♪ upbeat music ♪ ♪ ♪ upbeat music continues ♪ ♪ ♪ upbeat music continues ♪ ♪ ♪ gentle tranquil music ♪ ♪ <Devyn Whitmire> South Carolina is filled with natural beauty, fun activities and delicious food for both visitors and residents.

Today, I'm at one of those natural beauties, the West Columbia Riverwalk along the Congaree River.

Hey y'all, I'm Devyn Whitmire.

In this episode of "Go For It," we will get a sampling of what South Carolina can offer from ziplining in the Lowcountry and setting up camp at a state park to cooking up fresh homegrown peaches.

They say life's a bit slower in South Carolina's Lowcountry.

Well, that's not quite true if you get the chance to go on a scenic zipline tour at Adventure Hilton Head.

Who says you can't reach new heights in the Lowcountry?

♪ upbeat music ♪ ♪ ♪ upbeat music continues ♪ ♪ ♪ upbeat music continues ♪ ♪ This show is all about stepping outside the box, sometimes your comfort zone, and trying new things and I'm doing all three of those things today.

Welcome to Hilton Head Island.

This little slice of heaven along South Carolina's coast is world renowned for its stunning scenery and that laid back Lowcountry lifestyle.

But today's adventure is less about relaxing and more about seeking adrenaline.

I'm here at Adventure Hilton Head and I'm going to be taking a zipline tour.

So let's go for it.

♪ upbeat music ♪ ♪ We are here with Olivia Panazzo at Adventure Hilton Head.

Olivia, what kind of experiences can people have when they come here?

>> So we have a few different options for people.

We have our zipline tour.

It's about a two-hour long tour, takes you through seven different ziplines and a swinging sky bridge.

It's a lot of fun.

We also have our aerial adventure high ropes course, which is great for families and younger kids that want to get out and do something active and fun or groups that like to come out, just the ropes courses in the trees, obstacles, that kind of thing.

Then we also just added our go-karts not too long ago, so that's our third activity that we have here.

It's a fully outdoor track, fully electric go-kart.

So environmentally friendly and a lot of fun for everyone.

<Devyn> So when people come to Hilton Head, they might not know that these activities are available, that this place is here.

Why should they make it a part of their vacation experience?

<Olivia> Honestly, I feel like it's so different from everything else we have to offer around here.

I mean, we're in the Lowcountry, so you don't see a lot of high activities and ziplines and things like that.

There's not really anything else that really compares.

You know, you've got the beach and you've got golf and like, this is just so different and so much fun for families.

<Devyn> For someone like me who is maybe not the most adventurous, what would you say to encourage them to come and try something at Adventure Hilton Head?

<Olivia> I definitely think that that's the kind of people that should be trying this kind of thing.

A lot of the people that we get are scared to do it, whether they're trying to cross it off their bucket list or just do something they've never done before.

We get those people out a lot and it's amazing to see them work with our guides and get up there and do something that they thought that they could never do and overcome that fear.

That's just amazing.

<Devyn> Well, that sounds like it might be for me.

>> Yeah, absolutely.

Well, we'll get to that today.

<Devyn> All right, you ready to go for it?

<Olivia> Yeah, let's go ahead over to ground school.

>> Awesome.

♪ upbeat music ♪ ♪ ♪ upbeat music continues ♪ ♪ ♪ upbeat music continues ♪ ♪ ♪ upbeat music continues ♪ ♪ ♪ upbeat music continues ♪ ♪ Apparently we are at the tallest point on Hilton Head Island because you can only build as high as a tree.

So we are 75 feet up and the nerves have also gone up but we're going to go for it.

♪ upbeat music ♪ ♪ This is one of the most beautiful parts of the entire world, if you ask me.

I mean, people are out on the boat, you've got Sea-Doos, maybe see a few dolphins here and there.

I mean, what a great way to spend a day.

