Hey friend!
How was your Thanksgiving? I hope you had the best time eating delicious food and spending quality time with your family.
My Thanksgiving was different this year, but still super special. It was one for the books, from a Turkey Strut to making three different dishes to eating Thanksgiving dinner at 9 pm!
The only thing that was missing was some cooler weather. If there’s anything I know Florida will deliver for the holidays, it’s the heat.
The 85-degree weather makes me miss fall weather in South Carolina. Mornings were a crisp 40 degrees, and then in the afternoon, it would warm up to the 60s. Ah, what a dream.
One of my favorite things while in South Carolina was visiting Greenville.
Greenville, SC
Typically, cities don’t catch my attention when I’m traveling. Instead, if you haven’t already guessed, I’d prefer to visit a state or national park.
Greenville is the exception, though.
For a couple of years now, it’s a city I’ve been dying to visit. One of my friends from high school ended up going to college there, and her pictures inspired me to add it to my bucket list.
Fast forward to a couple of years later, and one of Chris and I’s closest friends, Hannah, moved there too. This made for the perfect opportunity to stop and see a good friend, plus cross it off my bucket list.
Lucky for us, there was a campground not too far from Greenville so that we could stay for a couple of weeks. After visiting several times, I put together a list of my favorite things to do, see, and eat. Check it out below.↓
Getting Outside
Liberty Bridge + Falls Park on the Reedy
Liberty Bridge gives you some of the best views in Greenville. The bridge overlooks Falls Park – a great spot to walk around, picnic, run/bike, and take those pictures you want to show off on Insta. In my opinion, the park is what makes Greenville so unique. I mean, how many other cities have a waterfall in the middle of downtown? Not too many.
Mice on Main Hunt
Keep an eye out for hidden mice as you walk around Main Street! Don’t worry; you won’t find real mice (at least, I hope not). Instead, they’re small bronze statues of mice scattered all over the sidewalks of Main Street. While you walk around and peruse through the shops, try to see if you can spot all 9 of them. Need some extra help? Check out some hints in the link above.
Swamp Rabbit Trail
Hannah says that she can take this trail from her apartment to downtown. The path is 22 miles long and is a great place to walk, run, or bike. If you’re going on vacation, I doubt the first thing on your mind is to exercise, but it’s a great place to get some extra steps in!
Drivable Destinations
(please use the 7 Leave No Trace Principles)
If you’re looking for other outdoor activities to do while you’re in the area, here are a few of my favorites 1h30m or less from GVL↓
Tallulah Gorge State Park
Get ready to climb up and down some stairs. The stairs will lead you down to several overlooks where you can view parts of the two-mile-long canyon – yes, there’s a canyon in Georgia! See the views from the suspension bridge or climb down to the lowest overlook (have fun climbing back up).
Hannah and I visited the park on a Friday, which was super busy, so I recommend going Monday-Thursday if you’re trying to avoid bigger crowds. And make sure to bring cash because that’s all they accept at the gate!
Pretty Place Chapel
This place has been on my bucket list for what seems like forever. Unfortunately, I couldn’t cross it off while in SC, but when we go back, that will change.
This chapel is located at a YMCA Camp. You can visit anytime between sunrise and sunset (except when they have private events). Their calendar is on their website.
Table Rock State Park
Only a short 45-minute drive from Greenville is Table Rock State Park, a local favorite hiking spot. If you’re up for it, hike to the top of Table Rock Mountain, or if you’re looking for something more laid back, hike on one of their easy/moderate trails (Pinnacle Lake Trail Loop, Sassafras Mountain to Pinnacle Lake, Beech Bottom Falls, or Carrick Creek Loop).
Other activities in the park include biking, cooling off in the mountain streams, paddleboarding, fishing, camping, or listening to bluegrass music on the second Saturday of each month.
Delicious Food Spots
Enough about places outside Greenville; it’s time to talk about the food scene of GVL!
