A Lowcountry Love Story
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Travel like a local in four of South Carolina’s most charming places. We’re sharing lots of insider know-how; there’s something for everyone in every part of the state.
Lake City: A visual feast
One Sentence History: Founded in the 1850s as a railroad hub in Florence County, Lake City grew around tobacco and cotton farming before being fundamentally reshaped by ArtFields, an annual art competition launched in 2013 that transforms its downtown into a serious arts destination
Stay: Inn at the Crossroads
Eat: Piggybacks BBQ and Catfish
Drink: Sip Co. Wine and Beer
Treat: Snax Gourmet Ice Cream and Hot Dogs
Dinner Date: Lake City Bistro
Do: ArtFields began in 2013 and turns the sleepy former tobacco town into a walkable gallery of Southeastern artists. Significant works are hung in storefronts, warehouses, public spaces and more. The two-week event has fueled a nationally recognized arts-driven downtown revival
Shop: Matthews Fruit Stand, The Elegant Bee Antiques and Interiors
Get Outside: Moore Botanical Garden
Locals Know: Drive just a few minutes out of town toward the flat agricultural fields of the Pee Dee region at sunset. The horizon goes wide and cinematic, it’s part of Lake City that doesn’t show up on brochures
GREENWOOD/ABBEVILLE: Double the fun
One Sentence History: Settled in the 18th century as part of the Ninety Six District, Greenwood and Abbeville was once a Revolutionary War crossroads and early agrarian community, with Abbeville known as the “Birthplace and Deathbed of the Confederacy” and Greenwood anchored by Lander University
Stay: The Veranda On Main
Eat: Kicker’s
Drink: Divine Your Space (it’s a wine bar and plant shop)
Treat: Swartzentruber Bakery (Mennonite-owned)
Dinner Date: Indigenous Underground
Do: The Benjamin E. Mays Historic Site preserved the farmhouse and one-room schoolhouse of a fascinating man, once the President of Morehouse College and mentor to Martin Luther King Jr.
Shop: The Crate and Quill Vintage Market
Get Outside: The South Carolina Festival of Flowers happens each June and showcases amazing topiaries throughout Greenwood’s historic Uptown, as well as signature events and garden tours
Locals Know: The Abbeville Opera House is for all types of live performance and one of the best-preserved historic theaters in the South, built in 1908
BLUFFTON: Historically Stunning
One Sentence History: Founded in the early 1800s as a village along the May River, Bluffton became a summer refuge for wealthy planters escaping the heat and later earned the nickname “Heart of the Lowcountry” for its role in early secession meetings
Stay: Bluffton Inn
Eat: Okan
Drink: Burnt Church Distillery
Treat: Alljoy Donut Co (weekends only)
Dinner Date: The Bluffton Room
Do: The Hayward House Museum pulls double duty as Bluffton’s Welcome Center. Learn about the new Bluffton Gullah Cultural Heritage Center opened in 2025, when to visit Garvin-Garvey’s Freedman Cottage, and all about the Thursday afternoon Farmers Market
Shop: Cassandra’s Kitchen, The Haven Boutique
Get Outside: May River Excursions
Locals Know: Church of the Cross in Old Town Bluffton sells Holy Honey. After a 1991 honeybee infestation, the Gothic-style church built in 1857 on the waterfront, began offering the honey as the ultimate Bluffton souvenir
ROCK HILL: Walkable foodie town
One Sentence History: Founded as a railroad crossroads, Rock Hill grew from a cotton mill town into a textile hub known as the “Gateway to South Carolina.” It played a significant role in the Civil Rights Movement through the Friendship Nine sit-ins, memorialized at the restaurant Kounter and is home to Winthrop University
Stay: East Main Guest House
Eat: Elk Avenue Tavern
Drink: Legal Remedy Brewing
Treat: Amelie Bakery
Dinner Date: Kounter
Do: The historic campus of Winthrop University
Shop: Hickory Post, Green Space
Get Outside: Glencairn Garden is an 11-acre public garden known for its spectacular azalea blooms, along with ponds, fountains, and winding paths that make it one of the SC’s prettiest public gardens
Locals Know: Elsie’s (it’s a speakeasy)
