If you purchase a gift from our registry at a different store or separate from our website - first of all, thank you! Second, please be sure to mark the gift as “Purchased.” This aids in preventing duplicate purchases.
Katy & Jack
Katy & Jack
Things to Do
If you're traveling in from out of town, thank you for making the trip to celebrate with us! We hope you love visiting Columbia and Irmo as much as we've enjoyed living here!
If you've lived in Columbia or are local to the area, additional suggestions for things to do are welcome!
Exercise (running, walking, etc.)
Finlay Park
Located in downtown Columbia and recently revitalized, Finlay Park is a great spot for any kind of recreation. The redesigned park features new amenities including a fitness center, pickleball courts, playgrounds, and a landing station where visitors can purchase water or rent rollerblades.
Bathrooms/water fountain available
Parking information (there's a parking lot, entrance is on Laurel Street)
Lake Murray Dam
Walk or run over the Lake Murray Dam (~1.7 miles), which connects Irmo to Lexington and has parking on both sides (Irmo side recommended). Close to where Katy grew up :)
Has picnic facilities, water, and restrooms available.
See the website for additional details, as they're subject to change.
Palmetto Trail (Peak, South Carolina)
Perfect for higher mileage, the Palmetto Trail is a long dirt path that runs through Peak and Little Mountain and is about 30 minutes from Irmo and 40 minutes from downtown Columbia.
Bathrooms/water may be hard to find.
Dining
Note on parking meters:
The City of Columbia charges $1.50 per hour at street meters on Mon-Fri from 9am-7pm. The Passport Parking app is recommended for virtual and/or remote payment of meters.
Details on Columbia parking can be found at https://parking.columbiasc.gov/new-parking-ordinance/.
Loveland Coffee
Coffee shop local to Irmo (Katy's hometown)
Has parking and restrooms
Indoor and outdoor seating
Chapala Mexican
Katy and Jack's favorite Mexican restaurant!
Located in Irmo
Affordable
Quick service
JJ Tea House
Affordable Thai food located right near USC's campus (downtown Columbia); across the street from the Honors dorm where Jack lived freshman year.
Will need to find metered parking nearby
Kaminsky's Dessert Cafe
Classy dessert shop in the middle of downtown Columbia
May have a wait (especially on weekends)
Will need to find metered parking nearby
Recreational
Soda City Market
Open-air artisan market with food and other talented local vendors. A great way to experience the culture within Columbia. Hope you like dogs!
Saturdays from 9am-1pm
Will need to find metered parking nearby, but should be free since it's on Saturday
Columbiana Centre
Local shopping mall in Columbia
Parking available
Columbia Museum of Art
Inexpensive admission
Will need to find metered parking nearby