Giordana Veldrome and Rock Hill Outdoor Center

We ended our tour of South Carolina's Olde English District in Rock Hill at the city's 250-acre outdoor recreational center. The area includes a new scenic Riverwalk for walkers and joggers along the Catawba River, mountain biking trails, a BMX/Supercross track, and velodrome. There is also canoe/kayak access to the Catawba River and open space.

In my eyes, the Giordana Velodrome is the shining star. I felt I was walking into an Olympic Stadium. I would never have expected such an amazing world-class facility in a suburban area like Rock Hill.  Clearly the city officials had a terrific idea and didn't hold back.

Although talk began back in 2002, the velodrome wasn't completed until 2012. It was built at the cost of $5 million with what I heard referred to as "innovative financing."  No property tax or general fund money went toward the project.  While five million may seem like a lot of money for biking, what a sound investment it was. Not only can residents come and ride but the center draws numerous events and national and international championships. Those events bring overnight visitors who need lodging and dining in addition to giving Rock Hill a name on the map.   

Cyclist on the Rock Hill Velodrome

"From our perspective, we believe investments in recreational amenities will serve as a catalyst for the overall development," said John Taylor, operations supervisor for the city's Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department.

Thad Fischer, cycling coordinator for the velodrome, gave us a tour and explained the building process. "Once the workers started pouring concrete, it became a continuous, 7 day a week project. Twenty-four dedicated workers poured concrete by hand using painstaking detail to create a perfect 250-meter, 42-degreed banked oval track. They worked an entire day to pour one inch of concrete in 24 expanses. Over 200 tons of steel rebar were also used."

Giordana Velodrome in Rock Hill, SC

The stadium is capable of hosting national and Olympic caliber events and can seat 800 spectators. The facility also has an overhead judging station.

"Because it's a velodrome and has a steep embankment, it takes a certain level of confidence and skill to do it," said Thad.  'Cycling is a lifestyle... But the velodrome is not all about competition. ...It's a vehicle to take adults and children down a really good road."

The velodrome's programming targets all levels, including:

Bikes at the Velodrome

• "Kids on the Track": Designed for ages 6 through 14. Children learn track basics on the infield. Advanced riders move to the banked track. The class is free.

• "Giordana Try the Track": Directed at the beginning cyclist. The staff introduces track-riding and safety. The program is a stepping stone to the more structured programs. It can accommodate two people per day and is free.

• "Track Basics": This program is required for all cyclists who don't have extensive track-riding experience, or have taken the other programs. It discusses track rules and safe techniques. Experienced riders must also complete this 8-hour class, which costs $20.

Bikes for the track's introductory programs will be provided. The bikes used on velodromes have no brakes and use a single, fixed rear gear. This helps increase speed while reducing weight.

While I wish I were a good enough biker to try out the velodrome, I was happy to watch a lone cyclist put in some practice time.

Next we moved on the Novant Health BMX/Supercross Track which had just opened after three years of construction and a cost of $7 million.  I thought I was watching Evil Knievel flying on his motorcycle when I saw a young boy take off down the steep embankment and literally jettison himself and his bike over the track.  Awesome! 

BMX bike rider on the Rock Hill Course

The facility features an 8-meter elite supercross start hill, 5-meter amateur start hill, pump track, instruction and community events, and programs for all ages and skill levels.

Rock Hill has done it again, building the first Olympic-caliber BMX training facility open to the general public on the U. S. East Coast.

Rock Hill, population 69,000, truly seems like a grand community. I think I would like living there.  

Watch my video of a BMX biker going down the Supercross start hill.

Carolina Adventure World

Laura's Tea Room

After sipping tea in Ridgeway, we stopped into nearby Carolina Adventure World, perhaps the ultimate dream retreat for ATV enthusiasts and dirt bikers. Quite a change of pace, but we like it all!!




This attraction is tucked into the mountains and offers 100 miles of trails, 10 miles of dedicated dirt bike tails, a banked oval track and multiple mud bogs. Plus, they recently added horse trails. It's the Southeast's largest ATV-UTV and dirt bike riding park. Guests can rent all the equipment they need or they can bring their own.

Carolina Adventure World

We didn't have time to ride an ATV (and let's face it, riding an ATV was not a good idea with Judy's menacing hip). So, we were driven around for a tour on the trails. We found an awesome mud bog and have to admit it looks like a hoot -- assuming you like mud. See if you agree below:

Carolina Adventure World is located in Winnsboro, SC. Guests can rent cabins and campsites or bring an RV to their facility  which has electrical and water hook-ups, bath and shower house and barbeque and fire pits.  Everything for a weekend of adventure. 

ATV Muddin' at Carolina Adventure World

We ended the day in Rock Hill, South Carolina at the Courtyard by Marriott Rock Hill. This hotel was the winner of Trip Advisor's 2013 Certificate of Excellence and Marriott's 2013 Silver Award. 