♪ upbeat music ♪ ♪ ♪ upbeat music continues ♪ ♪ ♪ upbeat music continues ♪ ♪ From the moss-draped oaks to the marshes and estuaries, I genuinely believe that this is one of the most beautiful places on the planet and I got to see it all today from a zipline.

It was an experience that I never knew I needed but I'm convinced that a dash of adrenaline is exactly what you need to round out your recipe for vacation.

So if you're considering cooking up some adventure or even if you think you're not ready, you should go for it.

♪ upbeat music ♪ ♪ That was so exciting.

I still can't believe I saw the island from the highest view and zipped off of it.

Now, let's have a change of pace to something a little more relaxing.

With over 3,000 campsites, there are many ways to go camping at South Carolina State Parks.

Let's check out a campsite at Poinsett State Park.

I'm going camping, y'all.

♪ upbeat music ♪ ♪ ♪ upbeat music continues ♪ ♪ South Carolina State Parks encompass more than 90,000 acres of protected lands from the Blue Ridge Mountains all the way to the sand dunes of the Atlantic Ocean.

And each of these parks offer fun and exciting programs for all interests and ages.

A guided sunrise hike in the mountains, you can do that.

Paddling down the river, absolutely.

You can even fly fish in some of our state parks' inland lakes.

The possibilities are endless.

But something you'll find in all of our South Carolina State Parks, help and hospitality from the amazing rangers who work in them.

And today I'm seeking some of that help to make sure my first camping experience inside Poinsett State Park is a true success.

Let's go for it.

♪ upbeat music ♪ ♪ ♪ upbeat music continues ♪ ♪ ♪ upbeat music continues ♪ ♪ I'm going to check out the park gift shop, just in case I forgot something.

♪ Okay, here we go, here's the essentials.

Got a camp cooker.

Oh, a tablecloth might be good.

Bug spray, literally always need bug spray.

I swear there's something about me that mosquitoes just love.

♪ You know what, I think I am going to get one of those tablecloths and a fire starter, just in case.

<Ranger> How's it going?

<Devyn> It's good.

I would love to get these two things.

<Ranger> Absolutely.

Absolutely.

<Devyn> For my camping tonight.

<Ranger> Sure, can I get you any firewood or are you good on that for now?

<Devyn> I think I'm good on firewood.

<Ranger> All right, I'll be right back.

<Devyn> Thank you.

♪ upbeat music ♪ ♪ I'm here with Emily Nicholson.

She is the park manager here at Poinsett State Park.

Emily, tell us where we are at Poinsett.

Where in the state are we right now?

<Emily> So we're in my favorite place of the state, to be honest, but we're fairly centrally located within the state of South Carolina.

We're about 40 miles from Columbia and we're about 90 miles to Charleston.

So it's the perfect distance of being in the middle of the state.

<Devyn> So Poinsett's kind of a unique state park, right?

Can you tell us just a little bit about what makes it stand out?

<Emily> Poinsett State Park is one of the 16 CCC state parks implemented by Roosevelt during the New Deal process.

And so this park was built by three different CCC camps and it was starting to build in 1934 and we opened in 1936.

<Devyn> This park is unique too, in its landscape, right?

<Emily> Yes, so we're very, our nickname for the park is called The Mountains of the Midlands and I think we have earned that nickname.

We have so much different biodiversity here on the park with our ecosystems because on any of our trails, you're either like, high up and then a few minutes later, you're down looking at a swampy area.

So, and we actually have mountain-laurel here, which is more common to the higher elevations and we have it here and it's very pretty.

<Devyn> So cool.

So I can imagine as a park ranger, I think you've probably camped a time or two, right?

<Emily> Just a few.

<Devyn> Is that safe to assume, right?

<Emily> Just a few.

(laughs) So what is your favorite part of the camping experience?

<Emily> I would've to say, right as the sun is going down, you get your campfire going and it's actually time to relax and you can sit by the campfire.

My favorite is to cook around or over the campfire.

There's a lot of awesome recipes that you can cook just over the campfire and then ending it with a s'more.

<Devyn> Love that.

