Thursday, October 11, 2007

Lunchspot 5. Winstead Hill Monument

Up on a little tree-crowned hill off of 31 is a monument in memoriam a bunch of confederate soldiers who fought and died bravely here one day at 4 p.m. in the afternoon. Thanks to them, and some thoughtful members of the SCV (Sons of Confederate Veterans) visitors can enjoy learning a little while they lunch, bask in the shady setting and take in the wide view (at the top of the path). There are sanctioned seating facilities (i.e. picnic benches) by the gravel parking, but the hilltop gets you the view and a quieter lunch, farther from the sometimes noisy Columbia pike. After lunch, take a stroll around the surprisingly serene walking paths. If you're lucky, you may spot an increasingly rarer bluebird, thanks to a local eagle scout's final project of installing "bluebird boxes".


This lunchspot features Trees, View, Seating, and Noise.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Lunchspot 4. TS Park Stage Bleachers

Go down the park road. Pass the future-truckers' sandbox (so full of tonka's you can't see the sand). Pass also the picnic area, the unofficial turf of the TS anorexic mothers gang patrolling their picnic area circumference, wary of any living thing that might by any stretch of the imagination be a malicious pederast. A little further stands the Thompson's Station Park Stage. The best theater doesn't happen on the stage, but on the opposite side of the bleachers. Scramble up onto the highest plank and dangle your legs to the tree-side. Trash-cans are located nearby for your convenience.


This lunchspot features View and Trees.

Monday, October 1, 2007

Lunchspot 3. Ridge at Main St. & Buckner Rd.

Situated on a ridge, this elevated lunchspot, nicknamed "Station Heights," offers a nice alta vista of the SH/TS area, including the Columbia - Buckner Rd. intersection, the nearby high school, and the hills beyond. It also has a variety of low-visibility picnic potentials provided by bulldozed embankments. The property is for sale but currently unattended. Pass by the gravel drives and patches of dirt and head for the shade of the trees. Sit on the concrete curb (you're likely to find an empty 20 oz. or two here in brown bags) and have a sandwich, or maybe some pasta salad you made last night. After you eat, give a hoot and help the bums with their bottles, too. The Shell station is just down the slope and has trash cans outside, as well as picnic benches for the less adventurous. The Daily's may well serve for emergency lunch supplements such as water.

Figure 1. Lunchspot in Map View showing access road.


This lunchspot features Shade, View and Improvised Seating

Figure 2. Showing lunchspot in hybrid view. Recent development has cleared some of the tree cover.