Errands in Pleasant Hill’s Quiet Corner: A Newcomer’s Guide to Local Services

I moved out to the sandy roads between Andrews and Hemingway expecting long drives for every errand. Turns out Pleasant Hill is a quiet corner of the state where you can still get a week’s worth of tasks done without touching Highway 17. The trick is knowing which doors open early, which counters are still staffed after 5, and which services the county brings right to Pleasant Hill Drive.

Trash, recycling, and odd items: how Pleasant Hill really handles it

If you grew up with curbside pickup, get used to a different rhythm out here. Georgetown County runs manned convenience centers, and Pleasant Hill has one right in the neighborhood at 11987 Pleasant Hill Dr. It accepts everyday household trash plus the usual recyclables like cardboard, aluminum, glass, plastics, used motor oil, scrap metal, batteries, yard waste, and even waste tires. Electronic waste is also accepted at the Pleasant Hill site during normal operating hours, so you don’t have to save up dead TVs for a once-a-year event.

Two county facilities are worth bookmarking for the “we’ll deal with that later” pile. The Electronic Waste Centralized Collection Facility at the landfill runs Monday–Friday, 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. The Household Hazardous Waste facility at the same complex is open Monday–Friday, 7:30 a.m.–5 p.m., and Saturdays, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. That covers things like leftover paint and pesticides, but not ammunition, medical waste, or large propane cylinders. I learned the hard way that the small 16.4-ounce green camping cylinders are the size they’ll take, not the 20-pound grill tanks.

The county also operates a “Swap Shop” at Pleasant Hill. It opens 30 minutes after the convenience center opens and closes 30 minutes before the site closes. You can leave usable household goods or pick something up with no cash changing hands. Toys and clothing aren’t accepted, and loitering is discouraged. I’ve seen neighbors offload perfectly good chairs and grab a cooler for a last-minute river day. It’s first come, first served, and county residents can visit once per day.

Practical tip from a week-one misstep: hours at the convenience centers vary by site and day. Pleasant Hill follows a “Schedule 10” pattern posted by the county. Weekdays commonly run 6 a.m.–5 p.m., with a shorter afternoon window on one weekday, and 8 a.m.–6 p.m. on Saturdays. If you’re hauling a pickup bed of limbs, aim for the first hour after opening to skip the line of contractors.

Power, internet, and what actually works for a rural address

Electric service in this stretch of Georgetown County is usually handled by Santee Electric Cooperative’s Georgetown office at 92 West Virginia Rd, Georgetown. Office hours are Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. I opened my account in person and was told deposits are based on a quick credit check; you can also choose their “Advance Pay” option to prepay and avoid late fees. There’s a 24/7 payment kiosk at the Georgetown office, which is handy when you realize after dinner you forgot to top up.

For internet, HTC is the local provider serving Georgetown and Horry counties. Their fiber plans advertise introductory rates like $49.95/month with autopay and paperless billing for mid-tier speeds, with higher tiers offered up to 1 Gbps. The fine print matters here. Those are promotional rates for new customers with a 12-month commitment and free professional installation tied to that term. When I called, HTC checked serviceability by address and confirmed whether I’d get fiber or copper. If your home sits far off the road, ask about HTC Smart Wi‑Fi extenders; the first two are included when the technician decides they’re needed, additional units carry a small monthly fee.

Mobile coverage is mixed under the pines. On my iPhone, AT&T held bars consistently on Pleasant Hill Drive, while Verizon popped between LTE and 5G on the back roads to Sampit. If you rely on Wi‑Fi calling, line‑of‑sight placement of your router makes a visible difference in these low-slung ranch houses.

Groceries, gas, and the six‑a.m. reality on Pleasant Hill Drive

For a full grocery run, two Andrews stores cover most lists. Food Lion at 415 Brooks Rd, Andrews is open 7 a.m.–10 p.m. daily and offers pickup and delivery. If you grill, they do propane tank exchanges at the front, which spared me a special trip to Georgetown. On the other side of town, Piggly Wiggly at 15 W Ashland St, Andrews keeps seasonal hours: spring/summer typically until 10 p.m. on weekdays, slightly shorter in fall/winter, and Sundays close earlier than weekdays. When I needed a picnic fix fast, the Pig’s later weeknight hours beat the 9 p.m. shutter times you’ll find in smaller towns.

