Kayaking Shem CreekMount Pleasant, South Carolina

When we planned our trip to Charleston, it was solely based around a kayaking excursion to Shem Creek. 

I asked instagram: "where is the best place to kayak? near or far!" & one of my college classmates, who lives in the Charleston area, responded with "Shem Creek!"

It was the utmost BEST part of our trip. So I wanted to share it with you all <3

This is where I usually type: Black is research done prior to the trip; pink is what we learned from our trip

But this is going to all be black bc we really went in blind. We didn't read a blog or guide to visit. Just booked it and went with it!!

We booked our kayak excursion through Coastal Expeditions. They have various locations, but we did Shem Creek. 

Contact: 843-884-7684 info@coastalexpeditions.com

Coastal Expeditions offers a variety of activities beyond kayaking, allowing visitors to explore the South Carolina Lowcountry's natural beauty and wildlife. 

Here are some of the activities they provide:

• Stand-Up Paddleboarding (SUP)
• Boat Tours 
• Dolphin and Wildlife Watching
• Nature and Wildlife Tours
• Birding
• Fishing
• Fossil Hunting
• Island Exploration
• Multi-Day Expeditions
• Paddle and Hike Combos
• Kids Programs

We booked the "Charleston Kayak Expedition: Shem Creek (3-hr)" for Sept 8th at 9am.

2 other people were supposed to be in our group, but cancelled, so we had our tour guide, Abbi, to ourself! She was beyond incredible. 

Activity level: Participants will kayak on a guided Shem Creek kayak tour that has ben timed with the tides for an enjoyable trip.

What's included: 

• Gear: Sea kayak, paddle, PFD, etc
• Paddle and safety instructions
• Kayak Guide

What to Bring:

• Sunscreen
• Hat
• Sunglasses
• Drinking water

We loaded into our kayaks, went over the safety rules, and we were on our way! Matt and I have singles at home, but went for a tandem for the guide. I liked it bc it let me take pics while he steered ;)

While Shem Creek is actually a creek, it sure doesn't look like it. 

We followed the water along passing marshes and going under a bridge or 2, until we came into a marina area with lots of boats.

We learned about shrimp boats, that LOVE to attract birds, dolphins, pelicans, and all sorts of wild life that eat the scraps that are tossed overboard. 

After we got out a little further, the body of water opened up a bit into the ocean. 

We got up a bit closer to the remnants of a shipwreck, where a sea turtle likes to hangout. 

We made our way down to Pitt Street Bridge. Matt and I had walked this earlier, but exploring from the water was completely different.

from our walk

from the water

We "docked" our kayaks, and got out to explore a bit.

Abby showed us what to look for to find shark teeth. Once she found one and showed it to us, we got lucky and found some of our own too!

Took some more time to cool off, explore, and find a horseshoe crab. 

When we headed back, Abbi showed us what hurricane destruction looks like, as piers and docks were ripped out of the water or left in heaps. We paddled under some still remaining. 

We spotted some egrets, but also! and much more hyped...Some roseate spoonbills! Abbi caught a video of one taking off, with its beautiful pink wings. 

This was right around when we spotted a mama dolphin and her baby in the shallow water. We followed them back to the marina, as they followed a shrimp boat in. & apparently. We just missed a manatee!

Have you ever watched the show "Outer Banks" ?? With cutie Chase Stokes. <3

A lotttt of the filming is done locally, with some water scenes in Shem Creek. Abbi pointed out some of these, such as The Wreck: Kiara’s family’s seafood restaurant. 
Heyward’s Seafood: Pope’s family business, a local seafood company. 
Pogue’s Dock: A central meeting spot for the Pogues, located along the creek.

Overall, we saw a whole lot more than we thought we would. Totally worth the trip to explore this amazing place.

Abbi was incredible, bc the entire time we were on our adventure, she was just overflowing with knowledge about the area, the plants and animals and the entire ecosystem. She was laid back but also vibrant as it was very clear this is a passion of hers. Couldn't recommend Abbi or Coastal Expeditions more. 

After we wrapped up, we were allowed to stay parked at Coastal Expeditions (free to park) and walked down to eat at Shem Creek, the area we just kayaked through. Shem Creek is famous for its waterside dining establishments, where you'll find a variety of restaurants and bars along the creek, many of which serve fresh seafood. Dining on the outdoor decks with creek views is a popular choice.

Stay tuned for our blog post encompassing our entire trip to Charleston!

