The second leg of Trip 18, along with its continuation in Trip 19, found us visiting Clemson RV Park at the Grove in Pendleton, South Carolina. This is a privately owned RV park where we had a one month stay.
Grounds: This park is uniquely situated within a fairly new (at the time of writing) suburban housing development between the supply-rich city of Anderson and Clemson University, with the cities of Seneca and Greenville not too far away. Although near one of the major US highways serving the northwest part of the state with a few grocery and restaurant chain opportunities of its own, it is a fairly quiet living area when not accounting for the construction taking place at the new development.
Sites: Clemson RV Park has nearly a whopping 400 sites available! About 75 percent are for visitors to the area, while the rest are privately owned lots that can be purchased outright, though without direct mail services. All of the sites are full hook-up with 30 and 50 amp capabilities. There is a mix of gravel and concrete sites, with all of them being of the back-in variety. Separation is minimal in the gravel area with spray-painted lines, while the concrete has small grass medians. Although the sites are plenty wide, the patio can be a little tight for those who have slides.
Staff: The staff themselves seem quite friendly. We had a few issues outside the park, and they were well accommodating for our changing needs, from old soul, to rental, to new soul. We did not have any interactions with maintenance, though we did see them doing quite well with the upkeep of this place.
Amenities: This location has a pool, and although it was originally designed for exclusive use by the "executive suite" of privately owned lots, it was later made open to the entire park, which makes it difficult for the monthly visitors at the end of the main area near the dumpsters to access. There are a couple of bath houses; one near the pool and the other near the office, that may or may not have working showers depending on which section you enter; the "family rooms" are usually the best bet for a working shower. Laundry facilities also exist at a reasonable price, whether for just drying or also washing. There is also a recreation hall, but we didn't see any events advertised.
Atmosphere: The park had a slight buzz with a few of the sites around us, and the daytime found guests hearing the construction of a nearby housing development. When staying here, it seemed less like a camping spot and more like a place for monthly renters, whether temporary or permanent, to stay while contributing to the society of nearby Clemson University or surrounding neighborhoods. Our stay was outside the college football season, which may bring a different experience to those who go here.
Overall, Clemson RV Park at the Grove receives a 9 out of a possible 10 rating. The price was reasonable for the area, especially when you consider the clientele and prices for surrounding apartments and houses. A while back, we reviewed another park that had the potential to be something, and Clemson is precisely what it has the potential to be. If we're back in the area, we'd be happy to consider this for a winter spot, but would try to wait until January when the football season has concluded, as prices are raised through that season.
Like a summer breeze that makes your soul shiver, let's get some barbecue!
Welcome to The Pompous Pig, located along the well-traveled commercial strip off Interstate 85 in Anderson, South Carolina. Started by Kim and Chet Newsom as a backyard dream in the Atlanta area, their cult following led to the opening of a restaurant in a small plaza in her hometown. Today, their combinations of burgers, smoked meats, and sides make for a popular location to visit or take-out six days a week, assuming they have enough product remaining on the weekends; a good problem that the most successful barbecue locations have.
Out visit took place during their brief Sunday brunch service, although they offer the full menu along with their relatively brunch special of biscuits and different combinations of gravy, eggs, chicken, and brisket. The Pompous Pig is a casual counter-service restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating, the latter being dog friendly without too much noise from the nearby highway. The biscuit special is a developing offering with a need to thicken the gravy during the early parts of the service, although their special seasoning is on point. The brisket reuben is a perfect match for barbecue, using their in-house mustard sauce instead of the typical Russian dressing. The brisket, chicken, and ribs have the proper tastes and "tugs" that you expect from a good barbecue restaurant, and their sides, especially the in house macaroni and cheese, rival some of the best across the country.
If you're anywhere in the upcountry area of South Carolina, or even visiting nearby, The Pompous Pig is worth the trip to visit. Not only is the quality superb, but the price doesn't break the bank as it's competitive with other top quality barbecue restaurants. There is no sampler platter of all of the meats, meaning you'll have to make a few visits to enjoy the entire main portion of the menu. With this place, it will definitely be worth the return trip. Keep an eye on the hours, as there is some prep time between lunch and dinner during the weekdays, and the Sunday service is rather short, using their lunch-only hours.