Courtyard by Marriott Rock Hill

We were delighted to discover this Marriott was rather extraordinary. The lobby offers a sitting area and a bistro area where guests can order freshly prepared choices from the  breakfast or dinner menu, a cocktail or a Starbucks beverage. The little cafe is terrific; we walked in and had a glass of wine after a long day of touring. Others came up and ordered from the posted menu and a server brought out the food. You can sit at a table or the bar or ask for take-out. Some beverages are self-serve. We found the breakfast choices were healthy and just what we wanted: quick, tasty food at reasonable prices.

Courtyard Marriott Bistro

The guest rooms are over-sized with "dream bedding" - which, in fact, was dreamy - a coffee marker, and free high speed Internet. This hotel is perfect for a business traveler and also for groups. We met an interesting group of athletes staying over the weekend.

We had no time for the fitness gym or pool, but they looked nice!  We give the Rock Hill Courtyard by Marriott our highest recommendation.

Fitness Room we did not use!

Thrills and No Spills at Carolina Motorsport Park

As a child I didn't know anyone who raced in a soap-box derby.  I never had a go-cart or Moped when they were the fad. In fact, I didn't even get my driver's license until after I graduated from high school, but I must say I love the excitement of jamming the gas pedal to the floor and feeling the car's acceleration. While that may sound a bit macho, women enjoy power and speed, too. Certainly the Good Girls do!

Go-Karts at Carolina Motorsports Park

I was in for treat the morning we arrived at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, SC and was told I could drive a go-cart! After one quick look at the place, I knew this is not your average go-cart track. Carolina Motorsports Park is the work of famed track designer, Alan Wilson. It opened back in 1991 and has continued to expand its facilities and services including: a 200 ft. diameter skid pad, timing tower with meeting and classroom space, race fuel station and open air garage for both cars and karts.

Ready to Go!

Weekdays, the 2.235-mile road course is primarily used for race team practice, car manufacturer testing, TV show and commercial filming as well as law enforcement training. Weekends are busy with auto and motorcycle races, track time events and driver education.

Debi driving the course.

“Carolina Motorsports Park allows drivers of all skill levels to practice, make mistakes and tune up in a safe environment,” said retired NASCAR driver, Ricky Rudd. Rudd has spent a lot of time there doing just that. "It’s the only course of its kind in the Carolinas, I think it’s the best kept secret around.”

Debi in her helmet

I wouldn't be racing a car, just taking a go-cart for a spin. I was given a helmet and maneuvered my body in the low seat (practically on the ground low) of a Birel Racing Kart and followed the leader out onto the 0.7- mile, 16 turn course. My kart had racing tires and was capable of 50 mph, but we didn't go anywhere near that speed. (Judy's hip would not allow her manage getting in and out of the kart.)

Fun?  I should say so; driving the course was a blast, a real adrenaline rush. Each lap I tried to go faster and  really felt like I was racing. Another great secret- driving a go-cart only costs just $20 for a 10 minute session.

Children ages 12 and up are also allowed to rent go-karts. (I imagine my grandson would nominate me for best grandma if I took them there!) Children who join the track's race series get instruction from track manager and guru, David Watkins. He has worked with kids as young as five and six. They are grouped according to age, of course, when sent out on the course. I saw a few of these "kiddie karts" in the garage and they were adorable.  

Child size Go-Karts in the Garage

Carolina Motorsports is home to the 10-race POWERADE Karting Championship, the Maxxis Summer Series and two WKA national events are held at the facility. In 2015, CMP will host The Rotax Max Challenge Grand Nationals, one of the premier annual events in Karting.

The Party Room at Carolina Motorsports Park 

The facilities would also make a grand outing for a corporation, think team building, or for a group or party. To find out more call 800-475-5006. Carolina Motorsports Park is a fun place!

Exploring Lancaster and Cheraw

One fine morning during the Good Girls road trip, we stopped by the Olde English District Visitors Center, a place right off the highway. We found scads of brochures touting any and everything you might want to do in the state plus a delightful collection of South Carolina made items, pottery, jewelry, photographs and such. The collection of cookbooks was quite wonderful and we succumbed to Dori Sander's Country Cooking, teased by the chapter on cooking and baking with peaches.

On to Lancaster, South Carolina, known as the Red Rose City, after England's House of Lancaster for whom the flower was a symbol in the War of the Roses. The town was established in 1785 by British settlers who moved south from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Today, you'll find many red rose bushes planted in the downtown district.

Sculptor Bob Doster

We first stopped in to meet a famous resident and sculptor, Bob Doster. Bob is a very friendly, down to earth guy. His Backstreet Studio is housed in a row of formerly derelict buildings with an art-strewn garden out back. The brightly painted interior bursts with stunning paintings, sculpture and other objects d'art.

