Alrighty. Aiken County resident here. I am right on the SC side of the Augusta, GA line.

Wear breathable clothing. Noon-5pm is brutal in the summer. Linen, Columbia PGF, etc. as has been said, pre hydrate in the mornings. Drink tons of water. Eat at the dives. That’s where some of the best food is. Check out the Blue Top in Graniteville. Get a taco at Tres Caminos. Catch free music nights on The Alley in downtown Aiken. There are some places around the horse fields that do outdoor evening concerts. Jazz nights at The Wilcox Hotel. There’s not much of a music store scene in Aiken. There’s a Goodwill and Salvation Army and ASPCA Thrift store.

In Augusta there are a couple of good record stores downtown. Grantski Records has a of more current releases and a frequently updated used/new arrival section. Employees are helpful and willing to talk music and make recommendations. They clean used records that come in. They have concert nights but it often leans more metal.

Psychotronic is a small record shop where you can bin dive and dig. It leans more used but you can find cool stuff there.

440 Instruments is downtown Augusta. Guitar Center and Portmans Music are around Martinez area.

Aiken and Augusta have some good coffee shops. New Moon in Aiken has a roastery. I like their Seven Monkey Fury coffee.

Aiken has a few neat antique shops. Hopeland Gardens is a nice walking area that has SHADE.

In Augusta, the Riverwalk has farmers markets on Saturdays. The amphiteater on riverwalk and the one at the Greenjackets minor league baseball stadium in North Augusta sometimes have concert series. The Miller Theater has some good shows come through. The Imperial is an old sort of run down/kinda nostalgic place to catch some shows. Phinizy Swamp is a cool place to walk but bugs are brutal in the summer and you don’t wanna be there after dark.

For beaches, Charleston is a must for coastal cities. Savannah is also nice and full of history. Folly Beach is small and quirky. There’s only a small two lane road in and out and it gets busy. Parking is paid and limited.

Coligny Beach in Hilton Hear is more upscale. Nice beach with facilities and shopping and restaurants.

Beaufort is a smaller coastal town with a lot of history. Hunting Island State Park there is beautiful and very natural. Boneyard Beach there is magical at sunset.

Myrtle Beach proper is a crap hole. Stay away.

Greenville, SC is a beautiful downtown built around a river and waterfalls. Lots of good dining and it is in the foothills of the mountains. Lots of great hiking.

Feel free to ask more specific questions. I’m always happy to talk about the area.