So the next time your Internal Compass takes you to Upcountry South Carolina, give The Pompous Pig a try, as it's sure not to disappoint.
Once again, another Brew Review brought to you by Freedom Rolling, but this time a little something different. Shenandoah National Park in Virginia has reached out to some of the local brewers to contract a few selections that are exclusive to the park, and today, we'll be looking at some that will be available within the various visitors' centers. As with all of the Brew Reviews, please ensure that these, or any beers, are enjoyed in accordance with local laws, whether you enjoy these at the park, or take them to another location.
Our first trip takes us over to Waynesboro, Virginia and the Basic City Beer Company for the Limberlost Lager. This brewery is proud to be able to use the spring water from the park as a base. This light colored brew, upon first taste, gives the drinker an experience light to the palette. Without any sort of taste of hops or the heavy presence of a malt, this is a neutral beer that would seem well with just about anything, even by itself, during a summer day.
Welcome to Harrisonburg, Virginia; home of James Madison University, and the Brothers Craft Brewing Company for their offering of the Skyline Falls Hazy IPA. A beautiful golden color greets the drinker along with the very familiar scent of hops that one would come to expect with this type of brew. However, the sip shows the hops to very controlled, as the tip of the tongue doesn't give that forcefulness of the hops; it isn't until the beer hits the roof of the mouth that the bitterness will come. Although the name is inspired from the park, this brew is regularly available at the brewery, and for good reason, as it is one to certainly enjoy during or after spending time with nature.
We return once again to Waynesboro, Virginia and the Basic City Brewing Company, this time to be able to try out their White Oak Canyon Wit. Once again, the local spring water is used as a base for this particular brew. The first sip had a hard bitter taste hit the palette, but further sips reduce that initial hit making for an enjoyable experience, and is typical of what a good witbier should be. The drinker would very much enjoy this during the summer months.
So the next time your Internal Compass takes you to Shenandoah, stop by the visitors' center to enjoy a couple of local craft beers.
Have you been longing for great views while on your Sunday Drive? Check this one out.
Welcome to Shenandoah National Park, a lovely stretch of Appalachia in the heart of Virginia. For those familiar with the song about Shenandoah, that refers to the name of an Indian Chief and the Missouri River, and has nothing to do with this area despite its use as an interim state song. First established in late 1935 and dedicated in July of 1936, this long yet relatively narrow stretch of land meanders its way in the hills to the east of the Shenandoah River. Communities are scattered mostly to the west of the park along the river itself, while found along the east side is a vastness of nature.
If you're a visitor to Shenandoah National Park, you'll almost certainly want to take a trip along Skyline Drive. This is the main highway of over 100 miles that runs through the park. Do make sure to bring some electrolyte fluids with you, as there will be quite a few elevation changes along the way. Skyline Drive tops out at 3,680 feet in elevation near the Skyland lodge and restaurant; quite the change from the northern entrance at around 700 feet. Dozens of overlooks adorn this route and occur every mile or so on average, along with several hiking opportunities along its many trails, including the country's famous Appalachian Trail which runs through the park along the majority of the highway.
If you bought that National Parks pass, you'll be using it to access Shenandoah. If you're looking to do the entire route, the entrance and exit points are from the north at Front Royal near Interstate 66, and from the south in Waynesboro at Interstate 64. The southern end also serves as the northern terminus for the Blue Ridge Parkway, which continues the views without additional cost to those who enter. There are also a few entry points if you don't want to do the entire highway, using US Route 211 near Luray and the park's headquarters, as well as US Route 33 near Elkton. One tunnel at around a 12 foot height is near US 211, so you may need to plan ahead if camping with your RV.
So should your Internal Compass tell you to take a nice drive through nature, consider Shenandoah National Park for your next adventure.
The continuation of the previous course is upon us.
