My mother was a strong German
woman and along with her cooking
I remember her most by being incurable 
wander lust.  Summer meant endless road
trips.  It was the late 60’s early 70’s, times
were much simpler.  I think back to
a trip in particular when we headed 
out west.  Mom had siblings in 
California and we made our way 
West.  I was under 6 years old, so
the memories today are faded.  San Francisco
offered many sights and sounds. Traveling
over the Golden Gate bridge, it was
surrounded in fog.  I know today that
that’s par for the course during
summer.  Fisherman’s wharf, with the
barking seals, waves slapping
against the pier and the smells of
bath salt and fish still fill my
mind.
Southern Living Magazine recently named
my home, Aiken, South Carolina, Best
Small city of the South, it’s an incredible
honor and well deserved for many reasons.
Aiken is a town that has a charming and
bustling down town.  The city has worked
hard to bring a vitality to the downtown
area.  With a number of new restaurants
aesthetic changes and events, on
any given night you can see people 
walking around or gathering to
break bread.  The arts play a
strong role in Aiken too.  A newly 
built community arts center boasts
a full and fun schedule of plays, 
while the presence of USC-Aiken
offers symphony’s for the musically
inclined.

One of the other things that makes
Aiken a great place is that it’s home
to the large urban Forest in the US-
Hitchcock Woods. 
Aiken is known as the “Winter
Colony,” as many wealthy families 
would come down during the winter
and bring their horses. It’s
protected and a part of our community.

Aiken is not without its challenges.