Driving from Santa Fe, NM to Greenville, SC pretty soon (Simpsonville: rental, home) - Greenville - Spartanburg area - South Carolina -Greenville - Spartanburg - Simpsonville - Greer - Easley - Taylors - Mauldin - Duncan - City-Data Forum

wanderer71 · 03-18-2011, 06:32 PM

Hi ya'll,

So we're moving to Greenville this June. I *almost* have a home rental in place and I'm super excited to get there!

I absolutely love road trips and I started thinking about our route when we drive from Santa Fe, NM to Greenville.

If I recall it's Hwy/Route 40 that is very nearly a straight shot west to east from Santa Fe to Greenville. This isn't a part of the country I've ever explored before. I think Hwy 40 will take us through Oklahoma City, Little Rock and maybe Memphis. From a purely fun perspective are these cities and/or other cities worth checking out for a day or so? I'd even be happy to veer off our route for a couple hours to check out a location I may not ever have seen or see again.

I love New Orleans and have been there numerous times already. I've also been to Dallas and Austin numerous times. TN is unexplored for me aside from a trip to Nashville a long time ago.

Any thoughts?

OH and PS: This is completely off the topic of my road trip but thought I'd stick this question in as irrational as it might make me seem!! In the 2 years I've lived in Santa Fe I have seen 7 rattle snakes. I'm deathly afraid of snakes. I know they aren't out to get me and I shouldn't be so scared but I am.....it's a fact of my existence. I'm wondering how often folks in the greater Greenville area see snakes. I know there are copperheads and cottonmouths down there, right? If I'm living in Simpsonville should I also have an eye out while working in the yard? Where does one typically see these venomous snakes in SC (lakes, rivers, streams)? And, I've been told that these varieties are fairly aggressive snakes. I have a neighbor here in Santa Fe who is originally from Alabama. He's a park ranger so an outdoorsy sort of guy. He told me he was chased by a cottonmouth before. He was in a golfcart and the thing was chasing them while they sped off. I don't think his intention was to freak me out, I think he was simply telling me to be careful (unless he was pulling my leg, was he?)

KaraG · 03-19-2011, 01:55 PM

We've done that road trip a dozen times -you can either stay on 40 and then come down to Greenville through the Smoky Mountains taking the 26 through Asheville NC or you can take 20 and go through Dallas - Birmingham - Atlanta then up the 85 to Greenville. All depends on which cities you'd like to stop in and visit. We love road trips too.

As for snakes, we live next to a woods and have seen a couple snakes, nothing poisonous. I don't like them either!

Welcome to Greenville from a short-time Albuquerque resident!

wanderer71 · 03-20-2011, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KaraG

We've done that road trip a dozen times -you can either stay on 40 and then come down to Greenville through the Smoky Mountains taking the 26 through Asheville NC or you can take 20 and go through Dallas - Birmingham - Atlanta then up the 85 to Greenville. All depends on which cities you'd like to stop in and visit. We love road trips too.

As for snakes, we live next to a woods and have seen a couple snakes, nothing poisonous. I don't like them either!

Welcome to Greenville from a short-time Albuquerque resident!

Hi KaraG,

Ah, thank you. I think the second option you mention would be a good one -- taking 20 and visiting Dallas then Birmingham then Atlanta and back up to Greenville. I've never been to Birmingham. My mother lives just outside Asheville so I'll be doing plenty of visits up in that area once I get to Greenville.

I will have been a short-timer here in NM, too. I became tired of the desert after about 12 months. I miss the GREEEEN of the southeast so much. Of course when I arrive in June I'll be cursing the humidity (I know it's going to seem so intense after being in such an arid climate for 2 yrs).

The snakes....I'm terrified. And we go on lots of walks and hikes with our dogs...so I'm extra nervous about meeting up with poisonous one's.

Pat Grissinger · 03-20-2011, 02:03 PM

I have lived here all of my life and have seen a black snake and a green (garden) snake. I am sure they here but I have been fortunate and not encountered anything poisonous. If you leave your plants outside in the summer check before bringing them in for winter. I have heard of people finding them there. My son had one crawl up through his hvac vent this winter when he turned it on. Thank God that has never happened to me. He lives in a very wooded area along the river.