Abingdon Manor in Latte, SC: a nice place to stay and dine.

Many of us drive down I-95 to get to Florida for our winter escape. For most, it’s a two day dash with one night spent halfway. For some reason, the halfway point is almost always Florence, SC. It’s a town that seems to have a million hotels, chain restaurants, and several malls. I believe there are a few factories and warehouses and even a small college campus. It’s a place to eat, sleep, gas up and leave. It’s a mildly pleasant halfway spot.

This year we decided not to rush and spent 3 nights in hotels/inns, leaving only 5 hour drives each day and an opportunity to breath each day after driving. We discovered that just outside of Florence, there is a charming inn with beautifully appointed rooms, a B and B atmosphere, and a 6 course “gourmet” dinner served in an intimate dining room. This offered us the opportunity to make the trip a mini-vacation.
We also stopped in Richmond where I was able to pick up a couple bottles of Virginia Viognier. We drove on to Ocala, Florida for our last night which offers a newly renovated Hampton Inn and an unexpected sushi bar that we have come to love called Tony’s (will review later).

Abingdon Manor and Inn is just north of Florence and well out of town. The owner/host is a lovely man who tells you a bit of history and shows you around. He serves cocktails in a lounge before dinner and gives you the opportunity to meet his other guests. His bedrooms are all quite comfortable and well-appointed. The grounds are beautifully groomed and the inn offered a large wrap around porch where you can relax and enjoy pleasant conversation. They also serve a very nice breakfast in the morning. I will be discussing the 6 course dinner which we experienced and enjoyed.

The inn advertises a “gourmet” 6 course prix-fixe dinner. The dinner we had was very nice, but I wouldn’t quite call it gourmet. The food was more than adequite, very nicely presented and served, tasty and all-around very good. Every member of the staff worked hard to assure we were comfortable and well-fed. If I were to drive south or north on I-95 and had occasion to stop in the Florence area, I would definitely make every effort to stay at this inn. It is much nicer than any place we have experienced in our previous stopovers in Florence. The owner is new and has a learning curve to work his way through. Perhaps in the near future it might receive a Relais and Chateaux designation. For the time being, consider Abingdon Manor for your next trip through South Carolina.