The Ashtabula plantation house in Pendleton, S.C., is open to visitors year-round.

This blue spotted ray is part of the new Madagascar Journey exhibit at the S.C. Aquarium.

Geckos are some of the fascinating creatures at the new Madagascar exhibit.

These lemurs, part of family group that includes a father and two sons, are the centerpiece of the new Madagascar exhibit.

Cyclists speed around the track at the Giordana Velodrome in Rock Hill.

The new Giordana Velodrome in Rock Hill is one of only 20 velodromes in the country, with the closest tracks in Atlanta and Trexlertown, Pa.

League racing will start on Thursday and Friday evenings in mid-May at the
Giordana Velodrome, offering families a chance to watch some of the country's best track cyclists for free.

The 250-meter cement track at the Giordana Velodrome features at 42.5-degree bank.

The legendary steeplechase champion, Lonesome Glory, greets visitors at the National Steeplechase Museum.

The National Steeplechase Museum, on the grounds of the Springdale Race Course in Camden, is a must-visit for horse lovers.

A colorful display of riders' silks line the wall inside the National Steeplechase Museum.

Displays inside the museum give visitors a feel for the sport of steeplechase horse racing.

The Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site is a great spot for a stroll and a picnic -- and to soak in some history.

The Palisade Wall at the Revolutionary War Sit is a partial reconstruction of the wall the British forces during their occupation of Camden in 1780-81.

The Camden Revolutionary War Site offers more than 100 acres to explore.

A Revolutionary War era cannon is on display at the entrance to the Anderson County Museum.

The one-room school on the grounds of the Anderson County Museum is typical of the type of schools common throughout the county in the late 1800s. They had potbelly stoves for heat, natural light for illumination, and children of all grades were taught in the same room at the same time.

Miss Janie Frierson opened her one-room school in Anderson County in the late 1880s. It was moved to the grounds of the Anderson County Museum in 2009.

The Winyah Bay Heritage Festival in Georgetown features a dog dock jumping competition.

The dog jumping competition is open to all dogs, any breeds.

Youth duck-calling clinics will be held March 4-5.

Sophie is one of several Great Pyrenees who keep a watch over the herd.

Split Creek Farm's certified goat herd produces all the milk used for its cheese and fudge.

About 350 goats live at Split Creek Farms, with many of them milked twice a day.

Goat milk fudge -- plain, peanut butter and other flavors -- is available for tasting and for sale. It's $5 for a rich, 4-ounce piece.

Split Creek Farm became a commercial Grade A goat dairy in 1985. A small-scale cheese operation started in 1988.

Other animals on Split Creek Farm include roosters and chickens, rabbits, pigs and horses.

The walls at the Clemson Skin's are covered in Tigers memorabilia.

Your only decision when ordering at Skins'? How many, and what do you want on your hot dog. (You can get hot sauce, cheese, mustard, ketchup, mayo, onions or chili.)

You don't have to wonder where this Skins' is located -- 139 Anderson Hwy. in Clemson.

Even when the temperature drops, the shoreline is a perfect place for a stroll.

A sign reminds Folly Beach visitors to “Respect the Beach.”

The Folly Beach pier is 24 feet wide and extends more than 1,045 feet into the Atlantic Ocean. It’s the perfect spot for fishing, walking, birding or photographing the beach.

South Carolina has two minor league hockey teams, and both are great family outings. The S.C. Stingrays (above) play in North Charleston. The Road Warriors play in downtown Greenville.

Playground equipment at Brittlebank Park in Charleston next to Joe Riley baseball park.

A pier and boat ramp at Brittlebank Park juts into the Ashley River, offering a spectacular view of wildlife and marshland.

Live oaks and Spanish moss add to the beauty of the landscape at Charles Towne Landing.

Climb aboard the Adventure, a reproduction of a 17th century sailing ship.

The animal forest features species that were common in the Lowcountry in the 1670s, including bison.

Outside the indentured servants' quarters, you can try your hand at old-time bowling.

A replica of the indentured servants' quarters offers a chance to see what living arrangements were like for early settlers.

Charles Towne Landing offers spectacular views of the marsh and rivers surrounding the city of Charleston.

A tall wooden sculpture of a Native American stands just before the entrance to the Animal Forest.

The massive Angel Oak tree can be found off Main Road in Johns Island on the way to Kiawah Island.

It's free to visit the Angel Oak, but signs warn visitors not to climb on the limbs or carve the tree.

The Angel Oak offers a perfect backdrop for family photos.

The perfect taste of the South at Jestine's Kitchen in Charleston -- fried chicken, green beans and mac and cheese.

The Francis Beidler Forest has a nice boardwalk for exploring.

