One of the best things about living in Atlanta is that South Carolina is right next door! Visit SCNextDoor.com today to learn more about South Carolina and discover great vacation deals. Come on over and visit!

Here are some great things about South Carolina:

• South Carolina is America’s #1 golf destination with more than 380 beautiful and challenging golf courses
• South Carolina offers visitors more than 180 miles of wide, welcoming beaches
• South Carolina has 47 state parks, from the coast to the mountains
• South Carolina has more than 425 festivals statewide – from Charleston’s Spoleto Festival USA to Greenville’s Scottish Games & Highland Festival
• Atlanta residents can be in South Carolina in under two hours – and on the beach in less than five hours!
• South Carolina is a state rich in history and culture and is well-known for its exciting and diverse cuisine

Art Terrell Had a Great Trip to South Carolina

I would once again like to express our deepest gratitude to all who had a hand in our second trip to South Carolina which ended up being one of the most relaxing getaways I’ve ever had in my entire life.

This incredible trip started with a bang at the BMW Performance Driving School in Greer South Carolina.  There we met Facility Coordinator, Natalie Popkin; and she introduced us to our instructor for the day, the incredible Jim Clark.  Jim took us off roading in the BMW X5, speeding around the test track in the BMW M5 and gave me a chance to get in touch with my inner Richard Petty in the BMW M3. WOW, what an experience! I’ll never forget going around the skid pad with Jim at the wheel.

From Greer, we went down the road about an hour and a half to Salem, South Carolina to the place we would call home for the next few days, Three Pines View Bed and Breakfast. When I say home, I really mean "home".  Steve and Diane Hayes have designed and built, with their own hands, a beautiful oasis nestled in the Carolina Mountains complete with a spa overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains. Also on board was a wonderful massage therapist (Elizabeth) and chef (Jainey) who helped prepare some of the best meals I’ve ever consumed. All the amenities combined with the wonderful personalities of the staff made Three Pines View the best accommodations I’ve ever experienced.  After settling in at Three Pines View, we met up with the very knowledgeable Ken Nolan and headed to Seneca for a delicious dinner at Ruby’s on Ram Cat.

Friday morning we woke up very early to some great breakfast sandwiches prepared by Diane and Steve; then headed to the Chattooga River for a whitewater rafting adventure with Vicki Fletcher and the talented guide, Erin Mckergow of Wildwater Ltd. Our day on the Chattooga was full of adventure and beauty. I can honestly say the Chattooga is the most beautiful rivers I’ve ever rafted. After rafting, we headed back to Three Pines View for a little time in the spa and a great dinner featuring jumbo shrimp, steak and their famous pecan pie.

Saturday started out with a beautiful sunrise over the Blue Ridge Mountains and an incredible gourmet breakfast which included fresh fruit from the garden at Three Pines View and wonderful omelets. After breakfast, we met up with Ken Nolan again at the Jocassee Outdoor Center, got a boat and headed out for a wonderful day on Lake Jocassee where we explored 4 waterfalls and ate lunch on the lake. Ken knows that place like the back of his hand; and before we left, he had us feeling like Lake Jocassee was the best place on earth. After being on the lake for the better part of the day we headed back to Three Pines View for a relaxing massage from Elizabeth and a wonderful dinner prepared by Steve which featured a succulent pork loin.

Sunday we woke up to yet another awesome breakfast prepared by Steve and Diane which featured fresh fruit, omelets and some the best pecan pancakes ever. After breakfast we said goodbye to our wonderful new friends Steve, Diane, Elizabeth and Shay packed our bags and got on the road for the short two and a half hour drive back to Atlanta.

Thank you so much for a wonderful time and one most memorable getaways we’ve ever had.

Here are some of the links to the stops Art made along his journey to Greenville, Columbia, and Charleston, South Carolina.

Visited:
The BMW Performance Center in Greer   www.bmwusfactory.com
Whitewater rafting on the Chattooga with Wildwater, Ltd. 800-451-9972
Boat trip on Lake Jocassee www.lakejocassee.com

Ate at:
Ruby’s on Ram Cat www.tigergourmet.com/rudys-on-ram-cat-alley.htm
Three Pines View www.threepinesview.com

Stayed at:
Three Pines View boutique lodge in Salem  www.threepinesview.com

Additional information:
Mountain Lakes Convention and Visitors Bureau www.scmountainlakes.com