Upstate Carolinas: More than Just Driving Through

It may be common in our social circle to travel to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and to Atlanta, Georgia, as well as to have a layover flying in Charlotte, North Carolina.  However, we don't hear friends talking fondly of the drive through the broader nearby region--and that's really a mistake. On a recent surprise destination trip for G to Babyland General Hospital (the home of Cabbage Patch Dolls), we decided to do some exploring.

On the way south, Kim took Nana Lana, along with us, to Charlotte's Billy Graham Library.  Kim, Justin, and E had been a few years ago, but we figured Nana would particularly enjoy this site and that it would make a lovely stop again.  The Library makes an interesting (and free admission!) stopover easily accessible from the interstate system for anyone interested in recent movements in Christianity and/or recent American history.  The museum includes significant biography of Billy Graham and pictures of Graham meeting with various world leaders, although we've been disappointed twice not to see a picture of Graham and Pope John Paul II.  Do expect the site to encourage conversion to Christianity.  Kim, a "Heinz 57" Christian of multiple denominational backgrounds, does feel comfortable being from a non-Southern Baptist denomination there.  There's a gift shop as well as lovely, compact grounds to explore, including a simple grave site memorial to Ruth Graham, Billy's wife, which you see G admiring above.

On the way back north, we stopped to explore Greenville's much-photographed Falls Park on the Reedy, a truly lovely serpentine urban park showcasing the natural beauty apparent in the city.  We found a small, free parking lot right at the beautifully-engineered Liberty Bridge, affording awesome views of the falls. Yes, Kim and G climbed out on them--and you can, too, especially if you wear non-slip water shoes (slippery river rocks) and clothes you are comfortable getting wet.  Open 7 AM - 9 PM daily, the park has winding paths, manicured green spaces fitting for a picnic, and attractive benches as well as inventive seating like porch swings.  If you take time to do a little research in advance, you can also easily connect to restaurants and accessibility features like elevators.

Simply put: Don't let the interstate system numb you from the beauty and culture around you.  Stop driving every now and then.  You might even find less-unique but still fun and value-laden shopping stops like the Gaffney Outlet Marketplace, which we "found" twice on this trip as well.