Leaving today (Greenville, Easley, Simpsonville: rentals, motel, schools)

[KMT]

We are leaving today for a one week vacation in Greenville and the greater Oconee and Pickens County areas. Not too far to drive from Florida. The Fourth of July celebration scheduled in Greenville looks great!

Can't wait.

Keith

[tismekll]

Originally Posted by KMT

We are leaving today for a one week vacation in Greenville and the greater Oconee and Pickens County areas. Not too far to drive from Florida. The Fourth of July celebration scheduled in Greenville looks great!

Can't wait.

Keith

Hi Keith..let us know how your trip goes..there are several of us looking at Greenville and surrounding areas. Thank you

[salatheel]

Yes definitely let us know if it is as good as it seems. I have 7 more weeks to wait!

[KMT]

Thought I would check in and let the curious know how things went.

Our trip there and back was great. Greenville is a nice, clean city from the looks of all areas frequented. The downtown area was awesome. Main street is completly tree covered and keeps the temps down. The trees have lights in them!

Everyone we spoke to confirmed that many people are moving to the area...many (like me) are from Florida.

Our motel was located in the east central part of town, minutes from downtown or the clean suburban life of the east south/east areas. Plenty of shopping and restaurants.

The fourth of July was spectactular. Main street shut down at 5:00 PM about two blocks from Falls park and the street was used for a band stand and vendors. THOUSANDS of people attended. The fireworks were launched from somewhere west of Falls park and were visible for all to see.

The Greenville Orchestra was nearby and played the 1812 Overture during the show. It was advertised as the largest fireworks display in South Carolina and it was. I have never seen a grand finale quite like it!

We spent the majority of our time visiting Greenville, Oconee, and Pickens Counties. As a result, we passed through or spent time in the following towns:

Travelers Rest, Tigerville, Cleveland, Sunset, Salem, Tamassee, Mountain Rest, Walhalla, West Union, Seneca, Westminster, Clemson, Pendleton, and Easley.

We also saw the following:

Falls Park, the Greenville Zoo, Caesers Head State Park (a must), Bald Rock, Table Rock Mountain (a must), Oconee State Park (checked out cabin rentals for future visit), Issaqueena Falls, and the Cherokee Highway from East to West beginning at HWY 25 and ending by Westminster on HWY 28.

There is much to tell, so if anyone has any specific questions, I would be happy to answer them!

Keith

[Adrienne1]

Hi Keith,
I wondered if you could give me some info on what you thought of Seneca, Traveler's Rest and Tamassee. We are considering those areas. We are looking for a small town feel, small schools (shopping doesn't have to be much: grocery and Wal Mart close by are enough) and a strong sense of community and family values (I know that term is overused! Do you think these towns would fit that description? Also, because there are so many people moving into the Greenville area, I wondered if it has lost its southern charm and true southern feel??
Thanks for the info and I envy you for getting to visit! We are planning our trip in October.
Thanks again.
Adrienne

[KMT]

Originally Posted by Adrienne1

Hi Keith,
I wondered if you could give me some info on what you thought of Seneca, Traveler's Rest and Tamassee. We are considering those areas. We are looking for a small town feel, small schools (shopping doesn't have to be much: grocery and Wal Mart close by are enough) and a strong sense of community and family values (I know that term is overused! Do you think these towns would fit that description? Also, because there are so many people moving into the Greenville area, I wondered if it has lost its southern charm and true southern feel??
Thanks for the info and I envy you for getting to visit! We are planning our trip in October.
Thanks again.
Adrienne

Adrienne,

Seneca was nice from HWY 28. Older Seneca was dirty and seemed rundown. It has a Wal-Mart, restaurants, and other shopping. It also has the Oconee Hospital and is clearly the most populated area in the county.

Travelers Rest was much larger and looked cleaner with a Wal-Mart and other shopping. Some older/dirty areas but mostly nice. Ingeles (spelling) grocery seems to be the big chain.

Tamassee was very nice, but also very small. It had the DAR school if interested.

Community and values seemed evident from our interactions. Everyone was very polite.

Walhalla and West Union should be on your list when you visit.

Southern charm and feel are still there. Everyone is proud of their state as you see the state flag emblem everywhere!

Hope this helps.

Keith

[Adrienne1]

Thanks Keith,
If you had to pick a town from those you visited, which would you choose? You don't sound too impressed with Senenca. Did you happen to see Williamston? I have heard that is supposed to be nice. What did you like about Walhalla and West Union? Thanks again for the help!

[TornadoAlley]

Did you see Simpsonville?

[salatheel]

Where do you think you will focus in on now that you have seen the area? Did you like Travelers Rest or Simpsonville more? Did you see Easley?

[KMT]

Originally Posted by TornadoAlley

Did you see Simpsonville?

Tornado:

I did not go to Simpsonville, so I cannot offer an opinion...sorry! I focused on areas closer to the mountains. Good luck!

Keith