We went for the wine on the river. It was amazing. Super cool charcuterie board. They had gluten…read morefree crackers for me. The wine was also very good. The plantation is adorable. It is truly a hidden gem. The manager even drove us to town to help us get a Lyft back to our hotel. If you have not visited this gem you are missing out

I have been to several different plantations in several different states and was really looking…read moreforward to a great afternoon with my daughters at Hopsewee to include a booked Tea Time and house tour. I purchased the Tea Service ahead of time. Everyone was very friendly but I will say, overly cautious. I had indicated that I have a tree nut allergy on the notes when I booked our reservation and I have never had an establishment refuse me service because of my allergy , but they did. For the life of me I couldn't understand why a slight adjustment couldn't be made to remove almonds from one tiny dish. They also refused to serve one of my daughters for a lactose intolerance note. I assured them it was ok and I had a lactaid for her to take, she'd be fine. I had only included that note because SOME places will offer alternatives. Ultimately, they served us but I had to sign a waiver, never have I ever until now. Most of the tea service items were very good with the exception of the tiny lemon chess pie which was curdled and tasted of rotten eggs, awful. The tea was excellent and the scones and curd and cream were great too. The area where the dining room is, is nothing fancy at all. It was decent but I was truly disappointed as I was hoping for something more extravagant for tea service. The plantation home, while nice was also truly underwhelming. Great history, good tour guide who was very knowledgeable and a great storyteller, but the house was not anywhere near as fancy as others I have visited. I think what was the biggest let down was that this was the first time my daughters were visiting any plantation home and it was not at all what I was hoping for them to see and experience. If I had known what it looked like more ahead of time, I would have chosen another location in the area. Pictures inside the home are not allowed.

Marker number 22-26 was erected in 1975 by the Waccamaw Garden Club and today stands in front of…read morethe Old Town Hall. There is some space to pull over and read the marker, which is nice. On the front, it reads, "This island, located about 1/2 mile east, was used by plantation householders who lived on the seashore from May to November to escape malaria, or "summer fever." A number of houses built about 1850, and the summer academy and rectory of All Saints' Parish remain. The hurricane of 1822 destroyed most earlier homes." And on the reverse, "Narrow Strip of land from Atlantic Ocean to Waccamaw River. Rice plantations flourished by 1740. Remaining are c. 1790 houses, Litchfield and Prospect Hill, and one slave chapel. All Saints Parish est. 1767. Area furnished salt for Revolutionary War. Visitors included Lafayette 1777, Washington 1791, J. Monroe 1819, Churchill 1932, F. Roosevelt 1944." [Review 19409 overall - 983 in South Carolina - 379 of 2023.]

I just spent four days in this beautiful area. After a day at the beach, I found this historical…read moremarker just outside of the smallest Town Hall building I have ever seen. Here is the full text ( front) PAWLEY'S ISLAND-This island located about 1/2 mile east, was used by plantation householders who lived on the seashore from May to November to escape the malaria, or "summer fever." A number of houses built about 1850, and the summer academy and rectory of All Saints' Parish remain. The hurricane of 1822 destroyed most earlier homes. (reverse) WACCAMAW NECK-Narrow strip of land from Atlantic Ocean to Waccamaw River. Rice plantations flourished by 1740. Remaining are c. 1790 houses Litchfield and Prospect Hill, and one slave chapel. All Saints Parish est. 1767. Area furnished salt for Revolutionary War. Visitors include Lafayette 1777, Washington 1791, J. Monroe 1819, Churchill 1932, E. Roosevelt 1944. Erected by Waccamaw Garden Club-1975.

