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JOE SIPPERS CAFE DOWNTOWN EFFINGHAM, IL 217.347.2233 JOESIPPERS.COM PHOTO BY CLAY CONDER

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NO RT H S ID E F ORD 1 3 1 2 N K E L L ER DR EFF IN G H A M , IL 62401 E F F I NG H AM FO R D.CO M

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EDITOR-IN- CHIEF Greg Vicars D E S I G N + L AYO U T A l e x a n d r a S a g e r

ED 3 EFFINGHAM, IL americaselecthomes.com

W H AT ’ S I N S I D E

SELECTIONS All of the trends- home, fashion, and a lovely drink found at Joe Sippers.

TEN BROOKE A journey through some of South- Central Illnois’ best bbq.

BBQ A journey through some of South- Central Illnois’ best bbq.

LINDBERGH A journey through some of South- Central Illnois’ best bbq.

FRESH DIGS A journey through some of South- Central Illnois’ best bbq.

CHARLESTON A journey through some of South- Central Illnois’ best bbq.

ON THE CO VER At Fresh Digs in Effingham PHOTO BY Alexandra Sager

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401 N Keller Dr. Effingham IL

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Tarita - Cutout Lace Up Sandal; $128; Block heels have been in style for a couple of seasons, but adding a lace up gives this trend a new edge. These block heels will be perfect for those looks that go from the office to a date night without any effort. For more of the best shoetrends see p. 14!

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SELECTIONS fashion interior drink Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve put together our favorite trends for summer, as well as highlighted some local specials such as the Moscow Joe from Joe Sippers in Effingham. These are the Selections.

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B The Flavor of Summer From dry rubbed to hickory smoked, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find the best of this meaty goodness at these top BBQ restaurants right here in Central Illinois.

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It is apparently no secret to the locals of Champaign/Urbana that the happening place for BBQ is at Black Dog Smoke and Ale House. The demand for this local favorite was so high that a second, larger location was opened in late 2015 and despite this; there is still almost always a wait during peak hours for a table. The menu presents various options of pulled pork, beef brisket, free range chicken, prime rib, smoked catfish, and smoked salmon as main courses but any local will tell you it’s not just about entrees at Black Dog. One of the menu favorites is an appetizer you must show up early for in the hopes they don’t run out: burnt ends. The true magic of Black Dog Smoke and Ale is in the smoke flavored, tender meat that falls apart off the bone and when paired with one of the sweet to medium sauces creates the perfect balance for any meal. The menu offers a large variety of salads, fish, and hamburgers but a strong recommendation is the brisket, the spare ribs, and the pulled free range chicken. Black Dog offers a large variety of draft and craft beers along with homemade sides that compliment any sandwich or platter. They offer daily specials but if you want the entire Black Dog experience, the platter options allow you to choose from several different meat options and sides giving you a sampling of all of the variety they have to offer. When it comes to sauce pairings the Georgia Peach is a sweeter option to balance out the smoke flavored meat or the Texas Sauce which is created with brisket drippings. In addition to the perfect meat flavor, Black Dog also excels at their homemade sides. From homemade creamy mac and cheese like your mother makes to sweet and smokey infused baked beans you can’t go wrong in choosing a pair of sides to compliment your main meat feast. Black Dog offers a laid back ambiance where you can bring your family or group of friends, kick back, enjoy the appetizers that they do so well and enjoy a meal that will leave you satisfied and wanting to soon return. This establishment is a must try in the Champaign area and will likely become an instant favorite. OPPOSITE: A beautifully blackened rack of ribs found at Pauly’s BBQ in A r t hu r. P h o to b y K a te K ay .

