We have had two locations to travel back and forth  between for the past 20 years, Kohler, Wisconsin and Hilton Head,  South Carolina.  With retirement approaching in 2011, we decided we wanted to get down to one place for all of our “stuff“ (and after 20 years, there’s a lot of “stuff”).

We had seriously considered staying in Hilton Head and looked at many homes for sale, but found nothing that really caught our eye.  We were sitting in Bonefish Grill in Hilton Head one evening and started talking to a couple next to us.  They were from Aiken, South Carolina and just kept raving about this town.  They mentioned that if we wanted to look at homes, we should consider taking a look at  Woodside Plantation.  We decided we should visit Aiken, because maybe it was time to escape the “tourist pace” of the beach.

So, that night, we began our research into what would soon change our lives. We knew what was on our list of priorities when it came to finding our retirement location.  We wanted a gated community with attractive homes and well landscaped areas that lends itself to a healthy lifestyle.

We went online to view the Woodside website and it certainly did peak our interest.  A bonus was to find out that a realtor that we had worked with in the past in Hilton Head, Wally Busch, was now working at as a realtor at, you guessed it, Woodside.  In fact, Wally had helped us buy our condominium in Sea Pines (Hilton Head Island) 20 years ago!  And now fate had put us back in his hands to help us find a home at Woodside.  Talk about a coincidence.  We had become friends with Wally and Phyllis Busch 20 years ago, but over the years had lost contact with them.  Now we were reunited and they couldn’t have been more hospitable and welcoming to us all over again!

At Woodside, we found everyone to be very friendly and helpful.  It’s always fun to hear where people have moved from and what activities they enjoy here.  Woodside has a great blend of people that have found a perfect location to enjoy many years of active retirement!  And we decided to join them, thanks to the strangers at the bar and an old friend from two decades ago. Woodside Plantation is truly a magnificent place, with the rolling wooded hills blended together with outstanding landscaping.  Even though we are not golfers we enjoy watching the game and have always lived in golfing communities.  The Reserve Club has spectacular tennis courts along with a wonderful Clubhouse.  Add the Wellness Center and “what more could anyone ask for?”  Outside Woodside is the very vibrant downtown area of Aiken, with very friendly shop owners and townspeople.  Blended into all this is a fine University setting.  It’s all here.  We are so happy to call Woodside our new home!

Since moving to Woodside Plantation three years ago, Cynthia and Dick Rudisill have been acting like kids in a candy store. And, as it turns out, that’s exactly who they are. This past January, the Rudisills opened Cyndi’s Sweet Shoppe in a vintage hundred-year old building in the heart of downtown Aiken, filling it with all manner of chocolates, fudge, pralines and assorted candies. Though open just a few months, it’s already become the number one destination for every sweet tooth from Aiken to Augusta and everywhere in between.

Cyndi’s Sweet Shoppe is the realization of Dick and Cynthia’s long-held dream to open their own candy store. Both have an abiding love of the past and were committed to re-creating the authentic sweet shop experience of a by-gone day.  It was their love of the past, in fact, that helped convince them to come to Woodside. “Aiken is a charming old town with a deep sense of history,” Dick said. “It feels a lot like Savannah or Charleston, but without the risk of  hurricanes.”

They had one other prerequisite for relocating. “No snow,” Dick said. “Coming from Syracuse, I’ve seen enough of that stuff for two lifetimes.”

They heard about Woodside eight years ago from an article in Where to Retire. They’d just sold their second home in Melbourne, FL and wanted to move far away from the threat of coastal storms. They purchased a homesite on their first visit to Woodside, eventually moving to the home where they now live.

“It was the smartest move we’ve made,” he said. “We’ve got world-class amenities, great neighbors, a host of new friends and a chance to live our dream. I guess the best way to sum it up is to say that, at Woodside, life is sweet!”

Through it all, we’ve focused on one simple vision:  To create one of the country’s premier communities, a place where families will still choose to live fifty or even a hundred years from now.

Over the years, we’ve completed a full array of family-oriented amenities, including a superlative Nicklaus Design golf course, an outstanding tennis complex, and a beautiful clubhouse facility with pro shop, piano bar and fine dining.  Also underway is the Village at Woodside, featuring a medical campus with state-of-the-art health care services and a brand-new Village Health & Wellness Center, with additional retail shops and dining venues in the works.

Of course, none of this would have been possible without our property owners and residents. We can all be proud of the progress we’ve made, but there’s no time to rest on our laurels.  Our promise to you for the next 20 years and beyond is to continue to work hard to ensure Woodside remains one of the country’s foremost communities. We invite you to join us in that effort, and look forward to seeing you soon at Woodside Plantation.

Warm regards,

Rick Steele

We welcomed the opportunity to join the fun in these legendary events and to attend Pub Club, try golf on the Reserve Club course, dine at the Reserve Club, take the Aiken Trolley tour, try some of Aiken’s local restaurants and, most importantly, experience the warmth and welcome of those lucky folks who already called Woodside home.  These experiences reinforced our decision to make Woodside and Aiken our new home too!

