Visit Greenville
A Short Drive Away for Family Fun and Adventure
For many, escaping to the mountains just in time to catch the changing foliage is part of family fall traditions. For others, especially Beaufortonians, taking the drive upstate is more about football than anything else! Either way, visiting the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains is sure to bring lots of adventure and fun for the entire family.
Just a few hours’ drive from Beaufort and about a 30-minute hop, skip, and a jump from Clemson University, Beaufort Lifestyle took the 3 ½-hour ride northwest to Greenville, SC for a few days to explore, take in the sights, and get a taste of all that this city with small-town charm has to offer.
A Need for Speed
We started our trip with a tour of the BMW Performance Center. In the 1990s, BMW made its presence known in Greenville. And, this state-of-the-art facility is not to be missed!
If you have a need for speed, the driving center and track host individuals and groups at the training facility where you’ll learn all of the ins and outs of this high-speed performance car. But nothing beats taking your turn behind the wheel or as a passenger while a well-trained BMW instructor whips around the fast turns and polished wet concrete skid pads. This ride rates among the most invigorating time spent in a vehicle and left us smiling ear to ear!
Next, we headed to the BMW CCA Foundation Museum. The museum currently features its most comprehensive BMW exhibit ever staged in North America called Genesis. This exhibit showcases 24 motorcycles and cars from 1927 to 1965. Genesis tells the story of BMW’s origins as a maker of airplane engines during World War I through its expansion into motorcycle and automobile production in the 1920s. Informative kiosks and fascinating archival photos guide visitors through five decades of BMW history.
You’ll surely walk away, as we did, marveling at the technological innovations of this German automaker, not only through two World Wars but also as a peacetime mobility company in the decades that followed.
Plenty of Places for Eating, Drinking, and Recreation
Traveling the track can increase anyone’s appetite, making Bacon Bros. Public House the perfect destination restaurant for made-from-scratch food in a relaxing atmosphere.
In fact, it’s every bacon and pork lover’s dream — but they don’t stop there. The owner was so welcoming on our first night in Greenville. He takes great pride in the modern southern-fare menu with craft brews and a custom drink menu. The farmhouse-chic space with a view of the bar and the kitchen makes the environment cozy and comfortable. We highly recommend the charcuterie and cheese board for starters, which includes the best crackers we’ve ever had.
Next, you’ll want to make a stop at Topgolf. You don’t have to be a golfer to love this experience. This place takes a top 10 spot on our family’s fun roster! Everything about Topgolf screams a good time. The music, games, drinks, and food offer an entertaining atmosphere while you lounge next to your tee and take bowling-like turns for your shot at being named the top golfer in your group.
During our stay in Greenville, we found that a visit to Old Europe Desserts was a delicious way to start our day. Croissants, pastries, eclairs, oh my! And the coffee was top-notch, too. Owner Bobby Daugherty was so friendly and has a fascinating personal history from Furman football to investment banking to road construction. But, it’s clear he found his calling in his passion for desserts! We enjoyed the time he spent with us sharing the areas’s history just as we started to fall in love with this beautiful, quaint little town.
But what stay in any town is complete without a bicycle ride? That’s when we met up with Jamie and Tate at Reedy Rides. Bicycling can be one of the fastest and most enjoyable ways to get around Greenville, view the scenery, and explore! They hooked us up with some great bicycles and directed us to the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail. As we made our way down the 22-mile, award-winning, multi-use trail, it was easy to lose track of time as we made delightful stops at several parks in downtown Greenville.
The waterfalls and trails throughout the parks gave us a sense of the outdoor scene and the endless “nooks and crannies” Greenville has to explore. Some of our time was spent at Falls Park on the Reedy – the most picturesque green space in town. It is a nationally acclaimed park with a spectacular bridge that allows unobstructed views of the Reedy River waterfalls. The Liberty Bridge – a 345-foot, curved bridge held in the air by a single suspension cable – is the only one in the United States. We stopped many times to check out the next watering hole, obstacle course, or just to run around the open areas before heading up the trail to Sidewall Pizza. Along the way, we passed by gyms, yoga studios, grocers, coffee shops, breweries, and many side-of-the-trail restaurants. You could ride along this trail for days and never do the same thing twice!
