Jesse Blanco
We have the pleasure of being joined by Cele and Lynn Seldon. They are a couple of authors here in the South Carolina and South Carolina Lowcountry and the Georgia coast as well. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing them for a few years now on the media circuit, if you will, and they have a new book out. It’s called 100 Things to Do in the South Carolina Lowcountry Before You Die. Welcome you guys. How are you?

Cele Seldon
It’s a long title. We’re great. Thank you.

Jesse Blanco
It is indeed, but effective, effective. You guys have done this before. This is not your first before you die book, right?

Cele & Lynn
Right, this is actually our third. We originally did the Charleston book, which is in its second edition. And then we also did the Savannah book, which was all new back in 2020. So yeah, this is our third one, sort of completes the trilogy.

Jesse Blanco
Where did the seed come from?

Cele
It’s actually a publisher out of St. Louis, Reedy Press. And I think they’re up to 85, 90 titles now. And they were really successful with Savannah and with Charleston. And they’re like, we know you all live in the Lowcountry, let’s do a third one. So we’re excited.

Jesse Blanco
Very nice. Very nice. So I would assume now on number three they get easier,

Cele & Lynn
Definitely get easier and the fact that we live in the heart of the low country made it that much easier. We were very familiar with Charleston and Savannah through our travel writing career, but being able to write about your backyard, yeah, that’s a lot easier. Yeah, definitely.

Jesse
Same thing happened with me when I wrote my Savannah book. It was like, I wrote it nine days sitting right here in the seat where I am right now. But then Charleston required research and going there and sitting there and talking to people and all that was a very different animal. So did you pitch them the idea for the third one or did they come back to you with it?

Cele
You know, think Lynn first had the idea shortly after the Savannah book came out. And to be perfectly honest with you, I was kind of over doing a hundred things of anywhere. I wanted a break. And he kind of kept bringing it up from time to time. And a few years went by, and I think probably like childbirth, you kind of forget the horror parts and remember all the joy. He brought it up again a couple of years, about 18 months ago and said, what do you think? And I said, okay, I think I’m ready. Let’s pitch the publisher and they loved it. Loved it. Yeah, no question about it.

Jesse
I gather a lot of the motivation to pitch this idea was the fact that those of us that live here know how much there is to do. This isn’t some secluded little nook, if you will, between Beaufort and Charleston, which there’s not a whole lot there. The South Carolina Lowcountry has a lot going on. It’s almost a city in its own right, even if you leave Charleston outside of it, you know, the whole Bluffton Hilton Head Island….that area. But was that kind of, you know, there’s so many things to do here. We could write 300.

Cele
Exactly. I think our original list was about 300. The hardest part was whittling it down. And we had some serious debates on what to include and what we had to exclude. It was mainly based on geographic diversity. We really wanted to do all of the Lowcountry and then also sort of subject diversity. They give us five categories to cover and the first one is food and drink. So you can identify with that. We were excited. We could have done a hundred food and drink entries, for sure.

Jesse
We’ll dig deeper on that in a second. I just wanted to ask how far we say South Carolina, Lowcountry, is it the entire state all the way up to the North Carolina border?

Cele & Lynn
No, it’s not. We really wanted to kind of fill the gap between Charleston and Savannah. So many travelers come into Charleston, spend time there, get a rental car, drive to Savannah, and they’re passing all of these amazing things halfway between the two, and we wanted them to stop and smell the roses. So we really wanted to focus on basically Edisto Island to Hilton Head is basically the region it covers. And we address that in our preface because a lot of people do think of the Lowcountry from Myrtle Beach to Jacksonville. So we wanted to kind of, we talk a lot about the heart of the Lowcountry.

Jesse
I like it. And like I just said, you know, we know that the area between Beaufort and Hilton Head alone right there is, it has grown so much, so congested, you know, so populous now. I mean, you know, let’s call it what it is. I have a friend, mutual friend of ours who lives in Beaufort and whenever she tells me, yeah, I got to run down to Hilton Head….. Ain’t no running to Hilton Head from Beaufort. That’s an hour and change, easy.

Cele
Exactly. So much.

Jesse

You know, a lot of people don’t like it. I miss my old Bluffton and all of that stuff. And you know, legit sentiment if that’s what they feel. I don’t want to discount anyone how they feel about what has become of the area. But I personally, I’m a city guy. I like the growth. I like having options. I love having a Burnt Church Distillery, which we’ll talk about in a second. I love all of the things that you’re able to do here. You know, the more the merrier. And I know, like I said, not everybody feels that way.

