OVERNIGHT TRIP TO GREENVILLE, SC FOR LESS THAN $150!

In February, the girls and I went on another quick overnight trip. This time we decided on Greenville, SC, and we were able to experience the trip for under $150. I have heard so many wonderful things about this Southern town and could not wait to check it out. Greenville is about three hours from Greensboro which makes for a very doable overnight trip. We were lucky enough to have some friends join us, and it was great to have another mom to talk to during the drive and throughout the trip. All four kids seemed to get along great and really enjoyed each other’s company.

I have outlined our expenses from the trip above. All of the entertainment was free, and we were able to use my husband’s hotel points for our room again. We stayed at the Home 2 Suites by Hilton, and I was really impressed with our room. We had a great size kitchenette, lots of storage, 2 queen beds and a pullout, and a decent bathroom. The hotel rate included breakfast as well. If you missed it in our last overnight post to Wilmington, NC, these are our tips to keep a quick trip inexpensive!

Our first stop of the trip was to Crowders Mountain State Park. This park is about thirty miles outside of Charlotte, and you could definitely tell it was close to the city by the crowds. The parking lot was almost full as we went on President’s Day. We enjoyed the exhibits inside the visitor’s center, the kids filled out a Junior Ranger booklet and received their patches, and we went for a short hike on the Turnback Trail. Visiting a state park is a wonderful road trip stop because the kids are able to get out some energy while exploring nature.

Once we were done with the hike and becoming Junior Rangers, we headed to see the Peachoid. This landmark is a water tower that resembles a peach in Gaffney, SC (House of Cards anyone?). You can park next to the fenced off park in a Texas Roadhouse parking lot. I love any roadside attractions so it was a fun and quick stop. All four kids thought it was pretty neat!

Once we arrived in Greenville, we visited Falls Park on the Reedy. After parking downtown, we actually started walking in the wrong direction and ran into the cutest children’s garden (Linky Stone Park: The Children’s Garden). It was adorable and themed for different fairy tales. I highly recommend stumbling on this cute garden.

We then figured out that we were heading in the wrong direction and turned around. After a quick walk, we found this beautiful waterfall in the middle of the city. It was just breathtaking, and I think I fell in love with the city right then! We crossed the river on a suspension bridge and walked back on the other side. Greenville is quaint, green, and adorable. We are all looking forward to coming back to explore more.

Throughout Greenville, there are nine bronze mice statues along Main Street. There are clues to find the “Mice on Main” online, and we enjoyed searching for a few. It was also a fun way to see the town. We then headed to Tupelo Honey for dinner, and it was amazing as usual. We’ve been to several of the restaurants in the Southeast, and they are all so yummy. Have you ever eaten at Tupelo Honey?

After a great night of sleep, we ventured to the Greenville Zoo. With our Greensboro Science Center membership, we were able to get in free due to reciprocity with the our science center’s AZA membership. It is one of the smaller zoos that we’ve visited, but there was lots to see, and we stayed for about an hour.

After the zoo, we decided to begin the journey home. We stopped at Cowpens National Battlefield, but I completely forgot that national sites would be closed on a national holiday, whoops! Luckily, there was another entrance to the park, and we were able to see the battleground and enjoy the trails on the beautiful day. Once I was home, I realized that this national site had a web version of the junior ranger booklet. The girls filled out the activity booklets, and we will be sending it in so that we can receive their Junior Ranger badges and park stamps.

It is amazing how many fun stops can fit in to one overnight trip! We had a blast, and we are definitely dreaming about our next overnight trip. We will be dreaming for a bit as we continue to practice social distancing. Thank you again to everyone who is out there working, especially those healthcare workers on the front lines.