We had an incredible experience exploring Columbia, South Carolina, and Congaree National Park! This weekend itinerary is perfect for anyone who wants to see Congaree and is open to exploring a fantastic city and all it has to offer.
Columbia, SC, and Congaree NP Trip Report
We are excited to share our weekend getaway to Columbia, South Carolina, Congaree National Park, and Sesquicentennial State Park! We have discussed the need to revisit Congaree NP for years, and it finally happened.
I have to send a huge thank you to Experience Columbia, SC, for partnering with us to make this getaway happen. We must also mention that we traveled closely after Hurricane Helene swept through the Southeast.
Before departing for Columbia, we talked with the Experience Columbia Visitors Bureau to ensure that we should still visit the area. We wanted to ensure we were not pulling resources from anyone needing them in the area.
After multiple conversations, we moved forward with the trip and ensured that we drove our vehicle and were fully stocked with things we might need for the weekend.
Day 1 – Gulf Shores, Alabama to Columbia, SC
We drove from Gulf Shores, AL, to Columbia to learn more about our new home state and the southeast. If you are outside the comfortable driving range, a great airport close to town offers daily flights from around the country.
It was an 8+ hour drive from Gulf Shores, which gave us time to talk, laugh, and make a dream to-do list for our time in town. We dove into the Experience Columbia, SC website and found epic fun things we wanted to see and do while in town. Don’t get me started on all of the restaurants we wrote down to visit. Did you know there is a Pimento Cheese Trail in Columbia, SC?
The drive was easy, with Interstate driving and great weather. When we got into Georgia, we saw some hurricane damage along the side of the road, with downed trees and broken signs.
Once we reached Columbia, SC, we checked into downtown Hotel Trundle. The hotel is eclectic, vintage, and modern, all blended together in a boutique luxury experience.
We arrived on the first Thursday of the month, which turned out to be an epic night of live music and events in town. The hotel lobby was filled with people relaxing with a glass of wine or beer while a jazz band played fantastic music.
It was hard to pull ourselves away from the fun vibe of the lobby, but we knew we needed to get food and start diving into the Pimento Cheese Trail. My wife Tammilee downloaded the Pimento Cheese Passport on her phone and was excited to start checking in along the trail.
We headed to Bourbon for dinner right on Main Street. The restaurant and bar are known for having nearly 500 varieties of whiskeys. The restaurant serves Cajun Creole cuisine with an epic cocktail menu.
We opted to sit outside, and it ended up being perfect. With the First Thursday event, there was live music just down the street, which we could hear while enjoying our delicious dinner. I am going to admit the waiter had to stop by the table three times before I could make up my mind which cocktail to try the menu was that amazing.
I opted for the Heart of Darkness cocktail, and it was an experience all by itself. The waiter came out with an upside-down goblet filled with hickory smoke and a coaster over the opening, which held the smoke inside the glass.
The cocktail itself came in a small carafe. The waiter quickly turned the glass over, removed the lid, and poured the cocktail into the goblet. He then put the coaster back over the glass to hold in the hickory smoke to let the flavor of the smoke mix with the cocktail.
He advised me to let the smoke settle into the drink for a minute or two. It was sweet torture waiting for the drink to mature before taking the first sip. The torture was worth it because that first sip of the drink was excellent.
The table next to us was so enamored from watching my drink be prepared that they ordered three for themselves! This turned into an opener for a fun conversation with random strangers who were hilarious.
Our first course was Creole pimento cheese served with fried saltines and pork rinds. Woah, the flavor was intense and delicious. I opted for the Gumbo for my main dish, and it was filled with rich flavor.
My wife Tammilee had the pimento mac and cheese and said it was amazing. Every bite we enjoyed made us want to return to Bourbon for another meal and more innovative cocktails.
The restaurant's vibe was fantastic, and the service was outstanding. We kept looking at each other and talking about if this was the start of our weekend in Columbia, SC, we knew we were in for a great time.
Since we had driven all day, we decided to head back to the Hotel Trundle instead of stopping at Bourbon’s whiskey bar next door. We figured that if we visited the whiskey bar, it might turn into a super late night, and we wanted to get a great night’s sleep before exploring more of Columbia, SC.