Family Travel Insider Megan Sexton's Christmas tree standing tall and steady.

Decorate your tree with ornaments from all your South Carolina travels.

The 50-foot climbing wall is the tallest in the Lowcountry.

Billed as the South's grandest Christmas show, Alabama Theatre brings together talent, scenery and special effects in its annual holiday extravaganza.

The park and waterfalls along the Reedy River offer a perfect place to relax and enjoy the scenery in the middle of downtown

Greenville is a great walking city, but if you want a ride, hop aboard one of the free trolleys that make stops all over the downtown areal, including at Flour Field, where the Greenville Drive play.

Mice on Main takes kids on a hunt through downtown to find bronze mice.

During a visit to the Children's Museum of the Upstate, be sure to allow plenty of time for climbing and sliding on the Kaleidoscope Climber, a multi-story attraction for kids of all ages.

The Bi-Lo Market is a hit with the younger set at the Children's Museum of the Upstate. Kids can shop the play grocery store and then check out their merchandise.

The floor of Joe Jackson's home welcomes visitors to the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum, just across from Fluor Field.

The Colonial Cup steeplechase is Nov. 19 at Springdale Race Course in Camden.

Conway's "Terror Under the Bridge" is a Halloween tradition. And, you can get scared for a good cause.

The S.C. State Fair runs through Oct. 23 at the fairgrounds in Columbia.

The S.C. State Farmers Market is filled with pumpkins of all sorts and sizes this month.

You can find whatever kind of pumpkin you need at the S.C. State Farmers Market.

Family Travel Insider Megan Sexton gets lost in the Silly Stalks corn maze.

Family Travel Insider Megan Sexton and friends take a hayride at the Silly Stalks corn maze.

A scarecrow greets visitors at the Silly Stalks corn maze.

Silly Stalks has goats, horses and more for your family to experience on a fall trip to the farm.

Hayrides are a staple at farms in the fall. And on Halloween, Silly Stalks will have a haunted hayride.

The Newberry Opera House offers a full schedule of performances this fall, including several must-see shows for families.

The Children's Museum of the Upstate is a great place to visit with children of all ages.

Calvin is the newest member of Riverbanks Zoo's giraffe herd. He was born July 27 and now hangs out Lennard, who was born at Riverbanks July 11. See them and the rest of the eight-member herd at the zoo's giraffe overlook.

One of the three Amur leopard cubs living at the Greenville Zoo.

Three Amur leopard cubs are the newest residents of the Greenville Zoo. The Amur leopard is one of the world's most endangered large cats

The Greenville Zoo created a habitat for their new guests, with plenty of space and climbing structures for the large cats.

Volunteers with South Carolina United Turtle Enthusiasts check a nest in the dunes on the north end of Pawleys Island, looking for baby loggerhead turtle hatchlings.

Families watch as turtles make their way to the sea. The Loggerhead sea turtles hatch after 6-8 weeks in a nest on the dunes.

Along the north end of Pawleys Island, visitors watch two 3-day-old Loggerheads journey to the ocean.Turtles nest along the South Carolina coast from May through October.

A baby Loggerhead sea turtle makes its way to the surf.

South Carolina is home to four minor league baseball teams, so chances are there's always a game being played somewhere. This splashy guy is announcing a Myrtle Beach Pelicans game.

BB&T Coastal Field is the home of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. The stadium is across the street from the Broadway at the Beach entertainment complex.

Fluor Field in Greenville is built to resemble Boston's Fenway Park, complete with a mini Green Monster wall in left field.

A playground in Greenville's left field offers a chance for the little ones to get in on the action.

A store at Greenville's Fluor Field offers the chance to bring home a souvenir from your night at the ballpark.

A replica of Shoeless Joe Jackson swings the bat at the Shoeless Joe Jackson museum in Greenville.

Myrtle Beach's newest attraction, WonderWorks, is an amusement park for your mind.

Everybody loves bubbles -- especially little kids who get the chance to make really big bubbles at WonderWorks.

Try your feet at music on this giant piano at WonderWorks in Myrtle Beach.

WonderWorks stands out on the edge of Broadway at the Beach, a shopping, dining and entertainment complex in Myrtle Beach.

Fort Sumter, which sits in Charleston Harbor, is a great day trip with kids. The fort is accessible only by boat.

Riverbanks Zoo Adventure Tours takes people behind the scenes at the zoo's gecko breeding program, one of the most successful in the country.

These adverture tours at Riverbanks Zoo let people see creatures they can only see in Madagascar.

Adventure Tours at Riverbanks Zoo are a great way to see behind-the-scenes action at one of the country's best zoos.

