Daytrip!! - Stephens County Recreation Area / Broken Bridges

On the GA/SC border there is a beautiful piece of nature that we ventured to find when searching for nice, clean places to fish from the bank (we have no boat after all). The old Highway 123 bridge that once existed has now been remade and the original bridge stands in two pieces, with one being on the SC state line and the other on the GA state line.

On the SC state line it's called simply the 123 Bridge area and offers access to the bridge only, which will suit those looking to fish just fine.

On the GA side the bridge can be found in an area called the "Stephens County Recreation Area" and offers a boat ramp, the fishing bridge, various fishing spots from shore, restrooms, picnic areas with tables and grills. This side is very well kept up and is much nicer than the SC side respectively.

To get to either area, simply drive down Hwy 123 until you get to the SC/GA border. There are signs for both areas. Coming from SC the 123 Bridge access will be on the left; if you want to keep going to the Stephens County Recreation area then drive over the new bridge and immediately afterwards you'll see signs for the area on the left. 

Both are lovely for fishing however and the scenery is beautiful from either bridge. We watched a gorgeous sunset from here.

Tip: As part of Lake Hartwell, you can fish on either side with either license. This is one of the only bodies of water where both SC and GA have a reciprocal license agreement. Be aware though of what the creel / size limits are for each state as it may vary.

Also, the town of Toccoa, GA is only about 8 miles down the road from the bridge areas, so if you want to be near town access for food or other needs this fits the bill.

Food Review - Cheeseburger House

Restaurant: The Cheeseburger House

Location: 1622 Augusta St
Greenville, SC 29605
Phone (864) 520-1222

Hours
Monday - Saturday
11am-3pm


My Review:

As I've mentioned before, I'm a true fat girl. I love food.  Not only do I enjoy eating food, but I also just love watching it prepared and seeing what all types of applications you can use with it. Even if I don't particularly like that type of food I find it interesting to watch what people can make with it.


One of my favorite foods has always been a good burger. Growing up my Mom made what we called "Weasie burgers" (due to her nickname being Weasie). They were massive, juicy, beefy meals cooked on a grill with special things mixed in like onions and sauces. Later on as I got older I became the burger maker. Anyway, what's the point of all this you ask? Well, when I moved to Greenville I went on the search for a good burger. Not the fast food junk that is run of the mill.... I mean a REAL GOOD burger. The first I found was at The Trappe Door (That review to come in the future). But after researching online I was tipped off to this quaint little establishment called "Cheeseburger House" right down the road from my house. I've passed this place a zillion times and never noticed it. There's no big blinking signs; no fancy come hither billboards. It's a tiny spot tucked neatly between two other store fronts in a tiny strip mall.

Let me assure you my friends...... this has GOT to be the best kept secret in Greenville!!! It's a Mom & Pop type joint with the family-run feel of an old diner. The numbers of times I've been in there's always the same super-friendly staff working. They're the types who remember you and immediately ask how your Momma is doing. I've tried and swore to myself that the next time I went in I would try something new on the menu, (mainly the steak and cheese is what I'm leaning towards), but every time I step foot in the door I order the burger. I can't help it. It's mouth-watering and an addiction. So how do I order it?? Bacon cheeseburger with extra cheese, add mustard, add pickles. And an order of sweet potato fries, extra crispy. THE FRIES ARE TO DIE FOR!! Seriously. Just thinking about them makes my fat girl heart quiver. So on with the review!

Quality of Product:

• Superb. More than I could have expected. The burgers are a good size and have just enough of that slight 'crusty' layer to give some texture. They aren't dripping grease like most places who cook them this way. Comes loaded with lots of fresh veggies like onions, lettuce and tomato.
  As stated above, the fries are divine. The regular are awesome, but I'm a sweet potato girl myself and getting them cooked extra crispy.... perfection. They are deep fried, but not greasy at all and come in a LARGE quantity. I've ordered them with two people eating off of the one order and there were still plenty to take home. (And these are about the only fries that I can stand to reheat and eat... they don't get soggy like normal fries.) They also don't taste like they've been cooked in old grease and arrive fresh and hot.

