food- it really moves quickly

I bought a bottle of Cackylacky Sauce, a unique sweet potato based sauce made in nearby Chapel Hill.

Parker and Otis focuses on using as many local ingredients as possible. The eggs come from Latta’s Egg Ranch in Hillsborough, NC, dairy products are from Homeland Creamery in Julian, NC, bread is freshly baked at Rue Cler Bakery in Durham, and coffee is Durham’s own Counter Culture Coffee.

For lunch I chose the curried chicken salad sandwich with mango, grapes, and field greens on sunflower bread. It was a large sandwich with big chunks of white meat, lots of curry flavor, and impeccably fresh greens. The sunflower bread was fantastic with a nice, chewy crust – the way real bread is supposed to be.

My husband had the Salami and Cheddar Panini with red onion and pepperoncini on sourdough ($6.99).

My son tried the Muffaletta and we split a carrot cake cupcake. The cupcake was incredible with a frosting both lighter and sweeter than the normal cream cheese frosting.

Muffaletta with Mushroom Soup and Carrot Cupcake

Other sandwich options include Fontina, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers and spinach panini on sourdough ($7.99), White bean spread, avocado, red onion, sprouts, and tomato on sunflower bread ($6.99), and Grilled Pimiento Cheese Sandwich on sourdough ($5.99).

All sandwiches come with a side of coleslaw which is composed of fresh, crispy green and red cabbage with just a light dressing that has a hint of sweetness. Substitutions can be made for an upcharge.

Parker and Otis also carries Blenheim Root Beer (made in South Carolina) and Pure Cane Sugar Dr. Pepper.

When we were finished eating, we walked outside to discover the rain had returned and it was coming down hard.

We remained on the covered porch for a while and took in the sights.

Alligators on building behind Parker and Otis

Parker and Otis

open 7 days a week

112 S Duke St

Durham, NC 27701

919-683-3200

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Durham Road Trip- Tour of Duke

September 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Yesterday we woke up bright and early to hit the road for a day in Durham, NC. We drove through torrential rains on the way and I was a little apprehensive since our plans included spending most of the day outside and we were lacking both slickers and umbrellas. I was also doubtful about the ‘holding up in water capabilities ” of my shoes.

Our first activity for the day was a tour of Duke’s campus. Our son is only a freshman in high school, but he could use a little motivation to spend some extra time studying. Miraculously, by the time we arrived on campus, the rain had subsided. The weather however remained muggy and warm – not the most enjoyable weather for the first weekend in fall.

The tour was interesting and informative and attended by at least 100 people (broken down into groups). It was homecoming weekend on campus so there were quite a few people milling about. Duke’s campus is divided into 2 separate campuses – East Campus and West Campus with a free bus service running between the two. East Campus was the original campus, is made up of Georgian Buildings, and houses Duke’s freshmen. The tour was strictly of West Campus which was designed primarily by African-American Architect Julian Abele. Most of the buildings were built in the late 1920s to early 1930s with Duke Chapel (the centerpiece of West Campus) being completed in 1935.

West Campus, with its Gothic Architecture, old towering oak trees, and picturesque magnolias, has to be one of the most impressive college campuses in the country and is well worth a couple of hours of your time even if you don’t have a college-bound child.

Walking through the residential  side of campus, I had a few flashbacks to parties I attended when I was a student at nearby UNC-Chapel Hill.

Duke Chapel in the background

Duke has two schools for undergraduates, Trinity College of Arts and Sciences and Pratt School of engineering. With an acceptance rate of only 11%, Duke University falls among the 10 hardest to get into universities in the country.

What I find most attractive about Duke is that they are very focused on allowing students to pursue their academic strengths and are very flexible in their course requirements. They even have a program called Program II which allows students to design their own interdisciplinary major. They also really encourage studying abroad, with approximately 31% of Pratt undergraduates and 47% of Trinity undergraduates studying abroad.

Duke very much characterizes itself as an innovative school with a huge focus on research. Yet even though they are a research powerhouse, all professors are required to teach. Duke’s average class size is small and many programs exist to foster faculty-student relationships including a program dubbed “flunch” in which students can sign up to eat lunch with a faculty member and the food is paid for by the University.

If you’d like to learn more about Duke University visit here.

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