I was still on my road trip down southeastern part of the United States when my attention got caught on this billboard on my way to Georgia. It showed a specific city few miles before crossing the Savannah River to the next state. I got curious so without a second thought, I turned on my right signal blinker and headed to the exit to the city. Then, I got to Aiken.
Aiken is the southwestern part of South Carolina. It is the city named after William Aiken who was the president of South Carolina railroad and it is the county seat of Aiken county. It is home to the University of South Carolina Aiken.
William Aiken Statue
Story of William Aiken Sr
Aiken is a historical destination in South Carolina. If you were wondering how did I get there, Well, I was driving on my way to visit my close friend and her family who I haven’t seen for 11 years. They are currently living in Washington, Georgia. They are one of the reasons why I had my 6 days road trip which started from Virginia to North Carolina to South Carolina and then Georgia. Anyway, back to how I got there. I was on the road and I saw this billboard. It was showing off how pretty the location was so, I was intrigued and went to the next exit to get to Aiken.
Aiken Historical District
Random Aiken Street Photo
The City of Aiken
Aiken Plaza
When I got there, it wasn’t what I expected. My expectation was just a town with old buildings. It was more than what I was picturing it out in my head. I was wandering around the town and I took some photos. The streets were cleaned and I didn’t even see trash. There were also old buildings that turned out to be bars, stores, hotels, and cafes. Anywhere in Aiken Historical District, a visitor’s map is visible and free for grabs. They also have activities such as Thursday Market in the Alley.
Aiken Visitor Maps
Hotel Aiken
Stores
Crofts Block
Aiken Brewing Company Cafe
Thursday Market in the Alley
Rocking Chairs in the Alley
The Alley
Fascinating Wall
People in Aiken are health conscious. After I strolled around the Historical District, I visited their famous park, the Citizen’s Park. The park looked astounding once checked online in Google Maps. It has this amazing structure in aerial view but when I got there, it was inaccessible to the public. It was close. But I’ve seen Aiken locals doing their walk, jog and stroll to maintain a healthy lifestyle. A lifestyle that everyone should have for it is a promising way for the betterment of life. Then, I went back to my route heading to my friend’s home.
Citizen’s Park
Citizen’s Park Aerial View cr. google maps
My next stopover in South Carolina was during my trip back home. I was using a different route back home so I can see different sceneries. I stumbled into this nice view while I was driving and I found out that it has a parking space. I stopped over and captured some photos in Hartwell Lake.
Hartwell Lake
Hartwell Lake is a manmade reservoir bordering two states of Georgia and South Carolina on the Savannah, Tugaloo, and Seneca Rivers. It is one of the southeast’s largest and most popular recreation lakes. It is created by Hartwell Dam located on the Savannah River. In Lake Hartwell, there are a lot of recreational activities. Visitors can do camping, biking, fishing, boating, swimming, and water sports.
There are numerous places to visit in South Carolina but I went to destinations where I passed by during my road trip. But even though these areas were just stopovers, these attractions didn’t fail me to be amazed. Aiken and Hartwell Lake in South Carolina were indeed a good side trips to escape the hustle and bustle of big city.
The Traveler Carl 