You got to end everything with a little sweet note, right?

<Emily> Always.

>> Always?

<Emily> Always.

<Devyn> So what are some maybe tips and tricks for someone like me who is admittedly not the most experienced camper?

<Emily> I mean, it just all depends on what type of camping that you might be doing.

I, in my mind, the simpler, the better.

You don't need to have the craziest things to go camping, you just need your essentials.

That's a part of why you're camping, to disconnect.

So I mean, I say the simple things and it makes it work.

<Devyn> Awesome, well do you think maybe you could help me set up my campsite?

<Emily> Yes.

<Devyn> Give me a little bit of assistance?

<Emily> I would love to.

<Devyn> All right, let's go for it.

♪ upbeat music ♪ ♪ So Emily, I have built a blanket fort or two in my time.

Okay, I have a five-year-old.

Does that make me qualified for tent building?

<Emily> It does, I think it's a good start for it.

<Devyn> All right, well let's get started with this tent then.

<Emily> Let's do it.

♪ upbeat music ♪ ♪ ♪ upbeat music continues ♪ ♪ <Devyn> All right, that was kind of a lot of work.

I think we earned a s'more.

♪ upbeat music ♪ ♪ ♪ upbeat music continues ♪ ♪ ♪ upbeat music continues ♪ ♪ That's a good looking s'more, y'all.

I may not have known how to pitch a tent but I can make a dang s'more.

<laughs> ♪ upbeat music ♪ ♪ This is so good.

<Emily> Mm-hmm.

Cheers.

<Devyn> Cheers.

It's a good day at the office.

<Emily> Mm-hmm.

♪ This is my office.

<Devyn> Exactly.

<Emily> Not a bad view.

<Devyn> Exactly.

♪ upbeat music ♪ ♪ Going in for round two?

<Emily> Oh, yes.

<Devyn> I love it.

Well y'all, if you are like me and you're more indoorsy than out or if you just haven't yet taken advantage of South Carolina's amazing parks, there is so much to discover here and with the right help, you're in for a real treat.

So, just go for it.

♪ upbeat music ♪ ♪ ♪ upbeat music continues ♪ ♪ Campers have s'more fun.

Did you know that South Carolina should be the real peach state?

We produce more peaches than any state in the southeast.

In fact, Titan Farms where I spent the day with local South Carolina chef Brandon Velie, alone grows more peaches than any other farm on the East Coast.

Let's check it out.

♪ upbeat music ♪ ♪ <Devyn> Hey y'all, welcome to Ridge Spring where we are just an hour outside the capital city of Columbia.

It is summer here in South Carolina and while there's so much to love about the season, for me at the top of the list, peaches and that's why we're here in Ridge Spring today at Titan Farms.

We're going to get some fresh South Carolina peaches and then a local chef is going to teach me how to make this summer fruit really shine.

Let's go for it.

♪ upbeat music ♪ ♪ <Devyn> This is Chef Brandon Velie.

He was one of our very first South Carolina chef ambassadors and he is a local owner and chef at Juniper, his restaurant right here in Ridge Spring, South Carolina.

Brandon, can you tell me a little bit about what it's like to be a South Carolina chef >> Sure.

<Devyn> And a little bit about your restaurant, Juniper?

<Chef Brandon> Yeah, certainly.

So I love being a chef in South Carolina.

The amount of produce that we can get available year-round here is unbelievable.

I grew up in New York, so for me, to have 12 months out of the year that I can get fresh local produce is awesome and it's great for Juniper 'cause that's what we do.

We feature farm-to-table.

So we try to source as much of our products within a hundred mile radius of the restaurant.

This farm, Titan Farms where we're at today, being one of those great farms that we use.

<Devyn> For those who may not know, can you just talk a little bit about the Chef Ambassador Program and why it's so important?

<Chef Brandon> The South Carolina Chef Ambassador Program is a collaboration between South Carolina Parks, Recreation and Tourism, South Carolina Department of Agriculture and it's to highlight all the wonderful things we have going on in the state.