Prices:

• The prices are pretty good. For two people eating burgers, with fries and two drinks it was about 16 bucks, which is pretty on par with a good sized burger combo from a fast food joint. But this food is so much more than that. Trust me. For the freshness and quality I would expect to pay more. They even have a quadruple burger that costs under ten bucks.

Service:

• Excellent. Very friendly staff who are always smiling and chatting with the customers. You can tell that this is the kind of place with regular customers, and that tells me that it's worth coming back for. They are only open from 11-3 so they get super busy at lunch. Even with that happening they are always gracious and very timely in getting the orders out.

If you enjoy a good burger then definitely check this place out. They also have a number of specialty burgers and sandwiches that sound wonderful.

Tip: This place is super tiny inside and gets busy quickly during lunch hours. The best times I've found to go is between 1-3pm. Also try to park on the right side of the ABC store instead of directly in front of the Cheeseburger House if you want an easier time getting out of the parking lot. You can also call in an order and pick it up and the food is still delicious when you get home.

As of this date, this rates as my favorite burger joint in the upstate and will remain so unless I find a worthy opponent that can take them down!

Happening Lately...

Well I do apologize for the absence but I was under the weather for a good while. Feeling better now though with some updates to post from the past month. Here we go!

Daytrip!! - Diamond Hill Mine

If you're interested in geology, rock hunting or gem digging then there's a great little daytrip just outside of Greenville for you to make!

Diamond Hill Mines
Location:  100 Diamond Hill Road
Antreville, SC 

About 40 miles outside of the city of Greenville in Antreville, SC is a working mine: the Diamond Hill Mine. This is the only open-to-the-public mine in SC that I know of so far, and nice pieces of smoky quartz, skeletal quartz, milky quartz, and amethyst can be found. There is also a chance of finding garnet and aquamarine here.

This is an actual mine and not one of those sluicing operations with 'salted' buckets (where they seed the dirt with stones), so what you find has been placed there by Mother Nature herself. This isn't a mine in the sense that you have to crawl in some tunnel, but is instead more like a rock quarry where there is a large pit and mounds of dirt around it called "tailings". (Tailings are areas where the dirt has been pulled directly from the pit with an excavator and dumped in areas around it without it being 'sifted' first. This allows for gems to be found in the mounds just as easily as in the pit itself.)

As you are working in red clay and dirt you are going to get dirty. And the ground is uneven and in some places hard to access for those with mobility issues. I have health issues myself and was able to do a lot, but wasn't able to climb down into the pit because of them. I would suggest that anyone who has weak ankles or has health problems to bring a walking stick and never go alone. I used my metal garden rake for a walking stick and it worked wonderfully.

There is a single portapotty on the grounds and this is all. So bring your own water, snacks (and I would suggest toilet paper just in case). There are picnic tables so a picnic lunch is a great idea as well. We greatly underestimated how much water we needed so make sure to pack enough!

Digging is $20 per adult and $10 for seniors over 65 years. Kids ages 13-17are also $10. Cash only as far as I know. Sign in is from 9am - 2pm and signed waivers must be on file before you can start digging. For more tips and rules please check out the website by clicking HERE.

Tools to bring:

• Buckets
• Shovel
• Metal rake
• Pick, chisel or pry bar
• Newspaper to wrap finds
• Box or bag to place finds

We were there for five hours and as it was our first trip we weren't quite sure what we were looking for, but we still managed to find some great pieces that we were tickled with. It was a lot of fun and I look forward to going back soon. If you're at all interested in quartz crystal hunting.... you must check this out!

Food Review - Grits & Groceries

Restaurant: Grits & Groceries

Location: 2440 Due West Highway
Belton, SC 29627
Lat / Long (for GPS) = 34.398913 Latitude / 82.507008 Longitude
Phone (864) 296-3316

Hours
Tuesday- 10a-2p
Wednesday- 10a-2p
Thursday- 10a-2p & 5p-9p
Friday- 9a-2p
Saturday- 9a-2p


My Review:

I made my first trip here just yesterday (February 12). I'd seen an article on this place in a magazine and on the "Making it Grow" show seen on PBS and had been wanting to check it out for quite some time, however due to it's limited hours it hadn't been possible. My lovely Mother had ventured to the upstate this week to bring me a shiny new stove that someone back in Sumter had gifted me (thanks!!) and I promised her that we'd make a trip to do some gem hunting. Well this quaint little stop was on the way so it was a bonus!