Day 2 – Columbia, SC, and the Great American Whiskey Fair
After a great night's sleep at Hotel Trundle, we started our day at Rambo’s Fat Cat Biscuits. Tammilee swooned over the fat cat logo so much she had to buy a sticker. I swooned over the bacon and egg classic biscuit that was the size of my head!
Rambo’s Fat Cat Biscuits has a fantastic menu, including a chipotle pimento cheese sausage biscuit (On the Pimento Cheese Trail), a fig jam and brie cheese biscuit, and a herbed goat cheese and egg biscuit, to name a few.
We also tried the Blue Corn Grits with Chipotle Pimento Cheese. They were delicious!
After breakfast, we stopped at Curiosity Coffee Bar for hot coffee and chai tea. This local coffee shop had a great vibe and fun local products. They had Sakhar Spirited Artisinal Jam, which is made in Columbia, SC. We grabbed a jar of Brown Sugar Peach Bourbon Jam! I have a feeling I am going to wish we had grabbed a few more jars.
We took our hot coffee and tea to Saluda Riverwalk for a morning walk. The Saluda Riverwalk has picnic tables and a walking trail that runs next to the Saluda River. During our visit, the river was high from Hurricane Helene.
On a typical day, people can enjoy kayaking and walking the boardwalk along the side of the river. It was super popular while we were there, with people walking their dogs and enjoying the gorgeous fall weather.
After relaxing by the river, we headed to the South Carolina State Museum. We could have spent the entire day exploring the fantastic exhibits in the museum. I enjoyed a planetarium show about solar superstorms, which was fascinating and impressive.
Tammilee explored the museum and loved seeing a telescope used to view the sun on clear days. The museum exhibits range from historic transportation to crops and products found in South Carolina.
This family-friendly museum is a must-visit to learn more about the area. We will definitely go back on another trip to spend more time exploring the exhibits. Make sure to plan enough time to check out the gift store on the 1st floor.
They have a ton of locally made products, along with gifts and souvenirs for the area. We picked up a couple of packages of Adluh stone-ground yellow and white grits to enjoy at home. I see some shrimp and grits in my future!
For lunch, we headed to the Spotted Salamander. I need you to make a trip to Columbia, SC, to enjoy Chef Jessica Shalito’s food! It is a MUST-VISIT! Every single thing we tried was unbelievable.
We started with the devilled egg plate, which included collard greens with cornbread crouton dust on top of the devilled egg, along with a devilled egg with onion jam. The flavors complimented each other and were absolutely delicious.
Next, we tried the pimento-less cheese, and oh boy, I wish they sold this by the tub/gallon. After the first two things, I didn’t think it could get better, but then I took my first bite of the sliced fatty brisket sandwich with brie whiz!
I might have had a spiritual food moment during my 1st bite. Tammilee said my eyes rolled back and I took a deep breath as I processed the amazing flavors. This was one of the best sandwiches I have had anywhere in the world.
The cherry on top of a pretty darn spectacular lunch was the oatmeal cream pie that Chef Jessica brought to the table. Honestly, I would drive the 8+ hour back to Columbia, SC, to bite into another one of these oatmeal cream pies. YUM!
It was that good! I will be dreaming of the next time I can enjoy a meal at the Spotted Salamander.
After lunch, we headed to Main Street to explore some local shopping and check out the art along the street. Mast General Store has been open since 1883 and is filled with a little bit of everything.
If you are a fan of candy and chocolate, you will love the barrels of delicious candy treats lined up in the store. You can get a Mast General Store barrel and fill it with all of your favorites.
We ended up picking up a few Christmas presents that were perfect for family members. There were so many great gift options it was hard to stop ourselves from buying everything on our holiday list.
While looking for places to visit in town, we saw a listing for Crave Artisan Specialty Market. We thought it was going to be a specialty food store with products we could bring home to play with in the kitchen.
It ended up being a specialty deli with tons of food options that they prepare. Since we had already enjoyed lunch, we ended up picking up some pimento cheese and crackers to bring back to the hotel for a late-night snack.
Because you can’t have enough pimento cheese in your life!
Our next stop was The Great American Whiskey Fair! Over 100 distillers and bottlers were presenting 300+ whiskeys, bourbons, and ryes in one festival! YES PLEASE!
I was excited to see Yellowstone Whiskey as part of the whiskey fair. This is one of the liquors we feature in our National Park Liquors post.