So the food culture, the food history that we have going on.

They pick four different chefs a year, we're up to 28 now, which is absolutely amazing.

The program's been going since 2014 and it's our job as chef ambassadors to just promote South Carolina, all the wonderful food that is available here.

We've got it all going on in South Carolina, so.

<Devyn> We do have it all going on.

We're here today to talk about peaches.

What is so special about South Carolina peaches and specifically here at Titan Farms?

<Chef Brandon> It's the state fruit.

South Carolina is now known, they're the number two state in the country for peach production.

So outside of California, South Carolina is it.

And this farm that we're on today, Titan Farms is the biggest peach producer not only in the state but outside the state of California, Titan is it.

<Devyn> That's amazing.

<Chef Brandon> Yeah.

<Devyn> And they make a really good product too, right?

<Chef Brandon> They do.

Their peaches are awesome.

<Devyn> Yes.

<Chef Brandon> They're awesome.

You're going to find out shortly.

>>I am going to find out.

<Chef Brandon>They're awesome.

<Devyn> So what is your favorite way to incorporate peaches in your cooking?

<Chef Brandon> Really, I just, I love peaches.

<Devyn> Yeah.

>> So not just sweet dishes, you know, peach cobbler, peach pie, any sort of sweet dish is great but I love to feature it in savory dishes as well.

<Devyn> All right, so what are we making today?

<Chef Brandon> So I'm really excited today to be doing some grilled peaches and then we're going to pair those Titan Farms peaches up with some Manchester Farms quail 'cause I'm all about South Carolina grown products.

<Devyn> Absolutely.

<Chef Brandon> So then we're going to put that over some Adluh grits with some country ham and some fresh basil chiffonade over the top.

It's going to be awesome.

<Devyn> It sounds so good, I'm so excited.

Let's go for it.

♪ upbeat music ♪ ♪ <Chef Brandon> So we've got our Titan Farms peaches all ready for grilling right here.

I've got a little olive oil and a little salt and pepper on them.

These are in the peak of the season.

I mean, it's the middle of the summer, these are perfect.

And that's one of the things at Juniper that we really like to do, is to not just cook seasonally but really, when everything is in its prime is to really kind of capture those flavors.

And then we've got our quail here, Manchester Farms quail.

I marinated this in basically like a mojo marinade with a little lime and orange juice and some cilantro.

<Devyn> Ooh.

<Chef Brandon> And then we're going to put a little bit of country ham on there.

<Devyn> Country ham, what is more southern <Chef Brandon> I know.

<Devyn> Than country ham?

<Chef Brandon> I know, and that, the thing about this is that saltiness is really gonna go well with the peaches and the quail.

<Devyn> Yes, you know, I feel like people don't often use peaches in the savory sense.

<Chef Brandon> I would totally agree.

I think the go-to tends to just be, people think sweet.

So they tend to do desserts with it.

But it is awesome and savory.

I mean, it really brings out those savory flavors, especially with herbs.

Basil and tarragon and thyme and all that stuff goes so well with peaches.

<Devyn> And it's summer, so you got to be grilling.

<Chef Brandon> That's right.

<Devyn> Right?

You got to be using the grill, <Chef Brandon> That's right.

<Devyn> if you're cooking in the South in the summer.

<Chef Brandon> So we're going to do a little salt and pepper and I'm going to let you do the salt on there.

<Devyn> Ooh, thank you.

All right.

Is there a method to this?

<Chef Brandon> There is.

You got it, that's the method.

Just evenly coat it, you got it, perfect.

<Devyn> There we go.

(sizzling) <Chef Brandon> So we are now at about the halfway point.

We're ready to flip everything over.

<Devyn> Okay.

<Chef Brandon> I peeked a little bit.

It's got some great grill lines going on here, so <Devyn> Awesome.

<Chef Brandon> I'm actually going to hand it over to you and let you take over and do the flipping.

<Devyn> We're going to flip, so I can flip.

(sizzling) Ooh, that looks so good.