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Pictures & review by Kate Ke y

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Tucked away in the small town of Arthur is the home of Pauly’s BBQ. It is not uncommon for people to travel many miles just to stop at Pauly’s and enjoy the delicious homemade options they have to offer. What first impresses you is the large variety of menu options offered by Pauly’s that can please any diverse group of appetites. Their main feature is their BBQ meats and sauces accompanied by legitimate homemade sides and sweet cornbread. For snacking and sharing they offer a full selection of appetizers including their signature BBQ Nachos along with fried corn nuggets, chicken wings, and loaded fries. For the lunch and sandwich crowd there are several satisfying choices and wraps available that feature Southwest chicken, Hawaiian Pulled Pork, and Buffalo Chicken. Their menu is vast with a main course selection of brisket, chicken, pulled pork, baby back ribs, grilled salmon, and fried walleye. Despite BBQ being the main Pauly’s attraction, their fish and flatbread pizzas also are common local favorites. If you just can’t decide between all of the options that Pauly’s has to offer, you can always go with their signature “Udders and Butts” meal which includes a choice of 3 BBQ meats, 2 sides, sweet cornbread and a small ice cream cone. What you don’t want to miss out on however after filling yourself up with delicious BBQ meat and sides is the sweet fruit cobbler that is clearly homemade and a classic favorite. You absolutely can’t go wrong with Pauly’s baby back ribs, tender brisket, creamy mac and cheese and sweet BBQ sauce. Even if Pauly’s BBQ is a bit of a drive for you, don’t even hesitate to take the trip as you won’t be disappointed. Pictures & review by Kate Ke y

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W I T T ’ S S MOK E HOU S E Last year, Witt’s Smokehouse in Effingham literally became a little too true to its name one June morning. A small fire shut down the beloved spot for an extended period of time, but reopened no worse for wear much to the delight of it’s faithful patrons. For those that enjoy the rustic atmosphere of a log-cabin-style roadhouse framed by neon beer lights, it’s here that they can enjoy BBQ and pulled pork in a variety of unique ways. Pulled pork lovers can order their favorite smoked topping on potatoes, potato skins, wedge

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salads, nachos, pizza, or a whopping 1/2 pound of it marinated in Witt’s own BBQ sauce for dinner. Perhaps not to be outdone, cleverly named specialty drinks such as the Topless Pig and Pig on a Beach are available to compliment their pork counterparts. Other delicious meats from a 13-hour slow cooked Italian Roast Beef to a choice cut Filet Mignon, leave little room for Photo & review by Greg Vicars

Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto A complete meat- and brisket-cooking education from the country’s most celebrated pitmaster and owner of the wildly popular Austin restaurant Franklin Barbecue--winner of Texas Monthly’s coveted Best Barbecue Joint in Texas award. When Aaron Franklin and his wife, Stacy, opened up a small barbecue trailer on the side of an Austin, Texas, interstate in 2009, they had no idea what they’d gotten themselves into. Today, Franklin Barbecue has grown into the most popular, critically lauded, and obsessed-over barbecue joint in the country (if not the world)-and Franklin is the winner of every major barbecue. In this much-anticipated debut, Franklin and coauthor Jordan Mackay unlock the secrets behind truly great barbecue, and share years’ worth of hard-won knowledge. Franklin Barbecue is a definitive resource for the backyard pitmaster, with chapters dedicated to building or customizing your own smoker; finding and curing the right wood; creating and tending perfect fires; sourcing top-quality meat; and of course, cooking mind-blowing, ridiculously delicious barbecue, better than you ever thought possible.

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Situated along Illinois Route 127, just a short northern hop from Carbondale, and two hours south of Effingham, is largely what is considered one of the best BBQ restaurants in America. Featured prominently on the Food Network, and winner of their “Best in Smoke” competition, is legendary pitmaster Mike Mill’s 17th Street Bar & Grill in Murphysboro, Illinois. Mills has won the World Championship BBQ held yearly in Memphis, a record seven times. While the barbecue is award-winning, Bon Appetit recently named Mills ribs the best in America. And that’s just a small sample of the recognition that Mills, recently named to the National Barbecue Hall of Fame, yearly accepts. All of these accolades are wrapped in a humble exterior in small-town Murphysboro, with a total population of 7,970.

