Hey, friend! Have you ever thought about taking a day trip to Edgefield, SC? Then you are in the right place! Each week I travel to a local small town near me and try to explore all the shops and restaurants the town has to offer. These trips have been such a blessing to me and I can’t wait to take you along!

The Participants

If you are new here, hi! I’m Sharlie! My oldest daughter, Pressley (13 years old) and youngest son, Miller (3 months), have been tagging along on these day trips. We’ve just been making wonderful memories together! I hope my visits and these blog posts bless these small towns and small town business owners as much as they’ve blessed me! We have also been to Abbeville, Laurens, Easley, Pickens, Pendleton, and Simpsonville/Fountain Inn.

Arriving in Edgefield

Our latest day trip was to Edgefield, SC, which is around an hour and ten minutes away from me. As we drove into Edgefield, we were greeted by beautiful old houses that led up to the downtown area. I’m such a sucker for those old houses! We came up to a red light and I caught my first glimpse of the downtown area. My eyes go to the grassy section in the middle, the brightly colored turkey sculptures here and there, and the beautiful murals on the sides of brick buildings. I couldn’t wait to jump out and look around.

I always like to start at a corner and just sorta work my way around. My favorite of all stores are antiques and there appeared to be a pretty awesome one on a corner, but it was closed, perhaps for a vacation? Womp, womp. I hate I missed this one on my visit. And, side note here, if you are planning a visit to Edgefield, SC you may want to check Explore Edgefield on Facebook for the latest happenings.

Carolina Moon Distillery

We passed by some beautiful buildings that were empty and some were filled with businesses. But the amazing building that is home to Carolina Moon Distillery caught our attention. The owners make moonshine, vodka, bourbon, and more. Plus, they have a little store full of fun items. The store was furnished with incredible old pieces that made my antique-loving heart happy!

We continued on our way, taking note of a restaurant and bakery we passed. It wasn’t quite time to eat so we continued to wander and take in our surroundings. The murals on the buildings were simply amazing! Plus, we enjoyed checking out all of the turkey sculptures too!

August + House was our next stop. This was a favorite, for sure! Home decor items, fresh flowers, and bunny rabbits…oh my! Yes, you read that last part correctly! This store was lovely and the cute bunny brothers were a huge hit with Pressley. Also, August + House is working on a website and they ship!!

August + House+ A Cute Bunny

While at August + House, we chatted with Samantha, who was filling in for the day for the owners. She was so kind to share a little bit about Edgefield and restaurants we could visit in the area. She is one of the many people striving to make Edgefield a place for people to visit.

After we left August + House, we continued to wander down the main square. I always hope to find a cute brick alley with twinkle lights and Edgefield didn’t disappoint! We passed an old General Store that I was told is going to be closing. I hope someone considers investing and continuing the history of this store. Described as a “step back in time” that served ice cream and local goodies, I hate we didn’t get the chance to visit.

Let’s Eat!

We decided it was time to eat. It was a hard decision because Edgefield has some really great options. We chose Park Row Market. Pressley loved this restaurant because locals greeted each other, exemplifying the small town feeling of “everyone knows each other”! And Pressley really loved that. Of course, I did too, but growing up in a small town, I was used to it.

But it was a new experience for Pressley. And I sat there, eating my delicious BBQ with Baby Miller in my lap and felt full of gratitude that I could experience these moments with her. At thirteen, the thought of big cities excites her, but I think she’s coming around to also seeing how special small town living is. I should also note that the owner and staff were extremely friendly to us. I don’t want anyone feeling like outsiders aren’t welcome in this town because they most certainly are.

Let’s Go Antiquing!

We had reached the end of the main square, but I spied an antique store just a short walk down the way so we made our way to Finders Keepers, which was full of antiques. I made a connection with the owner whose family had lived in Donalds, SC, which is where we live. Small world! I’m so glad I had a chance to walk around and look at all of the goodies!

Next, we made our way back to the main square and then crossed the street to check out another antique store that’s a block away from the main downtown area. The House Next Door is an old house converted into an antique store. Full to the brim of all kinds of goodies, I bought an old framed silhouette and a wooden meat pounder for around $20. This is my favorite kind of antique store….lots of stuff and reasonably priced! Now it was time to walk up a hill and back to the main square.

Time for a Treat!

Finally, it was the moment we had been looking forward to! It was time to head to TLC Confections and Gifts and grab a treat for the ride home. There were so many choices that it was hard to decide! Pressley got a banana and strawberry smoothie, a slice of upside down pineapple cake, and a cookie. And then I bought a cannoli (for Benjamin), a slice of upside down pineapple cake, a cookie, and some cinnamon knots to bring home…some to share with the kids and some for just me! Man, what a great way to end our day trip to Edgefield, SC!

Final Thoughts

On our drive home, Pressley and I like to talk about our day and compare it to other places we’ve been. She enjoyed seeing people interact with others and as I sit here and think about it, I wonder if the fact that we’ve been isolated due to COVID has made humans interacting with other humans especially noticeable? I’m not sure if that makes sense or not, but when we were in the Park Row Market restaurant, things sorta felt normal again.

Also, Pressley was really excited about brainstorming how to save up to buy a rabbit hutch and bunny on our drive back home. lol People of Edgefield, SC, thank you for a wonderful day trip! Our time is limited so if we missed a must-see or must-visit place, please let us all know in the comments! 🙂

Other restaurants to check out: Old Edgefield Grille, Nonna’s Italian Kitchen (dinner only), Edgefield Billiard Parlor, Jets Bar and Grill (off of the square)

Can’t Wait For Next Week!

I’m looking forward to next week’s adventure! If you follow along in IG stories, we will be switching our day up so stay tuned to what day we will be going and where we are headed next!