Almanac

Adventures From Mild to Wild

Two Florence men opened Naturally Outdoors Outfitters in 2005, and the store has been climbing in popularity since.

Hunter Morgan and Scott Murphy offer a large variety of outdoor clothing and equipment, and they even provide lessons and guided outdoor trips. Those trips can involve kayaking, hiking, climbing or biking.

Three-day outings are available to the Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina, Mount Rogers National Recreation Area in Virginia, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee.

The duo also schedules paddling excursions along the Little Pee Dee and Lynches rivers, as well as backpacking expeditions to Western U.S. states.

Bookworm’s Delight

The architecture is nearly as interesting as the reading material at the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation Library.

The impressive 83,000-square-foot building on Dargan Street in Florence features classical columns, etched windows, chandeliers and spacious hallways. The foundation donated more than half of the funds to build the $17.4 million library, which opened in 2004.

Two local physicians started the foundation to give back to their community, and today the building that bears their names serves as the headquarters of the Florence County Library System.

The library is open seven days a week.

Good to the Last Crop

Out of butter beans? Low on peas?

The Pee Dee State Farmers Market is open year-round on a 55-acre site off U.S. 52 where a former tobacco experimental station once operated. The open-air market has been a staple of Florence since 1983.

Products for sale include fruits, vegetables, plants and flowers. The market features 16 vendors, a café, pecan kitchen and potter’s shop. It also hosts two flower shows each year – on the first weekend of October and the first weekend after Easter.

Festive Florence

Party alert: The city of Florence hosts six festivals each year.

The Pecan Festival occurs downtown, while Francis Marion University hosts both the International Festival and Arts Alive. Other events are the Spirit of Florence July 4 Celebration of Family, the Greek Festival and the Sankofa Festival that recognizes African-American heritage.

Celebrations in neighboring municipalities include the South Carolina Tobacco Festival in Lake City, Gator Festival in Olanta and Founders Day Festival in Johnsonville.

Strength of Steel

Here’s a solid fact: The New Millennium Building Systems plant in Florence is undergoing an expansion.

The steel joist and girder manufacturer has embarked on a $15 million expansion project that includes the acquisition of additional property, 40 new employees, construction of new buildings and the purchase of new equipment. New Millennium has been around since 1966 when it was part of Socar Inc.

Company officials have announced the current average employee salary of $32,000 is expected to increase to more than $50,000 a year as the company payroll rises from $6 million to $11 million annually over the next five years.

Paved With Good Intentions

One of the oldest racetracks in NASCAR is getting a new surface.

A $10 million renovation project has been taking place at Darlington Raceway, with most of the money geared toward repaving the 1.366-mile oval. The track that opened in 1949 had last been repaved in 1995, and the asphalt had become marred by several cracks and small ruts.

The renovation is to be completed in time for the track’s Sprint Cup race on Mother’s Day weekend 2008.

Darlington Raceway, which seats 65,000 and is nicknamed The Track Too Tough to Tame, was the site of the first stock-car race run entirely on pavement.

Look: Up in the Sky

The sky’s the limit whenever the May Fly Regional Air Show occurs on Memorial Day weekend.

The two-day family event takes place at Florence Regional Airport, starting with a grand parade at noon to honor the nation’s veterans. Then the show starts, with attractions such as Air Force flight demonstrations, wing walking, smoke ring aerobatics and pyrotechnics. There is also an interesting land attraction – a jet-powered 1940 Ford Fire Truck that can reach speeds of 400 mph.

There is also a classic car show, an antique tractor show and a Kid Zone.

Go, Go, Go-Karts

Boring birthday plans? That will never be the case at Mister Mark’s Fun Park.

The Florence entertainment destination provides a fun and safe environment for all families to enjoy birthday parties and other special occasions.

The most popular birthday package includes a pizza party and access to all the activities available in the park, including go-kart racing, miniature golf and an arcade.

Besides pizza, Mister Mark’s serves hot dogs, nachos and salads.