It was a day of discovery - finding new things in old places, old things in new places, and making friendships in the process.

Southern charm, gracious hosts and seeds of information were found in a garden of discovery as "ambassadors" were treated to a unique tour of Barnwell County.

On June 24 a busload of 55 "ambassadors were shuttled around Barnwell County and introduced to its sights, sounds and smells that were meant to be savored and - later - shared.

The ambassadors, some from Barnwell County, others from around the state, were selected for the tour which started, appropriately, at the Discovery Center in Blackville. Stops included Meeting on Main in Williston, Pat Chappell's Peaches in Kline, Holy Apostles Episcopal Church in Barnwell, Little Red Barn and Paw Print Pottery outside Barnwell, Miller's Bread Basket and Macedonia Baptist Church in Blackville, Healing Springs, Lil's Herb Garden and then back to the Discovery Center.

Between stops, local historians Pete Grady, Jennings Owens, Gwen Littlejohn and David Gunnells gave running commentaries on the historical sites being passed.

At each stop the participants were treated either to food or treasures of information, or both. The tour was sponsored by the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor and local sponsors such as the Barnwell Downtown Development Association, the Barnwell County Economic Development Association, Blackville Downtown Association, the towns of Barnwell, Williston, and others.

Congress designated the Heritage Corridor in 1996. Currently 17 counties make up the 240-mile sash across the state from Oconee to Charleston, grouped into four regions. Region 3 encompasses Aiken, Barnwell, Bamberg, and Orangeburg counties. Its theme is "Rivers, Rails and Crossroads" since the local rivers and railways developed region.

Breakfast was served at Meeting on Main with a side-dish of Williston's history. Much of the downtown has changed over a decade ago after a fire devastated many of the buildings. The rail path of old is now a new walking path, an aisle shaded by trees through the middle of town and past the restaurant.

At the newly opened Williston Museum, George Kelly - grandson of Joe Kelly Sr. and Fannie Edwards - identified the members of his family in a picture. His grandparents are the namesakes of Kelly Edwards Elementary School. Display cases gives visitors a close-up view of the history and history-makers of Williston such as Jean Crouch, the first wife of the late Sen. Strom Thurmond. They were married in the Governor's mansion. A wood-walled country store within the brick building takes visitors back to the days when asparagras was the main crop and simple tools were the implements of busy lives.

Chappell Farms in Kline is known locally for its peaches but its reach is much more than just a small crossroads. The family-owned orchards and peach-packing operation includes 1,000 acres, said Pat Chappell, patriarch of the business and family. "We have over 20 varieties and sell them all over the United States," he said. "This is the lowest place in South Carolina to grow peaches. You have to have some hills - you can't have flat land."

The quiet sanctuary of Holy Apostles Episcopal Church in Barnwell was a welcome respite from the heat. Resting on wooden benches the ambassadors learned the heart-pine church dates back to 1848 and has survived hurricanes, the Civil War and periods of neglect. Today it supports a growing congregation and new private.

The Little Red Barn, which sits at the junction of U.S. 278 and S.C. 37, is an artisan center and gallery. Owner Liz Ringus opened her doors for the visitors to discover pottery, photography, wool spinning and other crafts. Formerly the Leigh Banana Case Company Commissary, the store was moved to its current location in the early 1950s.

Miller's Bread Basket in Blackville served up gracious helpings of meats, vegetables and the famous breads prepared the Mennonite family and staff. Some purchased a few of the specialties of the house such as shoo-fly pie and cinnamon raisin bread.

Macedonia Baptist Church, the mother church of seven other parishes in the region, was itself founded in 1847 by the Rev. James Thomas who walked to Blackville from Augusta, Ga., said Gaye S. Thomas. Ladies representing each of the "child" churches introduced themselves and their church's founding. The remarkable thing was that the age of these ladies ranged from mid-70s to late 90s. Macedonia hosted the first Black state Baptist convention and founded the school that would become Macedonia Elementary.

The next stop was God's Acre, known also as Healing Springs. The springs are renowned for their healing qualities. Visitors filled cups and jugs to quench their thirst, and sometimes their souls. "My granddaughter and I come here every day," said Vivian Austin of Blackville, one of the ambassadors. "She's 14 now and we've been coming here since she was five. Once she was eaten up with mosquito bites and we bathed her in the water. The next day she was fine."

The bus pulled to a halt along a lonely section of highway letting passengers off at the end of a gravel driveway. A short walk later the ambassadors found themselves in a fragrant herb garden, listening to a young violinist and looking at flowers and butterflies. Lil Stoltzfus of Lil's Herb Garden used sewing shears to cut stalks of rosemary, mint, sage and lamb's ear while describing the different uses for the herbs. The tour turned into a garden party where lemon verbena and mint tea in china cups were followed by samples of tortilla chips with herb dip, and tea cakes.

"It's good for people to just get together and associate," said David Gunnells, one of the ambassadors.

"This was good for me to get re-educated" about the county where he lives.

Burton Sauls, owner of City Trex in Beaufort, was curious when he got the invitation to be an ambassador. City Trex is a business which creates video walking tours that are downloadable from the internet and markets them worldwide. "People want to explore this part of the world and discover. This area is perfect for it. We have a great story and haven't told it well in the past. Often we are too close to it," he said.

The ambassadors' trip ended as it began, at the Discovery Center in Blackville where a museum and gift shop provided memories of the day's tour. The job of an ambassador is to go out and create friendships and bonds with those outside their area. The job of these ambassadors is to share some of the discoveries they made on the tour with friends, family and strangers. It is a job of discovery.