What's Exciting and New in Greenville, South Carolina? Everything!

 

There’s a lot more reasons to head to Greenville than beautiful mountain vistas, 1,000+ restaurants and the revitalization of downtown shopping with new businesses erupting every day.  As if that isn't enough, and yes, I said "erupting."  That’s the best word I could think of to describe this exciting and dynamic area clearly with big plans for a bright future. 

I came to Greenville to enjoy the social life downtown in the evenings, and the many opportunities it offers to explore the natural areas surrounding it during the day, but I quickly became fascinated with all the rest the area had to offer.  For one, it’s steeped in a well-preserved history.  It’s more than just a few buildings on the historic register however.  Several historic districts have been defined and earmarked in the city for upandcomers, entrepreneurs, and the rest of us common joes with just an insatiable fascination for the artistic craftmanship in homes built in the early part of the last century. It’s a city that values its past in such a way that it wants to preserve and build upon it for even more success in it's clearly promising future. 

While new businesses abound and intriguing new ones continue to “erupt,” what the south has come to be loved and respected for is alive and well in Greenville.  What so many of us seek in our fast-paced world is the good ol’ fashun’ hospitability of our fellow man and what's become known as "southern hospitality," still abounds here.    

Numerous gardens dot the sidewalks and roadways in this city, to enhance locals and travelers' experiences, making it feel like a well thought out respite even after a hectic day. While I was enjoying my own self-guided walking tour, I stopped to admire a statue of one of Greenville's own, Shoeless Joe Jackson.  It's situated just outside the stadium there, and his old house was hauled to the spot and turned into a museum for an additional tribute to this baseball icon.  While there, another surprise overtook my senses nearby in a lovely raised flower bed.  It was carefully planted and maintained clearly to attract pollinators.  Among the flowers, I spotted another beautifully patterned and colorful Greenville curiosity, albeit with 6 legs and 8 eyes.  I lost myself admiring all the color so late in the year in this well cared for city, and naturally I had to capture this engaging insect with my trusty Nikon. 

While stirring up the passion I have for the natural world and new discoveries, it was still admittedly a bit off putting for me to be in such close proximity to an unknown spider, albeit very intriguing and colorful.  

Spoiler alert:  She is named after a cat who is said to be one of the most skilled hunters in nature, in that it watches and waits, then quickly pounces on its prey. She is a Green Lynx Spider, I would learn after I got home and did the research.  I would also learn how controversial her presence is in agriculture.  And despite the huge bee very close to her, her and her egg case are very safe as she would happily take on the bee - and win, if she felt her eggs were threatened.   Today however, no spiders or bees were harmed during the preparation for this post, as both were too intent on their missions.  The bee was greedily gathering its nectar to help it survive the upcoming cold nights and the spider was intent on making sure her eggs would safely hatch, also in preparation for the cold nights arriving soon.

This beautiful discovery reminded me even more that the call of the wild and outdoor adventures don't stop when summer ends and the nights cool.  Especially in South Carolina.  For me, this was just one of many new discoveries that Fall has in store for all of us outside, and the beginning of my love and intrigue for Greenville.

After an invigorating day exploring, grab your best friend and head to Falls Park on the Reedy in the historic west end of town, where you'll enjoy beautiful views of the park at one of the many outdoor dining possibilities. 

Dogs are not only accepted but invited to relax with you at your table and even get their own complimentary beverage at some of the restaurants.

Greenville's abundance of natural curiosities, its commitment to progress, and the many state parks in such close proximity puts it on the top of my To Do Again Soon list.

To explore more information relative to Greenville and this post, here are some links I recommend:

For a concise description about the controversial value and detriments the Green Lynx offers to our environment, visit: https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/beneficial

See: https://visitgreenvillesc.com  for a good overview and to keep you up to date about what to see and do in and around Greenville, S.C.

Visit www.visitgreenvillesc.gov>Falls-Park for more information on the park and its many nearby restaurants and opportunities to socialize in this beautiful natural setting.

I would highly recommend making reservations as far in advance as possible, as hotels are still reporting they are being booked to capacity way in advance.   Many of the parks in South Carolina have campgrounds, villas, condos or a lodge, and there are quite a few in close proximity to Greenville, so check into those possibilities as well when you are planning this - or any of your trips. Don’t forget that our state parks and the hard-working parks’ personnel in the last 2 years especially, have weathered not only, well, the weather, but Covid restrictions, funding cuts, and a very insecure future. To map your trip, visit:  https://southcarolinaparks.com.