There were so many distillers at the whiskey fair it was hard to choose which ones to try. They had everything from classic bourbon and rye whiskeys to flavored and special edition varieties.
If you are a fan of bourbon, whiskeys, or ryes, make sure to mark the dates for the 2025 event on your calendar! Next year's event will be on Friday, October 3, 2025, in Columbia!
It is an excellent opportunity to try distillers you have always wondered about but worried you would buy a bottle and not like it. After this event, multiple distilleries are now on my must-buy list for the future.
Day 3 - Columbia SC Art Museum and Breweries
We kicked off the day with breakfast in the Hotel Trundle lobby. They had a couple of quiche options, bagels, and gorgeous croissants.
One cool thing about the Hotel Trundle breakfast is that Chef Sarah Simmons's team makes it at smallSugar, part of CITY GRIT—a James Beard Award nominee for Outstanding Restaurateur.
After relaxing in the gorgeous lobby, which feels like a high-end lounge, we headed down Main St. for the Soda City Market.
The Soda City Market is held every Saturday and is a must-visit! The market is a producer-only market, which means that every product has been created, baked, or crafted by the vendors.
I am still in awe of the variety of food available, the crafts, and the art lining the street. Everything from Arepas to mini doughnuts, organic bread, jams, biscuits, grits with a little bit of everything mixed in, and fresh lemonade are just a few of the things we saw.
One thing we did not expect to see while wandering the market was raccoons sleeping in baby carriers. One of the local wildlife rehabilitation centers had some animals that they rehabbed at the market.
If you need to shop for a fantastic gift, art for your house, or a personalized trucker hat, you can find it at the Soda City Market. This is definitely a must-do in Columbia, South Carolina.
My wife, Tammilee, is already talking about the things she should have bought while the market was open. I am pretty sure she would have filled the entire SUV with art if we had more blank walls in the house.
One of the things we are enjoying about Columbia is how easy it is to move around town. The Columbia Museum of Art is on Main St., so we could wander in to see their new French Moderns exhibit and explore the other galleries.
The exhibit features French Modern works from Monet to Matisse 1850 - 1950. The museum is excellent for all ages, and we saw kids in awe of the paintings they were learning about.
The art is displayed in a way that feels really accessible. Benches are perfectly placed so you can sit and admire a work of art.
The 2nd-floor galleries are unique and a must-visit. As you walk from gallery to gallery, the art makes you stop in your tracks at times.
They have a wall of Andy Warhol prints of Chairman Mao paired with sculptures from Bob Trotman that made me pause and have to just take in the scene.
Don't miss the gorgeous Chihuly chandelier as you enter the museum. It is ideally placed above the main lobby and can be seen from the 2nd floor.
After wandering the Columbia Museum of Art, we walked a bit more around the Soda City Market before heading to lunch at War Mouth.
War Mouth is part of the Pimento Cheese Passport, so we needed to try their pimento cheese. They served it with fried saltines, which were delicious.
I can't rave enough about their BBQ rib plate! For a lunch serving, it was huge, and I had to take leftovers back to the hotel with us to enjoy later.
Tammilee said the veggie burger and freshly made potato chips were fantastic. We were so full we didn't get any dessert, but they had a bourbon cream pie that we wish we had gotten.
If you love plants, there is a super fun plant store, Gardener's Outpost, just down from War Mouth. I am sure Tammilee would have happily packed half of the tropical plants they had in the SUV if she thought they would make it back to Gulf Shores.
Next time we visit, we want to check out Indah Coffee, which is just down the street from War Mouth. It looked amazing.
After lunch, it was time for Breweries!!! Woohoo! We headed to Bierkeller for their German Oktoberfest Festival.
We could hear the live music and fun as soon as we pulled up! They had fantastic German-style beers, pretzels, and beer cheese! We grabbed a seat and enjoyed the band and people-watching on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon.
This is a local Columbia SC Brewery we could see hanging out at any night of the week.
We dragged ourselves away from Bierkeller to check out another fun brewery. Savage Craft Ale Works has an outdoor Biergarten, a rooftop bar, and an indoor seating area.
The Carolina Light beer was light and refreshing. Super easy to drink with their Gouda and Cheddar Mac and cheese balls. YUM!