This historical marker along US-17 is in front of the Hampton Plantation Historic site and provides…read morea brief overview of the history. This is old Charleston, dating back to Colonial times, and even in condensed form the place carries more weight than the marker can hold. It notes the Horry and Rutledge families and the plantation's early eighteenth century origins, but it leaves out the deeper story of the rice economy built through the labor and agricultural knowledge of enslaved Africans whose work shaped every field along the Santee. The front of the marker reads, "Hampton Plantation, 2 mi. N.W., was established by 1730 and was one of the earliest rice plantations on the Santee River, in an area settled by Huguenots and often called "French Santee." The house, built in the 1730's for Elias Horry, later passed to his granddaughter Harriott Horry, who married Frederick Rutledge in 1797. The plantation remained in the Rutledge family until 1971." And the reverse, "One of Hampton's best-known owners was Archibald Rutledge (1883-1973), educator, man of letters, and first poet laureate of S.C. He wrote of life there in Home by the River (1941), calling it "the mother plantation of this old plantation country." Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970, it has been Hampton Plantation State Park since the state acquired it in 1971." The limited space on the marker omits much. Including the near‑loss of the house in the twentieth century and Archibald Rutledge's role in reviving interest, as well as the long‑loved Washington Oak that tradition links to George Washington's 1791 visit. Today the unfurnished house and quiet grounds at Hampton Plantation State Park offer a clearer sense of the layered past than the roadside text suggests, inviting visitors to step beyond the marker and into a landscape where memory, myth, and history still mingle. It is marker number 1040 and it was erected in 2001 by the St. James-Santee Parish Historical Society. [Review 107 of 2026 - 1377 in South Carolina - 25297 overall]

The site is still in the process of improvement, but even just walking the grounds is a memorable…read moreexperience. A history trail has been added with some visually and intellectually stimulating exhibits. The mansion is rarely if ever open but offers some interesting views. And a walk through the abandoned rice fields yields both wildlife sightings and hints of the place's past. There is a charge to get in, but they waived it for me as I stopped in just at the end of the day to take a quick walk. There are a variety of more developed areas that give private plantation tours, but this outdoor setting is an entirely worthy state park.

The food here is decent, the Chef's are passionate about their food and it shows when it hits my…read moretongue. Bursts of flavors and different kinds of food, not just Mexican food! They cook burgers, salads, BBQ, Steaks, you name it, they make it! The price is pretty fair also! Only downside is if you want juice, you have to buy a meal. Other than that its great!!

These are my thoughts for your thoughts. Absolutely no service. There was only one person working…read more The sauce isn't so secret. The chef kept trying to force us to eat more, all the while he kept singing "it's corn". We had customers coming from other tables to borrow napkins because their table was out. I can still smell the armpit. At the end of your meal they make you wash your own dishes.

This two-sided marker is in front of Georgetown's Rice Museum and underneath the town clock that is…read moreso important to the city that it is part of the town seal. The marker is behind a tree so it might be hard to spot. On the front, it reads, "This Greek Revival market and town hall was built in 1842 after a fire destroyed many of the frame buildings on Front Street. An open-air market occupied the first floor and the town hall occupied the second floor; the clock tower and belfry were added in 1845. On February 24, 1865 the town council, meeting here, surrendered Georgetown to officers of the U.S. Navy. The Rice Museum opened in this building during the S.C. Tricentennial in 1970." And on the reverse, "This store, constructed as as a two-story building for Stephen W. Rouquie in 1842, features a cast-iron facade designed by Daniel Badger. In 1869 Heiman Kaminski, who had rented the building since 1867 to house his hardware store, acquired it. Over the next 30 years H. Kaminski and Co. became one of Georgetown's most successful businesses; by 1878 a third story and rear addition were added. The building is now part of the Rice Museum." There is street parking on Front Street and on many of the side streets. [Review 19420 overall - 994 in South Carolina - 390 of 2023.]

Along a quiet street that is part of Georgetown's historic district, this marker stands in front of…read morea church and points out some of the Colonial-era history. It is a wide street so there's plenty of room to pull over to read the marker. This is marker 22-15 and was erected by the Congregation to honor Elizabeth J. Ashford. It reads, "William Wayne, nephew of Revolutionary General Anthony Wayne, was converted here by Bishop Francis Asbury on February 24, 1785, and a Methodist congregation was formed later that year. Woolman Hickson was appointed minister. This is the site of an early cemetery, parsonage, and church (c. 1833), in use until 1903 when the present nearby structure, Duncan Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church was dedicated." [Review 19428 overall - 1002 in South Carolina - 398 of 2023.]