2 Days in New River Gorge National Park

 

New River Gorge National Park

For Matt’s 46th Birthday

Friday Oct 18th - Sunday Oct 20th 2024

• Address: Canyon Rim Visitors Center 162 Visitor Center Rd Lansing, WV 25862

• Hours of Operation: The park itself is open 24 hour a day, year round. The park's two main visitor centers at Canyon Rim and Sandstone are open daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm 

• Fee: FREE!

National Park Website

Black is research done prior to the trip; pink is what we learned from our trip

Friday:

Airbnb: Cabin in Edmond

• Not my favvv Airbnb, but VERY close to the park and hiking trails; would not rec booking for more than 2 people
• Check-in: 4p
• Checkout: 11a
• Address: Beauty Mountain Road, Edmond, WV 25837

Grab dinner and check-in

Taste of Bridge Day: "For over 20 years, the Canyon Rim Rotary Club has organized the annual Taste of Bridge Day festival. This is a family-oriented event that showcases the area’s finest restaurants and caterers, who offer samples of their menu specialties. The event is held on the Friday evening before Official Bridge Day, which allows thousands of visitors to enjoy wonderful food, local artwork, and live music in the beautiful outdoor setting of Adventures on The Gorge. There is no fee for admission, and food sample prices range from $2.00 to $8.00. Funds raised from this event benefit the Canyon Rim Rotary Club in their extensive community service projects and numerous donations to charitable organizations, especially those that support children in our local community."

Time: 5:00 - 9:00pm (get there early before tickets/food is sold out)

Location: Adventures on the Gorge

This was crowded, but very cool! Amazing outdoor space. HUGE! Dress warm.

Saturday:

Endless Wall Trail

I would say there are 2 big hikes in the park, and this is one of them. You will walk along the rim of the gorge to get amazing views of the New River below, and the Bridge. This time of year is perfect as the color of the leaves is magical. 

Trailhead: Start from either the Nuttall Parking Area or the Fern Creek Parking Area. It's a loop trail, so either works. 

We hiked from Nuttall to Fern Creek, and then walked back to Nuttall via the road.

Both parking lots are right down the street from our Airbnb. We started this hike early (before dark) so we could be out to the overlook for sunrise

Length: 2.4 miles round trip (1.2 miles each way
Estimated Time: 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on stops for photos and breaks. 
Diamond Point: This is the most popular viewpoint on the trail where you can see the panoramic views of the gorge below. It took ~45 min to get to Diamond Point, where we watched the sunrise (with maybe 15 other people) so start your hike 45 min - 1 hr before sunrise if you wish.

The view was amazing off the bridge, but my fav was the fog coming off the river (you couldn't actually SEE the river bc of it)

We even chatted with some guys that were getting ready to slackline their way across a part of the ridge up at Diamond Point.

I liked the direction of the loop we took, because it allowed us to stop at another overlook after the sunrise at Diamond Point, that gave us a closer view of the bridge after the fog had cleared some. 

However, we did have to walk uphill (gradual) on the road to end our hike.

We had planned to eat somewhere after this hike, but decided to eat at Bridge Day bc there are TONS of food vendors.

 BRIDGE DAY!!!!!

"Bridge Day starts at 9am and is West Virginia's largest single-day festival and one of the largest extreme sports events in the world. Held annually every third Saturday in October on the New River Gorge Bridge in Fayette County, West Virginia, this is the only day each year thousands of spectators can walk across the bridge and watch as serious BASE jumpers get their chance to fly 876 feet into the Gorge below and rappellers ascend and descend from the catwalk."

We were very lucky we booked this trip, and THEN found out Bridge Day was going to occur while we were there. It was an amazing experience and really filled our Saturday with something fun to do.

From Fern Creek parking lot, it's ~4 min drive to the northern part of the bridge.

Schedule of events:

• • 5:30 AM:  Vendors arrive at designated staging lots

  • 7:00 AM:  Route 19 Closes to traffic. Detour Begins

  • THIS RIGHT HERE is why we planned our hikes AROUND bridge day.

  • One of our hikes is on the northern side, the other on the southern side.

  • They are only a 15 min drive from each other. But when that bridge is closed,

  • it turns into a 45+ minute drive. So plan accordingly with where your staying,

  • and where you'll be hiking.

