Columbia

Happy tax day (Not)

I started this morning with a visit to the Soda City Market . Why Soda City? The nickname for Columbia, SC is Cola, which further morphed to Soda, hence the moniker Soda City. This market occurs every Saturday morning, and was conveniently located a few blocks from my hotel. You can find everything from produce, baked goods, food trucks of all sorts, arts and crafts and much more. It was a very pleasant morning and I made sure to arrive on the dot at 9 AM to beat the worst of the crowd. By the time I left at 11 AM the four city blocks were packed.

I had the opportunity to speak with (and purchase goods from) a number of vendors. I started out chatting with Sophia at her stand, Super Thrifty, (Unfortunately I could not find a web site for this business) selling pre-owned clothing. She gave me some tips for when I visit Charleston, and by the time I walked away I had purchased a top (for a very good price, I might add)

Next I spend some time chatting with James at Agape Chocolates . I loved this business for more than the handmade chocolate. The art on packaging of the various bars is all made by his children, and one even is a tribute to his mother. Even better, a portion of the proceeds from each sale goes to combat childhood hunger in the local area. How could I not purchase a few bars?

I moved on to speak with Keith of Daly Greens. (His card had an e-mail, but no web site)  He was offering an assortment of great looking shrooms along with various greens. I was sorry I could not pick up some of his Lion’s Mane, but I had no way to cook it in a hotel room.

Next I visited Phoenix Fire Studios . Jacob and CheyAnna make sandblasted glassware. They offer many innovative and artistic designs. Best yet, I was able to purchase a SC shot glass that was actually a piece of art rather than the standard tourist memento.

I then spent some time at Infinite Treasures , a jewelry stand that specializes in copper and semiprecious stones. Sista Carla helped me get the exact fit for a ring I liked, and Ras Na’Im made the alterations.

Finally, I saw Wayne painting in real time and stopped by to chat. He was working from a photo of the Grand Tetons and it turned out we had visited the area at about the same time. I also had an extended conversation with Laurie, his wife, about photography as it is something she hopes to pursue more seriously. You can fine Wayne's art on his website .

After a short break for lunch and download, I headed off to Congaree National Park , which is only about a half our outside of town. This National Park is open 24/7 and has no admission fees. The disappointment was that almost all of the trails were flooded and inaccessible. Only the boardwalk was accessible, and even a corner portion of that was under water. Well, when you are given water, make reflections. And I did find an alligator in the lake at the very end of the boardwalk.