There's Something Afoot in the South Carolina Lowcountry

Journalist, author, historian Michael DeWitt Jr. will be hiking the highways, byways, and waterways of lower South Carolina for his new health, travel and lifestyle column.

(Image created by April Harvey, Hampton County Announcements)

Something’s afoot in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Spoiler alert, that something is me.

This begins as many classic narratives do, with the love of a good woman. My wife, after years of tolerating the unhealthy habits and sedentary lifestyle of a writer, finally put her foot down (there’s a theme and a pun here, as you will soon see) and insisted that I get healthier.

The first step (more on that pun) involved visiting a doctor and some of those long-procrastinated medical tests, and at the risk of oversharing the result was a plethora of bad news: high blood pressure, pre-diabetes, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, a blood sugar level that attracts honeybees when I urinate outside (as outdoorsmen sometimes do), and a triglyceride count higher than my credit score.

To rectify this, my choices were simple: start gobbling a handful of pills each day, or get healthy the clean, natural old-fashioned way. I chose a natural approach, and my wonderful doctor, Vicky Reynolds, advised me of the standard tortures: diet, exercise, moderation and temperance.

So, in addition to learning to accept the fact that yogurt, quinoa, and high-fiber granola are actually edible and fit for human consumption, I began walking and hiking a few miles each day, and thus the idea for this column was born.

Get to know our hometown Lowcountry even better

After a few weeks of walking, and passing the same buildings and trees each time, I quickly realized that, unless you are hiking through an explosive minefield or a nude beach, walking quickly loses any excitement, especially if you walk the same route each day.

Sure, that podcast, music, or audio book in my ear helps pass the time and make the trot more entertaining, and there is something relaxing and refreshing about a walk among nature's fresh air, but I needed something more.

Then it occurred to me, that right here in my own home county there are miles upon miles of dirt roads, highways, byways, waterways and many natural or historic attractions that I have never visited, despite having spent my entire 52 years in this place.

I now have a long-term goal: I will set foot upon, and get to know, every road or community in Hampton County that I possibly can, and write about my adventures afoot each week or bi-weekly for our hometown newspaper platforms.

But why stop with Hampton County? Here in the S.C. Lowcountry, there are state parks, lakes, rivers, historical markers, and more that I have never visited or experienced. Here there are sites where Native Americans once thrived, where Redcoats and Colonials fought during the American Revolution, where Yankee troops battled with Confederates, where home guards watched for Nazi invaders, where locals marched for civil rights...

And on a more down-to-earth level, there are neighborhoods and businesses filled with new friends waiting to be met, people with stories to tell and ideas or opinions to share.

("I have armed myself with knee brace and notepad, camera, sturdy shoes, my favorite water bottle and walking stick, and maps of Hampton county and lower South Carolina, and I have put my foot down in the battle against poor health and taken the first steps," writes Michael DeWitt Jr. in his new column. Map provided by the Hampton County SC Chamber of Commerce)

Walk with me, dear readers

"It's too dangerous," the dutiful, wise wife warned me when I shared this idea.

"You can't go down every road in this area, you'll will get yourself hurt or killed. And you're not leaving me a young widow with these brats and these bills," she added, or something like that. I wasn't really listening because I was busy looking for my hiking boots.

Sure, there will be risks to walking down new roads. "No trespassing" signs everywhere will testify to that. Factor in high-crime areas, careless drivers and unfriendly or overprotective dogs, and you've just made things more interesting than your typical Sunday stroll. Then there's the torn meniscus and that knee surgery I've been putting off for months to contend with.

But if I have to walk almost every day, then I’m dragging you with me for protection, dear reader, as well as someone to talk to and share my stories and the stories I uncover.

I have armed myself with knee brace and notepad, camera, sturdy shoes, my favorite water bottle and walking stick, and maps of Hampton county and lower South Carolina, and I have put my foot down in the battle against poor health and taken the first steps.

I vow to visit a new area each week, see new sights and scenes, meet new people, and share these images and stories with my readers. I will seek out strangers, knock on new doors, gossip with ladies in beauty parlors, laugh at jokes from old men who hang out in gas stations or hardware stores.

Some weeks, I'll brag about how many steps or miles I've tread (trust me, dear reader, while I might lie to the wife about my exercise and dietary consumptions, I won't lie to you).

Some weeks, I'll share a little Lowcountry culture and history from each destination, and perhaps you'll learn something new, or find a new appreciation for a landmark you thoughtlessly pass by often.

And some weeks, when I spot roadside signs, litter or dilapidated buildings crumbling down, I'll share a little social, political or economic commentary.

I've heard the cliché that every journey starts with one step. Are you ready to walk the Lowcountry with me?

If so, I’ll see you next week.

(After we thoroughly explore Hampton County and the S.C. Lowcountry, who knows where we might go, dear reader? Map provided by the Hampton County SC Chamber of Commerce)