Tag: travel

Best Vacation Spots

By: Logan Mims

              Jackson Hole, Wyoming 

   Number 3 on my top 5 favorite places I have visited is Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Jackson Hole was absolutely beautiful. Every direction almost looked as if you were looking at a painting. There were a lot of mountains and trees and the snow on top of the mountain almost looked fake. I was just remarkable. 

   I think Jackson Hole, Wyoming would be a good place to visit because there were just so many different activities and attractions. You can go horseback riding, visit YellowStone National Park, hiking,  white water raft, and so many more different activities and adventures. 

   My favorite thing I did while my family and I were in Jackson Hole was when we went to Yellowstone National Park. We went for a full day and we had a tour guide to show us the most popular spots and give us some interesting facts about the park. We went hiking and learned about some really beautiful lakes. We also saw a lot of different animals like bison, elk, bears, moose, and different kinds of birds. It was so cool to see all of these different animals and attractions because it is all so different compared to the south. 

   Another one of my favorite activities was horseback riding. It was not just normal horseback riding, the horses took us on a trail up the mountain. The view was so amazing and nothing like I had ever seen before. It was just such a unique experience and it was so much fun. 

   My last activity was white water rafting. White water rafting is one of my favorite things to do, and getting to white water raft in Wyoming was so awesome. The lake we were white water rafting on was surrounded by mountains and trees so not only did I get the fun experience of white water rafting I also got to look at an amazing view while doing it! 

Top Vacation Spots: Banff

By: Logan Mims

Number 2 out of the top 5 places I have vacationed would have to be Banff, Canada! Banff was without a doubt the most beautiful place I have ever gone on vacation to. It was just so beautiful and so different from what I am used to. The weather was cool, and there was always a slight breeze. We went during the summer so there was no snow, so the weather was cold but not too cold: it was perfect. Not only was the weather perfect but the views were unbelievable. Everything was just so beautiful. 

One of my all time favorite things that we did in Banff was when we went to visit Lake Louise and Lake Morain. The view was like nothing I had ever seen before. The easter was crystal clear and was slightly blue and they were surrounded by trees and mountains. At Lake Louise, you could also hike up what mountain so you could see the lake from a taller view so that was really fun.  

Another fun activity that we did was the raft tour. We were in one of the blow up boats that are used for white water rafting, but the water was calm. We went down a river and we had a guide who would tell us about all the different mountains and different sites surrounding us. Not only was it informational, but it was just an amazing experience because the view was remarkable.

My last favorite thing that we did was exploring downtown. We rented bikes for the day and we rode around downtown and went to all the different stores. It was very interesting to see the difference in the stores compared to how they are in the United States. We also ate at some really delicious restaurants. Banff was so amazing and I would definitely recommend taking a visit. 

Vacation Spots: Exuma

By Logan Mims

Number 1 out of the top 5 places I have vacationed is Exuma, Bahamas. I went during April 2022 and it was absolutely beautiful. The water was so clear and the weather was just perfect. There was always such a nice breeze. We stayed in a house on the beach that had a pool. I could not have asked for the house to be at a better spot! 

There were so many different activities you could choose from. We swam with sharks and sea turtles, snorkeled, ate at so many delicious restaurants, and chartered a boat. My top 3 favorites were swimming with sharks, chartering a boat, and snorkeling. 

Swimming with sharks was just so thrilling! The sharks we swam with were sand sharks, so they are not known to bite, so it was pretty safe. Even though it was said to be safe, it was still very nerve racking. 

The next activity is the boat. Our guides were Captain Sugar and his first mate Kenny. They just make the experience so much better. They were locals so they knew where all the hot spots were. They would take us to this place called the Chat and Chill. It had a beach volleyball court, hammocks, picnic tables, and a place to get food and it was also on the beach. We went there almost everyday with Kenny and Sugar. They also took us to caves we could swim in and really tall rocks to jump off of into the water. It was just such an amazing experience overall! 

The last activity was snorkeling. We could snorkel outside of our house because there was a reef which was really cool! Kenny and Sugar also took us to some really awesome spots. I found so many big shells and multi-colored fish. It was nothing like I had ever seen before. Overall I would rate Exuma a 10/10!!

Rating Golf Courses: Lakewood

By: Milling Galloway

The Links at Lakewood is a golf course located in Sumter, South Carolina. I will be giving my full opinion and rating of this course. Many people play this golf course. I have played this golf course many times as well. It stands out to me with its beautiful scenery. Even though it has great views, the courses does not stay in great condition. The greens at Lakewood are very friendly toward the golfers and have a nice calm tempo. The fairways are where this course does not shine. The grass most of the time is not cut and many times there are obstacles in the fairways. The hole that I want to highlight is the 13th. This in my opinion is the hardest hole in the course, you have to hit a good shot over the lake. The distance is around 100 to 150 yards, depending on what Tee Box you play from. The thing that stands out about this whole is the scenery. When you first step on the Tee Box, you see the vast Lake all around you. When you step onto the green, you also only see the vast Lake around you. When you play at this course it is clear to see that this is a beginner’s course, for people who enjoy playing golf. I am new to golf,  so playing this course is a great way to get better. If you are an advanced player, then this course is not for you. On a scale, I will rate this course a 6.5 out of 10. To me, Lakewood is not a top-tier golf course. Yes, I would play this course for fun, but if I could go to another golf course I would. To conclude, I like the golf course, but its just not a high value golf course.

Why Driving 378 Everyday is a Nightmare!

By: Joseph Bauman

Living far away from Sumter and school has many downsides, but nothing is worse than making the drive to Sumter and back everyday. Something must be clearly wrong with driving classes because no one can drive on an open road. I’m not going to act perfect and say I always drive like how the law expects me to, but I can not fathom the reasons people drive like they do. In November, I had to stop in a long line of traffic because some person was going twenty mph on their tractor on a main road resulting in the entire left lane being backed up. In December of last year, somebody was going so fast that they almost caused two accidents within three minutes, still not slowing down after both. Even worse than the drivers is the road itself, because it is littered with bumps and holes that make every drive bumpy and overall unpleasant. Going over the bridge to go into Columbia is worse because people are racing each other to be in the left lane ahead of others even if there is only one person in the lane. People are incapable of driving regularly, regardless of traffic and weather conditions.

Blake’s Food Review-Yucatán

 By: Blake Van Patten

Week one of Blake’s food reviews, we will be looking at a popular Sumter spot Yucatán. Yucatán has many positive aspects. This is a place that isn’t somewhere where you can eat multiple times a week, but a place I crave at least three times a month. It’s a quick and easy spot for me and my friends or even my family after church. They have many choices of Mexican food. Normally, I get a chicken and cheese quesadilla or cheesesteak burrito. Not only is the food good but the service is great. I’ve never had a rude server and they normally get my order right. The food is always out ASAP. One of the biggest positives of Yucatán is that it is cheap. Yucatán has reasonable prices and normally I pay around $10. Yucatán also has a good location because it is right by Tj Maxx and five below. This offers the opportunity for my friends and I to be able to walk there after we eat if we are bored. Overall I give Yucatan an 8/10.