Welcome back to Sertoma Field for today's disc golf match involving the back nine. We've already covered Sertoma Field in a previous introspective. If you are a nine-hole player, you'll need to do a sort of "modified nine" because holes 9 and 10 are deep within the course, away from the parking lot. We suggest playing holes 1-5 first, but then going up and around to hole 11, hopping over to 14, and then finishing up 17 and 18 for a "modified nine". If the wooded hill seems too daunting, replace hole 5 with hole 12 and simply double back before heading to 14, as it's a shorter hole. Use the map to figure out what's best for you.
Once again, the "spicy" red goals were used where available, and yellow where they weren't. We saw him dominate the front nine, but was she able to pull it back while battling through her slight injury?
Course Result:
His Holes: 3
Halved: 4
Her Holes: 2
Course Record: Him 7 - 2 - 3 Her
Holes Record: Him 37 - 27 Her
The back nine found him taking a bit of a lead on holes 11 and 12. A very unlucky roll on hole 14 would have been great for him if the yellow goals were being played, but alas, it was the red ones, so she was able to make a dent. A par on 16 for him put the match away, though she was able to pull one back on the 18 after a couple missed putts. Once again 18 was par for this section, though the strokes were a little closer, that being 33-34 in his favor.
Looks like he was able to take another, but she may be able to win one when back to full health. We'll find out next time, so until then, be sure to Follow Your Internal Compass.
The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. So it is also true in the RV world.
Needless to say, the summer workamping opportunity is no more, so it's time to hit the road once again. The good news is, as we had some plans for short trips in the area, we're now able to extend those and actually enjoy ourselves. Being in this part of the country is still necessary for at least a little bit, as we have other motives for being here, but once those are complete, who knows where we'll go. That's the beauty of the RV lifestyle.
Where does the Internal Compass take us next? Keep tuning in to find out.
Welcome back to Freedom Rolling's Brew Review, as we sample three different beers from across this great nation and give our take on what they have to offer. As with all of the Brew Reviews, please ensure that these, or any beers, are enjoyed in accordance with local laws wherever you may be.
Take a trip with us to the Three Notch'd Brewing Company in Charlottesville, Virginia for their 40 Mile IPA. Brought to you in a wonderful golden color, the immediate scent and first sip of this particular brew is the American-grown hops we've all come to know and love with the West Coast version of this style. The amount of hops isn't as heavy as some other IPAs, whether single, double, or imperial, as this beer is given a refreshing balance to relax the palette between sips. This was recommended to us by a local connoisseur, and we can understand why it's so popular, as it's one of the better IPAs we have had in the Brew Review series.
Shooting down to Charleston, South Carolina, we go to the Cooper River Brewing Company for their orange-infused blonde ale. The first scent makes the oranges very clear, as the entire fruit is used in the creation. However, the lack of a foam head coupled with the fruit would make someone think it was a cider. Aside from the overpowering taste of oranges, there really isn't much of anything else to this particular brew. Although it isn't so bad for a foray into outdoor grilling, there are plenty of other better choices to enjoy.
We head back to Charlottesville and the Three Notch'd Brewing Company for another one of their IPAs, this time the "Minute Man". This particular brew a little more of an orange-ish color, along with the scent of hops, you also smell what seems to be the zest of an orange. Upon first sip, the flavor of the orange, which seems more like the powdered drink style than the juice, seems to overpower the taste of hops that you would expect from an India Pale Ale. Hops lovers will find themselves disappointed, but the drinker that is just starting to get themselves into this style will find it to be an appropriate education, as they'll be eased into the familiar after-taste of the hops so they know what to expect when experiencing other IPAs.
So until the next time we review more beers in the country, be sure to Follow Your Internal Compass.
Welcome to the heart of the city of Greenville, South Carolina, home of the Greenville Zoo. First started in the 1950's after a blessing from the Greenville City Council to replace a smaller location, the Greenville Zoo has become a destination for children in the greater Upcountry South Carolina area with a few dozen different species within this menagerie of 14 acres.