Can I just tell you that it was well worth the stop??!! We didn't want to eat a lot since we'd be someplace with no real bathroom all day (cough cough), so we split an order of stuffed french toast. It was scrumptious, with perfectly browned toast and a mixture of fresh strawberries and cream cheese. But what REALLY made our eyes roll back to their whites in sheer ecstasy was the appetizer we ordered..... praline bacon. Yep, you read that right. PRALINE BACON! Thick slices of high quality bacon covered in a mixture of brown sugar and chopped pecan bits and cooked to perfection. Oh my heavens it was superb. We ended up having to get an order to take with us on our rock hunting expedition.

Quality of Product:

• Superb. The food came out fast, at the correct temperature, tasted fabulous and even in the off-season the strawberries tasted fresh.

Prices:

• A little higher than your average restaurant. An order of stuffed french toast (2 pieces of toast) was $9.50 and an order of the praline bacon (4 pieces) was $5.00.  While I'm usually pretty squeamish about paying almost ten bucks for french toast (especially when it doesn't come with eggs or bacon already), I didn't regret it after biting into it. The taste and freshness was so good that it felt like a fair trade. Menu prices can be seen on their website if you want to be prepared.

Service:

• Very friendly and smiling faces. Even the waitresses that weren't waiting on us stopped by the table to ask if everything was ok. They took their time chatting with us about a few things and when I asked if the recipe for the french toast was in their cookbook they even brought one to our table to look over it before deciding to buy it. (By the way, it was. Even the praline bacon recipe was in it. I was rather shocked that they give up that trade secret.... and it's so simple to make too!)

This little restaurant is in the middle of nowhere, at a crossroads far away from anything really. It's rather small inside and has under a dozen tables. There's nothing fancy here; just country decor, super friendly staff and bang-up good food. The owners were both chefs in New Orleans and brought their expertise with them to the upstate and you can really tell that they've worked hard to maintain great quality in their food. They also sell items like sauces, jelly, cakes and cookbooks. (We purchased a cookbook and a lemon drop pound cake for the road.)

One tip: this place only takes cash and checks. So don't go in with just a credit or debit card!

Anyway, these are some awesome folks at the cutest little place where you wouldn't expect the caliber of food that they offer. So trust me, it's WELL worth the drive (about 30 miles outside of the city of Greenville), just remember to bring your paper monies! I'm looking forward to going back sometime and trying their famous shrimp n'grits and homemade buttermilk lemon icecream. Yum!

February 17th - Yamato Drummers

Yamato Drummers - Japanese Percussion

When: February 17, 2016

Where: Peace Center, Greenville SC

I am really looking forward to this show! The last live drumming concert I was at was the Blue Man group (who, btw, were fantastic!) and the videos really don't do justice to the live performances.

When you witness these types of shows live and feel the beat reverberate through the concert hall, the energy is just insane.

Tickets are pretty reasonable for the show and I'm sure there are some left to be had. Definitely looks like a fun night out and a great way to experience another culture.

Purely - Essential Oils Review

Purely Essential Oils

I know a few people who are in business and I'd like to highlight the ones that I feel have a worthwhile product. One such individual is a sweetheart of a lady named Lana who is an agent for this company called Purely. 

This company offers 100% pure essential oils, bath bombs, handmade soaps, a men's line of products (including shaving creams), beauty products, accessories, and jewelry.

I can tell you from first hand experience that the oils are fantastic. My favorites so far are "Wild Orange" and "Lavender". The orange is a bright citrus punch of sunshine that's perfect for multiple uses (this one can even be ingested). I often need a pick-me up and a few drops of this mixed with carrier oil and rubbed on the skin is lovely. I'm also going to mix some with water in a spray bottle to use around the house when feeling a bit low.

The lavender is one of the best smelling lavender scents I've run across. It's potent, but not to the point where it smells fake. I will definitely be making some small sleeping pillows and sachets to aid with sleep and relaxation.

Prices vary depending on what scent and size you purchase, but honestly for uncut essential oils the prices are pretty competitive. This company promises that all oils are 100% organic
and they also have a great program to give back to charitable organizations throughout the world.

