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I planned this trip several months ago to check out the area as a potential retirement location but it's probably low on the list now due to the summer temps and humidity. (Hubby can't take the heat; I don't like cold so we're at a bit of an impasse on this.)
I still would like to visit the area just as a vacation location but I'm wondering if a week will be too long. I can still cancel the trip entirely or may possibly be able to just shorten it a bit as we have reserved a VRBO near Downtown Greenville.
Wondering what ideas you would have for us to do in and around the area (we'll have a car and can drive as needed) the last week of March. As an example, we will probably check out Clemson Univ area (son is Alabama grad!) and may drive to Asheville to visit our Best Man (30 years ago!) Any festivals in the area that time of year?
I can't think of any big events in Greenville in late March. That said, you should be able to easily fill a week with fun things in the area that time of year. The weather is usually pretty nice in late March to early April. It gets warm enough to enjoy the nearby mountains but it isn't usually hot yet that time of year. The early spring flowers should be in show then (Redbuds, Oconee Bells, etc.). I spend a lot of time either hiking or kayaking that time of year but don't know your specific interest so it would be hard to make specific recommendations.
I planned this trip several months ago to check out the area as a potential retirement location but it's probably low on the list now due to the summer temps and humidity. (Hubby can't take the heat; I don't like cold so we're at a bit of an impasse on this.)
I still would like to visit the area just as a vacation location but I'm wondering if a week will be too long. I can still cancel the trip entirely or may possibly be able to just shorten it a bit as we have reserved a VRBO near Downtown Greenville.
Wondering what ideas you would have for us to do in and around the area (we'll have a car and can drive as needed) the last week of March. As an example, we will probably check out Clemson Univ area (son is Alabama grad!) and may drive to Asheville to visit our Best Man (30 years ago!) Any festivals in the area that time of year?
Thank you!
I don't know where you are moving from (I came to the Charlotte area just outside of Manhattan); I will tell you that the summers here are terrible. Terrible. Is it any hotter here than in NYC? No, but the summer season is longer here. Is the humidity in Greenville/Charlotte like NYC? Yes, but it's only humid for a 3.5 month span.
And most everywhere in the South is air conditioned.
Asheville temps are lower, but in the winter, you will get snow in the Asheville area.
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Most "cultural guides" or "attraction guides" are a dupe; a waste; they paint an area in an unrealistically good light. This is not so with Greenville; dare I say that Greenville has one of the very best walkable, attractive, shady, downtowns to be found, anywhere. The visitors center in Greenville wasn't at all helpful, so get your visiting materials before you make the trip. There are some worthwhile museums downtown; some nice parks and walking trails.
I also recommend a trip to Asheville, which in itself is a beautiful city.
Downtown Greenville is amazing and should be a good time of year to come down. Should hopefully be in the mid 60s to lower 70s in late March. Though the spring can have some extremes in temperatures. Heck I got married in late April and it was only in the low 50s that year!
Still, should be a good time. Falls Park, museums and tons of restaurants downtown can keep you busy when you're not out doing excursions beyond Greenville proper. Downtown is pretty hopping even during the week nowadays.
Definitely visit not only the mountains around Asheville, but some of the lakes and mountains in the Upstate are also beautiful. Lake Keowee and Lake Jocassee are gorgeous lakes nestled at the base of the mountains and Caesar's Head is a quick 30-40 minute drive from Greenville offering incredible views and some light (and strenuous, if you prefer) hiking trials.
I don't know where you are moving from (I came to the Charlotte area just outside of Manhattan); I will tell you that the summers here are terrible. Terrible. Is it any hotter here than in NYC? No, but the summer season is longer here. Is the humidity in Greenville/Charlotte like NYC? Yes, but it's only humid for a 3.5 month span.
With all that said, Greenville is still much better than most of South Carolina and Georgia. Being closer to the mountains, it is a tad cooler.
I'd take our summers over Columbia and Charleston any day. Columbia is at least 5 degrees and as many as 10 degrees higher than here on a typical summer day and Charleston has some of the worst humidity of any city in the country (New Orleans takes the cake IMO).
I have a friend who moved here from Florida to get away from the heat and humidity there. LOL.
I visited Greenville last March while I was still deciding whether to move here. If next year is like this year, spring will be several weeks further along in March than it is in Michigan (that's how it was in Chapel Hill NC when I lived there - which has a very similar climate). Which means spring flowers will be out. The outdoorsy suggestions others have are great starters if you're into that. iOnGreenville is a great site for checking on what's happening in town and in the area; you can subscribe to their calendar:
Regarding summer heat - I moved to Chapel Hill in the summer and it was rough. Within a year or two, I adjusted to it. I suspect SC will be no different for me. Plus, Greenville is a fairly short drive to towns like Asheville and Highlands in NC where it tends to be cooler in the summer for a weekend getaway.
Here's a picture of some spring flowers in March in the West End; you can find others on sites like Pinterest:
Honestly, if you are planning on moving to Greenville or not, you definitely should not call your trip off. It still is a very nice place to visit. There will be plenty of things to do throughout the week and like other mentioned, there are plenty places near to visit as well. The temperatures should be mild and most likely plenty of sun compared to MI. I wouldn't be surprised if your trip didn't lead to a place that you would possibly live. If your hubby thinks it's too hot in the summer, you can travel to a higher elevation in the mountains and it will make a world of a difference. You can do a search on here for suggestions of what to do and there will be plenty suggestions. On the top of the list would be downtown Greenville and Falls park. I grew up in PA and I had SAD. It is sooo much better here. The winters are much more tolerable. I lived in Greenville for 4 years before moving to Asheville. The summers in Greenville didn't bother me but I also lived in FL for 13 years. The weather in Asheville is cooler in the summer and winter and depending on where you live in WNC will dictate how much snow you get. Where I live, we only get a small amount of snow. You might want to check the outlying areas of Asheville and higher elevations as a place to live.
We moved from NY to Raleigh in August of 1997; visited one of the parks with our three young children, and were very uncomfortable. Yet the park was filled with young families watching a man make balloon animals. I honestly thought they were nuts to be out in that hot weather. Now, 20 years later, I am completely used to it. (it did not take 20 years, LOL!) Even go hiking in the summer on shady trails. I find the cloudy mugginess on Long Island much more uncomfortable. Love all the sunshine here!
With all that said, Greenville is still much better than most of South Carolina and Georgia. Being closer to the mountains, it is a tad cooler.
I'd take our summers over Columbia and Charleston any day. Columbia is at least 5 degrees and as many as 10 degrees higher than here on a typical summer day and Charleston has some of the worst humidity of any city in the country (New Orleans takes the cake IMO).
I have a friend who moved here from Florida to get away from the heat and humidity there. LOL.
No doubt about that; Columbia and Charleston are BRUTAL .
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Originally Posted by dwnmo
Thank you! We live in Michigan - and have all our lives so I'm quite tired of the long, cold, dreary winters.
Then take the hot humid summer that Greenville offers, as a fair compromise . Coming from outside of NYC, I was beyond sick of the long winters, but that wasn't a motivating factor moving here. Meanwhile, I LOVE the winters here; even if it snows, by midday the next day, much if not all of the snow has melted. At the same time, the winter in this area brings forth cool, crisp, winter nights. It's a perfect compromise .
If you visit Asheville, be sure to stop by Mount Mitchell State Park.
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