Tammilee tried a sweet pretzel with a marshmallow dipping sauce that was also delicious. The brewery is family-friendly, with kids enjoying the outdoor space while parents chat with friends.
This is another epic brewery perfect for relaxing and enjoying the atmosphere of Columbia, SC.
I keep thinking we have reached the peak in deliciousness in Columbia, SC, and then we visit a new restaurant, which blows our minds.
We had dinner at City Grit Market Wine Bar, and I NEED you to make a reservation and head to this restaurant.
The City Grit Market Wine Bar has an extensive list of wines available by the glass or bottle. The wine list has been carefully cultivated to enhance the flavors of the food instead of overpowering it.
You can choose from raw bar cold plates, tapas, or hot plates. We suggest doing a combination of plates so you can try multiple things.
We went with a few tapas plates along with cold shrimp and every single thing was delicious.
Our favorites included:
Patatas Bravas - Fried potatoes, red pepper aioli, goat cheese queso, and chives.
Whipped Feta - Calabrian chili, honey, chives, toasty house-made baguette slices
Jamon Anejo - 600-day ham from Spain, good olive oil, pickled Basque peppers
We paired our tapas with a lovely red wine that was smooth and easy to drink. The staff at City Grit Market Wine Bar was excellent.
We felt like we were dining with old friends who loved food as much as we do. The entire experience was phenomenal. I wish this restaurant were closer to us. We would have date nights there all the time.
One thing we love about the CITY GRIT experience is the owners are focused on paying their staff a living wage as much as possible. There is no tipping at CITY GRIT because the prices reflect the staff earning a living wage.
After dinner, we walked next door to the new Steel Hands Vista Distilling and Brewing location. They just opened this location to highlight their new distillery products. They have gin, vodka, and pecan rye whiskey made in small batches.
We tried an old-fashioned cocktail with pecan rye whiskey and a gin tropical drink. The atmosphere in the tasting room was relaxed and elegant, which was a lot of fun.
Day 4 - Columbia, SC, Congaree NP, and Sesqui State Park
Can I confess that we made a mistake to kick off the day? I was so excited to get to Congaree National Park and walk the boardwalks that we decided to pick up cinnamon rolls from The Devine Cinnamon Roll Deli.
Don't get me wrong, the cinnamon rolls are delicious, and I would go back in a second for another round of the bourbon caramel cinnamon roll. My mistake was not planning time to sit down and enjoy their pimento cheese grits or a breakfast sandwich.
I realized my mistake quickly when there was a line at the door to get a table for breakfast. We instantly regretted sleeping in a bit and not planning to get there early enough for breakfast on site.
Learn from our mistakes and plan enough time to visit this epic breakfast restaurant in Columbia, SC. If the cinnamon rolls we tried indicate how good the breakfast is, you will be in for a treat.
Be prepared. They have multiple flavors of cinnamon rolls, and it is hard to decide which one to order. We couldn't pick just one, so we got the apple cobbler cinnamon roll, bourbon caramel cinnamon roll, coconut cream cinnamon roll, and original cinnamon roll.
I loved every single bite of each one!
We enjoyed the 25-is minute drive from Columbia, SC, to Congaree NP. Once in the park, we started looking for Fox Squirrels but sadly did not see them.
It was a gorgeous morning in Congaree! Part of the boardwalk and trails were still flooded from Hurricane Helene, but we could still explore a good portion of the boardwalk trails.
This is our second time visiting Congaree, and both times, the park has been flooded. It is cool seeing it flooded since this area is the largest intact expanse of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the SE United States and flooding is a natural part of this habitat.
There were tons of birds high up in the trees. We used the Merlin app to identify the birds by their calls, and it was amazing to see what it pulled up.
The app said there were Tufted Titmouse, Red-headed woodpeckers, Carolina Wren, American Crow, Northern Cardinal, Northern Flicker, Red Bellied Woodpeckers, Carolina Chickadee, Blue Jay, Hooded Warbler, and Red-Shouldered Hawks in the park.
For lunch, we stopped at DiPrato's to try their pimento cheese! DiPrato's was our 5th restaurant on the Pimento Cheese Passport! We got a fun email saying that since we had visited five spots on the Pimento Cheese Passport, we could pick up a pint glass or mug to celebrate.
