Horseshoe Falls

By Laurie Bower Epps

For those that know me, know that I'm a Girl Scout. I've participated with scouts for most of my life. I've even been a leader for all three of my daughter's troops. The oldest took to scouting, but due to custody battles, she wasn't able to attend things like sleepover camp due to a custody exchange or whatever. My middle child, instead chose dancing over Girl Scouts, and was a student of ballet for more than twelve years. My youngest, however, took it to a whole 'nother level! By the end of her first year, Chloe had more patches than both of her sisters combined spanning four years of scouting total. My Chloe is very into scouting as I was when I was a girl.

Why I'm telling you all this, is my youngest was at sleepaway camp for a week this summer, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to set out on an adventure. After picking her up from camp, we found a roadside barbeque place that just called to me. As we ate our lunch/dinner, we discussed options of a good stopping place on the way home. First, we considered the beach only to find it much further than we thought. Chloe agreed to see an historic mill halfway home as a concession since she just wanted to go home.

Musgrove Mill

Sunflowers Over Clemson

By Laurie Bower Epps

My affinity for sunflowers began as a lover of art. Very influenced by the Impressionists in my own painting, I loved the cheerful look of the sunflower as depicted by Van Gogh and Monet. I had hoped to see the famous fields that Monet recreated in some of his paintings while I was in France, but alas, I did not. 

My first experience witnessing them in the wild was while I was working as a tour guide for Lombardi's Ranch just north of Los Angeles in the quaint little suburb of Santa Clarita. They had massive display of them near Halloween called Scarecrow Alley, where local groups would stage scenes of everything from favorite movies to television shows. These groups would participate for prizes too, and mostly, it was just a lot of fun. 

Since moving to the upstate of South Carolina 11 years ago, about mid-summer, they can be viewed in the controlled wild in almost any direction of my home. I've come to look forward to seeing them every year, and I hope my first attempt of photographing with them will be inspiring and cheerful for all of you.

Traveler's Rest in Toccoa, GA

By Laurie Bower Epps

Since my week off from work proved to be really hot and uneventful, my youngest and I set off on an adventure. Not to be confused with Traveler's Rest in South Carolina, instead this is a homestead in the Northern Georgia mountains. Throughout its history, Traveler's Rest served as a post office, an inn, and even a makeshift hospital. Evidence of this is throughout the property.

Just to share with my readers, although I live in South Carolina, I actually live quite a bit closer to many points in Georgia than in my own state. Anderson is very close to the border, and this frontier home in Toccoa was only about a 45 minutes drive total.