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I haven't booked my Airbnbs, so I can switch the order and go to Chattanooga first, and then hit Greenville from Thursday to Saturday so I can see the Fall festival.
I like your scenic route idea (between Greenville and Chattanooga), and that was going to be my next question. If I go to Chattanooga first and then to Greenville, I'm assuming you'd still recommend that route to drive, just in reverse. I haven't looked at a map, but will this drive take me into (or close to) Asheville at all? I've never been to Asheville and it would be nice to get a glimpse.
Thanks!
^^^This is a good plan! If you can make it to Fall For Greenville, I'd definitely go. It's a huge festival and many people come from all over to attend. I also like the idea of the scenic route. Better book your airbnb soon though.
Thanks for the recommendations, especially the apartments and thanks for letting me know about the Fall festival. I'm flying into Atlanta, and I can switch the order if I want and go to Chattanooga Tuesday and Wed night, drive to Greenville on Thursday and stay there Thurs and Fri night. I'll have all day on Saturday as well as my flight leaves Atlanta late on Saturday.
Actually, I'm still finishing packing up here in Illinois and heading out for good in a week; the apartment I've rented wasn't available until later this month. I changed my location on this forum prematurely because I like seeing "Location: Greenville, SC" when I log in. I'll be posting impressions, recommendations, etc. as I settle in.
I was in Greenville for eight days in March - my previous trip was about four years ago, and I spent a week in Greenville that visit. It's amazing how much change I saw between the two visits. I hope you're able to get enough of a feel for the two places before you make your decision. I'd suggest reading the Greenville News to keep up on what's happening in town.
Regarding a route: you can go through Asheville by taking 75 north, then 40 east to Asheville. It adds maybe 50 miles to the route, but according to Google Maps, the driving time should be about the same.
If you do come through Asheville, try to stop downtown, even if it's just for lunch. I know you have limited time but you should still make time if you can.
Just a thought, since you are visiting for the first time, it may be better to come before the festival. It will be difficult to get around downtown and really enjoy it with 100,000 people looking in tents and chomping on food, unless you just want to fight crowds. It will be way more relaxed beforehand.
Must do' s:
1. Downtown/Falls Park/Cancer Survivor Park tour
2. Caesar's Head (and if you want to try a nice hike check out Raven Cliff Falls, one of the highest falls in Eastern US, but it takes a couple hours)
3. Paris Mtn State Park if you need to stay closer to town. Also take a drive over Paris Mtn for great views, take Altamont Drive.
4. If you have some extra time coming from Atlanta, take HWY 11 off I-85, go past Walhalla to Stumphouse Mtn Tunnel and Isaqueena Falls.
5. Just a random idea, but if you like haunted houses check out Madworld Attractions, one of the best in the Southeast.
Unfortunately you will indeed be too early for any Fall color unless you go to high elevation in NC. And I have a feeling color will be late this year with the warm September, we've had ZERO coolish nights so far.
I think you're right. I think I'm going to keep my original plan of going to Greenville before Chattanooga so I'll be there before the festival. I want to experience downtown how it normally is. Plus I live in Denver currently and we have a lot of these types of festivals here, so I'm pretty used to them.
Thank you for the heads up and for your other suggestions.
I haven't booked my Airbnbs, so I can switch the order and go to Chattanooga first, and then hit Greenville from Thursday to Saturday so I can see the Fall festival.
I like your scenic route idea (between Greenville and Chattanooga), and that was going to be my next question. If I go to Chattanooga first and then to Greenville, I'm assuming you'd still recommend that route to drive, just in reverse. I haven't looked at a map, but will this drive take me into (or close to) Asheville at all? I've never been to Asheville and it would be nice to get a glimpse.
Thanks!
No, that route won't go through Asheville. I would recommend making that a separate side trip. Detouring to get Asheville in from Chattanooga will take you up I-75 to Knoxville, which is a lot less scenic than the route I had recommended. The leg on I-40 between Knoxville and Asheville does have some scenery but I don't think it is nearly as interesting as the initial route I had suggested.
