Are you looking for a place to ride bikes as a family in Greenville, SC? Maybe you’re looking for scenic bike trails? We’ve got some great places to ride near Greenville!
Greenville, SC has quickly grown into a bicyclist haven since the creation of the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail. With that, more natural and paved biking trails have emerged. Below, you will find a list of some of the best bike trails Greenville and the surrounding area have to offer. Don’t have your own bike? Don’t worry! You will also find places to rent bikes if you don’t have your own.
Biking can involve the whole family – whether the kids are old enough to ride on their own or ride in a trailer or on a bike seat. Here’s our list of family-friendly bike trails in and near Greenville, SC.
Upick tulips in the spring, and Upick pumpkins and sunflowers in the fall, count us in! Thompson Family Farms in Campobello, SC has so many opportunities to pick your own. Picking blooming flowers and pumpkins is delightful, and Thompson Family Farms is one of the only farms near the Upstate that offers u-pick tulips. 57,000 of them! What a win! We adore this farm because it is well-maintained, it is run efficiently, the view of Hogback Mountain is perfect for photos with my kids, and everything we have picked has been high quality. Tulip season is over for 2024 as of March 23rd, 2024.
*Tulip U-pick begins on Monday, March 11th, 2024 and ends March 23rd, 2024! Hours are 10 am – 6 pm, Monday – Saturday *Upick pumpkins, sunflowers, and cotton will occur in early Fall 2024.
Watch! See Tulips at Thompson Family Farm
Offered in March: U-pick Tulips at Thompson Family Farms
As some of the first pops of color to emerge from the ground, tulips are a welcome sign that spring is here. Fresh-picked tulips make excellent gifts, centerpieces, and decor. Plus, it is so much fun going out to a U-pick patch and selecting the flowers yourself. It’s pretty joyful.
Scenes from the tulip farm
Check out some of the beautiful scenes waiting for you at Thompson Family Farms.
Arriving at Thompson Family Farms for tulips in Campobello, SC
For 2024, you will find the u-pick tulip farm at Thompson Family Farms Campobello location! If you picked pumpkins are sunflowers in 2023, then this is the same location.
The Flower Patch at Thompson Family Farms is open seasonally in March. The length of time the patch is open depends on the weather and bloom time, and the season is very short, but so worth it. It is stunning. Upick begins Monday, March 11th, 2024!
The Flower Patch at Thompson Family Farms, SC
U-Pick Tulips in The Flower Patch at Thompson Family Farms
Tulips are synonymous with the cool, breezy weather of early Spring. You can u-pick from 9 varieties of tulips throughout the short season. They have multiple colors, including pink, red, yellow, white, and variegated orange/red, and more.
Be sure to stay on the paths when walking through the flowers. In addition, if you cut the flower, you buy it. Be sure it is the flower you want before taking your scissors to the stem.
The Thompsons recommend cutting the flower at the length that you want, and we found cutting low on the stem to be best for us. Most importantly, make sure to not dig or stomp on the bulbs, as they will be left in the ground to bloom again next year!
Once you have all of the tulips you would like, you can head back to the tent to have them wrapped in bouquets. If you plan to pick a large number of tulips, I recommend bringing something sturdy like a box to take them home in, so they are safe from damage.
Tulips: Photo Opportunities at The Flower Patch
Other than the obvious photos of you and your children amongst the flowers, The Flower Patch also has two lovely photography setups on the property. If you head to the far ends of the fields you will find a red tractor set up with a rustic farm vibe of window panes and flower buckets that make for some adorable photos!
There is also a pallet-style backdrop with a chair and blooming flowers to take pictures with. The property itself is situated in a field that is surrounded by trees, so there are many opportunities to get that perfect spring picture.
Photographers who are interested in renting the space can contact Thompson Family Farms directly through their sign-up link to book private sessions. There are a limited number of sessions available due to the short season for tulips. Private sessions occur from 5 pm until sundown.
Price of Admission and U-Pick Tulips
Admission is $8 per person for ages 12 and older. Children under 11 and under are free to attend. If you want to participate in u-pick, Tulips are $1 per stem. Flowers will be wrapped in a bouquet for guests at checkout. The farm does take cash, card, and Venmo.
Please follow the farm’s guidance for cutting and watch your step to ensure that the other tulips are safe for other people to enjoy their u-pick experience.
Tips to Keep Your Flowers Fresh
Sara Thompson, the owner of The Flower Patch, recommends making a fresh cut before putting your flowers in their water vase once you arrive home. You should then display your flowers out of direct sunlight. She also mentioned the fascinating fact that tulip stems continue to grow once placed in water, so they may appear to be longer after a few days in the vase. Be sure to change out your water regularly to elongate your bloom time. And most importantly, enjoy!
Tulips at Thompson Family Farm, SC
Key Things to Know Before Visiting Thompson Family Farms
There are no dogs allowed at The Flower Patch.
There is a porta-potty for emergencies, so be sure to take a potty break before arriving.
