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The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook by Hampton Sides
From bestselling author Hampton Sides comes a gripping, thought- provoking tale of Captain James Cook’s final, fatal voyage—a high- stakes journey of discovery, ambition, and the tragic collision between cultures at the dawn of empire. Learn more.

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
A darkly funny and deeply moving saga of a family spiraling into chaos as the world unravels around them, asking whether one moment of bad luck can change everything—and if redemption is still possible when it does. Learn more.

The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King
In this luminous debut, a lonely college student discovers a magical family gift that revives memories through pencils, leading her on a journey across generations to uncover hidden histories, reunite lost relatives, and reclaim the stories that shape us. Learn more.

Slow Noodles: A Cambodian Memoir of Love, Loss, and Family Recipes by Chantha Nguon
In Slow Noodles, Cambodian refugee Chantha Nguon weaves a haunting memoir of loss, survival, and resilience—reclaiming her past and her mother’s kitchen through the healing power of Khmer recipes in the shadow of genocide. Learn more.

Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane
Acclaimed nature writer Robert Macfarlane takes us on a lyrical journey across threatened waterscapes—from Ecuador to India to Canada—exploring the ancient idea that rivers are living beings, and urging us to see their fate as inseparable from our own. Learn more.

The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry
From this beloved southern author comes a spellbinding tale of a daughter’s transatlantic quest to unravel the mystery of her vanished mother and a legendary lost language—blending literary intrigue, family legacy, and the enduring pull of untold stories. Learn more.

• 1⁄2 fresh lime chopped wedges
• 2 oz Ketel One Vodka
• 1 barspoon Honey
• 1⁄3 oz Demerara / Muscovado / brown sugar syrup (2 sugar to 1 water)

1. 1) Select and pre-chill a Double old-fashioned glass.
2. 2) Prepare garnish of honey-coated dipper stick stirrer (honey stick).
3. 3) Cut a ripe lime in half (from pole to pole) and remove the core from each half by cutting a V-shape grove. (You’ll need one-half of the lime per cocktail).
4. 4) Chop a cored half into 3 wedges, then slice each wedge in half to produce 6 chunks of lime and drop these into the serving glass.
5. 5) MUDDLE lime chunks in the base of the glass.
6. 6) Add vodka and honey-loaded honey dipper stick (or bar spoon of honey) and use the dipper stick (or spoon) to STIR until the honey is dissolved.
7. 7) Add sugar syrup and fill the glass with crushed ice leaving the dipper stick as a garnish for the drinker to continue stirring.

Summertime in Aiken brings bright colors and beautiful birdsong right to our doorsteps. During this time of year, Hitchcock Woods is not only home to our native, year-round birds, but also to a host of birds migrating from South America, the Caribbean, and Mexico.

We recently spoke with Jay Keck, Industry Habitat Manager at the South Carolina Wildlife Federation, about the birds you can see in the woods and beyond this summer. He explained how, with prescribed burning, Hitchcock Woods is creating a multi-layered habitat, combining a “prairie-like open understory habitat” with tall trees that make it hospitable to a multitude of bird species.

Keep an eye out for the white-eyed vireo, a small songbird with yellow accents, white-striped wings, and a song that sounds like the words, “Quick, give me the beer check.”

Or, peek through the trees for glimpses of the blue grosbeak and indigo bunting, two deep blue birds from tropical reaches. And, of course, look for the birds that live with us all year round, like the screech, barn, and great-horned owls perched throughout Hitchcock Woods.

Watch this video for a brief tour of the birds who grace Hitchcock Woods in the summertime.

More often than not, the best dishes and cocktails are made from simple, fresh ingredients. This is especially true in the summertime, as Aiken’s soil flourishes with a harvest of fruits, florals, and crisp vegetables. Below, we’re sharing a small selection of local farms where you can pick your own produce and collect fresh lavender—an outdoor, family-friendly activity that celebrates the plants and flowers that bring joy to our lives.