All in all if you're into making your own sachets, herbal blends or potpourri then you may want to check these out. If you're new at oils and want to get started out just making massage oils or scented oils to aid in mood enhancements, etc then there are quite a few offered at a low price (such as the wild orange) to get you going. All you need is to pick up some almond oil or grapeseed oil from your supermarket to use as a cutting agent and you're off and running. Give it a shot!!

Store Review - Nyla Beans

Location:

1523 N Pleasantburg Dr

Greenville, South Carolina

(864) 292-5529

Their facebook page can be found here: Nyla Beans Facebook

This is a gorgeous little shop full of treasures and gifts for those who appreciate items that can't usually be found in those big chain stores. They cater to those with more of a 'hippy' or 'free spirit' vibe and carry a variety of items such as:

•  Clothing (including sarongs, scarves, hats, skirts, children's items, and much more)
• Jewelry (They even have hand-crafted pieces by local artisans)
• Stickers and patches
• Purses and wallets
• Paper star lanterns and other types of cool lights
• Gift items (trinkets, greeting cards, wooden boxes, handmade soaps and perfumes, etc.)
• Crystals, stones, incense, candles, Buddhist prayer flags, salt lamps, wall hangings, etc.

The ladies that work in the store are all super nice and will gladly help you find whatever items you're looking for. They carry a small array of pagan related items from time to time such as altar pentacles, Greenman and Goddess decorations and items, etc. This is in no way a store solely for pagans, they just happen to have a few items. It really is a great store for everyone to visit. 

Food Review - Chicken Salad Chick

Restaurant: Chicken Salad Chick

Location  : Augusta Commons

2222 Augusta Street, Unit #6

Greenville, SC 29605

Phone: (864) 451-7790

 

My Review:  

 

I've been to this restaurant about half a dozen times since I found it. So far I really love it! I've only tried the "Olivia's Old South" recipe in a sandwich because this is the closest to what I remember growing up (my Mom always made tuna and chicken salad with sweet pickle cubes and chopped up boiled egg).  I did taste test a sample of the "Buffalo Barclay" and it was surprisingly wonderful. I may just have to get it next time! So here's the lowdown from the overall experiences I've had so far:

Quality of Product:

• The food is very tasty. I enjoy the mixed fruit as a side and it usually comes with white and red grapes, strawberries and blueberries. Each time I've gotten it the fruit has been fresh and ripe. 
• Another side (I actually was given this on a take out by accident) was the broccoli salad, (which is broccoli florets with mozzarella/cheddar cheese, bacon pieces and a sweet vinegar based dressing). At first I was doubtful that this would be something I'd like, but it was super yummy. Just the right touch of sweet and sour with crunchy bacon and cheese. The broccoli was fresh and crisp. 
• The third side that I've tried was the grape salad. It was pretty sweet, so if you're not a fan of sweet foods this may not be for you. It consists of  red and white grapes covered in a mixture of cream cheese and topped with pecans and brown sugar. 

When you purchase what is called the "Original Chick" you get a scoop of your choice of recipe chicken salad (could also be put on a sandwich with a variety of breads), a side of your choice, a pickle spear and one of their 'cookies of the day'.  They have good chocolate chip cookies, but the best so far is their lemon cookie. *I am obsessed with anything lemon however.* The lemon cookies are divine!!!! Trust me, it's worth getting one and they usually have them on Tuesdays.

Prices:

• The prices are a little high in my opinion. BUT I'm willing to pay a little more for the freshness of the food. I've never been disappointed with the portion size and usually I can make two meals off of one "Original Chick" meal. So at around 8 bucks total, 4 bucks per meal if I break it into two.... it's really worth it for a meal that isn't drowning in grease like most fast food joints. 

Service:

• The staff have always been very friendly. There was one mixup where they give me the wrong side item. I called to let them know that it appeared they'd given me someone else's order and they were very quick to tell me that they'd be happy to replace the side if I could come back before they closed. I wasn't even calling to complain; I just wanted to make them aware of the mixup incase the other person came back. In any case, when I went in they were fixing the side item that I hadn't gotten and the guy actually game me the wrong item again. I laughed and told him as he handed it to me that it was still not right (he was very nice and just busy), so he ended up giving me both sides and a card for a free sandwich. I like places who correct their mistakes without a hassle and they went above and beyond.