Who knew there were TWO Saguaro National Parks – East and West. With limited time, which to visit?

Amazing!  New Mexico fun at White Sands National Monument and the Gila Wilderness Cave Dwellings!

Playing at the Beach?  In Landlocked New Mexico?  White Sands National Monument

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument … How did parents keep kids from falling off the cliff?  Your guess is as good as mine!  🙂

It’s rare to visit a place that’s every bit as awe inspiring as all the hype you’ve read leading up to it.  But Big Bend National Park’s 3 totally different ecosystems, the Chihuahuan Desert, Chisos Mountains and Rio Grande River Oasis ecosystems,  offer the chance to explore and enjoy the dry hot desert, the cool lofty mountains and the lush green river basins all in one day.  Or preferably more!

12 Essentials Before Visiting Big Bend National Park – Know Before You Go is even more critical in such an extreme remote environment!

Top 10 Fun FREE Things to do in Big Bend National Park

Best Campsite in Big Bend National Park

Who knew Carlsbad Caverns and Guadaloupe Mountains National Parks were so close together – one in New Mexico, the other just across the border in Texas!

7 Things to Know Before Visiting Carlsbad Caverns and Guadaloupe Mountains National Parks

An afterthought, Texas Hill Country and San Antonio proved to be more than worthwhile stops as Winter Texans!

Escaping Illinois frozen tundra as “Winter Texans” saw us enjoying our first rodeo, kite flying, discovering where the Rio Grande meets the Gulf & more…

Road Trip! Click “More Information” below to see posts from SD.  I love it when we “accidentally find” somewhere that turns out to rank right up there with the best road trips ever! Custer State Park wasn’t in our original plans, but David wanted to stop by Mt Rushmore – after all, it’s iconic and every American should see it, right?  🙂

The Route West and What We’ll Do Differently Next Time … join us on our monthlong 5,300 mile loop from Illinois to Glacier National Park and points in between!

Custer State Park Campground, South Dakota … the perfect location to explore the Mt Rushmore area.

12 Tips to Spot More Wildlife … after all, isn’t wildlife one of the primary reasons we wandered to South Dakota?

Campground FULL!  What to know to avoid disappointment after a long day’s drive.

On The Road Again! FL through AL, MS & LA, then never-ending TX and on to NM …. join our adventures. Our old Toyota 4 Runner and a 2014 Lance 1685 travel trailer … so many said it couldn’t be done …

Sesquicentennial State Park just north of Columbia, South Carolina was a perfect night’s stop – convenient to the interstate for quick in & out, but an amazingly quiet oasis despite being in the middle of US1 strip center heaven.

Website: Sesquicentennial State Park

Campground/Park Map: Park Map/Campground Information Here

Reservations: For 2 nights or more only, for one night call the local park number below:  Sesqui Reservations

Local Park Telephone Number:  803-788-2706

Campsite #69 Sesquicentennial State Park, Columbia, SC

Showers:  ******  Six stars on the 12 star rating system, hot water, water pressure good, bench outside shower, one hook, wet floor gets negative points, overall, not bad for a state park shower – hot water is always a plus.

Laundry:  No laundry

Scenic Value:  *** Average.    Small park, but pretty, nestled in the hills and towering pine trees by a little lake.  An surprising oasis in the city.

Mosquitos/Bugs:  **** None for the night we camped.

Sesquicentennial State Park Shower & Restroom Facility.

Noise Levels: **** Better than Average.  Very quiet, no noticeable road noise when we were there, but it poured rain all night, so the white noise could have literally drowned it out!

Campsite:  *** Average.  Our site was #69.  84 sites total, a few pull throughs. All with electricity and water.   Some sites were very narrow to back into, ours was fine.  Fairly level, didn’t need leveling blocks.  Shade.

Campsite #69 Sesquicentennial State Park, Columbia, SC

Claustrophobia Quotient **** Better than Average.  Sites were spread out and nicely spaced, a usual advantage of a state park campground.

Access to Essentials: **** Better than Average.  No time to explore, but literally this state park is an oasis right in the middle of a strip mall US highway.

Campsite Price:  $18 (Oct 2014) no state park entry fee.

Have you camped at Sesquicentennial State Park?  Did I miss anything?  Please leave a comment and share!  Cheers!  Jan

Driving from the Outer Banks to Atlanta, we stopped at Fort Yargo State Park, Winder, GA. I’ve developed a new rating scale for campgrounds, which, of course, features SHOWERS, as well as Scenery, Campsite Info, Mosquito/Bug report, Local Essentials and more! Let me know what you think!

Hot Showers! 11 Stars on my 12 Star Rating Shower Rating System! After two weeks in the national park campgrounds with their luxurious cold showers, we were ready! Plus it’s close to the Cedar Island ferry terminal. All good!

Welcome! Join us as we cross the US in search of sunshine! Click “Latest News” above for the latest or click on a red marker for info on that area. Click “More Information” below for more.