The places that don't make you apologize for the kids. Restaurants with crayons that aren't an afterthought, parks with shade and bathrooms, the ice-cream stop with the line on a hot Tuesday.
Casual American fare on the water at Clemson Marina in Seneca, at the lake's northwest end.
A 395-acre South Carolina state park on a peninsula into the lake — six miles of hiking and biking trails, a 100-foot fishing pier, two boat ramps, and lakefront camping.
A 393-acre Georgia state park on a peninsula on the lake's Georgia shore, with a sand swimming beach and two boat ramps.