  • 7:00 AM-8:00 AM:  Active SWV’s Bridge Day 5K Run Racers arrive at designated pickup spots

  • 8:15 AM:  Buses begin transporting 5k racers to starting line

  • 8:30 AM:  Shuttles begin at designated lots - see map

  • 8:45 AM:  Bridge Day 5K Race begins (this is why as we arrived to bridge day, we saw many runners leaving)

    9:00 AM:  Bridge Day Begins (Prohibited bags include: backpacks, tote bags, large purses, camera bags, binocular cases)

  • 9:00 AM:  Into The Gorge bus rides start (pre-sold tickets only) (See below for more info)

  • 11:00 AM:  Bridge Day Car Show (Held at Starlite Drive-In)

  • 1:30 PM:  Into The Gorge bus rides end

  • 3:00 PM:  Bridge Day chili cookoff in downtown Fayetteville

  • 3:00 PM:  Bridge Day ends

  • 5:00 PM:  Route 19 re-opens. Detour ends

Only experienced base jumpers and rappellers are allowed, but anyone may zipline.

Let me tell you. As soon as I saw what Bridge Day was, I whipped out my credit card ready to sign up to jump. Well apparently you need to be a "professional" base jumper, with proof of AT LEAST 50 prior jumps. Once we got there and saw the jumpers in their gear, with the helmets and go-pro attached, watch them hurl themselves off the bridge, and navigate the icy waters below, it made sense why my butt wasn't allowed to jump.

Another option for "unprofessional" daredevils, is the zip line. This didn't look too impressive to me though, after ziplining through the jungles of Mexico and the Dominican. But if you are interested, you may ride the high line and slide 700 feet on a zipline from the catwalk of the bridge to Fayette Station Road. You don't need experience to ride the high line, but you should reserve your spot early. For more information about Bridge Day High Line, visit the Bridge Day Rappel site.

• 

Parking: Shuttles to the Bridge are $5 per person. Cash only is accepted at these parking lots.  There are 6 pickup locations. From Fern Creek parking lot, it's ~4 min drive to the northern part of the bridge. We were going to find parking and take the shuttle ($5 cash), but decided to park closer (lit along the highway!) and walk it. 

If you're up for the walk, I say it's worth it. The shuttle lines were very long. 

Into the Gorge: "This is a different shuttle than the parking shuttle. This "Into the Gorge" shuttle starts at 9AM to take you down to the bottom of the gorge, (along the river where the base jumpers land) and you must get on the last shuttle out from the bottom at 1:30PM. Tickets go on sale in January, and sell out quickly." By the time I realized Bridge Day was a thing, tickets for into the Gorge were sold out. I added our names to the waitlist but didn't hear anything. We stopped at the info tent as we arrived to Bridge Day and they had 5 tickets still up for grab. We were about to buy 2, but when they said its $45 a ticket, we decided to pass. What it provides is a bus ride down the windy road (open to the public year-round, but closed to the public the day of the event to transport jumpers back up after their jump) to give you a different viewpoint of the jumpers and rappellers. You get to watch them from the bottom, from underneath the bridge. Matt and I figured we would pay to get down there, watch a handful of jumpers, and then be over it. So we saved our money. After talking with people AFTER the event, I think it would have been cool to do. If you have the money, I say do it. Bucket list item. If you have been a part of "Into the Gorge" I'd love to know your opinion on the experience!

"You may ride your bike or walk down into the Gorge. Just keep in mind it is a 4+ mile distance one way and that you yield the road to motorized vehicles.  There are no unauthorized vehicles allowed into the Gorge via Fayette Station Road on the day of the event." Again, after the event we met people and found many hiked down the road, just part of the way, and were able to see some great sights of the jumpers. We would have liked to have done this, had we known even a partial hike down was worth it.

Bridge Day was great! We:

• rocked out to music up on the bridge as we watched people jump off the bridge and watched people jump off the lift off the bridge
• explored local vendors and artisans
• ate some delicious food
• watched skydivers jump out of airplanes overhead
• chatted with some of the daredevils themselves about their jump
• counted down for the catapult to launch and hurl jumpers into the air over the railing of the bridge
• watched water rescue sweep in to gather jumpers that didn't quite make it to the target landing area, and ended up in the New River waters
• spied white-water-rafters veering down the New River past all the action

Afterwards we exited Bridge Day and headed to the Canyon Rim Visitor Center to learn more about New River Gorge National Park (became a National Park in 2020) and walk out to the overlooks for great views of the New River Gorge Bridge. This finally gave us a view of the rappellers that were underneath us the whole time, rappelling down the 876 feet Bridge.

Brewery/Winery/Dinner

After we walked back to the car, we headed out for some food and drink.

No wineries are close by; closest one is 40 min drive further south (Daniel Vineyards)

We started at the Burrito Bar at Breeze Hill. Sat outside eating amazing burritos and tacos, and having a drink. They are open seasonally. Address: 179 Oscar White Rd Lansing, WV 25862

• Freefolk Brewery 
• Address: 25385 Midland Trail Hico, WV 25854
• Hours: Saturday | 12-9pm
• Large parking lot across the street. Sat outside and had a drink. There are inside games like ping-pong and darts.

