Raleigh, NC to Columbia, SC and back again

Hey wondering if any peopel in the know can recommend any interesting
stuff to do on this trip...

Next month I fly into Raleigh on the 20th 6pm then i plan to get the
overnight greyhound to
Columbia as I have to be there 6pm on the 21st ...
that way i save a nights accomodation (and yes i have traveled
greyhound before and I am aware of the UNcomfort level lol )

so then I have all day 8am-6pm in Columbia to see whatever there is to
see..
I dont have a car so all travel will have to be by public transport...

Then I planned to get the overnight bus back to Raleigh on the night
of the 21st so again saving a nights accomodation and arriving in
Raleigh, NC early morning on the 22nd
I dont have to be in Raleigh until 6pm 23rd so any other suggestions
on any part of this trip ?

Am i missing any great sights in the area ?

thanks in advance

In article , SNW
wrote:

[...] overnight greyhound to Columbia [...]

so then I have all day 8am-6pm in Columbia to see whatever there is to
see.. I dont have a car so all travel will have to be by public
transport...

Public transportation in Columbia is pretty minimal, but fortunately you
can walk to most anyplace interesting in the central Columbia area if
you're reasonably energetic and don't have to schlep your bags along with
you. You might be able to check them at the Greyhound station for the
day.

Just to give you an idea of where things are, here's a sample walking
tour. The bus station is on Gervais (zhur-vay) Street, which is the main
east-west artery in central Columbia. Head west, and in a bit over a a
half-mile you'll come to the state capitol. Walk around the plaza and
check out the monuments etc., and maybe go inside. There's probably some
kind of security you have to go through to get inside.

Running north from Gervais at the capitol is Main Street. Perhaps walk up
it a ways and then back to Gervais. Main Street was down in the dumps for
a long time, but is starting to come back up again. The new art museum is
on Main, a few blocks north of Gervais.

Back on Gervais, continue west, down the hill towards the river. This
stretch has been redeveloped during the last ten years and is known as the
"Congaree Vista" area. Lots of restaurants and shops. Almost all the way
down to the river, just past Huger (you-gee) Street, about a mile from the
capitol, is the State Museum, a modern science/history museum, if you're
into that sort of thing.

Head back east on Gervais, and just past the capitol (east side of the
capitol plaza), turn right (south) on Sumter Street. In a couple of
blocks you'll be in the University of SC campus. On the left (east) side
of Sumter you'll see a fenced-in area with trees and old buildings. This
is the "Horseshoe", the oldest part of campus. It dates to the early
1800s, and many of the buildings are of that vintage. Nice place to
stroll around.

Just south of the Horseshoe is Greene Street, running east/west. Head
east, and in a bit over a half mile you'll go down a hill, cross a
railroad track, and come to the Five Points area near the intersection of
Greene, Harden and Saluda Streets. This is where USC students have fun.

Head north on Harden, and in a few blocks you'll come back to Gervais.
Turn left (west) and you'll be back at the bus station quickly.

Total distance: about 4-5 miles depending on how far you go along Main
and Gervais.

Oh, I forgot, there's the "historic homes" district, including Woodrow
Wilson's boyhood home. It's about a half mile north of Gervais, between
the bus station and Main Street. To include it on your tour, after you
start down Gervais at the beginning of the tour, turn right (north) on
Barnwell, then west on Hampton. The Wilson house is right on that block,
I think. The other places are a block or two to the north. After
exploring that area, head west on some convenient street, to Main, then
south to Gervais and the capitol.

It's pretty easy to find your way around, most of the streets are in a
regular square grid.

--
Jon Bell Presbyterian College
Dept. of Physics and Computer Science Clinton, South Carolina USA

In article ,
Jon Bell wrote:

Public transportation in Columbia is pretty minimal,

I just remembered that the transit authority runs fake trolleys (the kind
with diesel engines and rubber tires) in a loop that hits most of the high
points of the central area. You can find a map and schedule at their Web
site http://www.gocmrta.com/. You'll need the schedule because they run
only every half hour.

--
Jon Bell Presbyterian College
Dept. of Physics and Computer Science Clinton, South Carolina USA

thanks for the info

I better get in training for this walk !!!