Posted on 03/16/2009 12:26:33 PM PDT by rabscuttle385
I am going on a road trip to attend a conference in the Greenville area later this week and would appreciate any advice from South Carolina Freepers on area attractions, scenic routes, places to get good food, etc. Although I will be in the area from Thursday to Sunday, I won't have as much time as I want to visit Charleston and Fort Sumter or Atlanta, so I am restricted to Upstate. Your advice is very much appreciated.
ping
Golf, lots and lots of golf, skip the conference and play golf...
Alright, sorry about that, I let my inner voice out again...
I used to go there during the summer. I highly recommend the area up in the mountains around the Blue Ridge Parkway. It’s around 30 miles from Greenville if I remember correctly. Lots of great views and scenery.
I'll go, but you should keep in mind that I'm fifteen minutes from the northern terminus of the Parkway. :)
In Greenville eat at MiMi’s. Awesome restaurant. Go to the Mountains. If you eat at MiMi’s you probably won’t leave Greenville!
Drive north to Asheville and check out the Biltmore. Gorgeous! (Only possible through greeeeeeeedy capitalism.)
www.biltmore.com
I recommend the “Rooftop Tour” for a few extra bucks. Well worth it.
You have to see downtown, especially the falls. Greenville is very unique. Visit the BMW factory museum as well.
I always stock up on fireworks banned in VA.
I was about to say that I live near the parkway myself, around 200 miles from there in VA. lol
Let me know when you go, and I'll have you put your ear to the pavement while I get Ted Kennedy or some other morbidly obese person to jump up and down on the Parkway up here. We'll see if you are able to hear it. :^)
If you’re taking 81 down and back, be mindful that there is a Nascar race in Bristol on Sunday @ 2pm.
Ooooh. Thanks for the heads-up. I did not know about that.
If I were traveling from Leesburg, I'd get on 81, but I'll be departing from Charlottesville and taking 29 to Greensboro.
North Carolinans claim the honor belongs to the Kings Mountain battlefield, which was earlier and is within one hour's drive of Cowpens, but King's Mountain was a much smaller scale battle and involved mostly irregulars whereas Cowpens was a decisive victory between regulars. So I tend to side with the southerners in that argument.
Charleston-
Ft. Sumter Tour and/or Harbor Cruise
Patriots Point Naval Museum-Yorktown Wave to me as you pass the Renaissance
Charleston Restaurants: Many good ones to choose from. Some of my favorites:
Tristan
Carolinas
Charleston Grill
Oak Steakhouse
Skip Asheville and the Biltmore Estate, I live 10 minutes N of Asheville, the Massachusetts and San Fransisco of the South. Greenville has some rough parts, go a little north to Saluda, if you must. It has a cute little town with some shops. If you have reached Hendersonville, it’s a good place to browse around downtown, go to the wine cellar it’s actually down a few stairs on a side street. More conservative. Stop there, steer around uber liberal Asheville, they do not deserve your money.
Get out to the Keowee area, go up to Whitewater Falls (highest on the east coast, upper in NC, lower in SC, falls over 800 feet all said). Continue up 107 into Cashiers, make a left onto US 64 West and go into Highlands. Gorgeous views of three states, some nice restaurants, but it is off season, so check ahead. Our own FReeper Congressman Billybob is a Highlands resident. Maybe he has a recommendation for dining.
Greenville to Highlands is about an hour and half, as best I recall. Plan on the most part of a day for travel, stops, and eating.
You’ll really enjoy it if you like driving mountain roads. If you don’t, you won’t, 64 Cashiers to Highlands in particular. The overlook for Whiteside Cove is stunning, but also alarming for people who aren’t accustomed.
Eat at Soby’s, everything there is good, Southern Cuisine, they have homemade ice cream sandwiches made with cookies.
There is also a High Cotton right on the Reedy River.
Coffee Underground (on Coffee Street) has incredible desserts, I highly recommend the Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie.
There are tons and tons of great restaurants on Main Street, and Main Street stays open late.
Check out beforehand and see what is playing at the Peace Center, it is a 1st class entertainment venue.
The Minor League Ballpark is downtown, it is a mini replica of Fenway Park, compete with Green Monster.
Falls Park is incredible, they have Shakespere in the Park, not sure what the schedule is, there are other festivities in the Park.
Greenville SC is one of the best cities in the Southeast, personally, I would rather go to Greenville than Charleston, and most certainly, Atlanta.
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