Alan’s TTIM Stories #11

Georgetown is in the middle but should not be missed. North 36 miles is Myrtle Beach with hotels, resorts, miniature golf courses, and miles of beach – a tourist magnet. South 60 miles is Charlestown, famous for historic architecture and southern cuisine.

Magic is found off Interstate 95 in the charm of South Carlina’s Low Country without the glitz and crowds. Enter a resilient town overcoming challenges throughout history – two major wars, Hurricane Hugo in 1989, fires, and drastic economic changes.

A turn onto St. James Street begins a perception of time travel with Antebellum architecture and live oak lined streets in the third oldest town in South Carolina. Land and water tours introduce visitors to interesting sites with Swamp Fox Tours and Cap’n Rod’s. Ghosts of Georgetown Lantern Tours introduce visitors to a mysterious past and haunted present.

The red-brick tower leads to the Rice Museum. “Carolina Gold” crop built an aristocracy unequaled in colonial America before losing the industry to the Mississippi Valley and California.* Dioramas of the story of the rice industry fill the second story – models and figures in front of a painted background for dimension and depth.   

Explore Front Street for shopping, dining, and attractions with proud local ownership. Within a three block area are culinary delights. Enjoy breakfast at Brewed Awakening, lunch at Aunny’s Country Kitchen, and dinner at River Room Restaurant. For something different – Purr & Pour Cat Café for cat lovers.**

Some of the fifty-plus historic homes are open to the public as museums or bed & breakfast accommodations. Kaminski House Museum, originally a Charlestown-style house, has changed over the years since 1769 with the addition of indoor plumbing and porches turned into larger rooms. Each room is filled with collections of American and English antiques for the 18^th and 19^th centuries – hand-carved furniture surrounded by brass, silver, and crystal pieces.

Walking through Rainy Park, visitors approach the entrance to Harborwalk, a source of civic pride and focal point for an expanding tourism industry. The South Carolina Downtown Development Association helped fund the construction in 1988. Merchants recognized the trend to connect attractions and retail establishments with the waterfront. With little land existing between the buildings along Front Street and the river, Harborwalk was built in the river with connectors to the town’s mini parks and businesses. Traveling west, restaurants and boutiques line the right side and docks filled with boats on the left. Historic plaques along the route tell the story of the town.

Take a left turn off Route 17, slow down, take a leisurely walk, immerse in history, indulge in local cuisine, awakening your senses, enjoy Georgetown.

*A bit of irony – old rice fields now grow sod for Myrtle Beach golf courses.
**For information, not recommendations. 

Sources:
Discover Georgetown SC.com
Trip advisor.com
Wikipedia
Rice Museum.org
GeorgetownSC.gov
Historic Georgetown.com

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Follow Alan’s TTIM Stories at Facebook.com/alan.vandervoort or Instagram & Treads vandervoort_author or www.alanvandervoort.com. Novels: Sandhills – A Novel and Key Largo Summer are found at Booklocker.com and other online booksellers.