South Carolina is known for its wide range of scenic attractions, from seacoast to mountains; its depth of history; and its traditional Southern charm. It is a small state, ranking only 40th in size; yet it packs a lot within its 30,000 square miles. The seacoast is renowned and popular, stretching from charming Beaufort at one corner of the state to vibrant Myrtle Beach at the other. From the coast, the land rises slowly through a region of moss-covered oaks and small towns, to the higher piedmont and the capital of Columbia; then the hilly Upstate region and the bustling cities of Greenville and Spartanburg; and finally, the Blue Ridge Mountains along the border with neighboring North Carolina. In history, South Carolina looms quite a bit larger. It was one of the original thirteen British colonies, named for King Charles I, and later was the first state to secede from the Union in 1860. Ft. Sumter, site of the first action in the Civil War, is still a popular tourist attraction. [Less...]