coupled with sausage, or Food & Wine Magazine’s “best wings in America” help get the palate warmed up. As for the barbecue, the award-winning differences range from the pork-smoking details that Mills uses, creating a lighter flavor than the atypical, heavier smokiness that Southern barbecue is often attributed with, to the amazing sauce that has been handed down for decades in the Mills family. Perhaps the last difference is a seasoning entitled “Magic Dust” that is liberally applied to everything from chicken to ribs. If you want to know the ingredients, they’re all listed, except one item labeled “secret spices.” No matter what clandestine ingredients combine to create this award-winning barbecue, there is no secret that 17th Street Bar & Grill is worth the two hour drive for a unparalleled taste.

Nothing about the simplistic, non-descript 17th Street exterior indicates that the finest barbecue located on either side of the Mississippi lies beyond. To get the proceedings started, appetizers such as pimiento cheese

Editors Note: 17th Street has an additional location in Marion. Murphysboro is the original locale.

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LIGHT IT UP: A Leaner Barbeque Menu Dust off the grills, pile up the charcoal and break out the oversized spatula. If you’re looking to whip up barbecue favorites at your next family cookout but still want to keep the menu lean, follow these go-to tips for lightened up versions of classic dishes that don’t sacrifice an ounce of flavor.

DITCH THE TRADITIONAL BUN

If you’re looking to cut calories and pack in an extra serving of veggies for the kids, consider swapping your traditional hamburger and hot dog buns for creative and delicious veggie alternatives. Refrigerator staples from zucchini and romaine lettuce to sweet potato can quickly transform into slider and sausage buns. For added flavor and a meatier texture, cook your veggies on the grill with a brush of olive oil, salt and pepper.

TA N G Y T W I S T

Instead of dousing chicken and pork in store-bought barbeque sauces that are high in sugar, consider squeezing the juice of fresh lemon or limes over meat. If you’re feeling a little bit more adventurous, swap out the tangy taste for a sweeter fruit. Adding pineapple or orange juice can offer the sweet flavors you’re craving without the added sugar

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Believe it or not, there is a way to eat clean and lean without sacrificing the taste you love from richer cuts of meat. Chicken breasts, skinless chicken thighs, pork loin and even flank steak are all excellent options for leaner cuts. Fewer calories aren’t the only bonus— the lack of excess fat will cause fewer flare-ups on the grill. If you’re a fan of hot dogs or bratwurst, consider looking for a leaner seasoned sausage to swap so flavor isn’t sacrificed. Simply Savory Smoked Sausages from Land O’Frost are available in a variety of bold flavors, including bacon and cheddar, chipotle and roasted red pepper, and Italian style with pepper and mozzarella. These sausages have 35 percent less fat and no artificial flavors, MSG and fillers often found in hot dogs and sausage products.

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251 Chesterfield Mall Suite 816 Chesterfield Missouri 63017

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Fresh Digs co-owners Salina Vahling, right, and Joanna Davies.

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VINTAGE BUT MODERN, LOCAL BUT GLOBAL.

Like many of the shops lining the tidy downtown streets of Effingham, Fresh Digs blends i n w e l l w i t h i t s r e d b r i c k e x t e r i o r. O n t h e i n s i d e , h o w e v e r, i s a m u c h d i f f e r e n t s t o r y . I t â&#x20AC;&#x2122; s a story that was shaped on different sides of the globe.

I n t e r v i e w b y G re g Vi c a rs , P h o t o s b y A l ex a n d ra S a g e r

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eep in a rural South African village ravaged by a complex relationship between structural poverty and HIV/AIDS, Joanna Davies worked for seven years to help those suffering in its clutches. After leaving South Africa, she brought her children and husband back to live in Central Illinois, and found a common bond with another preschool mother, Salina Vahling, an artist selling her homemade goods on Etsy. That bond? The need for better shopping. Not just any shopping, but an eclectic shop that mixed and blended vintage and modern, South African game horns with Vahling’s Illinois-made pin boards. Together, their brainchild became Fresh Digs.