Cele
Exactly. We’re in that game.

Jesse Blanco
How long have you guys been in this area?

Cele & Lynn
We’ve been coming to the area for probably close to 25 years. We’re travel journalists by trade and we’ve often covered the southeast, Charleston, Savannah. So we’ve been coming to the area for a long time. But full-time, eight years now we moved here. Basically we kept coming here because we loved it and my writing mentor Pat Conroy lived here and so we were spending a lot of time with him before we lost him and we ended up here and love it and we’re not leaving.

Jesse
You all live in the Beaufort area, yes? So we can, we’ll agree, we’ll put it aside. Bluffton has exploded. I mean, it’s like practically bigger than Savannah these days, but is something similar happening in general Beaufort?

Cele
Well, you know, I think that there, you know, if the Southern Livings of the world and the Garden and Guns would stop talking about what a charming coastal city it is, we’d probably be having a little less growth. But I think that the county leaders, the city leaders have really done a good job in limiting the growth so far. know, tourists are definitely coming and sniffing around. But I think so far that it really hasn’t been a huge issue.

I think the water, our water really helps because we have so much water. There’s only so many places you can go because Beaufort is surrounded by rivers. So that seems to be helping with that growth. But of course it’s coming. The reason we love it, so do others, especially people moving from Charleston.

Jesse
No kidding. OK. So 100 things you said you started making a list and you did you max out at 300 and then the arguments started?

Cele & Lynn
I can’t even remember, but yeah, the arguments started before there were three on the list, especially when it came to, especially when it came to restaurants. That was one where we were like, you know, we really went back and forth, but we tried to be diverse. That was the big thing. It wasn’t going to be all shrimp and grits restaurants.

Jesse
Yeah, that is something that I run into in my travels. You know what people are coming down to this area for, to be fair, but you also have to present, hey, you know, we’re more than just shrimp and grits, like you said. Did it all fall together easily? The food side of it.

Cele
You know, it did. well, that one, could, like Lynn said, we could have done a hundred things to eat in the South Carolina low country before you die. That would have been easy to do. Travelers are not homogenous and just because we like to eat doesn’t mean everybody’s all about the food. And there are history buffs and there are outdoors enthusiasts. So we really tried to give something for everybody. We want to be inclusive of families. We wanted to be inclusive of the Gullah culture. So we really tried to be as diverse as we could in the variety of things. And Reedy does make it easy with the five categories. So we also had to work within that framework of their format. But we did do, and with Charleston and Savannah, we did more food and drink entries than the other four categories because it’s our favorite, obviously. And so we’re like you. We eat it and like it.

Jesse
Very good. So you had five categories. It’s not necessarily 20 entries in each. The numbers are off a little bit, but they add up to 100.

Cele
They do. And we have kind of carte blanche in that arena. And it actually fell together quite naturally. This area is so rich in sports and recreation and in culture and history. Things really kind of fell into place pretty easily. And then you throw in the shopping of Hilton Head and Bluffton. There were categories easily fulfilled.

Jesse
Okay, time for some plugs of a couple of places you mentioned, food and drink-wise, that people may or may not know about. Did you have a couple? Like, you know, this is a hidden gem is the term people love to use. I argue that doesn’t necessarily exist anymore because of social media, but do you have a couple that you can’t wait to share with people?

Cele & Lynn
Absolutely. Well, I know which one he wants to talk about. You know, Black Sheep Sabbatical is one of our favorite restaurants here in Beaufort. We’ve been there with you. It’s a unique concept here in Beaufort. They’ve been around since 2020 and they’ve kind of reinvented themselves a couple of times. But right now it’s this just really cool wine space, lunch encounter, event space wine shop combination that’s just tiny 14 seats. But it’s super cool. Matt Wallace’s food is amazing. Whatever he’s got on the changing menu daily. Krista does a great job with the wine selections. It’s just really a cool vibe and hip spot that we really enjoy. And even though we’ve known it for years, it still is a hidden gem outside of Beaufort proper. it’s getting the words getting out.

Can I go further afield? Yes, because I know what he’s going to talk about. So at least one of these is a pretty hidden gem. It’s out in the country. It’s called Rizer’s Pork and Produce. And it’s about, I guess, about 30 minutes north of Beaufort. It’s probably our furthest away entry in the Lowcountry. And it’s basically a buffet style country restaurant where they grow their own pork and grow their own vegetables. And it’s pretty phenomenal. And they’re very excited to be in the book and literally a friend who lives out that way said have you ever been there? We said no and and it’s one of the few that we didn’t know about ahead of time another one out that way that is good.

