South Carolina Travel Guides

About half-an-hour north of Beaufort, there’s a place in the woods which has become one of the low country’s favorite secrets. The ruins of the Old Sheldon Church are found down a tiny road, in a forest of towering oaks draped in Spanish moss.

The Prince William’s Parish Church was originally built around 1750, but was burnt down by the British during the Revolution. It was rebuilt in in 1826, and once again met a violent death during the Civil War, finding itself in the thoughtlessly destructive path of General Sherman. Since then, it’s been left to ruin.

But what ruins they are! Somehow, huge bricked walls with intact archways have defied gravity and stand up tall, while a number of columns sprout from the ground as though in competition with the oaks. Scattered around the site are a number of graves, some too worn to read, some mostly sunk into the ground. Within the church sits the tombstone of William Bull, who was of great assistance to Oglethorpe in the layout and development of Savannah, and is whom Bull Street is named after.

For immediately apparent reasons, Old Sheldon Church is a popular place for wedding portraits. If you find yourself anywhere in the area, and it’s a sunny day, make the trip over. It’s an unforgettable scene.

Location on our Day Trip Map

South Carolina Hotels and Inns

All for Jesus The Story of a Faithful Woman Who for Jesus’ Sake Followed the Salzburgers to Ebenezer Georgia

A striking whethered gray memorial stone in Emmet Park pays tribute to a group of Lutherans from Salzburg who came to Georgia to escape religious persecution. Oglethorpe welcomed them with open arms, and suggested they settle a town along a river, about 25 miles north of the new colony’s capital. And Ebenzer was born.

Although we knew nothing about Ebenezer other than the text on the memorial, we decided to stop there during a recent day trip. Ebenezer is difficult to find, barely on the map, and we kind of doubted we’d find anything there. A “Dead End” sign greeted us as we turned onto Ebenezer Road; not very encouraging, but we discovered some signs of life at its end.

Stepping out of the car, we were swept into the arms of Ebenezer’s welcoming committee. An older man greeted us and led us around what’s left: a museum dedicated to the Salzburg Lutherans, the Jerusalem Salzburg Church built in 1769 and still in remarkable condition, and an original cabin filled with colonial artifacts of German and Austrian design.

Ebenezer doesn’t really exist anymore. But at its inception, the Lutheran community had been immediately successful. The town served briefly as the capital of Georgia, and was the home of a state governor. But the war with the British devastated Ebenezer, and it never recovered. In 1855, it was abandoned for good and the remaining residents were incorporated into the nearby city of Rincon.

This history was fascinating, as was seeing the original cabin and stepping inside the ancient church. We had a great time talking to our guide, his son, and another man who’s lived and worshiped there his whole life. Before Juergen had said more than two words, they had him pegged as German, making him flush and me laugh. We spent probably an hour chatting with them, and only reluctantly said goodbye to get back on the road home.

Super nice people, and our visit to Ebenezer was a lot more fun than we had figured it would be. On the way back into Savannah, I reflected on how diverse and interesting our country really is. An abandoned, historic town in the middle of the Georgia backwoods, founded by persecuted Austrians. Crazy.

Official Website: Georgia Salzburger Society

Location on our Day Trip Map

- Most Insane Festival we went (do check out the links – it’s incredible)

Read more about Bluffton, SC

I grew up in Bluffton, Ohio. A burgeoning Midwestern metropolis of about 3000 people, Bluffton is the kind of place where something wild is always going on. Friday night football, the Blaze of Lights, cruising up and down Main Street in an endless loop, looking for something, anything to do… ah, the memories.

So visiting Bluffton, South Carolina, was amusing to me. It’s about ten times the size of my hometown, and a lot more interesting. Located on the May River, close to Hilton Head, it’s a funny little city filled with strange characters. We spent the day and on the way home, found ourselves in total agreement on one thing: Bluffton is bizarre.

Our unofficial guide for the day was a local, which definitely helped our appreciation. We met Nancy inside her store called Eggs N Tricities, which is packed from wall to wall with exactly the kinds of things you’d expect to find in a store called Eggs N Tricities. The most random stuff, all cool in its own way, from vintage clothes to old books, to paintings, knick-knacks, shells and other curiosities which defy description. Nancy visits flea markets and thrift shops to discover her treasures, cleans them up and sells them. We visited her house, which has a beautiful view of the river, and were unsurprised to discover that it looks exactly like her store. Appealing, random madness.

Nancy was a perfect guide to Bluffton — she knew a lot of stories about the locals, and we had a blast driving around the old houses. We had a delicious lunch at The Cottage, which even at 2pm was busy. Afterwards, we visited a few of the shops; it’s a very artsy town, packed with knick-knack stores and local painters. We went down to the Oyster Factory and checked out the Church of the Cross, an impressive wooden structure which dates from 1857.

There are actually two side to Bluffton, and the one most people know is the “new city”, built up and around the highway. We were told that some people who live in that part of Bluffton don’t even know about the old town. That’s shocking, because the old Bluffton is awesome — definitely worth a trip from Savannah.

Location on our Day Trip Map

Bed and Breakfast in Bluffton, SC