In late '90s, my friend who went to University of South Carolina, wanted some people to join in his road trip back to his college. I gladly volunteered. We were living in DC suburbs at the time. I have largely forgotten how I took the route. All I remember is using US-58 for much of the trip.
I don't know why we used US-58 instead of I-95 or I-85.
I want to sort of relive this route. I was using google maps and nothing jogged my memory.
When you're talking over 16 years ago, you're not going to remember much of the small stuff you passed by. Many things over the years have changed - businesses and buildings have changed and roads and signs have been upgraded. There may be a gas station or restaurant that you may have stopped at frequently that will ring a bell, but for the most part everything you passed by will have just been quiet noise on your travels.
USC is in Columbia, which is well to the south of the DC area. US-58 runs east—west (or vice versa, depending on your point of view). I'm not sure how you would have managed to use that for "much of the trip" unless someone made a very wrong turn. Could you perhaps have US-58 mixed up with another US highway such as 29 or 220?
Maybe you used US 258?
Definitely U.S. 58. IIRC, U.S. 58 was the longest route used. Or felt like it. I remember there were no guardrails or shoulders on U.S. 58 at that time. We went south from D.C. (I-95, most likely) then west on U.S. 58 then south to Columbia. We had to drive really slow passing Emporia on 58, a known and notorious speed trap in the pre-internet era.
I'm having trouble how we got down south from U.S. 58. Did I-77 exist as it did back then as now?