Look at that char, that's a fun food word.

(sizzling) <Chef Brandon> You got the country ham.

We do have our grits on right back there too that are nice and hot.

<Devyn> Oh, man, I'm so excited.

Country ham, grits, peaches, quail.

That's a South Carolina lunch coming, y'all.

<Chef Brandon> Oh, yeah.

(sizzling) <Devyn> All right, everything has been flipped.

<Chef Brandon> That's it.

♪ <Devyn> It looks so good.

<Chef Brandon> So we're gonna start by putting our sauce down.

This is a fun play that I did on like a salsa verde.

>> Okay.

<Chef Brandon> But it's made with local green tomatoes.

<Devyn> Ah.

<Chef Brandon> So we're just gonna brush a little bit of this down on our plate.

<Devyn> You even worked in local tomatoes <Chef Brandon> I did, I did.

<Devyn> Into this dish.

I mean, it is the most South Carolina local.

<Chef Brandon> And then we've got our Adluh grits.

<Devyn> Oh my gosh.

<Chef Brandon> Another thing at Juniper that we really like to promote is family-owned.

So Adluh is family owned by the Allen Family, Titan is a family-owned farm.

We really love to promote that.

<Devyn> So special.

<Chef Brandon> Then we've got our quail and our peaches, and then we're going to top it with a little bit of a basil chiffonade, and that's it.

That's it.

<Devyn> So pretty.

It looks so good.

<Chef Brandon>Summertime, South Carolina on a plate right there.

<Devyn> Summer and South Carolina on a plate, I love it.

Well, can we take a bite?

<Chef Brandon> Certainly.

Yeah, please.

<Devyn> Ah, all right, now what's the best way?

'Cause I love the perfect bite, right?

So a little bit of everything.

Do you have a method?

<Chef Brandon> So yeah, I just cut off a little bit of everything and dip it in the grits.

It's really not science behind it, I just try to get a little bit of everything into a bite.

<Devyn> Get us a little bit of country ham.

<Chef Brandon> A little bit of country ham, you'll get that saltiness from that.

<Devyn> A little bit of the quail.

<Chef Brandon> Definitely.

<Devyn> And then obviously, the star of the show.

<Chef Brandon> The peach, for sure.

<Devyn> The peach.

<Chef Brandon> Yeah.

<Devyn> The Titan Farms peach.

And the moment of truth, y'all.

Some of those tomatoes too.

Got a little bit of everything, the perfect bite, as I like to say.

Perfect bite.

♪ (Devyn humming) I'm happy dancing.

You know, the first thing I get is actually that tomato.

<Chef Brandon> Yeah, yeah, it comes through nicely.

<Devyn> Everything on this plate is local and those peaches really shine.

They really are the star of the dish.

But the saltiness of the ham, ah, and the creamy grits, <Chef Brandon> Yeah.

<Devyn> So good.

I got to go back in for another bite.

<Chef Brandon> You got to go for it?

<Devyn> I got to go for it.

(laughs) ♪ upbeat music ♪ What a fantastic day here at Titan Farms.

You know, I didn't think that I could love peaches anymore than I already do, but Chef Brandon proved me wrong today.

That was South Carolina summer on a plate, and I can't wait to share that recipe with my family.

And you can too by utilizing local South Carolina ingredients or by visiting restaurants that use them.

So if you're looking to taste something new, just go for it.

♪ upbeat music ♪ ♪ South Carolina summer on a plate, chef's kiss.

If you'd like to check out more "Go For It," visit SouthCarolinaETV.org.

You can read more about each of my adventures at discoversouthcarolina.com.

And if you are thinking of taking in some of South Carolina's natural beauty, well, just go for it.

♪ upbeat music ♪ ♪ ♪ upbeat music continues ♪ ♪ ♪ upbeat music continues ♪ ♪ ♪ upbeat music continues ♪ ♪ ♪ upbeat music continues ♪ ♪ ♪ upbeat music continues ♪ ♪