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SOUTH CAROLINA: Bee City Cottageville, S.C. www.beecity.net (843) 835-5912 The idea of a petting zoo at a place called Bee City might make some people nervous. However, owner Archie Biering assured us that the hands-on aspect of Bee City only pertains to the deer, llamas, donkeys and other animals at the attraction. But the true stars here, of course, are the bees, all 1,260,000 of them when the hives are at full capacity. Biering created a miniature city with hives decorated to look like buildings, each of them carrying cutesy names like “Buzz-Cut Barber Shop,” “Glory Bee Church” and the “Pig-Bee Wig-Bee Supermarket.” When contacted, Biering said the miniature city is under renovation, which should be completed in a couple of months. “It’ll be even better when we get through,” Biering said. “We’re working on it as we speak.” Pearl Fryar’s Topiary Garden Bishopville, S.C. www.fryarstopiaries.com (803) 484-5581
Biering said there’s still plenty to do and see. “We do have glass beehives right now, that you can look at the bees behind glass,” Biering said. “And we have a regular classroom where we do field trips.” Bee City also has a restaurant that serves hamburgers and the like, and on weekends, serves seafood dinners. The buzz surrounding this quirky stop even managed to attract the attention of The Washington Post for an article it ran several years ago. Open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Regular admission is $2.50. There is also a hands-on tour available for $8.50, which allows visitors to fill their own 8 oz. honey bear, roll a pair of beeswax candles and make a melted beeswax figurine. Now, that’s sweet. Cottageville is about 40 miles northwest of Charleston. Directions can be found on Bee City’s Web site or by calling the attraction.
Sheldon Ruins Sheldon, S.C. Edward Scissorhands had nothing on this guy. Pearl Fryar has meticulously sculpted trees and vegetation on his three-acre topiary garden and invites the public to marvel at his hedge trimmer-crafted wonders. Born to a family of North Carolina sharecroppers, Fryar had a single goal in mind as he neared retirement from the National Can Company: to win Bishopville’s Garden of the Month Award. Suffice it to say that was the least he accomplished on the green thumb front. The garden, located in a residential neighborhood, has been featured in various magazines and on the Discovery Channel. “I have tours from all over the world,” Fryar said. “As a matter of fact, last week I had a group from Sweden.” Fryar says he is always happy to take people on tours of the garden, or people can come and walk through it themselves. “It takes about an hour to tour the gardens and I explain kind of what I do,” Fryar said. “And they take pictures and everything.” A brief TV interview with Fryar at his garden in 1998 can be viewed at www.wrja.org/mig/1998show.htm (scroll halfway down the page and click on TV icon next to the blurb on him). Fryar said the hours of operation are flexible, adding that any time between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., seven days a week, is fine to tour the garden. However, groups and individuals wanting a guided tour must call in advance, Fryar said. Parking is available in a vacant lot across from Fryar’s house. There is no admission, but Fryar does have a donation box. Bishopville is about 40 miles east of Columbia off I-20. Consult the Web site or call for directions.
One who’s not expecting it is certain to do a doubletake driving past this ruined church consisting of stately brick columns, peering from behind the trees on an otherwise overgrown stretch of road leading to Beaufort. Originally established in the 1700s before the American Revolution, this church had the ill fate of being burned not once, but twice. The first time was by the British Army in 1799. The second time was by General William Tecumseh Sherman’s troops in 1865. And yet, its remains still stand. The church, originally called Sheldon Prince Williams Parish, was named for the British home of its founder, William Bull of Sheldon, born 1683. He is buried at the site. A strange aura surrounds the church, with its tall columns reaching up to nowhere. The surrounding oak trees, with their
unusually elongated, sweeping branches and shadow castings also add to the vibe. However, contrary to what you might expect, ghost stories about this site are hard to come by. Somebody had better get busy. The ruins make for great photographs and have been the subject of various art prints. The site makes for a great stop-off along a day trip to Beaufort or Hunting Island. The Sheldon Ruins, a little more than two hours’ drive from Augusta, are accessed by a small pull-off on Sheldon Church Road, the road connecting Yemassee with Gardens Corner. From Augusta, take U.S. Highway 278 until just after it crosses I-95. A few miles after this, you’ll come to the town of Yemassee. You’ll cross over some railroad tracks and wind around onto Sheldon Church Road. The ruins will be a few miles up on your left. If you reach Gardens Corner, you’ve gone too far. There’s no contact number for the attraction; however, various information about it can be found on the Web.