Greenville, SC

We were supposed to go to the Smoky Mountains last weekend, but after all the devastation from Hurricane Helene, it wasn't an option. So we pivoted and planned a quick, last-minute trip to Greenville. The kids and I had been there before, but it was new to MJ.

We arrived exhausted and hungry after insane traffic caused our trip to take twice as long as it should have. We checked into the hotel and walked around the beautiful downtown area near the river. Most of the restaurants were booked, but we finally found a place that could seat us immediately. We sat down and realized that we'd picked an extremely nice steakhouse. We knew we were in trouble when they handed us massive leather-bound menus, and then presented us with raw steaks on a platter so we could choose individually. It ended up being the most expensive meal of our lives!

The next day dawned bright and beautiful, and we rented bikes to ride on the Swamp Rabbit Trail. Hurricane damage was evident everywhere: trees down, dead underbrush three feet high, water lines on fences lining the trail, etc. But I was very impressed with how much work had obviously been done in just one week to clear the trail. We had a smooth ride all the way to Furman University. Unfortunately the campus was closed to the public -- likely because of the storm -- so we weren't able to walk or bike around like I'd hoped. 

But we still had a nice ride there and back. We even made a quick stop at the Swamp Rabbit Cafe, a cool indoor/outdoor market and grocery store. 

When we got home, we watched our beloved undefeated Army team. Once the game was well in hand, we headed out to Falls Park, spread a blanket, and relaxed for a few hours. The girls tumbled in the grass; Little Man hunted for cool rocks in the water; and all three of them enjoyed climbing on the rocks (until CC slipped and got a miniscule cut on her hand). It was a lovely afternoon.

We ended the day with some ice cream, then headed to bed. The next morning we drove home; thankfully there was no traffic, so we breezed home much more quickly than we'd arrived on Friday.