H: So what do you and Salina define your shop as? JD: I categorize it as vintage and modern, local and global home goods and gifts. We try to introduce trends and items that most people around here would have to go out of town, or online to buy. Items that we see in the more trendy magazines, or even on Pinterest. When Salina and I first got together and talked about opening a shop together, we would discuss what we would be offering , in terms of furniture and home goods. In this area what was on offer was for an older market in our opinion, and it wasn’t funky eclectic stuff that we liked. H: So do you and Salina have two different styles?

HOME: Where did the idea originate to do a vintage and modern shop, as well as home goods? Obviously that’s not something that’s been a staple of the Effingham community. JOANNA DAVIES: Well, the shop is really two shops at this point. The front is basically ninety-five percent new. All locally handmade or re-purposed furniture that we have painted. So it’s more of a modern kind of look. Last September we opened up another room that we call the backroom, and it’s where we separated all the vintage items. We found that people either like new stuff or they like vintage. They don’t really like to see them mixed together very often, even though that is the trend.

JD: With two of us in here, we both have our own style and they do kind of coexist together, but they can be separated at the same time. We are kind of bringing our two styles together as well. In my house, ninety nine percent of everything is vintage, whereas in her house, it’s all new or something she painted or made. So the shop is basically like those two things being brought together.

Shopping local not only boosts your hometown economy - chances are, you’re helping a neighbor out, as well.

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H: What separates your styles so distinctly? JD: Mine is more eclectic; it’s straight up vintage. You would be hard-pressed to find anything new in my house, such as furniture or home decor - a little quirky. Whereas Salina’s got lots of bright colors in her house. Pieces that you see on Pinterest and HGTV.

H: How do you go about procuring some of the vintage items for you shop? JD: Many items I’ve actually been hoarding in my basement for a long time. I also have small vintage dishes and pieces for weddings. So that’s kind of all hanging out in my basement, in my mom’s basement, and in the garage.

I [also prefer] natural woods and more natural elements. H: You sell quite a bit of local artists’ work. I think that’s really neat. JD: Oh yeah - almost twenty different artists at this point. Everything from handmade tables, soaps and lotions, painted rocks, iPad stands, rulers from Downright Creative that you can measure your child’s growth on, and a thirteen year old girl doing paper quilling. Even more special, the Work Skills class from Effingham High School, a group of developmentally delayed kids, makes and sells magnets. Before the school year ended last year they were coming [here] to make things. I attended high school with their teacher, and we were talking one day, and decided to use Fresh Digs as a means for them to gain experience operating out in the community. [We sell] the magnets that they make. They are developing other projects, as well - I’m very excited about them. We also have a local lady, Julie Garner, also known as Lovey G, who retired as a teacher from the local grade school and then found out she had cancer. She’s fine now, but because of her experience she developed a line of cancer treatment day gifts. I love her and her items. Plus pretty much everyone who went to public school around here knows and loves her.

H: You have a very interesting story and background. Let’s start with your time with the Peace Corp. JD: I was living and working in St. Louis at the time, and I received my letter saying where I would be going, as well as when I would be leaving. So I quit my job, got rid of all my belongings, and I moved back home to Effingham for a two month period. After arriving in Philadelphia, they let us know what we were doing, and two days later I was flown to South Africa. We had training in a village for two months, and learned the language and culture. I was there due to the HIV problem that they were having. I was finally sent to my permanent spot where I was supposed to be for two years, but I ended up being there for almost seven. H: What was your role and in assisting those with HIV? JD: I worked with the South African government with nongovernmental organizations, who were helping people infected and affected by the virus, including orphans. I worked a lot with organizations and help train what I would call capacity builders, and training non-governmental organizations how to operate.