• Bridge Brew Works (Fayetteville, WV)
• Hours: Tuesday – Sunday: 1 pm – 9p
• Address: 335 Nick Rahall Greenway, Fayetteville, WV 25840
• Website is very limited; can’t tell if they have stuff other than beer, or if they serve food
• We sat outside around the roasty fire and listened to live music while Matt enjoyed a beer

Explore DT

• Hobbit Hole – This quirky shop is perfect for anyone who loves fantasy, gaming, and unique gifts. You’ll find everything from handmade jewelry to collectibles inspired by fantasy novels and films.

Dinner

Secret Sandwich Society

• Location: 103 Keller Ave, Fayetteville, WV

• Hours: Everyday 11am — 9pm

• Distance: About a 10-15 minute drive from both trails.

Great food. Farmhouse-chic. Really liked this spot. Popular, but got seats at the bar right away. 

Southside Junction Tap House

• Address: 101 South Court Street Fayetteville, WV 25840
• One more drink before heading back to the Airbnb. Mostly bc I want to go as many places as possible when I'm in a new town, even if its just to sit at the bar for 5 minutes lol

Wanderlust Creativefoods

• Address: 105 W Maple Ave , Fayetteville, WV, United States, West Virginia
• Sat Hours: 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM
• Creative menu featuring organic, locally sourced ingredients with a mix of vegan and gluten-free options. 
• We didn't get to make it here

The Stach

• Ice Cream! 

• Address:  139 South Court St. in Fayetteville, WV

• Saturday Hours: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM

• Sunday Hours: 11a-8p

Sunday:

Drive Fayette Station Road: 

We couldn't do this Saturday, bc it’s closed bc of Bridge Day. From the Visitor Center, drive Fayette Station Road. This road starts on the rim and drops down to the New River. 

From the shore of the New River, you get unbeatable views of the New River Gorge Bridge.

Fayette Station road then winds up the opposite side of the rim, ending near Fayetteville. 

Note: Fayette Station Road is one-way only, starting near the Visitor Center and ending near Fayetteville. 

During this drive, we downloaded the audio-tour to learn what was what during and the history of the bridge. I am not a history person, as I usually could care less hahah, but this was pretty neat!

Long Point Trail

Drive 9 minutes to Long Point Trailhead; however, this is on the southern side of the bridge…One of the best views of the iconic New River Gorge Bridge

• Length: 3.2 miles round trip (1.6 miles each way)
• Estimated Time: About 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on your pace and time spent at the viewpoint.
• Trailhead: Long Point Trailhead off Gatewood Road, just outside of Fayetteville.
• Parking: The parking lot at the trailhead is medium-sized but can fill up, especially on weekends. Arrive early if you want to avoid crowds.
• Remember when I said there was 2 big hikes in the park? This is the 2nd one. Easy with a closer view of the bridge than Endless Wall Trail.

Headed back to Airbnb to officially check out.

We put our names in for brunch, and shopped around downtown for 30 min while we waited. 

• The Hoot and Howl – A vibrant shop full of handmade items, art, jewelry, clothing, and crafts made by local artisans. The shop supports small businesses and offers one-of-a-kind West Virginia-made products.
• Thread – A boutique that focuses on contemporary women’s fashion and accessories. They feature trendy, stylish clothing and accessories, perfect for anyone looking for a fashion-forward shopping experience in a quaint town.
• Epic Escape Game Shop – If you're into puzzles and brain games, they have an escape room experience as well as puzzle games for sale. It's a fun stop for interactive experiences and to pick up something challenging to take home.
• Water Stone Outdoors – If you’re into outdoor activities, this shop is a must-visit. It’s a well-known gear shop for rock climbing, hiking, and camping supplies, with a knowledgeable staff who can offer local recommendations.

Cathedral Café

• Location: 134 S Court St, Fayetteville, WV

• Hours: Sat & Sun 7:30-3p

• Distance: Also about 10-15 minutes from the trailheads.

• What to Get: This cozy café serves up sandwiches, wraps, and coffee. They also offer vegan and vegetarian options. Their BLT wrap or turkey avocado sandwich are popular choices.
• GORG! The stained glass. The vegan options (I am lactose-intolerant). LOVED IT!

Thank you to Earth Trekkers for helping us plan our trip. Their blogs are amazing and have so much helpful info. Highly rec!