Myrtle Beach's wide sandy shores and fun family attractions make it the top choice for Trip Advisor's Best Beach in the U.S. 

The Grand Strand's beautiful beaches are a playground for children and families.

The North Charleston and American La France Fire Museum houses a collection of fire trucks going back as far as 1785. Photo courtesy of the Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Dock diving is gaining in popularity around the country. At the Winyah Bay Heritage Festival, contestants can enter their dogs in the competition or watch the pros in action

Dogs jump from the dock into the water in this growing sport.

Some dogs can leap big distances in the dock diving competition and exhibition.

Children and adults compete in a duck calling competition

Get in the holiday spirit at the Christmas on Ice show at the
Palace Theatre in Myrtle Beach. Skaters, dancers, singers and a comedian
delight audiences with both holiday standards and new songs. The Palace
is in the Broadway at the Beach shopping and entertainment complex.
 

Get in the holiday spirit at the Christmas on Ice show at the Palace Theatre in Myrtle Beach. Skaters, dancers, singers and a comedian delight audiences with both holiday standards and new songs. The Palace is in the Broadway at the Beach shopping and entertainment complex.

Get in the holiday spirit at the Christmas on Ice show at the Palace Theatre in Myrtle Beach. Skaters, dancers, singers and a comedian delight audiences with both holiday standards and new songs. The Palace is in the Broadway at the Beach shopping and entertainment complex.

Get in the holiday spirit at the Christmas on Ice show at the Palace Theatre in Myrtle Beach. Skaters, dancers, singers and a comedian delight audiences with both holiday standards and new songs. The Palace is in the Broadway at the Beach shopping and entertainment complex.

A bicycle trip around downtown Beaufort with Sea Island Bike Tours lets you take in the waterfront views on Bay Street.

Seeing downtown Beaufort on bicycles is the perfect way to tour.

Sea Island Bike Tours owner Maurice Ungaro combines a love of history and cycling to make an enjoyable tour.

Guide Maurice Ungaro makes many stops on the bike tour to explain the Lowcountry’s history.

From the top of the lighthouse visitors can see miles of beachfront at Hunting Island State Park.

For $2, visitors can climb the 167 steps to the top of the Hunting Island lighthouse and take in the view.

Martin Luther King Jr. stayed in the Gantt Cottage when he visited the Penn Center on St. Helena Island.

Docent Robert Middleton on the grounds of the Penn Center in St. Helena Island.

A graphic on each floor of the Hunting Island Lighthouse shows visitors where they are -- and how many more stops to the top.

The beachfront at Hunting Island State Park is a walker’s paradise.

Visitors should start their trip to the Penn Center with a visit to the York W. Bailey Museum, open 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

The fishing pier at Hunting Island State Park offers breathtaking views of the Lowcountry marsh.

Windows along the winding trip inside the lighthouse let you catch a glimpse of the view to come at the top.

Trees grow wild at the beachfront on Hunting Island.

In the Joe Weatherly Gallery, visitors can look at cars driven by some of NASCAR's all-time greats.

Nightime tour through the graveyard at Circular Congregational Church, one of Charleston’s oldest.

Guide David Hinson shows off tombstones in the graveyard of Circular Congregational Church

“Bloody Alley” in Charleston was the scene of many fatal duels (and, perhaps, some night-time wanderings by spirits).

Daytime view of the Circular Congregational Church graveyard, one of the oldest churches and graveyards in Charleston.

The Circular Congregational Church on Meeting Street during the day. At night, the Bulldog Tours’ ghost and graveyard outing will take visitors inside the graveyard’s gates.

Can there be a more perfect sight for kids than this?

This decades old mecca is the perfect place to stop after exploring Charleston with, or without, the kids.

Boo at the Zoo brings thousands of little goblins to Riverbanks each year for trick-or-treating fun.

Roasting marshmallows for s'mores is a popular part of Boo at the Zoo.

Capt. Dick's offers excursions for all ages from Murrells Inlet.

Capt. Dick's runs saltwater marsh tours guided by a marine biologist.

Sam’s Corner has been welcoming back families for generations.

Footlongs, corndogs and French fries at Sam’s Corner in Garden City Beach.

Sam’s Corner features booths in the back and a counter up front.

The Garden City Pavilion Arcade offers a chance to play old-time arcade games and popular new video games.

A blast from the past. Pose for photos in the photo booth at the arcade.

Sam’s Corner and the Garden City Pavilion Arcade sit side-by-side on Atlantic Avenue in Garden City Beach.

A handful of tickets won after a good hand from the Deal or No Deal game.

Kids hunt for prizes in the redemption center inside the arcade

Apples for sale at last year's S.C. Apple Festival

Families climb over rocks near Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, getting ready for a float trip along the Saluda River.

