Not so long ago, I posted HERE about the
city of Columbia. So I thought I would continue with my little travel tour of my
great state and introduce you to a city that probably not many of you know
about... Greenville. In fact, for the 7 years I lived in Columbia, I visited
Greenville only a handful of times (typically for concerts, or for visiting a
friend) and I never got to actually see much of the charms. Now? Well, Puff
and I frequent the area quite regularly, since it's at the base of the
mountains. And we all know how often we like to go get our nature hike on.
First and foremost, their downtown is totally awesome. They revamped it
within the past X number of years and it now boasts some super awesome
boutiques, like Wish (which doesn't have a website!) And while there are several
locations now around the state and NC, you can't pass up a stop at Mast General Store to stock
up on candy from their giant barrels at the back. I sometimes want to go
swimming in them! And always pick up a French Chew to gnaw on later. For food,
our all-time faves are Rick Erwin's and
its sister restaurant, Nantucket. The steaks at the original are heavenly (and
not that unreasonably priced) and the blackened halibut at Nantucket will
literally make you jizz yourself. Oh yeah... and both places feature hands-down
the best, most awesome, raspberry martinis I have ever had! Did I mention the
city has parking garages that are free on nights and weekends too? Score!!!
Another awesome feature of Greenville is their Falls Park. I remember
visiting it with The Ex and Kimhead years ago for the first time and never quite
realizing how spectacular it was. It's literally right in the middle of town!
You can feed the ducks at the top of the falls and then picnic at the bottom. We
have hit up several festivals throughout the years that work this feature into
them, like Artisphere and Fall for Greenville. They even have
a Saturday market that runs weekly during the summers. And if you follow the
river farther downstream, there are cool trails and playgrounds, and a plane.
Don't ask me why. It all ends up at the Greenville Zoo, which is really
pathetic in size, but inexpensive and fun. The playground right outside the zoo
is a great place to picnic and you can hear the monkeys!
Beyond that, you can check out a game at the Greenville Drive stadium.
They're an affiliate of the Red Sox (so this Yankees girl has a hard time
rallying behind them) but the stadium was mimicked after Fenway, so it's worth a
$5 ticket if you're in town for a game. Especially if you have kids. And on a
super random note, the museum at Bob Jones
University (yes, Puff and I were allowed on campus there... but he wouldn't
hold my hand since we weren't married at the time) is really great. Sure, it's
all religious works, but they're from legitimate big name artists from the past.
(Apparently, according to the website, it's the largest collection of religious
work in the western hemisphere.)
My two favorite parts of Greenville though? First, the weather is
noticeably cooler than elsewhere in the state. This is pretty important during
those dog days of August! And second, it's the gateway to the mountains. Just
over an hour from Asheville (home of the Biltmore)
there are tons of hikes, waterfalls, state parks, etc. within a reasonable
distance. You can even see the mountains from the highway as you approach town!
I never thought I'd be more of a "mountain girl" than a "beach bum" but then I
realized one important factor... there's not any sand in the mountains!
Happy travels!
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