Let’s go to the Zoo: My day trip to Columbia, South Carolina

I don’t always have the luxury of taking days off from work, or the funds to go somewhere far away. One of the great things about living in Charlotte is our proximity to different towns and cities in both North and South Carolina. When a friend asked me to go to Columbia, South Carolina, a place I’d never been, for the day this past Saturday, I was game.

Columbia, from where I live in Charlotte, is only about 1.5 hours away. Although we were only going for the day, we wanted to make the most of our time. While researching Columbia, my friend informed me that the city is home to the River Banks Zoo and Garden. River Banks houses more than 2,000 animals and renowned botanical gardens on the 170-acre site.

He had me at “zoo” and I promptly asked if they allow you to hold/cuddle a koala. He didn’t know if they did, but said he would bring extra money to bribe a zookeeper. Done. We also decided to go to downtown Columbia for a late lunch and to walk around before heading back to Charlotte.

The zoo exceeded expectations and downtown Columbia was different (in a good way) than I expected.

We ate at the Motor Supply Company Bistro, a restaurant that prides itself on its partnership with local farmers and a menu that changes daily. I ordered the hanger steak and he opted for the pork loin. One word to describe the food would have to be insane. We ended our lunch with the life changing chocolate peanut butter cheesecake.

Here are some of my tips and suggestions based on what I did, saw and heard.

(1) Go to River Banks Zoo and Garden. It was so much fun and interactive in places. You can actually feed some of the animals, the big draw was the giraffes. Get there early if you go on the weekend. We were there at 10:00 am and there was already a line to enter. If you want to feed the giraffes, do it before lunch. (I didn’t realize you could do this and by the time I did, the line was too long.)

(2) Bring your appetite! Motor Supply Company Bistro was fantastic. From reading online reviews and talking to others that have visited Columbia, it sounds like they have some great restaurants. Next on my list is to try the Blue Marlin, a restaurant I’ve heard serves amazing seafood.

(3) Bring comfortable shoes and walk around downtown Columbia. There are restaurants, bars, shops, murals, and historical markers, even the controversial, around every corner.

Although I didn’t get to cuddle a koala, we still had a great time. Heading to Columbia was an easy day trip and I would definitely go back. I have some unfinished business with the koalas and the giraffes.