June Roadtrip, Day 2, Yard Art, and a Nuke

 Day 2

Wednesday, June 2

     One of the reasons I stayed at the Holiday Inn was its location.  It’s just a couple of blocks from the city’s River Walk.  During my last visit, I settled in by the boat ramp on the southern end.  Coffee in hand, I watched a mostly pink and orange sunrise reflecting off the Savannah River.  

      With the overcast skies of impending rain, it was mostly different shades of blue and gray.  No complaints though.

     The first stop of the day was just across the river in Aiken, SC.  My friend Jen had recently moved back to the area and we met for coffee, spending most of an hour catching up and telling stories.  

     Interstate 20 took me east towards Columbia, SC.  That’s where I took a short detour to the town of Cayce(pr: KAY-see).  I was here to check out the yard art of John Sharpe.  As a Star Wars fan, how could I pass it up.  However, I would leave feeling quite underwhelmed.

     Back in I-20 East, my next stop was the town of Bishopville.  That’s where you’ll find Pearl Fryar.  When he moved here in 1981, Fryar didn’t have much interest in creating art.  He said,” I never had a garden, never owned a house, never done anything like this.”  When he moved here, he found himself with a little free time and “started cutting up bushes.” 

     What started out as a hobby soon got noticed.  In 2014, National Geographic  came out and profiled him.  In 2006, Oprah's network made a documentary.  You can watch the trailer here.  

     The Topiary garden is really easy to find.  From the Bishopville exit, simply head north.  Just past the seemingly obligatory gas stations, there's a sign on the right.  There's another on the left at the turn.  Driving up, you really can't miss it.  

     Cut out of the lawn, "Love, Peace and Goodwill"

     I got off the interstate in the town of Florence.  But first, I had to find a certain historical marker.  In 1956, a U.S. Air Force B-47 was conducting a nuclear weapon training mission.  Flying over area known as Mars Bluff, the pilot accidently released the bomb.  

      Every source, including the marker, all said the same thing.  While the nuclear part of the bomb wasn’t armed and didn’t go off, the high explosive in the bomb did, creating a crater fifty-five feet deep and seventy feet across.  

     Here’s the thing, I found enough stories about the bomb for it to be legit.  Roadsideamerica showed me a map and gave an address.  I found the street.  I found the address.  But, no marker.

    Atlasobscura mentioned Crater Road.  I found the road, but it seemed no more than a dirt driveway to a warehouse.  

     I gave up and just started the drive to Southport, my home for the next few nights.  The promised rain began in earnest, at times it was so heavy it drowned out the voice on the GPS.  

     Then suddenly, just like that, it stopped.  That’s when I passed Makai Brewing Company.  So, I stopped.  Their Irish Stout was pretty flat and uninspiring.  So, I tried a Mango Reef Blonde Ale instead.  The smell of mango was stronger than the taste, and I really liked it.  

    About half way through, someone commented about the sudden, heavy rain outside.  There was an audible “Oh S–t” and a woman went running out the door.  On a day like today, it seemed pretty dopey to have left the top down on your convertible in the first place.

      My home for the next few nights was the Southport, NC Wingate.  I would have preferred to be somewhat closer to the action, but no complaints.

     As the day waned, the sky finally cleared, at least a very small corner.