Greenville has your typical walk-around zoo, with free municipal parking offered to its patrons, and a large enough lot to fit a good number of people looking to attend. Visitors are encouraged to book tickets online, as they can also tell when the various schools are taking a field trip to this location. Tickets at the door are also available if looking to visit at the spur of the moment. Large numbers of children can sometimes be seen as a distraction when looking to enjoy what they have to offer, but they all seem to have fun, which is the most important part of the zoo experience.
At the end of the day, Greenville Zoo offered a fairly low value for the price being paid. After half an hour of walking the property, we were left with a feeling of "That's it?!", making the experience underwhelming. Sure, we were looking for a "Tell Me About It Tuesday" event that had absolutely no markings whatsoever, and we understand the zoo had recently lost one of their prized exhibits, but we were disappointed in our visit. It might be fun in a pinch for a youth group, but there are better choices for menageries even in this area, and Greenville Zoo is not a place where we would return, nor recommend to the zoo enthusiast looking for a valuable experience.
There's nothing wrong with Following your Internal Compass to places such as this, but do be careful where you seek to visit, as it may not be what you expect.
Is Appalachia calling your name? Check it out!
Welcome to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a popular destination for tourists between the states of North Carolina and Tennessee. The Great Smoky Mountains are so aptly named after the natives saw the immense amount of smoke-like fog coming from the mountain range, and the name stuck. Many communities had settled with what are today's boundaries, resulting in controversial land purchases around the time of the Great Depression to create the park. Today, visitors are able to drive, hike, and camp within the park as weather permits.
The Great Smoky Mountains, although being a national park, does not honor the National Parks pass used in several other locations across the country. Similar to Mount Rushmore, it is dependent upon parking fees to fund the location while allowing visitors to drive through at no additional cost to them. One can enter along US Highway 441 from either Cherokee, North Carolina to the south, or Gatlinburg, Tennessee to the north. The Newfound Gap at nearly a mile high in elevation serves as the midpoint of the highway through the park, as well as the border between the two states. Stop to experience the wonderful views of the Great Smoky Mountains. While along the route, perhaps make a stop to view the elk from a distance. When at the southern end, you can also find the southern terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
One of the features of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the BARK Ranger program, where your pup can become a sworn ambassador of the park. Completing this program is fairly simple, as you'll do a sort of scavenger hunt along one of the two pet-friendly trails near the visitors' centers of the park. Take a number of pictures of your dog along the way, and submit to the ranger on duty. They will help your dog to take the oath of BARK (Bagging waste, Always leashing, Respecting wildlife, and Knowing where to go), and receive a certificate with his or her paw print. As of the writing of this, Miles the Chug Terrier has become an official BARK Ranger at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We are proud of his accomplishment.
So the next time your Internal Compass takes you to the southern Appalachians, be sure to visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Once again, time to head to the park!
Welcome to Walhalla, South Carolina, home of Sertoma Field for today's disc golf match. Sertoma Field is a free to enter public park, and is northwest of Clemson University in the northwest corner of South Carolina. This is probably the most well-kept course that we've visited thus far, and is home to not only many casual players, but several tournaments throughout the year. It is a full 18-hole course with concrete tee pads and both traditional and "spicy" goals, the latter of which is meant to be a shorter par used for hole-in-one contests. There is a map available, but it's so well marked that you probably won't need it.
This first match saw us playing the red "spicy" goals where available, and the traditional yellow goals when there was only one. Same equipment, no pup. She was nursing a slight injury that hampered play a little bit, but not enough to not play at all. How did it go?
Course Result:
His Holes: 5
Halved: 2
Her Holes: 2
Course Record: Him 6 - 2 - 3 Her
Holes Record: Him 34 - 25 Her
Right away is a potentially scary moment for the beginning player in having to go over a water hazard. Both made it just fine, and the first two holes were halved. He pulled a par on the third to take the lead, after which holes were traded. Some tree luck, or lack thereof, was seen by each player leading to another trade in holes. He then pulled away on holes 8 and 9. On what is a "par 18" for the "spicy" goals, the final shot count was 31-36 in his favor.
This match may be in the books, but the course is not, so be on the lookout for the back nine. Until then, be sure to Follow Your Internal Compass.
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