The town of Summerville's motto is "The Flower Town in the Pines." For fans of flowers and delightful places to admire them, this is the town for you. But when considering its history, it will warm your heart to know that like the flowers, the friendliest people can come from despair and destruction. Among other hurdles, and while recuperating from the War Between the States, the 1886 earthquake brought great damage, followed by a downtown fire destroying most of the buildings around the town square. Then the International Congress of Physicians in Paris, France brought a silver lining, believing in the healing qualities of the pine trees’ scent. The Congress declared Summerville one of the two best locations in the world for the treatment and recovery of lung disorders.

Visitors will discover more history at the Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site.

The park’s 325 acres feature the St. George’s Bell Tower, log shipping wharves, burial sites, cemeteries, an oyster-shell tabby fort, and ongoing archaeological digs.

Take in the flowers at Azalea Park & Sculpture Garden.

Ladies of the Civic League took 80 years to purchase the property for their Flowertown Garden Club, as it is known today. After donating it to the city, Mayor Grange Simons Cuthbert (1932-1947), thought azelaes might bring people to Summerville and increase tourism. And one local nurseryman, George Segelken, donated 33,000 azaleas, planting most of them himself.

During peak season, which is late March to mid-May, and then repeat bloom for several months from midsummer through fall, flowers give a vibrant showcase of pink, purple, red, and white.

Among these blooms is The Pride of Summerville, a salmon-colored flower. The park is open 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., every day.

To add even more beauty to Summerville, you will notice the elegant collection of outside art along the way. Sculpture in the South has installed more than 25 bronze sculptures, each with an inspirational story.

For more outside fun, the Herbert H. Jessen Public Boat Landing and Rotary Centennial Park offers benches, fishing, a kayak launch, picnic tables, a walking trail, and a boardwalk area overlooking the Ashley River.

The landing is open every day from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Buried treasures await brave adventurers at Palmetto Fossil Excursions.

The Palmetto Team began as two people to share their passion for paleontology. To book a tour, visit the website.

If golf is your game, guests are welcome to play at the award-winning Legend Oaks Golf & Tennis Club, where instruction is available.

Visitors can also enjoy swimming and dining at Bistro One18.

The flower theme continues with the Flowertown Bed and Breakfast, which was built in 1889.

For more information, visit the website.

Historic Summerville is also a great place for shopping, along this cobblestone Central Avenue.

If you like antique shopping, click here.

And can you believe the Town of Summerville set the Guiness World Record for the World's Largest Sweet Tea, measuring 2,524 gallons, on June 10, 2016, on National Iced Tea Day?

It was brewed with 1,700 pounds of sugar and 210 pounds of loose-leaf tea.

If you come during the holiday season, a tree lighting is part of the town's Old Time Summerville Christmas Celebration.

It usually takes place near the end of November, with music and a visit from Santa Claus.

As one can see, the friendliest town of Summerville has so much to offer. And just like in the old days, the trees are still there offering their beauty and shade. Take a trip down South and enjoy the experience — you'll be glad you did.