Weekend guide to Columbia, South Carolina
December 26, 2024
Escape to Soda City: Where to eat, drink, stay and play in Columbia, South Carolina
by Asha Ellison
The South Carolina midlands are known for many things: lush forests and rolling hills; the long, lazy and rippling Saluda River; landmarks that connect the region to the American Civil and Revolutionary wars; and sites that tie its residents, and the nation, to the cultural and political movements that followed them. The midlands are enchanting. And they are also home to the state capital of Columbia.
As the state’s second most-populous city, perhaps best-known for University of South Carolina football and pimento cheese, Columbia is also a gathering place for the culturally curious and the adventurous. Located just 90 miles south of Charlotte, “Soda City,” as Columbia is affectionately called by its residents, teems with vibrancy and energy.
Keep reading for a tried-and-true weekend itinerary for discovering what Columbia has to offer.
STAY
Located in the heart of downtown Columbia, Hotel Trundle is a 41-room boutique property that places the city right at your feet. Housed in a renovated Western Auto shop, the two-story hotel retrofits the city’s golden-era industrial aesthetic with whimsical, regal pops of color, and dresses it up with modern flair.
In each room, you’ll find cozy robes and slippers to help you feel at home. If that doesn’t do the trick, the complimentary continental breakfast — prepared by the James Beard Award-nominated staff at City Grit — just might. And make sure you claim your welcome beverage, a glass of wine or beer, at check-in.
Hotel Trundle, photograph courtesy Hotel Trundle. Columbia Museum of Art, photograph by Sean Rayford.
After winning local and national awards for adaptive reuse and design after it opened in 2018, Hotel Trundle ranked No. 6 among U.S. boutique hotels on the 2024 USA Today 10Best Reader’s Choice Awards.
While you’re there, take your time and look around the hotel to uncover hidden gems. There’s a Columbia word search puzzle hidden in plain sight, and a piece of the original building is framed and displayed just like artwork.Good to know: Self-park in the hotel’s guest parking lot for $18/day or in the city parking deck directly across the street.
EAT + DRINK
Lula Drake Wine Parlour leaves the traveler in search of an exquisite dining experience in awe. Led by proprietor and head sommelier Tim Gardner and executive chef Rachael Harrison, Lula Drake brought Columbia its first James Beard Award in 2024 for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program. The seasonal food menu ranges from cheese and charcuterie boards to shareable salads, apps and pastas. The wine parlor and the trailblazing woman for which it is named share an intoxicatingly haunting history — and a future full of culinary prowess and delight.
Good to know: There’s a full cocktail bar, too — order the “luxuriously fragrant” Red Cloche Spritz.
Clockwise: Lula Drake Wine Parlour and Red Cloche Spritz at Lula Drake, photographs by Asha Ellison. Sweet Cream Co. and The Grand on Main, photographs courtesy Experience Columbia SC.
Whether you’re hungry for American comfort food, in the mood for live music, or you want to bowl your heart out, you can do all three at The Grand on Main. This is a lively and social place in a renovated 1900s vaudeville house and theater that’s ideal for both group and solo travelers.
Good to know: The wings and zucchini fries are a great idea. And try not to look too surprised when a robot runs your food — just act natural.
Delicious handcrafted ice cream awaits as the perfect after-dinner treat or reward for an afternoon stroll. A local favorite, Sweet Cream Co., also sells cakes, frozen treats, coffee and artisanal sodas.
Good to know: If you’re indecisive like me, get the scoop on their daily flavors online ahead of your visit so you can walk right in and order with confidence.
EXPLORE
Soda City Market is reason enough to fall in love with Columbia. The weekly market — open year-round — covers five city blocks each Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine. The market averages more than 200 weekly vendors selling handmade goods, fresh flowers and produce, an abundance of multicultural and ethnic street foods, and more. It’s a favorite destination for locals and visitors alike.
While you’re there: The market is a must-visit while in Columbia — just get up and go.
Columbia Museum of Art takes the cake with a remarkable permanent collection and prestigious national exhibits that showcase the work of some of the world’s most renowned artists. Set a couple of hours aside so that you can work your way through each exhibit without haste.
While you’re there: Radiant Vision, an exhibition with more than 250 works from New York pop artist Keith Haring, is on view through Feb. 15.
Soda City Market, photograph by Crush Rush Photography. South Carolina State Museum photograph by Brett Flashnick.
The South Carolina State Museum is out of this world! No, really — it houses a planetarium with live shows of the Columbia sky. South Carolina’s largest museum features four floors of permanent and rotating exhibits that cover prehistory to the current day. Housed in the first textile mill to ever fully run on electricity, you can also view fossils and retired steam engines and learn about the history of South Carolina.
While you’re there: Through Feb. 28, see Arora, a planetarium show to experience the Northern Lights. SP
Featured image: Photograph by Shell Suber courtesy Experience Columbia SC
