getting to know the usa: greenville, south carolina

Courthouse Square in
downtown Greenville.

On my first visit to the Carolinas in the earlier part of Summer, I tagged along on my husband's business trip to Greenville. It was such an ordeal to get there, however. I had to fly in to Charlotte, North Carolina then drive about two hours to Greenville, South Carolina. 

On my way to Charlotte, while connecting through Washington, DC, United Airlines canceled my flight due to "weather." When I finally arrived in Charlotte - a day later and 16 hours after my original arrival time - I was convinced that Greenville would suck.  Well, I was wrong.  The town and the people were so lovely that I would like to think I made some pretty good friends.

Wikipedia states that Greenville in South Carolina has a population of just over 60,000.  Although it is a small city, it definitely had that small town feel.  Sure, the main street had big national brand stores and it appeared to have a robust performing arts scene.  But, when I visited, I met quite a few people who I then randomly met again on its Main Street.  Plus, the folks I met were so friendly -- I didn't get that feeling of distrust, distance and/or cynicism I often felt in other cities.  In fact, I stayed at a very comfortable and nice guesthouse that had an outdoor television on the deck that would have disappeared within 5 minutes of the setting sun in other cities.  When I met the proprietors of two Greenville restaurants - Larkin's (a fine dining steakhouse) and Grill Marks (a casual burger and milk shake joint) - they happily shared the amusing story of how the Grill Marks site used to be a bordello. Greenville was just that kind of place -- lots of friendly and honest people with plenty of amusing stories to tell if you engage them in conversation, a main street where one could find most anything, and a place with enough things to do to fill up a leisurely and stress-free weekend getaway.

So, if you want to get to know Greenville, and I really suggest you should, I recommend the following:


Sights

          Main Street - Walk the length of Main Street (about a mile or so).  I adored all the old brick buildings with remnants of old school advertisements on their walls.  Some spots also had plaques that explained the historical relevance of some buildings.  Along the way, I suggest stopping off for some shopping, a meal or an ice cream cone. The walk is free, what you buy won't be.

A building on Main Street.

          Falls Park on the Reedy - There is a waterfall just off Main Street.  I thought it was pretty and, because I visited in the Summer, the adjacent park with lots of tree cover was a nice way to find shelter from the heat and humidity.  The suspension bridge also allowed me to view the falls from all angles.  It's free to visit the park and view the falls.

Falls Park on the Reedy.

Falls Park on the Reedy.

Farmers Market.

          Saturday Farmers Market - An absolutely fun market! Two or three blocks of Main Street were blocked off from traffic for the market and it seemed that all the citizens of Greenville were there to shop.  The number of people was just staggering.  Also, the vegetables and fruits on sale were varied and bursting with color, and the street smelled of all manners of food.  Even though I was only visiting, I was so tempted to buy so much food -- but I settled for fruits I could easily eat as a snack.  People and produce watching are free but if you want to take home anything, you have to pay for it.

A lot of people at the Farmers Market.

My new friends.

          Visit a Farm - Not far from downtown Greenville, maybe 40 minutes, was the most fun I have had with barn animals.  The Farm at Rabon Creek hosts a fair where the public could buy crafts and other things.  But, if you ask the owners nicely, you may be able to say hi to plenty of friendly animals including hens, pigs, goats, cows and donkeys.  When I visited, I saw sheep too but they were a bit shy and they ran away at the sound of my voice.  Unlike the sheep, Veronica, a dairy cow, happily licked my hand (like what a dog would have done) despite the fact that I was a complete stranger.  She was so sweet.  In addition to a crafts fair and the animals, the farm also has an old cooking house from the 1800s used and lived in by American slaves.  Because I asked the owners nicely, I was able to not only see the cooking house but enter it.  It was a sobering and humbling moment to be surrounded by simple wood walls that came with a lot of history.  If only walls could talk....

If you visit the farm, beware when around the animals.  While my experience was fantastic, one never knows what an animal would do.  You have been warned.

Goats.

Pigs.

Eat

During my stay in Greenville, I was primarily fed by locals in their home.  But, during a charity event I attended, the General Manager of Larkin's made wonderful BBQ ribs.  If you visit Greenville, because you are in the Carolinas, you can't go wrong with trying Carolina style BBQ - so go for it!

South Carolina BBQ Ribs.

I did try a malted milk shake at Grill Marks on Main Street and I loved every decadent spoonful (and I'm not just saying that because the owners bought it for me).  In fact, I was already full from dinner but when the owners insisted I try a milkshake, I had every intent to only taste it.  They gave me a tall ice cream glass full of milkshake and a smaller glass that contained more of the same.  My intentions of tasting the shake went out the window and not only did I finish it, I licked the glass (and the smaller glass) clean.  I am a big fan of vanilla so that was what I had, but Grill Marks had a variety of flavors, including boozy ones.

Trivia

Joel Roberts Poinsett, a former US Ambassador to Mexico and a frequent summer visitor to Greenville, brought back to the US a plant he found in Mexico.  That plant is now named after him - the Poinsettia.  Greenville has a nice statute of Mr. Poinsett on Main Street in front of the Courthouse.

Other posts in my "Getting to Know the USA" series, include Kansas City and Charleston.


If you have been to Greenville, please share what you liked (or disliked) on your visit.