Upstate versus the Lowcountry: What’s the difference?

Upstate versus the Lowcountry: What’s the difference?

Rebecca Holmes, Staff Writer

Have you ever visited the Lowcountry? If you have then you know there are a ton of things there that we definitely don’t have here in the Upstate. Below I’ve highlighted a few differences between the two such as the cuisine, the tourist locations and the wildlife.

Cuisine:

Lowcountry

• Catfish stew

• Frogmore Stew

• Shrimp and grits

• Shrimp Kedgeree

• Crab cake

• Rice

• Charleston Red Rice

Upstate

• Fried Chicken

• Pizza

• Burgers and Fries

• Country Ham

• Chicken and Waffles

• Tacos

• Cheese Grits

Tourist Locations:

Lowcountry

Charleston’s Historic District

More than 1400 historic homes, churches and other buildings are located along the street. You can see the incredible scenery by taking a carriage ride that will give you a sense of the rich history of Charleston. You can tour several historic homes, including the Aiken-Rhett House and the Nathaniel Russell House, or go see exhibits at the Exchange Building and Old Slave Mart Museum. You may also get a glimpse of the Charleston City Market where you can watch basket ladies weave sweetgrass baskets.

Fort Sumter and Charleston Harbor

You can visit the island and the well-preserved ruins of the fort by boat from the Visitor Education Center at Liberty Square, or from Patriots Point. You can also get good views of the fort from a 90-minute tour on a sightseeing boat that takes you along the Cooper River to Fort Sumter National Monument. You may also see some of the other forts, the Civil War prison at Pinckney Castle, the USS Yorktown and the Ravenel Bridge.

Upstate

Falls Park

Adjacent to downtown Greenville, SC, this park is located right in the historic West End district. It’s considered the birthplace of Greenville. It is a beautiful 32-acre park full of green scenery, fascinating bridges and breathtaking waterfalls.

Swamp Rabbit Trail

Beginning at Greenville Technical College, crossing the city of Greenville, proceeding through Falls Park and the campus of Furman University, and ending a mile into Travelers Rest. It’s built on what used to be a railroad that was nicknamed after the indigenous swamp rabbit.

Wildlife:

Lowcountry

• Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins

• Marsh Tacky Horse

• Alligators

• Loggerhead Sea Turtles

• Green Anole

• Waterfowl

Upstate

• Opossum

• Raccoon

• Turkey

• Beavers

• Black Bears

• Coyote

• Deer