Now that we are here and “under construction” we have had the good fortune to attend these events, once again, and share our experiences with others who are considering making the move to Aiken.  We both love Woodside and Aiken and all that they have to offer so it is easy and fun to share our day to day discoveries and adventures in this wonderful place!

Founder’s Weekend

There was a great turn out for Founder’s Weekend and Al and I enjoyed meeting all the folks who were here to experience Woodside Plantation.  There was a big group on Friday evening at Pub Club and the newcomers enjoyed meeting each other and meeting and chatting with Woodside residents who were there to enjoy their usual Friday night get together.

On Saturday we played golf with Bob and Donna Buck on the Reserve Course.  As luck would have it, Bob was a schoolteacher and his discipline, for 25 years of teaching, was golf… lucky me!  He observed my “unique” way of putting and offered some welcome advice on how I might improve on that stroke.  I’m still working on that Bob!

Saturday evening was the Founder’s Weekend dinner and dance.  The feast, prepared by Chef Kerry, was amazing and everyone enjoyed the food, the music and all of the Founder’s Weekend festivities!

On Sunday morning we all met at the club for breakfast and to say “so long” to our new friends knowing that they, too, found Woodside Plantation to be a very special place!

Fall Steeplechase

The Aiken Steeplechase is another premier “must do” event for anyone moving to Aiken.  At the invitation of Mike Manney, Al and I attended the Spring Steeplechase in 2011 as guests and prospective buyers in the community.  As anyone who has ever experienced the Steeplechase knows, it is an extraordinary event; especially when it is done Woodside style!  Al and I must have seemed to be enjoying the day as our picture ended up in the Aiken Standard the very next day!

This year we attended the Fall Steeplechase, again with folks who were here to experience Woodside, Aiken and all that this wonderful place has to offer.  We all met at the sales office the day of the race and enjoyed some time just getting to know each other over coffee, juice and an amazing array of breakfast goodies.

Then it was off to the races and a fun and fascinating day… especially for those of us who are horse race novices.  There was a tent full of food, drinks and chatter with all the race fans and music for those who cared to kick up their own heels in between races.

Al and I truly do love living here in Woodside and in the short time that we have been here we have been so welcomed by the amazing people who already live here.  We have found many new friends and each day brings some other new adventures.  The decision to make Woodside Plantation home is a decision we give thanks for each and every day!

And so it is true; It’s a wonderful life in Woodside Plantation!

Submitted by Char Love

November 25, 2012

The Village Center houses the hub of CSH Construction and The Design Center staffed by the, always friendly, patient and helpful Kitty.

As and aside, to this adventure, and to underscore what a small world this really is, Kitty and I graduated from the same high school in suburban Minneapolis but had to wait until we both landed in Woodside Plantation, almost 50 years later, to meet each other!

The Design Center features all kinds of selections for everything from countertops to cabinetry, to flooring and lighting and essentially everything you would need, from top to bottom, to complete your new home.  Al and I had already seen a type of granite that we thought would work for us so Kitty and Shawn, the overseer of our project, suggested we take a little trip to Elberton, GA.  We had never heard of Elberton, GA so Shawn explained that we could elect to just order our choice for granite through Kitty at The Design Center or we could take a little ride to Elberton, GA and put our name on the exact slabs that would go into our new kitchen.

Unbeknownst to Al and I, Elberton, GA is the “Granite Capital of the World”!  Always up for an adventure and seeing an opportunity to visit this famous place and actually select the granite for our new home was a day trip we wanted to take.

Armed with the name and address for Star Granite and our GPS all loaded with directions to Elberton, GA we were ready to go!  Shawn told us the trip was just over 100 miles and would be about two hours; that turned out to be just about right.

The trip was pleasant as we drove through small towns and past fields, farms and beautiful horse ranches.  We reminisced about time gone by, talked about this new chapter in our lives and all the potential adventures still growing on the bucket list; a list that is growing because Aiken is uniquely situated to allow for fun daytrips or overnights in any direction.

Soon we arrived in Elberton, “Granite Capital of the World”!  It’s a nice, southern town and has reason to boast but the devil is always in the details and this sign details why they are the “Granite Capital of the World”.  Okay, we came to personally autograph the granite slabs for our kitchen but the monument part of the Love Story will have to wait for another day!

We soon found our destination, Star Granite, and were met by Tiffany who was ready to help us with our kitchen granite selection and possible remnant selections for the three bathrooms.

Star Granite is an amazing place with huge slabs of granite and other products filling the warehouse to the brim and workers everywhere, moving, fabricating, and polishing products for their customers.  The tour of this operation was worth the drive to Elberton.  It’s an amazing place as you can see in the pictures below and we were fortunate to select the slabs we were looking for in the kitchen and find some suitable remnants for the other rooms.  You can find more information about Star Granite at their website:

From www.stargraniteinteriors.com:  Star Granite has been in the stone manufacturing and quarrying business for over 50 years. We employ skilled craftsman that have many years experience in the stone working industry. With three manufacturing plants, 2 quarries, and more than 100 employees, Star Granite can handle any project and supply quality and customer service that is unmatched by any competitor.

