Going to Anderson SC... be back in a few days... (Knoxville: rental car, rental)

[Tennesseestorm]

See ya guys. I am heading to South Carolina in the morning (Friday) and will be back late Sunday. See you all when I get back! Have a good weekend!

[JoshB]

Travel Safe! Buckle Up!

[Tennesseestorm]

Thanks. We had a safe trip!

Well, if anyone was wondering , we had a nice and safe trip! Upstate SC is beautiful, but it was sad near the SC/GA border, as the drought is still extremely severe down there and the lakes are low and the most of the grass is parched. Also, the road conditions in NC and even in parts of SC are dreadful. To top that off, paving up I-26 near Flag Pond left "raised bridges" and that was not pleasant either. Glad we were in a rental car.

[jabogitlu]

I've had to do a lot of traveling between here and Asheville in the past couple weeks. Those bridges sure aren't nice, are they?

Glad you had a good trip.

[Tennesseestorm]

Thanks!

No, they are not. I am glad I was in a rental. (2008 Honda CRV). Had I been in my car hitting those things I would have been . I wound imagine if a car had poor shocks/struts that it could even be dangerous. Some of those seemed to be at least an inch above the road. I find it strange that they already had to pave. I had not been on the road in about 3 years, but I remember it as being smooth, since it was not that old. I guess they wanted to repave since the NC side was completed.

Heck, even the roads in Asheville on I-26 were rough- dont you think. Some of those potholes are huge and that segmented concrete is very agitating. If you had to drive on it daily, I imagine that your car would not last long.

I was amazed at some of the road conditions on I-85 in upstate South Carolina. Some of those potholes were unbelievable.... especially on such a busy and fast paced freeway - the main road on the Atlanta-Charlotte commute.

Originally Posted by jabogitlu

I've had to do a lot of traveling between here and Asheville in the past couple weeks. Those bridges sure aren't nice, are they?

Glad you had a good trip.

[jabogitlu]

I suppose. Truthfully, I think we have it lucky that our roads are as good as they are (including Asheville's). Having driven in conditions much worse (*cough*Michigan*cough*), I'll take a little jolt now and then. The downtown Knoxville freeway was severe in a few areas but now that it's getting completely redone I imagine/hope we won't have to worry about that for a few years.

But then, most people in Asheville are looking for that hippie/gently used (aka "we recycle!") look, anyway, so I'm sure they relish the chance to get a few dings on their car.

[Tennesseestorm]

Well, its been four months, but we are going back again! Leaving Friday morning... be back Sunday evening!

I am hoping there is some nice color in the North Carolina mountain still about.

I imagine once we get to my relatives in South Carolina - change will be minimal.

See yall later!

[12buttons]

Originally Posted by Tennesseestorm

Well, its been four months, but we are going back again! Leaving Friday morning... be back Sunday evening!

I am hoping there is some nice color in the North Carolina mountain still about.

I imagine once we get to my relatives in South Carolina - change will be minimal.

See yall later!

what about the area around Charlotte? I would think the infrastructure is better there - much more lucrative area, and much higher demograpics no?
Are there scenic places around there?

[Tennesseestorm]

Originally Posted by 12buttons

what about the area around Charlotte? I would think the infrastructure is better there - much more lucrative area, and much higher demograpics no?
Are there scenic places around there?

Yes, I have been to Charlotte, but we did not have to go there on my South Carolina trip, as my family lives more toward the Georgia side of South Carolina.

Charlotte is a very large and fast paced city, especially when compared to my Bristols population of 50K.

If you like skyscrapers, Charlotte is beautiful.... I loved it there, but if you hate traffic, you will hate Charlotte... its just something you have to accept if you live in a large city. Other than that - that part of North Carolina is rolling hills at most and just to the south and east of there, it gets flat and lower and lower in elevation, but the scenic mountains are not that far to the west.

Here are some photos I took in Charlotte in September of 2006, as well as some just to the south of there in rural north central South Carolina.... enjoy!









Just north of Charlotte..


Charlotte Motor Speedway


These are in rural north central South Carolina... about 20-40 miles south of Charlotte....







Finally... these were heading back home... going through northwestern North Carolina up I-77