Jesse
Is this when you’re going Highway 17 up to Charleston on 17 or is it back in the woods somewhere?

Cele & Lynn
It’s back in the woods. It’s actually heading up through the Yemmessee and as if you’re going to Columbia the back way up 21. So it’s truly out in the country and you think there’s no way I’m going to get there and then you are. Its mailing address is Lodge, South Carolina. And you’re going to yeah, you’re going to have to go look at that one. Yeah, yeah, and another one out that way.

Jesse
Well, you know I’m gonna go find it. I’m gonna go find it and I will give you full credit if it ends up on TV, because I love those kind of places like everybody else does. Who else you got?

Cele

Yeah. Well, one other one that you really I can’t I’ll be amazed if you have not been there as Harold’s Country Club. Are you familiar with that one?

Jesse
I am familiar, but believe it or not, I have never been.

Cele
It’s a must. We have a book signing there on October 16th. And it’s for Potluck night and I’ve asked specifically if they would serve their fried chicken for their Potluck night and you should come join us. It is the best fried chicken around.

Jesse Blanco
Those are some I know all about it. And for those who don’t know that it’s, is it considered a steakhouse?

Cele & Lynn
It was originally, that was the big thing, the steak night, but it expanded to potluck night and a couple of other things. They have live music now. It is a excursion and we love it. In fact, we’ve gotten to know them so well that Cele requested fried chicken night be on that potluck night. So she wasn’t kidding when she likes it. Yeah. So that’s a good one. A couple of good ones out that way.

Jesse

I do have to mention our friends at Burnt Church Distillery because that experience is unlike anything else in the region. Is that fair? I assume it’s in the book.

Cele & Lynn
Yes, absolutely. I’m glad you mentioned it again. yes, it has its own entry. Is that correct? Yeah, it’s a special place to us when people walk in there. As you know, just all by it. The vibe is great, but so are the offerings. Both the food and the drinker are just really world class and the venue is stunning. I mean the facility itself. It is literally we kind of call it the Church of Spirits. It really has its own congregation and it is a super cool building. It’s definitely one of our favorites. And another one I’m sure you know is Chef Brandon Carter’s FARM in Bluffton. Not so, not so hidden gem anymore. Yeah, it’s still good.

Jesse Yeah, it is still very, very good. Okay, we could talk about all 100, but I wanna make sure we share where you guys are gonna be with some book signings. You have three or four coming up, right?

Cele & Lynn
The first one is October 1st, the book launch, and that’s in Beaufort at the Arsenal, historic Arsenal, and where the Beaufort History Museum is. So it’s a special place for us. it’s a real, it’s going to be a love fest. It’s a love letter to the Lowcountry. And so we’re looking forward to that one. But equally as important is the Bluffton Hilton Head Island launch the next day, October 2nd. And it’s a place that you know and love as well, the Culinary Institute of the South.

Perfect place for it. They have their own entry in the book. SERG Restaurant Group is going to be serving some tasty bites. So that’s October 2nd, 4 to 6. And on Monday, or excuse me, Wednesday, October the 1st is 5 to 7 at the Arsenal. So those are two biggies and then we’re doing a bunch of other stuff. You know how it is with book launches. And don’t forget, we’ll be at Harold’s Country Club on the 16th.

Jesse: Where, is there a website where people can find some more information?

Cele
Well, a couple ways, obviously, it’s, yeah.

Yeah. The books are available. They’re coming in as we speak. They’re going to be in all the local area bookstores. There are plenty of retailers around town that’ll be carrying the book know Bluffton General Store has books. Wheels of Hilton Head already has books in. All the local bookstores, all of the visitor centers, the Beaufort Visitor Center, the Bluffton Hilton Head Chamber of Commerce, and the Lowcountry Tourism Visitor Center.

And you can always go to our website at seldonink.com, S-E-L-D-O-N-I-N-K.com. And we’ve got all our books there as well.

Jesse: The book is called 100 Things to Do in the South Carolina Lowcountry Before You Die, correct? Did I get that right?

Cele Seldon (17:16.674)
That’s correct. Yep, absolutely.

Jesse Blanco (17:18.189)
Well, we will get to do it. Thank you guys, Lynn and Cele Seldon, for joining us here and sharing. Good luck. I hope to catch up with you at one of your signings.

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