Where are the best pumpkin patches and corn mazes in South Carolina?

Fall is a great time of year! Football, fall festivals, Thanksgiving, and cooler weather are some of my favorite things about fall. One fall family tradition that we started when my son was a toddler and have maintained some 20 or so years later is going to a particular pumpkin patch and corn maze, followed by a good barbeque supper. Since we lived in Georgia all of those years, we always headed to Burt's Pumpkin Farm in the north Georgia mountains near Dawsonville, then stopped by Uncle Shuck's corn maze to solve that puzzle, and finally headed to Big D's barbeque in Dawsonville for some good eating. That makes for a fun-filled family outing that will provide forever fond memories of pumpkins of all shapes and sizes, the smell and taste of fresh pumpkin bread, hayrides, and tall corn stalks.

Now that I'm moving back to South Carolina, I want to know where the best pumpkin patches and corn mazes are in our state. Post your comments so we can keep the tradition going!

Here we are at Burt's Pumpkin Farm near Dawsonville, GA.

2024 Presidential Primaries in South Carolina

It won't be long before we vote for the next President of the U.S. Before that, though, we have to select who will actually be going head-to-head and representing the Democrat and Republican parties. That is done in the primaries, and South Carolina has one of the earliest primaries, so we play a big role in candidates' path forward. That is, some candidates might suspend their campaign if they don't get much traction in the early primaries. 

So, the national spotlight will be on South Carolina in February 2024. Here's the schedule:

Saturday, February 3: Democratic primary

Saturday, February 24: Republican primary

South Carolina's primaries are "open", meaning that voters can vote in either one of the primaries, regardless of their party affiliation. So, save the date and plan on participating in our state primaries.

 

4th of July-Murrells Inlet Boat Parade

 Murrels Inlet Fourth of July Boat parade-2023

One great South Carolina 4th of July celebration is the Murrells Inlet boat parade. This was my first year of actually being in one of the boats, and it was a lot of fun. Participating boats queue up in an open area near "the point" and when the time comes, we all followed the lead boat. 

As we meandered through the Marsh Walk course, we greeted tons of people lining the Marsh Walk and others observing from their boats or along the banks and docks of their homes. We joined in on the water gun fights and friendly trash talking. It was a lot of fun, and it was great to see all the red, white, and blue out there. Here's a Facebook link to a professionally done drone video of the event: 

2023 Murrells Inlet Boat Parade

And here's a quick video from our boat:

July 4th celebrations around South Carolina

One family tradition that I started years ago was to travel around the country to see how certain areas celebrated the 4th of July. So, we saw the Boston Pops Orchestra perform during a trip to the Cape Cod area. We saw a 4th of July rodeo in Cody, Wyoming during a trip to Yellowstone National Park. We saw fireworks over Niagra Falls during a trip to New York. And closer to home, we saw the boat parade in Murrells Inlet. So, I want to know how the 4th of July is celebrated around the state of South Carolina. Can you think of any special events that ooze patriotic themes celebrating our independence? Please comment and post photos if you can.