Aiken, South Carolina - the “Winter Colony”

Aiken, SC, is a small country town with a population of about 26,000 inhabitants.  In the late 19th century, Aiken gained fame as a wintering spot for wealthy people from the Northeast, who were lured to the area by the opportunities for equestrian sports, thus establishing Aiken’s celebrated “Winter Colony.”  There are lots of people with money and horses...

South Carolinians love the Germans.... almost everyone has some ancestry from Germany. Michael advised me NOT to mention that I was from Germany, but instead say that I am from Australia. But of course I forgot when we went into a haberdashery shop.... half an hour later, we knew the shop keepers German family history, after she welcomed us to Aiken and the States..... I will learn in time!

To my horror I discovered that there is no public transport in Aiken.  There are four taxis, and the only time I saw them, was outside the one and only nightlife spot in town. 

You have the one main street: Historic Aiken, with shops and restaurants, the rest is residential.  Aiken runs in a grid, so you can't really get lost.  Michael lives in a nice estate 10 minutes walk from Historic Aiken. It is a pretty town.














I managed to walk 45 minutes to the Farmers Market, which was very tiny, with farmers selling their produce and nothing else (not like in Sydney where you can spend the morning and have your breakfast and do your weekly shopping). 


Another time I walked 50 minutes (one way) to WalMart.  There was a pedestrain path but no pedestrain crossings anywhere - and the streets are wide and busy. 
These walks are very exhausting, as don't forget, it is hot 40something C and humid.....  Yes I am the crazy tourist....

A nice place are the Hopelands Gardens and Wetlands... where Michael and I managed to get lost on the 'Path for the Blind'.... ironic....They have a path with a rope and signs asking people to touch and smell.  However, we started the path from the finish line in reverse, hence we got lost.

The Gardens are lovely, but the Wetlands are two small lakes only... yes that's it. I kept saying where are the wetlands??? Am used to big areas with bushes and water etc... no two small lakes. (Hisham would say - this is one of your 'write-ups'... I used to collect info for things to do in the UAE, but more often than not, these would turn out to be flops... hence: one of your write-ups... ((you had to be there...)).

S & D