I wouldn't suggest going through Ocoee because it never fails that some transfer truck speeds through the curves and tips over and blocks traffic for miles. If you want scenic but not quite the chance of traffic backups, take 76 from Clemson through Hiawassee, Blue Ridge, Elijay, to Chatsworth and then Dalton and hit 75 north. The other way is pretty. The drive beside the Ocoee River is one of my absolute favorites, but it can be so unpredictable.
I wouldn't suggest going through Ocoee because it never fails that some transfer truck speeds through the curves and tips over and blocks traffic for miles. If you want scenic but not quite the chance of traffic backups, take 76 from Clemson through Hiawassee, Blue Ridge, Elijay, to Chatsworth and then Dalton and hit 75 north. The other way is pretty. The drive beside the Ocoee River is one of my absolute favorites, but it can be so unpredictable.
I've driven through the Ocoee gorge well over a hundred times and have been stuck in a traffic backup a total of twice. Once for a truck that was going too fast and hit a guardrail and once when someone rear ended the car in front of them that had stopped to turn. That route isn't particularly prone to accidents.
I've driven through the Ocoee gorge well over a hundred times and have been stuck in a traffic backup a total of twice. Once for a truck that was going too fast and hit a guardrail and once when someone rear ended the car in front of them that had stopped to turn. That route isn't particularly prone to accidents.
I've driven through the Ocoee gorge well over a hundred times and have been stuck in a traffic backup a total of twice. Once for a truck that was going too fast and hit a guardrail and once when someone rear ended the car in front of them that had stopped to turn. That route isn't particularly prone to accidents.
Me too and it's been about half the time that I've had problems with backups there.
That Thursday is the day before Fall for Greenville starts so there may be a lot of activity going on with setup down there. Kind of sad that you are missing that event - it is a fun event and it gives you a way to sample the food of a lot of local restaurants for a low cost. With that in mind, you may want to do your downtown touring and activities on Tuesday or Wednesday instead. You will want to spend one afternoon and evening touring Falls Park and the downtown area. The zoo is tiny and would not be high on my priority list of places to visit near Greenville.
You may want to visit Travelers Rest as part of your Swamp Rabbit Trail tour as it is a smaller town with a pretty nice downtown area with some of what you are looking for in a town.
If you are considering moving here, I would recommend looking up stores that you think are key shopping destinations and then making a point to at least drive by those locations while you are here. Most shopping is going to be focused around Haywood Mall and the Woodruff Road corridor. Our shopping is pretty standard for a city of this size and pretty similar to Chattanooga.
Early October will be a bit before most of the fall leaf season but you may see some color starting in the mountains. A drive up to Caesar's Head to catch the view of Table Rock and back towards Greenville would be enjoyable. You might consider incorporating other stops into that trip. You could drive up there and then head west over past Toxaway Falls and then Whitewater Falls before heading back south and then driving up Highway 11 to close the loop. That would be a pleasant drive through some of the relatively close mountain scenery.
If you look up a route from Greenville to Chattanooga on Google maps, it will route you through Atlanta, which is not a pleasant drive. You can add about 30 minutes to that drive and instead take a much more scenic route that takes you through Clemson, then Seneca, then Clayton, GA, then Murphy, NC, then west through the Ocoee Gorge in TN. That route goes through the mountains and will be very pretty in early October.
I think you've got 2 good towns on your list. I would be comfortable living in either Greenville or Chattanooga although they are quite different.
Just wanted to thank you for the suggested route between Greenville and Chattanooga. It was so beautiful and very little traffic. Stopped in the Daily Grind and Wine for lunch in Murphy. I don't like driving long distances, but I enjoyed this one! Thanks!
Know any scenic routes from Chattanooga to the Atlanta airport? LOL . I fly out Saturday night.
Unfortunately my time in Greenville was filled with rain so I didn't get to do what I wanted. Beautiful weather in Chattanooga right now (and probably in Greenville too).
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Better book your airbnb soon though.
I'll be posting impressions, recommendations, etc. as I settle in. 
