Things to Do in Clemson

More than 500 feet in the air, a climber pauses atop Looking Glass Rock, taking in the scenic views of North Carolina that stretch for miles in every direction. The AMGA-certified guides at Appalachian Mountain Institute aim to help climbers reach these elevated vantage points. Their guided trips range from beginner lessons to more advanced multipitch climbing, which exercises techniques that can be used to scale the peaks of Table Rock. As winter brings colder weather and more embarrassing pajamas, ice climbing beckons groups to tackle vertical flows of ice.

AMI also sponsors the Adventure for Kids Program, an outreach initiative designed to take local kids climbing. Additionally, they lead camps for teenagers and retreats that fuse climbing with yoga.:m]]

When Tom Jackson designed the golf course at High Vista Country Club in 1976, he made sure that the 540-acre parcel would complement the soon-to-be clubhouse, a stone-hunting lodge constructed on the site in 1928 that overlooked the dramatic surroundings. From its lofty perch, visitors can survey the valley below and the Chestnut Mountain Ridge in the distance. The founding "fore" fathers appropriated the magnificent old structure as the first clubhouse, a suitable starting place for the 18-hole championship golf course.

Referred to as the “Old Club House” today, the building still watches over the 6,831-yard championship course, which features frequent elevation changes and mountain-fed ponds that come into play on at least six holes. Towering oak and pine trees frame the course's fairways, and bright azaleas punctuate the grounds to lend the greenery a dose of vibrant color, especially if the surrounding leaves go on strike and stay green during autumn.

Aside from the championship golf course, High Vista Country Club also features a private dining hall, an outdoor pool, tennis courts, and social clubs. The club offers holiday party packages for up to 125 that include a cash bar, buffet or plated dinner, cleanup and setup, linens, tables, chairs, silverware, centerpieces, and use of the dance floor.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course

• Total length of 6,831 yards from the back tees

• Course rating of 73.7 from the back tees

• Course slope of 739 from the back tees

• Five sets of tees per hole

At Heritage Outdoors’ retail shop and indoor archery range, a team of nature enthusiasts equips visitors for forest exploration and animal tracking with archery lessons and a full stock of attire and gear from BowTech, Browning, and Mossberg. During archery lessons and open practice, the shop’s staff outfits archers with bows and arrows before they swarm Heritage’s 16 archery lanes to test their accuracy, precision, and ability to withstand Robin Hood’s merry band of hecklers. A collection of brand-name hunting, fishing, and archery equipment abounds within the onsite shop, where guests can find the tools they need to thoroughly reconnect with nature.

In 2003, underwater overachiever Robbie Bogan embarked on a new endeavor would have him regularly shifting back and forth between the thrill of exploring shipwrecks to the gravity of teaching CPR and marine rescue techniques. The experienced cofounder of Upstate Scuba had created a scuba school that teaches both recreational scuba diving and tactical and emergency diving. As a result, the people who frequent the Upstate facility comprise a diverse student body.

First-timers arrive and are soon dunked into the pool during Try Scuba courses; search-and-rescue personnel often show up for instruction on the latest underwater navigation or night diving. The curriculum includes opportunities to gain certification, which can be used to participate in Upstate Scuba's open-water trips to nearby lakes. As dealers of top-notch equipment, Robbie also teachs divers safe use of breathing apparatuses and how to scare away sharks by impersonating Steven Spielberg.

The idea for an annual barbecue expo began slow-cooking in 2010 at a family lunch. The Boyds thought about organizing a little barbecue competition and ended up luring 8,500 barbecue enthusiasts to their "small" cook-off and fundraiser. Now in its third year, the charitable event continues to develop flavor and raise money for local schools while packing bellies with some of the area's best barbecue recipes.

With napkins in hand, attendees can follow the smoky scents and sounds of sauce-splattered high-fives from the tents of a variety of vendors. Ten teams of grilling gurus face off in a whole-hog cook-off, with the winners earning a cash prize and a spot in the state championship later this year. A new Chick-fil-A sauce competition sifts through the day's top toppings until a winner is crowned. Between bites, guests can also savor the festival's many attractions, including a police dog demonstration, a petting zoo, and a BMX bike show, where riders wow onlookers by performing tricks and bunny-hopping over smokers.

Kim Warner’s daughter, Clare, was riding whitewater by age 3, and had advanced to doing it dressage style the following season. The owner of Rafting With My Kids, Warner has safely launched families since 1988, when she and her outfitters turned their condo in Asheville into a base camp for trips down the Tuckasegee, Green, and French Broad rivers. Now in its 24th season, a group of CPR- and first-aid-certified guides lead exhilarating two-hour voyages exclusively on the Tuckasegee River. Their gear includes lifejackets designed specifically for kids, enabling adventurers as young as 4 to pile into inflatable rafts with a guardian and older kids the freedom to venture out in two-person duckies. The water is only 3–5 feet deep on average and, as Warner puts it on the business’s website, the rapids are not “too hardcore.” Each guide carries a cell phone and a first-aid kit, as well as light snacks of cookies and peanut-butter or cheese crackers to keep rafters energized.