H: Salina also has a successful Etsy shop, correct? JD: Yes, she does. We have her pin and magnet boards, which she makes separately at her home. H: Her Etsy work was featured in HGTV magazine at one point? JD: Yes- they contacted her and asked if they could photograph her items for the magazine.

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H: Did you ever feel like you were in any danger being surrounded by a deadly virus? JD: Oh no. The HIV part I wasn’t afraid of at all. My husband, kids, and I went back in June. My cousin came with us and we spent a night in the village with one of my old coworkers. My cousin later commented on my first question to my co-worker was who had died. Whether it’s from AIDS, domestic violence, or an auto accident, someone is always dying. It’s just kind of a way of life over there. H: And you met your husband in South Africa? JD: Yes, he is South African. He was working as a journalist in the town where I was stationed, and we met there. H: When did you move back home to Effingham? JD: We moved back five years ago. The town in South Africa where we were living does not have a large population. It is a fairly rural and conservative sort of place and we were ready to make a change. We felt like we could go to a city like Johannesburg or Cape Town, or someplace else. We had two small kids, and one was getting ready to go to school. We felt like Effingham was a wonderful place for us to raise a family. H: How did you meet Salina? JD: Our kids were in the same pre-school class. I heard that she had an Etsy shop, and at that time I too had an Etsy shop. We chatted about it, and I was struggling to find a job around here and I thought okay, I always wanted to open a shop and I thought, okay we will do this. And she was also interested in doing that so it just worked out. H: So you blended your styles and ideas together? JD: I felt like we had a common bond right from the beginning. It was something like the second time we had coffee together, we said, okay, let’s open a shop. Looking back, we hardly knew each other. It was a very short engagement period, but it has worked out perfectly. For both of us the emphasis was that there was nowhere for us to shop in Effingham. There was nowhere that was like I need a gift, or I need something cool. To buy something like that you have to go to Champaign.

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H: How do you personalize your service to clients? JD: We do home visits. We get a lot of people who are like, “Oh, we love all of your stuff, but I hate my house. Can you come and help do a wall collage, or figure out a set up for my furniture.” Salina is really good at that, and she will go in and perhaps move things around, but just really try to help people find their style. H: How does someone set up one of the in-home visits? JD: They can come into the shop and make an appointment to come to their house. We take one to two hours for them to show us the problem area, or whatever might be their focus. We talk to them to get a feel for what they are searching for. If they have a Pinterest board, which a lot of women do, we can look and get a feel for their style. It’s very helpful.

H: In our last edition, we interviewed Mayor Bloemker. He has a tremendous amount of interest in Effingham’s progress, and seems like he has a very open mind to the future of the community. JD: From what I have read in the paper, he really seems to be enjoying what he is doing, and just the fact that he has called a special city council meeting around the issue of recycling, I thought was pretty amazing. Now, let’s see where that meeting takes us. H Find Fresh Digs on Facebook, online: freshdigsinc.com in-store: 210 N. Banker Street, Effingham ph. 217-350-0812

H: Do you feel like you have a certain shopper, or a certain clientele? Or is it an eclectic mix to kind of match your décor? JD: You are correct. We get a lot of older ladies that come in and they love to go through the vintage stuff and see what they already have. For some women it’s just a place to wander around in, but it’s a big destination for people who have visitors from out of town. It makes them feel very proud and they are like, “Oh, come check out this shop, they have all kinds of homemade things.” It’s just a fun place to go, something to do. H: A shop like Fresh Digs downtown brings a lot of character and different flavor. Is that kind of your vision, and would you would like to see more like it in the downtown area? JD: Definitely. We, as a shop, are getting there. Regarding downtown, we are members of the Effingham Central business group which is doing events and different things to bring people downtown. It’s a good group, and I think we have got some great goals.

