With travel + COVID-19 restrictions still in place, it may be hard to get away for a big summer trip this year. However, one of the many things we love about Cola is its easy accessibility to so many great road trip destinations. ⛱️
If you’re looking to get out of the house with health and safety measures in mind, check out these 12 summer road trip ideas, all within a few hours drive of downtown Columbia.
*Disclaimer: While we love these road trip spots, we recommend checking local coronavirus regulations + case rates before planning a trip.
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Who's ready for a road trip? | Gif via Giphy
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~2 hour drive or less
Charlotte, NC | ~1.5 hr from downtown Columbia
○ Just a straight shot up I-77, you don’t have to travel far from Columbia to get the big city feel in Charlotte. Feeling the need for speed? Ride the rapids or hit the zipline at the U.S. National Whitewater Center or check out the NASCAR Hall of Fame when it reopens.
Charleston, SC | ~1 hr. 45 min. from downtown Columbia
○ Repeatedly ranked as Travel + Leisure’s #1 city in the U.S., Charleston is a must-visit for anyone looking for classic, southern charm. Check out Charleston City Market to shop from over 300 vendors, take a walk down King Street and explore historic homes on Rainbow Row + the Battery.
○ Want to feel like a Charleston local? Check out our sister city, CHStoday, here.
Greenville, SC | ~2 hr. from downtown Columbia
○ Take a stroll through Falls Park at the Reedy for gorgeous river and waterfall views in the heart of the city or rent a bike for a ride down the Swamp Rabbit Trail for an active getaway. ○ Looking to take a hike in the nearby mountains? Check out these.
Want to feel like a Greenville local? Check out our sister city, GVLtoday, here.
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| What's your go-to sound track on a road trip? |
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Whatever is new + on the radio. |
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Throwbacks the whole way. |
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The audio book version of my favorite read. |
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Coronavirus
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○ Yesterday, Gov. Henry McMaster announced that $32 million from the federal CARES act would create the Safe Access to Flexible Education Grants. Eligible students can apply for a one-time grant of up to $6,500 for participating private, parochial or independent schools in SC. (The State)
○ Lexington Medical Center + DHEC will provide free COVID-19 testing at Chapin High School, located at 300 Columbia Avenue, on Saturday, July 25, 2020 from 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
○ SC DHEC and Prisma Health will be hosting free COVID-19 testing at high schools across the Midlands in the next two weeks. Testing events will take place at A.C. Flora High School on Friday + Saturday from 8 a.m.-12 p.m., at Longleaf Middle School on July 28 from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. and at River Bluff High School on July 31-August 1 from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. (The State)
○ PrivaChef, a service that connects chefs to clients looking for in-home dinner parties, was created by two Soda Citizens as a concept that could keep chefs working in a safe and smaller setting during the coronavirus. Chefs are hired to work from the homes of clients looking to serve parties of up to eight guests. Those interested can book online or via phone. (Cola Daily)
○ DHEC announced that SC has exceeded its monthly COVID-19 testing goal for for July by performing 143,336 tests from July 1 through July 16, surpassing the target of 140,000 tests. There are currently 89 mobile testing events planned through August 15 + 182 permanent COVID-19 testing facilities across the state.
Click the button below for local resources regarding the coronavirus.
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Hey, there. Looking for today’s #MustDo events? In accordance with the
CDC’s recommendations regarding public gatherings, we have decided to postpone public event coverage for the time being. We look forward to bringing you Columbia’s #MustDo events soon (until then, feel free to submit your virtual events
here).
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#COLAtoday
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Explore the new exhibit at the Columbia Museum of Art, Design by Time, in a new manner with climate scientist Dr. Lori Ziolkowski. On the Anthropocene with Dr. Z will focus on how humans are the dominant influence on the Earth’s current climate. She’ll also be available to answer any questions viewers have.
The free event will take place on Facebook next Wednesday, July 29, from 5-6 p.m.
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#DYK that your photo could be featured in our newsletter? Just use #COLAtoday on social media.
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News Notes
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Weather
○ 96º | Partly cloudy | 10% chance of rain
Civic
○ You may notice more traffic than normal today. Vice President Mike Pence + his wife will be in Columbia today to meet with Gov. Henry McMaster about limiting the spread of COVID-19. After his visit in Columbia, the vice president will head down to Charleston to assist with a campaign event. (WIS)
#MustDo
○ ICYMI – Space Week is running through Sunday at the South Carolina State Museum. As part of the event, Friday Night Laser Lights is returning this Friday, July 24 with shows from 6:30-11 p.m. All guests ages 10+ will be required to wear masks. Find out more + purchase tickets here.
State
○ Yesterday, Walmart announced a new, $220 million distribution center in Dorchester County that will create 1,000 jobs for SC. The facility will be approx. three million sq. ft. and take 14 months to build. (The State)
Ranked
○ 66. Columbia’s ranking in a recent WalletHub study of most and least educated cities in the US. Rankings were determined by comparing the share of adults with bachelor’s degrees or greater, the quality of public education, the gender education gap + more of the 150 largest metropolitan areas. Ann Arbor, MI was ranked most educated + Visalia-Porterville, CA ranked least. (WalletHub)
TryThis
○ ICYMI, we recently got our ballpark food fix at the new Fireflies Bar & Grill. See what we ate, drank + saw, then snag your reservation for this weekend. 🌭Ⓟ
FeaturedJob
○ Midlands Reading Consortium (MRC), a volunteer tutoring initiative targeting pre-kindergarten through second-grade students that aren't reading on grade level, is seeking School Liaisons to enroll students in one-to-one reading engagement sessions, engage parents about the importance of reading at home, increase home libraries through book distribution, and promote literacy through general outreach and community engagement. Learn more about the opportunity and how to apply here. Ⓟ
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#OpenNow
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Looking for an upscale downtown apartment home? Studio, one-, two- and three-bedrooms are now available in Trolley at Devine District.
Located in the heart of Cola’s Devine District, Trolley's luxury units feature airy 10-foot ceilings, quartz countertops + sleek GE Café Appliances. Community amenities include a sky lounge, chic outdoor kitchen, curated landscaping and the walkable accessibility of all the restaurants, shopping + entertainment Devine St. has to offer. Ⓟ
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#Shareworthy
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The Wrap
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Yesterday, we asked y’all where your favorite place to play cornhole is. The two most popular locations are J’s Corner + River Rat Brewery. Keep the games going, Cola.
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