Justin Winter's Carolina Lake and Mountain Blog

Mariner’s Compass Quilt Block in Pickens

The Pickens Visitor Center, which opened in November of 2018, now displays a quilt block. These quilt blocks may be found all along the Upstate of South Carolina. To read more about the Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail, click here. This particular quilt square is the Mariner’s Compass design, which dates back to 1726 when it… Read more »

Local Christmas Tree Farms

With Thanksgiving this week, many homes are already being decked out for the Christmas season, right around the corner. If you enjoy having the tradition or want to start experiencing the fun of “choose and cut” at a Christmas Tree Farm, you have many options in the area. In Upstate South Carolina, you can go… Read more »

Travel to a Rainforest!

Many people have a list of places they have or would like to travel to. The vibrant blue waters of the Pacific Ocean; the snowcapped mountains of the Swiss Alps; perhaps a rainforest rich in flora and fauna. Well, thankfully for residents of the upstate in South Carolina, the last request is an easy one!… Read more »

Get Ready for the Fall Foliage!

We live in one of the most sought after places when it comes to the Autumn season. Once the leaves begin to change into their vibrant colors, we see numerous visitors to the upstate of South Carolina and to the Western North Carolina region. A great resource for anyone interested in catching the best views… Read more »

The Greenville Zoo!

Lions, tigers, and bears! Oh my! But don’t worry, we are talking about the zoo so what better place to see magnificent creatures? The Greenville Zoo is located in Cleveland Park, near downtown, and is home to over 300 animals from around the world! This 14 acre facility is a wonderful stop for locals and… Read more »