Holy Spokes! Anniversary Bike Ride
One of the best ways to experience downtown Charleston is on a bike.
The City of Charleston has made great strides to improve the roads and access to sustainable biking solutions. This month the City of Charleston and the Gotcha Group celebrate Holy Spokes‘ successful first year of providing a useful and affordable Charleston bike share.
To celebrate this milestone, Local Works helped to organize a bike scavenger hunt. The goal was to get the community out on bikes while incorporating other great local businesses.
We started our scavenger hunt on the East Route. We had 6 clues to guide us to local businesses on our way to Edmund’s Oast for free beer and snacks.
Follow along on our journey around the Peninsula.
Let’s get rolling, it’s time to head east. We’ll start at the place for the eyes to feast. Just which place to go, our lips are sealed. But your favorite artform just might be revealed.
This was the toughest clue of the hunt. We rode around in circles racking our brains as to which local business the clue was referring to. With a little prompting, we found our way to the Revealed Art Gallery. Revealed is a contemporary art gallery tucked away on Church Street. It is a bright, open space that features many beautiful, varied pieces. We could have spent hours appreciating every detail, but we were on the HUNT! We made sure to snap a few pictures for the road.
Keep your eyes sparkling and wide. Head to a corridor where the tourists can’t hide. We’ll browse the market for gold. And create memories that only a sweetgrass basket can hold.
For this hint we knew to go straight to the Charleston City Market. We parked our bikes and navigated through the hordes of tourists straight to Gold Creations fine jewelry. Gold Creations has been a crux of the Market for over 40 years. The store’s warmth and energy likely comes from being family owned and operated.
Just as pure and rich as gold. Stop number three is where the olive oil is sold. The Lowcountry’s foodies swear by it. And it’ll be a sure fit for your kitchen cabinet.
Our next stop was none other than Lowcountry Olive Oil. They carry a huge selection of over 60 olive oils and vinegars. Being able to stop and sample these delicious oils was such a treat. It also gave us some much needed energy as we continued our trek through the city.
Steer your bicycle north for the next stop. Books adorn the narrow aisles of this shop. Browse for your next summer beach read. It’s local shops like this every community needs.
This was such an important stop for us. Local bookstores like Blue Bicycle Books are vital to the success of our new book, Holy Spirits! Charleston Culture Through Cocktails. There is so much local talent in Charleston and Blue Bicycle Books does a great job of showcasing that.
You can find the next shop up a flight of stairs. A place to explore one-of-a-kind gifts and wares. Plenty of grit hides behind delicate lace. But the owner is full of love and grace.
This hint sent us right to Grit & Grace, a charming gift shop that captures the essence of the Southern woman. Amazingly, Grit & Grace works with SCDNR’s oyster restoration and enhancement program to recycle and replant 10 oyster shells for each one sold.
The end of your hunt is near. Can’t you almost taste that cold beer? Kick it into high gear to this distillery first. No Hat Tricks here- just quench your thirst.
What we needed more that beer at this point in our 4 mile bike ride was a tall glass of water. That’s just what we got at Highwire Distilling. This is a place we know all too well. We recently hosted the soft launch of our book here because of the space’s character and hospitality. It was a great last stop for the scavenger hunt.
Finally, we made our way to the Edmund’s Oast patio where we were treated to delicious free beer and expertly-made Charcuterie boards.
This was a great opportunity to appreciate the gains that Holy Spokes, Gotcha, and the City of Charleston have made to make the Holy City a great place to bike. We’re also so appreciative of great organizations like Local Works that bring attention to the amazingly unique local businesses all over Charleston. This is exactly why Locals Prefer Two Wheels!
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