Cross Country USA: Columbia, SC

Rolling out of Greenville - thunderstorms moved through just before dawn

OMG we're almost done! 117 miles - warm, humid day with a high of 85 which felt amazing after the cold and wet. The smell of pine trees was everywhere and was amazing... Much flatter today with only a few significant climbs out of river beds so an 'easy' last century day. Three of the women in the group were pulled over by a deputy today for 'not using the correct hand signals' when turning - no ticket, just a lecture. Saw a studio offering 'Christian Gymnastics' - how is that different from regular gymnastics? Has it been a major issue in the area with pagan gymnastics being taught? Or witches instructing?

A fort was established at the junction of the Salud and Broad rivers (where they join to form the Congaree) in the early 18th century that in 1786 was chosen as the site of the state capital and named 'Columbia' by an 11-7 vote (the city is 13 miles NW of the geographic center of the state). A canal to Charleston was completed in 1800 which made Columbia an early economic hub. The University of South Carolina was established in 1801 and Columbia continued to grow. It was a center for the Confederacy and most of the city was burned by Union troops in 1865 but the town rebounded as a textile and trade center and currently has a population of about 850,000. Columbia is located on the 'fall line' where the Piedmont plateau joins with the coastal plain and marks the transition between navigable rivers and rapids (and mills!). For us, that means a pretty flat 97 mile ride tomorrow - the second to last day...