Tupelo Honey
Tupelo Honey’s menu is chocked full of up-scale Southern food favorites, and I cannot rave enough about it. From famous fried chicken to shrimp and grits to southern sandwiches galore, their food will make your mouth water before you even get a bite in. I don’t know about you, but my mouth is watering right now just thinking about it.
Our table ordered the Crispy Brussels, House-Made Fried Pickles, Tupelo Shrimp and Grits, Classic Chicken and Waffles, Cast Iron Pork, Asheville Hot Chicken and Ranch Melt, and Heavenly Banana Pudding. Yes, we ate a lot of food. Yes, it was all AMAZING! Another thing you HAVE to try is their sriracha honey – I wish I could’ve taken a whole bucket home.
Don’t forget to book a reservation, though, because the tables fill up fast!
Cantina 76
You can never go wrong with Mexican food. Funny enough, we found this place by accident – we initially tried to go to Tupelo Honey, but they couldn’t seat us for a couple of hours so we decided against the long wait (again, make sure to make a reservation ahead of time). While we were walking around, we saw Cantina 76 and decided to give it a try. I’m glad we did because it was delicious!
I got the veggie tacos and guac – I’m a sucker for tacos and guac. Everyone else either got the chimichangas or tacos. The table favorites were the salsa, guac, and queso combo + the chimichangas.
Gather GVL
This place reminds me of an outdoor food court (but the food is actually appetizing). This place is a little walk from downtown, but it’s worth it. Why? Because it’s a one-stop shop for all your taste bud’s needs.
Cocobowl GVL (açaí), HenDough (fried chicken and donuts), KO Burger (classic burgers, fries, + hot dogs), Greenville Beer Exchange, Mike’s (cheesesteaks + pork roasts from Philly), and so much more call this place home. I tried an acai bowl, and Chris tried a craft beer; both hit the spot!
Byrd Cookie Company
My dad is the cookie monster of the family, and I think it’s safe to say that he’s officially addicted to these cookies.
Stop in to taste all the cookies they have in store – yes, it’s free! Score! The chocolate chip cookie recipe has been around for almost one hundred years, so you have to try it at least once. It probably won’t be the last time you have one.
River Street Sweets • Savannah’s Candy Kitchen
Looking for more than cookies? This sweet shop is the place to go – and it happens to be right across the street from Byrds. This sweet shop has everything from pralines to chocolate loggerheads to chocolate apples to fudge to ice cream and gelato. If there’s one thing I can promise, your sweet tooth will be satisfied when you leave.
In the Mood to Shop?
M. Judson Booksellers
Why did this bookstore make the list? Because it’s not in your average bookstore location. This one is located in a historic courthouse. Even if you’re not going to buy anything, go in and look around! There’s a whole section in the back dedicated to the outdoors (that’s where I spent most of my time).
Mast General Store
Visiting a Mast General Store screams southern to me. I only got a picture of the front of the store (to the right), but this place was huge! I got myself some homemade apple butter and a pair of Chacos on sale. Such a crazy place, right?
This store has food, clothes, shoes, outdoor gear, candy, home decor, and more. It’s like Buc-ees, but a southern version (minus the gas). It’s wonderful; you should give it a try.
Vintage Now Modern
I’m a sucker for a classic antique store. This antique store combines traditional vintage items with a modern twist (hence the name). You may not be looking to buy a vintage couch on vacation, but it’s still fun to look at all the pieces they have. Plus, they have quite the selection of the Mice on Main for sale, aka the perfect souvenir for your trip!
DressUp
It may be called DressUp, but I call it granola girl heaven. For being a boutique, I’m actually impressed with how affordable the prices are and the quality of the items themselves. I legit could have bought everything in that store, but that day I was showing some major self-control (you’re welcome @ Chris). If you can’t visit the store in person, go to their website and order your favorites online!
That’s All, Folks
Welp, that pretty much summarizes all my favorite things to do in the Greenville area. Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments below!
Have a great rest of your week ☺
Till Next Time,
Kaitlin ☾
