Summer in South Carolina

While generally I have to agree that summer in the south is not my favorite, I have learned to appreciate humidity and lots of air conditioning. For two of the last three summers, I have found myself teaching at the National Advocacy Center on the campus of the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC. While generally hesitant to go anywhere with a temperature over 80 in the summer, I have come to love this time down south. The University campus is less crowded, the bars are still open and there is plenty to do.


There are two main areas for dinner and drinks in the capitol city of Columbia, The Vista and Five Points. Both are a short walk away from the college campus. I particularly love the Vista. The walk is best taken through the grounds of the campus. Here you will find the State Capitol, a majestic building with gold stars on the outside commemorating the damage General Sherman caused during the War of Northern Aggression.



To the north of the State Capitol building, a monument to Strom Thurmond can be found, including the scratched out number of his children, recently changed to reflect his fifth child, Bessie Mae. It is worth a picture.
While generally it is not safe to go wandering through the State Capitol late at night alone or in a small group, it has gotten safer in recent years as there is a security guard that can regularly be seen patrolling the area as it is a common path home from the Vista to the college campus.

One of the best restaurants on the Vista is the Blue Marlin located in an old train station. Great seafood and a picturesque setting in a great location. Another good choice is The Liberty, located across Gervais Street on the corner. The Liberty has a great bar for watching games and a wonderful outdoor patio if the weather is welcoming. Another fun choice when sports must be watched is Jillian's. It is on the same side of the street as the Liberty, but just a little farther down. This is a chain, but has plenty of room for big groups and has lots of pool tables and activities for everyone to stay busy. On summer nights, a lot of the bars will have live music out on the patio. As long as the weather is tolerable, this is a great choice for spending the late night hours.

By far and away though, our favorite late night place has become the Flying Saucer, located just off of Gervais. It is a popular hangout as the outdoor patio has long picnic tables capable of accomodating large groups. The inside has lots of tv's for watching sports as well as a living room style area with comfortable couches and chairs. The beer selection here is unmatched and every night there is a different special. The final stop of any night on the Vista must be at Uncle Louie's where the owner is regularly found behing the bar serving up the cold beer. We have taken to calling this the Natty Light Bar as they have beers on sale for $1.25 every night. I love that place.