  

Doster's Workshop

Doster works with metal, mostly reclaimed metal and his next door workshop is a hodgepodge of scraps, saws, clamps, and soldering irons. Bob is a man with big vision and he produces some monumental works. His pieces are placed all over the South in sculpture gardens, on downtown streets and outside banks. One is a 40-foot high rocket at the Challenger Learning Center in Columbia; another, a depiction of DNA strands in brass and steel, is displayed in a five-story lobby at the University of North Carolina. 

Bob volunteers much of his time teaching children from elementary to college levels. He guides the students through the process of designing and drawing, then creating and installing a project.

We also met Bob's wife, Cherry, a real dynamo. She is also an artist and major advocate for the arts.

Cherry Doster

Cherry directs the Lancaster Council on Arts and she took us for a quick driving tour, pointing out highlights within the city and the Lancaster Wall of Fame. As always we were surprised to learn unusual details about a place. Did you know this old textile town is the place where all Duracell AA batteries in America are made and that a Lancastrian, Charles Duke, walked on the moon? More trivia facts for my brain!

Lancaster Wall of Fame

Soon we were off to sample some barbeque at Pig-n-Vittles in Pageland. The tiny hole in the wall restaurant (in the best sense of the phrase) is the real deal. Great southern food at amazingly low prices cooked by co-owner Logan Ring. Don't miss this location or the award-winning one in Chesterfield.

Pig-N-Vittles

Following lunch we headed to Cheraw, a town named for the Indian tribe that inhabited the area in the early 1700's.  The town grew as a trading center. In the 1760's it was formally laid out with a gridded street system and later lined with trees. The town green flaunts a collection of 19th century public buildings including the Town Hall, Market Hall, a law office and the Lyceum.

Beautiful Streets in Cheraw

We especially enjoyed the effervescent statue of Dizzy Gillespie, who spent his childhood here. We made a car tour around the streets passing some 50 antebellum and Victorian homes and Gillespie park containing a musical themed fence made by Bob Doster.

Statue of Dizzy Gillespie

Gillespie Park & Fence

 One of Cheraw's treasures is Old St. David's Episcopal Church, 1770, used by both the British and separatists during the Revolutionary War and Confederate and Union soldiers during the Civil War. Soldiers from every American War are buried in the surrounding cemetery. The interior, open by appointment with the Cheraw Visitors Bureau, is simple and elegant. The box pews and pulpit are reconstructions. The steeple was added in 1826. Today, the stately church is home to many civic events and weddings.

Old St. David's Church in Cheraw

Grave Marker in St. David's Cemetery

Interior of St. David's Church

Historically, March, 1865, saw Cheraw become the unwilling host to General William T. Sherman's Union troops. They amazingly left the town buildings and homes alone because they liked them. We did, too, and encourage a visit.

Debi tried out the pulpit.

Don't forget to stop in the River's Edge Cheraw Bakery to taste homemade goodies that actually pass our stringent taste test. Yes, the Good Girls award a thumbs up for the chocolate peanut butter and coconut cream cakes.  The handmade quilts are also worth a look.

Cheraw State Park golf course.

Before returning we drove around Cheraw State Park that contains another hidden gem: an 18-hole championship golf course with a full service pro-shop.   

Historic Brattonsville: From the American Revolution to Antebellum South

Historic Brattonsville is a 775-acre, internationally known historical site and living history museum in South Carolina. (Just the kind of place I love.) The number of visitors increased exponentially when the location was chosen for filming The Patriot, starring Mel Gibson. At Brattonsville, you not only step back in time, you leap into the emotional conflicts of war and slavery. Our interpreter, Dontavius Williams, was extraordinary. He guided us through many buildings on the site tracing the history of the Bratton family and the farm workers from the 1760's to the late 19th century. His tales are spell binding.  

Dontavius Williams welcomes visitors to Brattonsville.

First we stopped by the Visitor's Center and saw a movie about Huck's Defeat, a complex series of skirmishes that happened in this area during the Revolutionary War. The British militia had entered South Carolina's backwoods and local tradition states that Martha Bratton sent a trusted African-American slave named Watt to find her husband and warn him of the British. Captain Huck, a loyalist,  interrogated Martha, but she refused to give him any information. Watt's delivery of the message lead to the destruction of Huck’s Loyalist force. The victory helped revive the morale of the people in South Carolina just when British victory seemed inevitable. It served as a rallying point and set into motion a series of significant events which eventually led to the even larger Patriot victories, and finally to the British surrender at Yorktown in October 1781.

Historic Brattonsville includes a working farm and heritage breed animals. We stopped by the milk barn, hog pen, tool shed, smoke house, corn crib and the backwoods cabin. These are the kind of buildings children really love. We entered the original Bratton House, a log house with one room downstairs and one upstairs. The family soon opened a tavern nearby and later added the schoolhouse wing. All of these buildings are now grouped close together for ease of viewing.