Just to the southeast of Aiken, this family-owned farm welcomes you to come and pick your own fresh, organic blueberries from mid-May to the end of July. With well over a thousand blueberry bushes on the farm, owners Cathy and Ed Kvartek grow nine varietals and provide buckets and harnesses for picking. Ask about their selection of pre-picked herbs, vegetables, and blackberries available for purchase, as well as pre-picked frozen blueberries if you’re looking for a cool snack after your time in the sun. Learn more.

Now through early July, a short trip down quintessential South Carolina country roads will lead you to the region’s lavender-picking destination. During this peak season, King George Lavender Farm in Barnwell opens their fields on Thursdays and Fridays from 10am to 4pm, and on Saturdays from 9am to 12pm. In addition to fresh lavender, you can find essential oils, scented sachets, and more products created from their lavender. If you’re looking to pick after July 4th, they ask that you call ahead to ensure their field still has enough beautiful lavender to fill your basket. Learn more.

In nearby North Augusta, Gurosik’s Berry Plantation grows abundant fields of strawberries, hybrid blackberries, flowers, asparagus, and heirloom tomatoes. Before beginning your journey to the farm, call 803-278-0594 to hear information on crop availability. June and July is peak season for their blackberries and flowers, which guests may pick among for purchase. Enjoy this peaceful day out in nature, and keep an eye out for Gurosik’s roadside stands! Learn more.

For the past fourteen years, Aiken High School’s GEM Program has helped young women reach their fullest potential. It all began in 2011 when Linda Strojan, then a guidance counselor at the high school, co-founded the program for an inaugural class of about twenty-five girls recommended by teachers and guidance counselors.

She and others involved in GEM wanted to give the girls skills they might not have learned at home, focusing on etiquette, communication, selecting a wardrobe, and applying to college. “The goal of the program was to connect mentors in our community—successful women—with these young women who needed a role model,” Linda shares.

Today, the program has grown to include around fifteen topics, addressing everything from financial literacy to exercise, nutrition, resumé writing, and more—all with the goal that their students will grow to lead successful, happy lives.

As the impact of the program increases, local organizations are stepping in to support all GEM represents. Once a year, the GEM girls visit The Willcox for a special dinner where they use a number of their learned skills. For the evening, they select appropriate attire for the occasion, use their best etiquette at the table, and afterward, write thank you notes.

Pearl Friends, a local fundraising group led by Flo Holford, now has a scholarship fund for GEMs. And each year, they give graduating GEMs a set of pearl earrings they can wear to their graduation ceremony and beyond.

“They are smart,” Linda says of the GEMs. “They are creative. They are enthusiastic. They want to succeed, and we hope we give them the way to do that.”

If you would like to become involved with the GEM Program, please email GuideEncourageMotivate@gmail.com or fill out their mentorship application form.

Larry Boyd of Boyd Valley Bees met us by a grassy field in the early afternoon. A heavy rain had finished just hours ago, and the sun was out with a vengeance. Nearby, several hives hummed in waiting.

This is just one of many fields scattered around Aiken where Larry keeps his 125 colonies—an amount he has amassed over the past decade of beekeeping. Alongside his father, he started as a hobbyist in 2015, growing from a starting point of three hives between the two of them. Three years ago, Larry decided to take the business full time—harvesting more Boyd’s Valley Honey than ever before.

Flavored by plants found naturally in the valley, two species stand out in Larry’s honey: tulip poplars and blackberries. Tulip poplars give his honey its signature dark amber coloring and depth of flavor, making it an excellent ingredient for cooking or mixing into drinks like coffee, tea, and cocktails.

In fact, you may have already tasted Boyd’s Valley Honey at The Willcox. Our chef uses his honey as an ingredient in many of our dishes, from a Brussels side to a Ham & Burrata starter.

“Every three to four years, the tulip poplar takes a break,” Larry says. This leaves the honey with a much lighter color and taste, gleaned primarily from blackberries and wildflowers that grow near the hives.

In beekeeping, no two days are ever alike. One of Larry’s favorite parts of the job derives from its ability to surprise. “When you graph a new queen, you don’t know what color she’s going to be,” Larry says. “It’s just like Christmas.”

In this video, learn about Larry’s philosophy on beekeeping, favorite moments from his journey, and tricks of the trade that he shares with new beekeepers.