State House:
I've never been to Columbia before, so I drive downtown to see what this city is all about. Downtown is small, rundown, with a good bit of construction and lots of abandoned storefronts. Not too flash. But in the middle of it all is the South Carolina capitol building, the State House, which is a beautiful building on beautiful grounds. Two pages of photos, so click "NEXT" at the bottom.
From where I park, I enter the grounds through the gardens, filled with these beautiful blue flowers.
A side view of the State House. True to South Carolina, the grounds are landscaped with many palm trees.
Around the front.
George!
Downtown, as seen from the capitol steps. Notice all the orange from construction.
Nice front porch.
I stand on the streetside sidewalk now, so we see the capitol behind a Civil War veterans memorial monument from 1879, and the controversial South Carolina state flag.
I take this photo only because black-eyed Susans are my mother's favorite flower. Turns out to be quite a pretty photo, though.