Large rocks line the Saluda River in Columbia, offering a place to start your float trip.

Families hold on to inner tubes as they carefully climb over the rocks, before starting their float trip down the Saluda River in Columbia.

Families hold on to inner tubes as they carefully climb over the rocks, before starting their float trip down the Saluda River in Columbia.

Young children have no trouble navigating the waters of the Saluda. Inner tubes can be connected to keep your kids close to you.

Young children have no trouble navigating the waters of the Saluda. Inner tubes can be connected to keep your kids close to you.

A family starts the two-mile trip down the Saluda from the area near Riverbanks Zoo to the Gervais Street bridge in West Columbia.

A family starts the two-mile trip down the Saluda from the area near Riverbanks Zoo to the Gervais Street bridge in West Columbia.

The Saluda River flows to downtown Columbia, where it merges with the Broad River to form the Congaree.

The Saluda River flows to downtown Columbia, where it merges with the Broad River to form the Congaree.

The gentle waters are interrupted with some whitewater rapids, offering some excitement and a chance to really cool off.

The gentle waters are interrupted with some whitewater rapids, offering some excitement and a chance to really cool off.

It’s important to wear old sneakers or some type of footwear when you’re floating on the river.

It’s important to wear old sneakers or some type of footwear when you’re floating on the river.

Spanish moss hangs from the trees that hug the river’s side. It’s hard to believe downtown Columbia is less than a mile away.

Spanish moss hangs from the trees that hug the river’s side. It’s hard to believe downtown Columbia is less than a mile away.

The crowds flocked to the new kangaroo exhibit at Riverbanks Zoo on its first day. The exhibit is a "walkabout," which means visitors can walk through without being separated from the animals.

Cast a line off the end of one of South Carolina's many piers and there's no telling what you might catch.

The Cowpens National Battlefield in Gaffney is a Revolutionary War battle site that commemorates the victory of Brigadier Gen. Daniel Morgan over Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton in the cause for American Independence.

Cowpens was an important link in a chain of events that ultimately led to the defeat and surrender of the British commander Lord Earl Cornwallis in the Revolutionary War. The 845-acre park is open daily from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., and features a visitor center, battlefield, trail, auto loop road around the perimeter of the battlefield, and a picnic area.

Riders come down the Python, Water Moccasin and King Cobra at Snake Mountain at Myrtle Waves water park.

Riders get set to race down the slides at the Wild H2O Racer at Wild Water and Wheels park in Surfside Beach.

Children get the chance to get soaked at Saturation Station at Myrtle Waves water park in Myrtle Beach

The wave pool at Wild Water and Wheels in Surfside Beach gives a feel for the ocean -- without the sand and water creatures.

Myrtle Waves water park in Myrtle Beach offers an area to catch some rays, some waves and some shade.

Slides at Family Kingdom offer terrific views of the beach before launching riders down the twists and turns.

Kids love the excitement of the slides and drops at Grand Strand waterparks.

It’s the only publicly accessible historic lighthouse in South Carolina. It’s 132 feet above the ground and you can climb the 167-step spiral staircase for a great view of the Lowcountry marshes and the ocean.

It’s the only publicly accessible historic lighthouse in South Carolina. It’s 132 feet above the ground and you can climb the 167-step spiral staircase for a great view of the Lowcountry marshes and the ocean. The lighthouse is made entirely of wrought and cast iron plates.

Take in the breathtaking view of the Hunting Island once you succeed in climbing the 167 steps to the top of the Hunting Island Lighthouse.

One of less than 50 in the world and unable to protect itself in the wild, this new reptile lacks melanin, or coloration, pigment in its eyes and skin causing it to be completely translucent from teeth to tail and very sensitive to sunlight. The alligator weighs in at over 100 pounds and is seven and a half feet in length.

Residing in a completely renovated Blackwater Swamp exhibit, guests can see the albino alligator up-close as well as learn more about South Carolina swamps with a life-size Cypress Tree full of buttons and interactive activities. Additional new species will be introduced as well, such as gopher tortoises, rattle snakes and screech owls.

One of less than 50 in the world and unable to protect itself in the wild, this new reptile lacks melanin, or coloration, pigment in its eyes and skin causing it to be completely translucent from teeth to tail and very sensitive to sunlight. The alligator weighs in at over 100 pounds and is seven and a half feet in length.

In springtime, it seems as if you can’t turn a corner in Charleston’s historic district without seeing a horse or pair of mules pulling a carriage filled with tourists.

Elephant Feeding

Elephants

Baby and Lambi

Carowinds

Carowinds

Carowinds