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JEFF SPEER MANAGING BROKER RE/MAX KEY ADVANTAGE 217.347.0404 JEFFSPEER@EFFINGHAMREALESTATE.COM AMERICASELEC THOMES.COM

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Nothing screams summer more than a floral print! Try this girly print in a romper to keep your look casual and chic.

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Feel sunny and bright in this lace up yellow strappy top. Lace-up detailing is found everywhere this season, especially on your basics.

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Start an arm party with these mixed metal bracelets. Say goodbye to the rule of matching and start wearing all your favorite bracelets at the same time!

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Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to kick up your feet and add a romper to your summer wardrobe. This one-piece is both comfortable and playful.

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RUSS BRAUNECKER AUTO GROUP 2309 S BANKER ST EFFINGHAM, IL 62401

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Details make perfection, and perfection is not a detail. - LEONARDO DA VINCI

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Keep Your

Cool. Lindbergh strikes again with summertime menswear from both their Blue and Black labels.

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D E S T I N A T I O N G E T A W A Y:

Charleston

W O R D S BY G R EG V I C A R S

P H OTO BY T I M OT H Y J B AT T E R Y PA R K , C H A R L E STO N , S C FLICKR.COM

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“Summertime and the livin' is easy Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high Your daddy's rich and your mama's good lookin' So hush little baby, don't you cry” -Summertime, 1934, from George Gershwin’s Charleston-inspired opera “Porgy & Bess”

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TRAVEL

One of the greatest American authors, John Steinbeck wrote easily the most historically memorable introductions in his book, Cannery Row, regarding his beloved Monterry, California. If Steinbeck were to have written similar prose regarding Charleston, South Carolina, he might’ve written: Charleston is an unfolding story, an accent, a bright light, a tradition, a nostalgia. It is the salty smell of the ocean, iron-gated Civil War-era antebellum homes on quiet, narrow cobble-stoned streets, she-crab soup, boiled peanuts, fried-green tomatoes, bright-colored gingham patterned clothing set against even brighter pastelpainted art deco architectural structures. An onlooker might say its inhabitant are living out this story on the grandest of stages. If one were to look closer they might simply say it is the shore of Southern Paradise. To understand Charleston is to understand its history. Two wars are uniquely woven in the fabric of Charleston’s long history, but the ability to remain unblemished and faithful to its cultural values despite being surrounded by the damage and atrocities of war, are what make Charleston unique. The French General Marquis de Lafayette penned a letter to his wife shortly after arriving that “Charleston is one of the best built, handsomest, and most agreeable cities that I have ever seen. “ Lafayette’s Revolutionary War had reached the city’s shores in 1776, and included what was considered the greatest defeat of the War, the Siege of Charles Towne. Nothing compared to the shots fired just off-shore at Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861 thus starting the Civil War, and making an impression on Charleston’s culture and future.

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P E R F E C T LY M A N I C U R E D T H E F R A N C I S S A LT U S H O U S E , 6 WAT E R ST SPENCER ME ANS, FLICKR.COM

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Slowly, the city’s rich culture, not memories of war, helped Charleston to recover and rebuild into the grand city it is today. Perhaps nothing is more telling of the city’s culture than its lowvisage cityscape. To keep this low-level visibility, a regulation mandates that no building shall be taller than the glorious 201-foot steeple of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, which easily helps more than 400 church spires to rise above the skyline, earning Charleston the aptly-nicknamed “Holy City.” Below the church spires are some of the finest composition of Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, Italian, and Queen Anne architectural styles. The most photographed and visited neighborhood in Charleston is a cluster of thirteen colorful Georgian homes called Rainbow Row, the longest in the United States, built in the 1700’s and restored beginning in the 1930’s. It was in Rainbow Row in 1934 that local writer, DuBose Heyward and famous New York composer, George Gershwin would draw inspiration for “Porgy & Bess”, a musical-opera hybrid that is now considered one of the greatest Broadway musicals. On nearby Folly Island, Gershwin would compose “Summertime”, which would later be recorded in 1958 by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald to coincide with the release of the movie version of the musical. The most beautiful examples of Italian Renaissance Revival architecture are located along Battery Row, a line of waterfront mansions, with their faces stubbornly facing the ocean having survived numerous hurricanes, and even the Civil War. Many Charlestonians stood on their balconies along Battery Row watching the firing of Fort Sumter across the bay, beginning the Civil War. Still imbedded in a room of one of these homes, are the remains of a Confederate cannon that exploded and landed in the house.

