Sometimes, a quick getaway is just what you need. Just 100 miles from Greenville, Columbia is a city on the rise, with new offerings cropping up each season. We’ve created a perfect day trip, and if it’s been a while, you may be pleasantly surprised by this Midlands city.
Allot for an hour and a half drive time; we suggest using Waze for optimal traffic avoidance on I-26.
Breakfast
For the day’s first meal, we have two favorites:
For those feeling only a bit peckish, we recommend The Hideout in West Columbia. Guests will find an art-forward atmosphere bedecked with trails of tree branches and twinkling lights. The shop offers specialty lattes, frappes, smoothies, and small baked goods.
For a heartier breakfast, head just down the road to Cafe Strudel.
Choose Your Columbia Adventure
The South Carolina State Museum and Columbia Museum of Art are always popular, but nature enthusiasts may prefer a more outdoorsy activity like hiking at Sesquicentennial State Park or floating down the Lower Saluda River.
Visitors are free to drop in their floats and explore the Lower Saluda on their own, but carrying a tube can be cumbersome. Rentals are available through Palmetto Outdoor Recreation Center, located at 131 Alexander Road in West Columbia.
Dinner and Post-meal Festivities
For dinner, we like heading back across the river to Main Street. Smoked is a fine-dining experience located in the heart of downtown. It’s helmed by former Hall’s Chophouse executive chef Tim McCloskey. Based on local ingredients, McCloskey’s contemporary American menu isn’t bogged down by an unreasonable price point. The restaurant offers various areas for dining, including an alfresco dining room, speakeasy The Burnline, and Oasis Bar on the back patio.
The downtown eatery maximizes space by also operating as a taproom and microbrewery for Peak Drift Brewing Company. Start off with the seafood trio, which currently features oysters, a lobster tail, and poached shrimp. From there, move back to land and go for the pork chop. “[The pork chop] is bone-in and it’s so tender and delicious,” says David Turner, vice president of marketing and events for LTC Hospitality Group. “It’s everything that you wouldn’t imagine a pork chop to be.”
After dinner, options abound. Oasis Bar often hosts live music and is decked out with covered pergolas, while The Burnline is an ideal spot for a craft cocktail. For a change of scenery, make your way over to Bourbon near the Capitol building, where you’ll find the largest whiskey list in the state.
Stay the Night
If you think you’ll be indulging, plan to stay the night.
The Vestry on Read was formerly a community church before it was renovated and reopened in May 2023. The facility has retained its vaulted ceilings but shed the pews, giving way to a boutique hotel and wedding venue adorned with Art Deco accents. The hotel, with its greenery-filled lounge and five apartment-style rooms, is located in Midtown Columbia at 2439 Read Street.
Find out more about Columbia at experiencecolumbiasc.com.