Closer to home, the local workday lives on Pleasant Hill Drive. W T Owens & Sons at 12971 Pleasant Hill Dr, Hemingway opens the grill with the lights at 6 a.m. and runs most weekdays until 6 p.m. (Saturday to 5 p.m.) It’s part gas station, part general store, part short-order counter. If you ask before 10, they’ll fry a sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit that holds its heat to Andrews. I stop for hardware‑adjacent odds and ends like gloves and bug spray here, too.

If you’re topping off on the way to Kingstree or Johnsonville pre‑dawn, the Exxon (Tiger Mart #7) at 212 S Main St, Hemingway posts a mix of extended and 24‑hour slots. It routinely shows as open around the clock on peak nights Thursday through Saturday, and 6 a.m.–11 p.m. most other days. That Thursday flip to overnight hours has saved me twice when a 4 a.m. airport pickup popped up.

Bonus stop: there’s also a Dollar General at 9006 Pleasant Hill Dr that keeps 8 a.m.–10 p.m. hours most days. It’s where I’ve grabbed contractor bags, paper goods, and a forgotten phone charger without driving into town.

Prescriptions, shipping, and small‑town time savers

You don’t need to drive to Georgetown for meds. Reynolds Drug Store at 7 S Morgan Ave, Andrews has been around since the 1950s and runs Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–6 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.–noon. They fill prescriptions, give routine immunizations, and stock durable medical equipment like canes and shower seats. A small but mighty perk if you work odd hours: Reynolds is also a UPS Authorized Shipping Provider, so you can mail a pre‑labeled return while you’re picking up a refill.

If you prefer a chain, there’s a CVS Pharmacy at 415 Brooks Rd, Andrews co‑located with Food Lion. It carries a full retail selection and typical extended evening pharmacy hours. For compounding or a truly small‑shop counter, Suprx Pharmacy at 15 W Ashland St, Andrews lists Monday–Friday, roughly 8:30 or 9 a.m. to 6–6:30 p.m., and Saturday until mid‑afternoon and advertises compounding services.

Here’s how those two independent counters stack up when you just want to know who’s open and what they offer:

Mail and parcels beyond UPS are straightforward in Andrews. The U.S. Post Office at 102 N Morgan Ave, Andrews runs a split day on weekdays, 9–11 a.m. and 12–4:30 p.m., with a Saturday window, 9–11 a.m. PO Box lobbies stay open 24 hours, and the final weekday collection is typically 4:15 p.m.

Paperwork days: DMVs, libraries, and county counters within 30 minutes

Driver’s license and tag work is best handled at nearby SCDMV branches. Two realistic choices from Pleasant Hill are the Georgetown SCDMV at 214 Ridge St, Georgetown and the Kingstree SCDMV at 785 Eastland Ave, Kingstree. Both observe the statewide pattern of Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.; Wednesday 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. These offices offer Class D road tests until early afternoon and knowledge tests until late afternoon. If you can, arrive before lunch; after 2 p.m. the test queues fill up.

County library cards are free, and the branches closest to Pleasant Hill are genuinely useful for printing, Wi‑Fi, and a quick meeting room. The Andrews Library at 105 N Morgan Ave posts Monday and Wednesday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; Friday, 1–5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. The Carvers Bay Branch at 13048 Choppee Rd, Hemingway mirrors those hours most days, with a Saturday, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. window. Carvers Bay sits right in front of the middle and high school, which makes after‑school prints and study time painless.

Not everything requires a drive, though. For vehicle renewals, the state’s online portal handles address changes, registration renewals, and driver’s license updates with card payment, which I used between meetings instead of taking a half-day. It pairs well with the PO Box lobby being open around the clock in Andrews if you need to drop off documents late.