W I N D O W S H O P P I N G TO P TO B OT TO M : 59 A N S O N ST R E E T, S O C I E T Y ST R E E T, T R A D D ST R E E T SPENCER ME ANS, FLICKR.COM

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G R A N D A N D L O V E LY A B OV E : ST E E P L E O F ST. P H I L I P ’ S E P I S C O PA L C H U R C H L E F T : 39 W E N T W O R T H ST SPENCER ME ANS, FLICKR.COM

The proximity to the Atlantic Ocean not only affords breathtaking views of dolphins and sunsets, but also fresh seafood that is true to its name in both vivid taste, and its derived creations by Charleston’s chefs. In recent years, a renaissance of interest in locally-grown and harvested ingredient has propelled Charleston into one of the great dining towns in America. In a beautiful restored 1893 Queen Anne home in the town center is one of those young revolutionaries, Sean Brock’s simply named Husk. At it’s opening in 2010, Husk was hailed as possibly the most important restaurant in the history of Southern cooking, due largely to its dedication to each ingredient on the menu being from the South. This menu changes daily and is updated conveniently online for diners to peruse early, and later order with ease. Another fine example of the farm-fresh evolution is FIG, or “Food is Good”. This bistro also focuses on seasonally inspired dishes and local, sustainable providers, plus boasts a James Beard Award-winning chef in Mike Lata.

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TRAVEL

HISTORIC

Charleston

Fort Sumter is a sea fort located off the coast in Charleston Harbor where in 1861 the first shots of the Civil War were fired, thus beginning a long war that would finally end in 1865. nps.gov/fosu

ON THE TOWN HISTORIC

Drayton Hall Plantation is twenty minutes from downtown, and is the oldest surviving example of Georgian architecture in the country, and one of the few estates of its kind to survive the torches of the triumphant Union Army. It’s Spanish-moss draped oak trees are one of the most beautiful examples of their kind in the South. draytonhall.org

SHOPPING

Charleston Farmer’s Market (Marion Square) or Old City Market (Downtown) both offer unparalleled access to simultaneously sample both the wares of the area’s best artisians, and local produce.

DRIVING

The Lowcountry: Cross over the bridge in Charleston and explore the laidback coastal living of the Lowcountry. Marshes and natural, lush landscapes are set amongst the diverse cultures that have survived for centuries, and extend 2 hours south to Hilton Head Island.

ARCHITECTURE Rainbow Row is a charming row of colorful historic, Georgian architectural homes, and a major tourist attraction.

EATING Husk, FIG, Hominy Grill (Brunch), Poogan’s Porch (she-crab soup), The Ordinary

ARCHITECTURE & WATERFRONT Waterfront Park and Battery Row are wonderful spots to see dolphins leaping from the Atlantic, beautiful fountains, mansions with lovely gambrel roofs, arched doorways and columns, and blossoming bougainvillea. charlestonparksconservancy.org

WHERE TO RUN 1. Run south through Waterfront Park, close to the water – watch for dolphins! 2. At N. Adgers Wharf, continue onto to E. Bay Street. 3. Turn left onto Rainbow Row continuing to White Point Garden at S. Battery Street. 4. Go north on Church Street to Tradd Street and turn right. 5. Turn left on E. Bay Street. 6. Turn right on E. Elliot Street. 7. Go left on Prioleau Street. 8. Take a right on Cordes Street, entering Waterfront Park. Head back through the park, back to the start.

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