My roots are in the South – my place of birth. For over 200 years, my ancestors have called the South home. My veins pump grits and sweet tea. So the South’s luring charms are integral to my very being.

A few weeks ago I traveled to the South to attend the 2015 Beer Bloggers and Writers Conference in Asheville, NC. I departed early from my home in California to visit family and sample a few unique beer stops in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina on my way. I wrote about my initial stops in Georgia – which you can read by clicking here for Part 1 and here for Part 2.

From the deep south of Georgia, my family and I traveled to South Carolina for a brief family visit. Also known as The Palmetto State, South Carolina is my place of birth. My ancestors started as farmers in South Carolina. Many of my relatives still live here.

Our first South Carolina stop was Greenwood, SC. About 23,000 people populate this beautiful small city in the upper northwest portion of the state. Every year, Greenwood hosts the South Carolina Festival of Discovery to celebrate the history, culture, food, arts, crafts, music and people making South Carolina and Greenwood such an incredible place to live and visit.

While in Greenwood, we visited The Mill House Restaurant and Good Times Brewing, where my cousin Chris introduced me to owner Gianpaolo Bonaca and brewer Sidney Huskey.

The Mill House Restaurant produces a mean pizza (try the Fungus Amungus). Attached Good Times Brewing is a nano-brewery that produces a wide range of beers.

You can get a sample flight to determine your favorite beer. I recommend the Doppelbock. This German-style beer offered lots of full-bodied, malty goodness that was delicious and filling.

From South Carolina, we headed to the heart of today’s Eastern Cherokee Nation and the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina. The Cherokees were native American hunters and gatherers who lived in the Great Smoky Mountains and the Southern Appalachian lowlands for thousands of years. They were one of the largest ethnic groups in the southeastern United States. The Cherokee nation controlled a vast land base until largely pushed out by European immigrant settlers and the U.S. Government. However, many Cherokees worked against removal and many returned to establish the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians that reside today in an area of North Carolina. The Cherokee people have a rich heritage of passing their history and religious beliefs through storytelling, ceremonies, and dances.

One of our objectives was to hike part of the Appalachian Trail on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee. After our hike, time for a refreshing beer!

My first brewery stop was Innovation Brewing in Sylva, NC. Founded by Nicole Dexter and Chip Owen, this small brewery makes only about 500 barrels of beer a year.

However, Innovation Brewing has 22 house made beers, 10 of which are always on tap and the rest are changing and rotating. They also have a house made, non-alcoholic ginger ale made with fresh organic ginger.

Sample flights are available and a great way explore Innovation Brewing’s range of beers. One of my favorites was the Midnight Rye-der Black IPA.

About 16 miles from Innovation Brewing and in the shadows of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is Nantahala Brewing. Founded in early 2009, brewery operations and distribution began nearly a year later, in May 2010. The co-located brewery and Tap Room (at 61 Depot Street, Bryson City, NC) offer lots of charm.  The Tap Room is open year-round. Joe Rowland and Ken Smith are co-owners. Greg Geiger is the Brewmaster of the 10 BBL brewery.

The surrounding area is popular for hiking, trail biking, fishing, kayaking, boating, and exploring nature. Great Smoky Mountain Railroad provides train tours of much of the surrounding area.

At Nantahala Brewing, you’ll find a wide range of flagship, seasonal, special release, and barrel aged beers to choose from. Sample flights will help you zero in on a favorite. Of the beers I tried, my two favorites were the Judaculla Russian Imperial Stout and the Barrel Aged Judaculla.

My excursion in the South as I headed to Asheville provided great memories, fun visits, charming stops, and some tasty craft beer. From here I departed for the conference and I’ll have some great Asheville area stories and photographs in my next posts. Ya’ll come back for more!

A big thanks to my wonderful and talented wife for taking all the photographs for this article!