This marker is along Georgetown's Front Street and is in front of the Rice Museum. It points out…read moresome Civil War history. Keep in mind, South Carolina was one of the first states to secede and was part of the Confederacy. There's a lot of text so it's on both sides. On the front, "In early 1865 the USS Harvest Moon, a 193-foot, 5-gun side-wheel steamer, was the flagship of Adm. John A. Dahlgren of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, U.S. Navy. It arrived off Georgetown and anchored nearby on February 26th. Confederate Capt. Thomas W. Daggett, in charge of coastal defenses from Little River to Georgetown, made plans to sink the Harvest Moon with a "torpedo," or mine." And on the reverse, "Daggett, working on the 2nd floor of S.W. Rouquie's store here at 633 Front Street, built a keg torpedo and floated it out as the Harvest Moon steamed down the bay early on March 1, 1865. The blast blew a hole in the starboard quarter and main deck, and the ship sank in five minutes, with only one sailor killed. The smokestack of the Harvest Moon can still be seen at low tide in Winyah Bay, near Battery White." There is plenty of street parking nearby and restaurants and even a bar. Cheers! [Review 19427 overall - 1001 in South Carolina - 397 of 2023.]

Hobcaw Barony is a historical treasure near historic Georgetown and has been on my SC to-do list…read morefor years. You have to make a reservation in advance if you want to participate in the bus tour and visit the historic homes and structures nestled deep in the woods on the property. Your tour begins with an introductory film on the history of the property and how it wound up in the hands of Bernard Baruch and ultimately Belle Baruch his daughter, who used it as a summer retreat. The story of the Baruchs and the globally famous historical figures they entertained at the restored plantation home (including Winston Churchill and FDR) was incredibly interesting and it was hard to imagine such figures making their way to the backwoods of the South Carolina lowcountry. Your tour gives you entry into the partially restored plantation home as well as allows you to stop and visit the old village of the descendants of the enslaved peoples who once worked and lived on the property as well as step outside Belle's house as well. You'll also learn about the important conservation work being undertaken there alongside scientists from Clemson University If you're a history or conversation lover I highly recommend planning a visit to Hobcaw Barony (and remember - you'll need to make a reservation in advance!). It's definitely an interesting way to pass a few hours. You'll also be right down the road from Brookgreen Gardens which is definitely worth a visit as well.

Beautiful full of history. I'd love to see more of Belle Baruch's story and her house restored.read more

Along one of Georgetown's side streets that passes through a residential neighborhood, not far from…read morethe courthouse, this marker stands in front of a beautiful home. The road is wide enough here that you can stop to read the sign and admire the home from the outside. As near as I was able to tell, it is not open for interior tours. The marker reads, "This house, one of Georgetown's earliest, was built ca. 1737 by John and Mary Perry Cleland. Mrs. Cleland inherited the property from her father John Perry, who had been granted a large tract in 1705 including the site of present-day Georgetown. This house is a raised tidewater residence with its main entrance facing the Sampit River. It features elements of the Georgian and Federal styles." And on the reverse, "In 1753 the house was purchased by the Cleland's nephew Archibald Baird. He made small additions to each end of the house and relocated the main entrance to Front Street. A porch was added there ca. 1780. Later prominent owners of the house included John Withers, Jr., Francis Withers, Dr. Joseph Blythe, and Robert F.W. Allston." It is marker 22-48 and was erected by the Georgetown County Historical Society in 1997. [Review 19417 overall - 991 in South Carolina - 387 of 2023.]

Nearby is a marker showing President Monroe's visit in 1819 but this marker commemorates President…read moreWashington's visit in 1791. The marker is off the road by the entrance and there is room to stop and park. It is on the southbound side. The marker reads, "President George Washington on his southern tour traveled southward over this road, April 27-30, 1791. While in this vicinity the day and night of April 29, he was the guest of Captain William Alston on this plantation, Clifton, which was originally a part of the Hobcaw Barony." This is marker number 22-5 and it was erected in 1981 by the Georgetown County Historical Society. [Review 19413 overall - 987 in South Carolina - 383 of 2023.]