Colulmbia, South Carolina

Columbia is the capital of South Carolina.  We stayed there for a couple of days at Sesquicentennial State Park.  This is the kind of facility where families spend a week or a few days enjoying the outdoors in a woodsy setting by a lake.  Kids running around, campfires in fire pits, meat being burned on grills - it was a different vibe from most of the RV parks we've visited.

We asked a couple of campers who live in Columbia what there is to do in the city.  They both answered, "Nothing". We were pretty sure this wouldn't be a visit full of thrills and chills.

But we like state capitols (Spelled with an "o", it's the building) and visited the one in Columbia.  The external architecture was not exceptional but the interior was quite beautiful.  Sitting in the balcony overlooking the House of Representatives, we were impressed with how boring the day-to-day work of state politics can be.

There were a large number of gentlemen and ladies, all beautifully dressed, in the rooms outside the legislative chambers.  We asked at the information desk and it turned out that these were all lobbyists.  Depressing.  What a way to run a state (and country, for that matter).

We pulled into our next destination, Asheville, North Carolina, yesterday.  On our maiden motorhome voyage around the country six years ago Asheville was one of our very favorite cities - one that we would seriously consider moving to.  So we intend to spend a week here investigating its charms and ferreting out its shortcomings.  It's at an elevation of just over 2000 feet, which isn't a lot, but it's cooler than the rest of the South all year round,  It was certainly chilly last night - getting down almost to freezing - and was a definite change from the hot, muggy weather we've experienced the past month in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.  And this is mountain scenery, which we love.  The landscapes speak to us, although this is not the prettiest time of the year, since its deciduous trees have lost their leaves.  I'm sure it will be even lovelier later this spring, when all the trees are green, and magnificent in the autumn, when the leaves show their best fall colors.