Hey, friends! I promise I’m going to get back to posting more than just day trips soon! I was doing so good at posting regularly, but as we’ve been preparing for Benjamin to head back to work (which is a whole different blog post!), I’ve been having to find my new groove and figuring out how to best fit everything I want to do in. I’m so glad you are here, though, for a day trip to Ridge Spring, SC!

A Bit About Me

If you are new around here, hi! I’m so glad you have found my corner of the internets! 🙂 I’m Sharlie, a wife to my handsome fella and mom to six (yep, SIX) kiddos. You can find me sharing our day-to-day life over on Instagram at The Front Porch Farmhouse. I love Jesus, home decor, history documentaries, and antiques. Our family lives in a small town called Donalds in Upstate South Carolina.

I like to go on these day trips to local small towns to explore. I’ve been doing these trips every week (almost always Fridays) since May 2020 and I really have a new appreciation for small business owners. My oldest daughter, Pressley, joins me and Baby Miller (almost five months). With Benjamin going back to work soon, I’m not sure what the future holds for my day trips, but I’m very thankful to have had these special memories with Pressley.

Let’s Enjoy a Day Trip to Ridge Spring, SC

I had never heard of Ridge Spring until someone left a comment on one of the blog posts, recommending it. A quick google search made it clear this was a place I needed to visit! Ridge Spring is about an hour and twenty minute drive for us. As we drove into town, it reminded me a lot of some of the small downtowns local to me…except one thing. This little downtown has invested in itself. While the main road and store fronts weren’t as large as some others I’ve visited, you can easily see that this town takes pride in itself.

I immediately spotted the parking area and took in the clean, manicured grounds. Ridge Spring was intentional in making sure people had a place to hang out. There was a covered eating area. There were picnic tables and swings. I saw families hanging out and a lady walking her dog. It’s a place you feel comfortable being with your friends and/ or family.

Dare I say, it’s the closest I’ve had to that Mayberry type feeling of any downtown I’ve visited?

Haley Bee Boutique

I’ve always been more into antique stores than any other kind of store, but I’ve really gained an appreciation for these small town boutiques. Every time I visit one, I realize that these are the places we need to be buying our clothes from! They have the cutest stuff and normally at really good prices! Haley Bee Boutique had outfits for our state’s football teams, both Clemson and South Carolina. There were baby gifts and jewelry. I’ve decided these are the places I want to buy gifts from. My money spent directly goes to help someone that is working hard to achieve their dreams–owning their own business.

Anyone Love Antiques?

Okay, y’all know I love my antique stores. Ridge Spring has four of them. Eeeek! I was in my own little heaven! Each have their own unique vibe. Ridge Antiques has lots of true antiques, including a beautiful chippy farmhouse table. 23 Mercantile was a mixture of antique and vintage items, home decor, and gift ideas. The Rabbit Box was also a little bit of everything store, ranging from gift ideas, home decor items, and some vintage pieces. Finally, Stuff & Things has a thrift store feel of tons of different items just waiting to be searched through to find the perfect treasure.

Lunchtime in Ridge Spring

I have a love/hate moment when it comes time to decide where to eat at lunch in these amazing towns. Being an outsider, I’m never really sure the best place to eat and I totally experience FOMO (fear of missing out). There were a few options, but ultimately we decided on Juniper because it was recommended by a blog reader.

Juniper is a farm to table restaurant. They were only offering to go and curbside so we headed in and placed our order. The staff was friendly and I watched as they constantly wiped down doorknobs and counters. I ordered the special for the day: Shrimp and Grits. Pressley ordered a Ham and Swiss sandwich with potato salad. The food was definitely delicious. We opted to eat it in the car because the gnats in South Carolina were something fierce that day.

I want to give a mention the The Blue Canoe here as well because I simply LOVE their building. I love old farmhouses, but I also have a special place in my heart for Roman and Grecian architecture and the columns here were just amazing. They also had outdoor seating in the cutest little alley way. Plus, they serve Blue Bell ice cream so I know they are good people. *wink wink*

Time to Head Home

There are always places I miss on these trips. Sometimes it’s due to time, a fussy baby, or I just plain ole don’t know about them. Please let us and our readers know what I missed out on in the comments. Thank you so much, Ridge Spring. We enjoyed a day trip to Ridge Spring, SC so much. I have to say, your town and the shop owners were perhaps the friendliest of any I’ve visited.

Looking for more places to take a day trip?

Did you enjoy this day trip to Ridge Spring, SC? Check out our Batesburg-Leesville, Edgefield, Abbeville, or Greer visits.