Falls Park- Greenville, SC

Last Saturday was a family fun day with a road trip to the Upstate. One of the great things about SC is that the state is small. Living in the middle of the state, we can make it to the coast or to the foothills in around 2 hours. Our default day trip is to Charleston. This time we opted for fun on the other end of the state, and headed for the foothills.

Not moving in a great hurry we got up, dressed and packed way more than was needed for a day trip. (This is the mommy in me coming out – trying to be prepared for every conceivable circumstance.) We all piled into the family mobile and started our journey. We used backroads as much as possible, saving the interstate driving until absolutely necessary. In these high-tech times, we arrived safely using the low tech devices of my general knowledge of the area and street signs.

And boy, did Greenville get this right. The city has been undergoing a downtown transformation for as long as I can remember, and it has really paid off. The park is not huge, but packs a lot into small spaces. There is a small waterfall with a wide creek running through grassy areas. A suspension bridge allows visitors a lovely overview of the entire space. Steps and walking paths have been installed and large swings and benches dot the area. There is a small ampi-theather and some picnic shelters. Signs located throughout draw attention to the history of the area, pointing out the ruins of the old mill and where the mill village used to be.

I think what surprised me the most was that this lovely spot is connected directly to Main Street – where there is plenty of dining & shopping to be had. We wandered out of the park and had some lunch. Then spent some time in a few of our favorite stores – Mast General Store & O.P. Taylor’s toy store. A local author & artist were doing a book signing for a children’s book, Mice on Main Street that details a scavenger hunt for bronze mice around the downtown area. (We located several, but did not take on the full mouse hunt.) Little girl received a signed copy of the book and was delighted to pick out her own stuffed mouse to accompany the storybook. Later we learned that she enjoyed playing in the creek much more than in the nearby children’s splash fountain.

We packed up and headed home with a brief stop at Grandma’s house. We arrived home tired, but a good day was had by all.