The day was fun and amazing!  Thanks, Shawn and Kitty for the suggestion to take a ride to Elberton!  We had a Grand Day Out!

Submitted by:

Char Love

May 7, 2013

Visit www.thevillageatwoodside.com for entry forms for the pet costume contest.  Entry forms are also available at the Woodside Development office.  Artisans interested in exhibiting and selling their talent should call Kenneth Brodie at 803-645-6270 to be considered.

Come out, enjoy the festivities and help make this year’s event even better for our local homeless pets!

The Village Health & Wellness Center offers a wide array of health and wellness options including:  cutting edge group fitness programs and training equipment; personal training for individuals and small groups; sport specific training; aqua fitness programs for all levels in the saltwater indoor pool; and a Hot Yoga studio.  Nutritional counseling, wellness coaching, massage therapy and other progressive mind/body programs will also be offered.  This stunning, state-of-the-art facility is located at the Village entrance to Woodside Plantation alongside The Reserve Club’s driving range.  The miles of walking and bike trails within both Woodside Plantation and the Village at Woodside will make access easy for residents of Woodside Plantation.

Two levels of membership will be available.  Classic Membership includes access to the state-of-the-art equipment, use of the swimming pool, luxurious locker rooms and complimentary towel service.  Premium Membership will entitle members to all of the benefits of the basic membership plus complimentary access to group fitness classes including Zumba, BarreAmped, spinning, yoga, Hot Yoga and aquatic fitness classes.

Membership enrollment is underway with interest in this new facility building every day.  Members who enroll before November 1 will be able to use equipment and participate in classes on a limited basis as the staff and instructors prepare for the public Grand Opening Celebration on November 3.  Since membership dues will not begin until November 1, this is a great opportunity to test some classes and learn which fitness options, services and activities interest you most!  In addition, staff will be available for personal tours by appointment on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 until 6 p.m. throughout October.

Special introductory offers, including memberships with a portion of fees paid by the developers of Woodside are available until November 1, 2012.  For membership information, to schedule a tour or RSVP for the Grand Opening Celebration, please call Vivien Anne Bunce at 803-617-0876 or e-mail Vivien at Vivien@villagehealthandwellness.com.

The Annual Founder’s Weekend Gala held October 5-7 is a favorite for prospects considering Woodside for their new home.  The weekend offers a variety of events and activities and is a great opportunity to meet and mingle with residents who are always happy to share why their decision to make Woodside their new home was the right choice.

Aiken’s Fall Steeplechase is just around the corner.  There are over 60 guests already planning to visit during Aiken’s premier fall event October 26-28.  With activities including the weekly Pub Club at The Reserve Club, this event is a great opportunity to discover the lifestyle offered in both Woodside and the charming and historic city of Aiken.  The Fall Steeplechase event package includes tickets to the Guarantor Tent with complimentary lunch, open bar and live entertainment in between the heart-thumping race events.

Woodside’s Fall Into Fun event is planned November 2-4 and offers a unique opportunity to experience the natural beauty and pleasing climate for which Woodside and Aiken are known.  The weekend includes informative workshops about the area’s flora and fauna, team scavenger hunts in the area’s bucolic parks and nature preserves, an old-fashioned BBQ dinner on The Reserve Club’s verandah, and much more.

And, then there’s golf!  Spectacular, award-winning courses, pristinely maintained and open year round – that’s twelve months of golf over four distinct seasons each perfectly tempered for golf enthusiasts!

Call 800-643-3052 today to be sure you don’t miss out on the fun during this magnificent fall season at Woodside!

The Reserve Club is a special place thanks to its extraordinarily caring members who donate many hours of their time and dollars from their pockets to the local Aiken community.  The Generations Charity Golf Classic & Auction is one of several events hosted by The Reserve Club each year benefiting local charitable and civic organizations.  Because it was created to honor its members, this event is a favorite of the Club’s family of membership.

This year’s event will include 30 foursomes and begins with the Kickoff Breakfast.  Each foursome will be joined by an Aiken Public Safety officer or staff member.  In addition to the tournament, there will be prizes and a Celebration Dinner and Auction.  Members who would like to play in this year’s tournament are urged to sign up quickly – foursomes are filled in record time for this event!  The Celebration Dinner and Auction is open to all members, golfers and non-golfers alike!

Ron Brenneman will present the trail data for 2012.  It was a very good year!   Jim Burke will provide details from the North American Bluebird Society 2012 Conference folks in California. He will also present the “almost” final draft of the program for 2013 National Conference to be held in Aiken. In addition, the 2013 marketing brochure will be available for review.  Jim will be bringing along copies to California for distribution.

The Awards Dinner on October 22nd was a big success. There were 55 members and guests in attendance.  Sponsors received a proper ‘thank you,” attendees were treated to a wonderful dinner and a special “collector’s item” coffee mug was an added treat for attendees.

Submitted by Jim Burke