Benjamin Simon covers arts and entertainment The Post and Courier in Greenville. He previously worked for the Riverfront Times in St. Louis and served in Report for America.
If you're talking about unusual South Carolina attractions, there may not be a better -- or more visible -- example than the Gaffney Peachoid.
The 135-foot-tall water tower, built like a peach, rises over busy Interstate 85 for anyone traveling between Atlanta and Charlotte to see.
Not ringing a bell?
You may have seen it in the popular, Emmy-winning TV show, "House of Cards." You may have also noticed that it looks like a, uh, butt.
But the peach/butt/water tower is more than just a joke for people watching Netflix.
It has become a landmark of South Carolina and Gaffney, a small town of 12,000 people that could otherwise be another name on green highway signs.
"I think it's helped with economic development. A small town like Gaffney -- we're not a Greenville," said Donnie Hardin, general manager of Gaffney Public Works. He added "it's the best advertisement Cherokee County and Gaffney has gotten on a major highway."
The Peachoid is just one example. There are countless beautifully weird, uncommon, only-in-South Carolina-type attractions across the entire state.
They tell a nuanced slice of the state's history that you won't find anywhere else, whether it's an atomic bomb dropped in Florence County or an abandoned rail road tunnel where Clemson University once grew blue cheese.
If you want to see something different from touristy spots like Greenville's Falls Park or Charleston's City Market, make sure you check out these places, too.
Hurricane Wire Why is the Coburg Cow Charleston's storm meter? A little history on Bessie. By Kalyn Oyer [email protected] Pearl Fryar's Topiary Garden
What: Ever seen the extravagant gardens at Biltmore in Asheville? Well, imagine that -- but in a Bishopville backyard.
Back in the 1970s, White neighbors blocked Pearl Fryar, a Black man, from living in Bishopville city limits because they thought he wouldn't maintain his yard.
He set out to prove them wrong. For the past three decades, the retired soda-can factory worker has turned his home into a world-class sculpture park made from trees and shrubs. He has become a mini-national sensation, earning features in the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, HGTV and even got his own documentary.
Where: 145 Broad Acres Road, Bishopville.
More info: gardenconservancy.org
Mars Bluff Crater
What: In 1958, an atomic bomb was dropped in the middle of a farm in rural Florence County. No, that's not a fable.
It was an accident and, luckily, unarmed. Seven decades later, there's still a hole reminding people of the near-tragedy that could have destroyed Florence.
Where: 4776 Lucius Circle, Florence
More info: flocomuseum.org
Pee Dee News An A-bomb was accidentally dropped on South Carolina years ago. Is the site worth saving? By Seth Taylor [email protected] Nostalgic Station
What: Walk into this retro gas station in Laurens and you'll think you've traveled back decades. In this renovated gas station from 1930, you'll see bright-red retro booths, an Elvis Pressley mannequin, a jukebox, Sunoco motor oil cans, gas pumps from 1948 and a parking lot filled with old-school cars driven by community members.
Where: 1110 W Main St., Laurens
More info: discoversouthcarolina.com
Carhartt Mansion Ruins
What: Hidden in the woods behind the Riverwalk in Rock Hill, you will find stone.
It's the remnants of the Carhartt mansion, dressed in ivy and leaves. Yes, that Carhartt -- the clothing brand that you see everywhere. Its founder, Hamilton Carhartt, owned mills in Rock Hill and built a mansion next to the Catawba River. But after he died in 1937, the house fell into disrepair and was never restored. You can find what's left of the grand structure for yourself.
Where: Rock Hill near the Catawba River, behind the Criterium Course
More info: atlasobscura.com
To-edit A night inside the competitive world of pillow fighting in Rock Hill By Benjamin Simon [email protected] Gaffney Peachoid
What: The 135-foot-tall water tower in Gaffney has gained national attention for being a highly visible landmark on I-85. It's painted as a peach, but it's also the "butt of jokes," too. Just ask "House of Cards."
Where: Peachoid Road, Gaffney
More info: scpictureproject.org
Coburg Cow
What: In Charleston, you don't need a weatherman to tell you about an incoming hurricane. Look no farther than a life-sized, fiberglass cow next to a strip mall.
When a major storm rolls through the Lowcountry, people turn to the Coburg Cow for help. If she's taken down from her 10-foot high platform, it's a sign of bad things to come. If she stays up, there's no need to worry.
Located on the site of the old Coburg dairy farm since 1959, the cow has become a local relic with a popular social media page.
Where: 901 Savannah Highway, Charleston
More info: facebook.com
Stumphouse Mountain Tunnel
What: This tunnel in Oconee County is riddled with history. Here's a list:
It was first designed as a railroad in 1850s -- a rare railroad through a mountain back then -- but it was never finished. The major transportation line could have changed the entire landscape of the Upstate at the time, said Jennifer Moss, director/curator at the Oconee History Museum.The tunnel maintains a temperature around 50 degrees -- regardless of the season.Clemson University later grew blue cheese in the tunnel.Now, the quarter-mile tunnel is an important attraction near Issaqueena Falls that brings tourists from near and far. Some might even say it's haunted. Who knows?
Where: Stumphouse Tunnel Road, Walhalla
More info: visitoconeesc.com
Button Museum
What: Dalton Stevens couldn't sleep. So, he made a button museum. Starting in 1983, Stevens amassed an enormous collection of hundreds of thousands of buttons and became known as "The Button King." He has been featured on CNN, "The Tonight Show" with Jimmy Carson and David Letterman.
Now there's a museum, where you'll find everything you could possibly cover in buttons -- a car, piano, mannequin, casket and even a toilet. Stevens passed away in 2016, but his son keeps the museum up and running.
Where: 53 Joe Dority Road, Bishopville.
More info: peedeetourism.com