We hope to get one picked up before we leave town, or they will mail it to you! If you visit ten restaurants, you can get a T-shirt! This is the perfect reason to plan another weekend getaway to Columbia, SC.
I have to admit the Gouda and Bacon Pimento Cheese at DiPrato's may be my new favorite pimento cheese we tried in town. Hello yum!
Tammilee had the original and said it was fantastic.
We stopped in the Five Points area to listen to live music from the annual JerryFest, which celebrates Jerry Garcia.
The weather was perfect, so we headed to Sesquicentennial State Park, just on the edge of town. This is the first South Carolina State Park I have visited, and it was really impressive.
Also called Sesqui State Park, the park has a giant splash pad perfect for cooling off in hot weather, a lake, hiking trails, and a campground that includes sites with full hookups.
We enjoyed a lovely walk along the lake and checked out the park store. This would be an excellent park for an afternoon picnic or camping while exploring the area.
For dinner, we headed to Motor Supply Co. Bistro to enjoy a nice dinner. The interesting thing about Motor Supply Co Bistro is they change their menu daily.
We tried the pickle and cheese board, burrata plate, apple pear salad, and a steak. Tammilee tried a strawberry creme brule, which was unique and flavorful.
It's hard to believe this is our final night in Columbia. We have already started making a list of the places we want to visit on our next trip.
Day 5 - Columbia, SC to Gulf Shores, Alabama
For our final breakfast of the trip, we visited The Gourmet Shop. This shop has everything a chef, baker, or kitchen tool fan could want.
The cheese case was filled with delicious gourmet options. Our breakfast was fantastic! Tammilee said it was tough not to buy all of the epic kitchen tools and cheese.
On our way out of town we had to stop by the Spotted Salamander and pick up a few oatmeal cream pies for the road. We bought a couple of mini pies for the drive and plan to portion out and freeze the larger oatmeal cream pies, but we will see if that happens. LOL!
When we originally planned this trip, we had planned to visit a couple of other National Park Sites on our way home, including Cowpens National Battlefield, Kings Mountain National Military Park, and Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site.
Due to the damage from Hurricane Helene, most of the parks were closed on the days we planned to visit. We thought about trying to reach additional parks, but Hurricane Milton made an appearance in the Gulf, and we felt better heading back to Gulf Shores to ensure everything was secured and safe at home.
It took us nearly 12 hours to get home due to Atlanta traffic. We had a lot of time to talk about how much fun we had in Columbia, SC, and we can't wait to go back again.
Columbia, South Carolina - Places to try on our next visit
We found ourselves taking pictures of restaurants and writing down names of places as we drove around Columbia, SC, to explore on our next visit.
There are so many epic restaurants, bakeries, and things to do that we didn't get to on this trip.
- Transmission Arcade
- Il Focolare - The pizza restaurant from City Grit
- Columbia Craft Brewing Company
- Coa Agaveria y Cocina
- Piecewise Coffee Co
- Smoked
- The Burnline (Smoked's Speakeasy)
- Kaminsky's Dessert Cafe
- Prohibition
- Columbia Fireflies Baseball Game
- Il Giorgione
- Riverbanks Zoo & Garden
- Peak Drift Brewing
- Lula Drake Wine Parlour (2024 James Beard Foundation Award Winner)
- Sally Salamander Walking Tour
- Ally & Eloise Bakeshop
- Dreher Island State Park
- Hendrix
- Sweet Cream Company
- The Sandwich Depot (Grilled Pimento Cheese)
- Maurice's Piggie Park
- Vicious Biscuit
- Black Rooster
- The Dragon Room
- Uncle Willie's Grocery Store
- Congaree Fireflies Festival
- Masa
- Bang Back Pinball Lounge
- Let's Cook Culinary Studio
- Reconstruction History Trail
The list could go on and on. There are so many great restaurants, bars, and things to do in Columbia, South Carolina.
Do you have a favorite thing to do in town?
Additional National Park sites near Congaree National Park
Ninety-Six National Historic Site
Cowpens National Battlefield
Kings Mountain National Military Park
Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
Blue Ridge Parkway
Check out all of the National Parks in South Carolina along with neighboring National Parks in Georgia, National Parks in Tennessee, National Parks in Alabama, and North Carolina National Parks
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