Auto parts, quick fixes, and weekend projects

When my check engine light chimed at dusk, I learned quickly where to go after six. O’Reilly Auto Parts at 313 E Main St, Andrews is open seven days with long evenings, 7:30 a.m.–9 p.m. Monday–Saturday and 9 a.m.–9 p.m. Sunday. They’ll test batteries, starters, and alternators free and pull codes with a handheld scanner in the parking lot. If you prefer earlier mornings, NAPA Auto Parts at 7 N Farr Ave, Andrews opens 7 a.m. on weekdays and runs until 7 p.m. (Saturday until noon). Between those two, you can match a part number and have wipers, bulbs, or a battery swapped well past most small-town store hours.

Heading out for a beach morning? Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet is the closest official saltwater fix and a good test of your new resident routines. Regular admission is $8 for adults, $4 for youth ages 6–15, and $5 for South Carolina residents 65+ with ID; kids 5 and under are free. If you’re curious about Atalaya, the historic home on site, that’s a $2 ticket for ages 6 and up. The park’s day-use hours vary by season, so plan your arrival before the late-morning parking crunch on weekends.

Key things I wish I’d known sooner

• Electronics and hazardous waste aren’t a once-a-year headache. The landfill’s Electronic Waste center (Mon–Fri 7:30–4:30) and Household Hazardous Waste hours (Mon–Fri 7:30–5, Sat 8–4) run every week, and Pleasant Hill’s own site takes most everyday items.
• Santee Electric Cooperative runs a 24/7 bill‑pay kiosk at 92 West Virginia Rd, Georgetown. If you’re on Advance Pay, that kiosk saves you from a shutoff if you forget to top up during business hours.
• Reynolds Drug Store (7 S Morgan Ave) doubles as a UPS Authorized Shipping Provider. Drop a return with your prescription pickup instead of making a second trip.
• Food Lion (415 Brooks Rd) is open 7 a.m.–10 p.m. daily and exchanges propane, which beats driving to Georgetown for a grill tank.
• For late-night fuel, the Exxon at 212 S Main St, Hemingway frequently runs 24 hours Thursday–Saturday, with 6 a.m.–11 p.m. hours on quieter days.
• O’Reilly (313 E Main St) tests batteries and alternators free until 9 p.m. most nights. NAPA (7 N Farr Ave) opens at 7 a.m. if you wrench early.
• Library hours vary by branch. Andrews Library has an easy Saturday 9 a.m.–1 p.m. window; Carvers Bay runs Saturday 10 a.m.–2 p.m. and sits right by the schools.

Reader Q&A

Is there truly a dump or do I need private pickup?

You won’t need to contract private pickup for normal household waste. The Pleasant Hill Convenience Center (11987 Pleasant Hill Dr) takes regular trash and a long list of recyclables. For electronics, you can go either to Pleasant Hill during normal hours or the landfill’s Electronic Waste center Monday–Friday, 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Where can I get a prescription filled in Andrews without waiting all day?

Reynolds Drug Store (7 S Morgan Ave) runs Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sat 9 a.m.–noon and handles immunizations and medical equipment. If you need compounding, Suprx Pharmacy (15 W Ashland St) lists it as a service and keeps weekday hours into early evening. A CVS also operates at 415 Brooks Rd with extended evening hours.

Do I have to drive to Conway or Georgetown for DMV services?

No. You’ve got two branch options in reach: Georgetown SCDMV (214 Ridge St) and Kingstree SCDMV (785 Eastland Ave). They follow the statewide schedule of Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. and Wed 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Many basic renewals can be handled on the state’s online portal as well.

Which internet provider actually serves Pleasant Hill addresses?

HTC covers this part of Georgetown County and will check your address for fiber or copper. Published plans start at $49.95/month with autopay and paperless billing for a 12‑month introductory term, with free professional installation tied to that commitment. Ask about included Smart Wi‑Fi extenders if your home layout needs them.

When you’re choosing between options, map your week. If your job wraps at 6 p.m., Reynolds’ weekday pharmacy hours match that; if you often wrench or road-trip late, O’Reilly’s 9 p.m. close and that Exxon’s overnight window matter more than a few minutes closer on the map.

Published: September 8, 2026