We headed up to Traveler’s Rest to Sidewall Pizza and they didn’t disappoint us for lunch. Their stone-cooked pies with fresh toppings will knock your socks off. If the pizza doesn’t get you, then the small-batch sodas, brews, or homemade ice cream will for sure!
If you’re ready for more adventure head to LeMans Karting, an indoor go-cart race track with performance-tuned gas karts that will have you whipping around the track at high speeds. They don’t skimp on customer safety either. Drivers are fully equipped with professional racing gear. This was another huge highlight for our oldest boys and we had just as much fun watching them. LeMans takes another spot on our all-time top 10 family fun roster.
We then walked to Papi’s Tacos for dinner and enjoyed exploring the many shops along the way! This family-run business is best described as a “food truck without wheels.” Known for their authentic Mexican street food, Papi’s Tacos features fresh-quality ingredients and a simple menu with just a few options, including tortas, tacos, and house-made salsas and flavor combinations. It sits riverside and is the perfect spot to soak up Greenville’s downtown parks area. The tacos were delicious, and the owner, Jorge Jr., is one of the nicest guys ever! We recommend that you don’t skip the Gelato!
Still More Places to Roam and Explore
Be sure your trip to Greenville includes the weekend! Every Saturday they have a downtown “Essential Market.” This outdoor event features more than 40 vendors, farmers with fresh produce, flowers, breads, juices, and entrepreneurs of all walks of life that make this market special. There truly is something for everyone.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a trip anywhere in South Carolina without some ‘cue, and we had plenty of it on a unique BBQ tour with Greenville History Tours. We visited three local barbecue establishments and sampled the best-of-the-best recipes for this delicious southern staple. We toured each restaurant and visited with the owners. Each one was certain that their way was the best way to cook pulled pork. But, we have to say, we loved them all! We had a great time with our tour guide, John, who happily provided us more area history and updates on Greenville today.
When spending time in this fun town, you won’t want to leave without a visit to the Greenville Zoo. Lions, leopards, giraffes, and monkeys are just a few animals that call this little zoo home. During our visit, we had the joy of watching adorable baby leopards play with each other and their mom. They even came to the glass to give us a high five! They made such an impression that we are now the proud owners of Leo the (stuffed) Leopard.
With still more places to explore, we walked to another downtown location, taking a different route this time and discovered many more shops and sights. Greenville is home to more than 95 works of art scattered around the town as part of South Carolina’s Arts in Public Places initiative. We saw many of them, but the “Octo 2,” a kinetic, wind-powered stainless-steel sculpture made up of shapes rotating around a circular axis, was the most memorable. There also are many murals in town. One in particular that graces two entire sides of a 15-story building and is most impressive.
We found our way to Limoncello’s for an exquisite Italian dinner and the perfect meal to finish off our trip. The setting was intimate but still casual. The food was delicious, and the cannoli was a must! After dinner, we checked out a little of Greenville’s nightlife. We enjoyed walking the busy downtown streets and sitting curbside for a drink as we people watched. We were even lucky enough to see a wedding party and family send off a happy, “just married” couple. As we talked to the locals and tourists that evening, we realized that the nightlife in Greenville is just as fun as the daytime activities.
During our three-day stay in Greenville, we took in a good sampling of what Greenville has to offer. Yet, there is still so much more to explore and do. Be sure to add Greenville to your next vacation spot (by the way, November 9-16 is predicted to be the peak week for Fall foliage color). No matter when you visit, you’ll be sure to find something for everyone — and, one thing for sure — you’ll never leave hungry!