Tavern and Schoolhouse

The formal Dining Room

We crossed the street and stepped into the impressive Homestead which was built between 1823-26 The Brattons were a wealthy, influential family and their home reflects their high social standing. One of the rooms was used by Dr. John Bratton for his medical practice. He is noted for treating hundreds of people, both black and white. Three of his sons also pursued medical careers. The grand dining room was set for a banquet and we just had to have our pictures taken there, as this room was shown in the movie.

The main Homestead at Brattonsville

The highlight of our tour came when we visited the slave house. Dontavius disappeared into the dwelling and when he reappeared, he had a new persona; he was Adam, a slave who worked on the property.  Adam told us the impassioned story of his mother and the spirit doll. He presented each of us with a similar doll and I will always cherish mine. We left with a better understanding of the sacrifices made by both slaves and their descendants.   

Dontavius at Adam

We hope you will take the time to watch the YouTube version of Adam's speech. He is moving.

South Carolina, a Peach of a State

South Carolina-grown Big Reds.

The Good Girls couldn't leave the Old 69 District of South Carolina without a word about peaches.

From beginnings near the city of Xian, China, where peaches were cultivated at least 3,000 years ago, the luscious fruit was spread o Russia and Persia. Alexander the Great and his armies bartered for them and spread the peach to Greece and from there to Europe. The Spanish brought peaches to the New World and today they are grown in 64 countries. Especially the Old 69 District of South Carolina.

Discovered there in the late 1600s, peaches became a major crop in the 1900s. During the mid-May to Labor Day season, weather permitting, 200-plus million pounds are harvested, more than in any other state except California. Yes, even more than in the "peach state" of Georgia. On the 5,100 acres of Titan Farms, the area's largest grower, more than 56 varieties are grown.

Carolina peaches ready for market.

We could not have been more delighted when honorary Good Girl Vicki Loughner brought us each a basket of Big Reds, one of the 70 different varieties grown here.

Timing wasn't good for what is considered a very perishable fruit; we had two more nights in the area plus another three in the Olde English district and a day's drive home.

 We needn't have worried. Treated right, truly fresh peaches are pretty hardy. Upon checking out of the Greenwood Fairfield Inn & Suites, we carefully placed our baskets in the car's back seat and floorboard, covering them with a windshield sun deflector. After checking into the Rock Hill Marriott Courtyard, we transferred them to a spot closest to the air conditioner in our rooms, repeating the process when we checked out and headed for home.

It worked. All peaches arrived deliciously edible. I managed to make a cobbler, a pie, have peaches on cereal every morning and put up fthree pint bags of perfect peaches just before going out of town nine days later. Debi's experience was similar.

Peaches on the tree in South Carolina.

Our advice, buy peaches from 300 miles away instead of 2,000 (South Carolina peaches can be bought on line). Keep them cool then allow to return to room temperature the night before you plan to use them.

Enjoy.

The big peach we passed on the road.

Nation's first gold strike - in North Carolina?

Little Meadow Creek. Photo by Judy Wells.

We've heard of Sutter's Mill in California, but Little Meadow Creek in Midland, ten miles or so from Charlotte, N.C.?

Probably not, but it was the site of America's first gold strike.

On a spring Sunday in 1799, while their parents were at church, the three children of John Reed and his wife were down at the creek bow and arrow fishing.  Conrad, 12, found a 17-pound shiny rock and brought it home. No one knew what it was so it became a door stop until John took it to a Fayetteville jeweler. He asked $3.50 for the 17-pound gold nugget worth about $3,500, the first ever found in the new country.

The trickle, not yet a rush. that came with the discovery of a 28-pound nugget, was on.

Fruit and chocolate crepe at Irene Cafe. YUMMM.

Having already struck edible gold at the tiny, chummy Irene Cafe, where charming Chef Kidane Sayfou turns out superb Brittany-style crepes, we headed out to Reed Gold Mine.

Reed Gold Mine museum. Photo by Judy Wells.

Today there it is a state historic site with a free museum, mine tour and gold panning (at $3 a pan). Kids love the panning - it takes about 20 minutes to go through a pan - and they will probably be thrilled with the tiny flakes usually found.

When it's about gold even kids will pay attention. Photo by Judy Wells.

No one knows how much gold was actually panned and mined here and in the more than 12 NC counties where gold was found. Much of it disappeared into jewelry and private transactions, but there was enough to establish a federal mint in Charlotte where more than $4 million in gold was deposited over the next 20 years.

The last large nugget - nearly 23 pounds worth- was found in 1896 but by 1912 the last mine closed.

The Good Girls, Debi and Judy, at it again.

As usual, we had fun with hats before heading on to Lexington, barbecue capital of the country, for #swinewinedine tour.