You can pack a picnic and enjoy the view. There are a couple of picnic tables, and plenty of grassy space to lay down a blanket. If you picnic, please pick up all trash before leaving.
It can be muddy in the fields, so wear appropriate shoes.
The farm is accessible but is bumpy because of the gravel parking lot. If you plan to bring a stroller, ones with wheels made for rough terrain are highly recommended. A soft body carrier for baby may be easier.
Reservations are not required. However, you should follow the Thompson Family Farms’ Facebook for updates and information before heading to the farm.
The u-pick tulip fields are open in light rain but be prepared for mud in that scenario.
Don’t forget water, hats, and sunscreen when you head out to pick sunflowers in the summer!
Thompson Family Farms 13830 SC-11, Campobello, SC Hours: Monday- Saturday 10 am – 6 pm
Looking to make a day trip out of your adventure? Check out Campbells Covered Bridge located just a few miles’ drive of the Thompson Family Farms. You can also find other fabulous things to do in our discovery guide to Landrum, SC!
Fall is Here: Sunflower Maze & Pick Your Own Pumpkins
As the fall season begins, so does the time of year to head down to the pumpkin patch to pick some pumpkins for decorating your home for fall and Halloween. Thompson Family Farms will open their pick-your-own-cut pumpkin patch in September. There will be over 10 varieties of pumpkin to choose from, which is more than I even knew existed! The farm will also have prepicked and organized pumpkins near the farm stand if you aren’t too keen on picking yours yourself.
While at the farm, you can enjoy a sunflower maze, a selection of fall crops, and lots of photo opportunities! So, grab your sunscreen and closed-toed shoes (it’s a little bumpy out there in the fields) and head on down to the pumpkin patch at the farm.
U-pick Pumpkins
Pumpkins will be priced by size and variety and will start at $7 per pumpkin. The farm will have a limited number of wagons to help lug your pumpkins to the car, but they do recommend bringing a wagon if you want to have one out in the fields.
Pumpkins in the field are precut from the vine to ensure that underripe pumpkins are not picked. Any pumpkin still on the vine is not ready to pick, so please do not pull on their stems!
There will also be prepicked pumpkins, Indian corn, corn stalks, and cotton stems for sale as they continue to ripen throughout the season.
Sunflower Maze and U-pick Flowers
While at the farm, be sure to head to the sunflower maze! The maze is 7 acres and is a great way to spend some time with your kids doing a scavenger hunt. You will find scavenger hunt papers at the front counter, which include clues to the educational maze.
After the maze, you can also pick sunflowers, zinnias, and cosmos for an additional fee and have them wrapped in a bouquet at the front counter to take home.
Hours and Admission
Thompson Family Farms will be open in September 2024, through the end of October for u-pick pumpkins along with other seasonal items. Hours are 10 am – 7 pm, Thursdays – Saturdays. Admission is free!
Things to Know Before You Go U-Pick Pumpkins
The Thompson Family Farms pumpkin and sunflower fields are located at 13830 SC-11, Campobello, SC.
There is a graveled parking area right when you enter the farm to park at.
Be sure to bring sunscreen or a UV umbrella, the farm is mostly un-shaded.
Wear closed-toe shoes or boots to protect your kids and your feet from ants, sticks, etc.
The fields are pretty bumpy, so strollers are not recommended. We recommend bringing a carrier if you have smaller children, as the ground has dips and holes that are hard for little feet to navigate.
The farm does have porta potties if you need to use the restroom.
Bring water! It gets hot out there in the fields.
There are honeybees enjoying some of the flowers, so be careful when picking your flowers to avoid getting stung.
If you love sunflowers (it is hard not to) then Thompson Family Farms has a U-pick experience for you! You can mosey through fields of gorgeous sunflowers, and even pick a few to take home.
The U-pick sunflower fields are located in Campobello, SC, right past the Greenville County line into Spartanburg County off of Highway 11. The patch is huge, and overlooks Hogback Mountain, making for spectacular views. There are also several varieties, so you can create an array of yellows and orange colors for your bouquet!
Sunflower maze
In addition to the sunflower fields, there are places for photo opportunities, a kid-sized sunflower maze, and picnic tables to enjoy the view. The sunflower maze is unique in that you will not find another one in the Upstate. It is so much fun walking through the flowers and seeing the honeybees at work! There are flowers of various sizes, shapes, and oozing oils that smell delicious. It does get hot in the midday while crushing through the maze, so bring water and wear hats.
The sunflower fields at Thompson Family Farms
Sunflower Photo Ops: More Than Just the Flowers!
There is not much needed to get some amazing photos, but Thompson Family Farms has created some special areas to get those Pinterest-worthy shots. There is a pallet-style photo backdrop surrounded by sunflowers, a fun “face in the hole” sunflower wall, and even some adorable bamboo bean pole teepees near the entrance that make for some adorable photos.
There are also rows and rows of blooming sunflowers to use as the backdrop of your photos. The farm is offering daytime and evening hours (on Friday and Saturday) and even has sessions available for professional photographers.
Thompson Family Farms, Campobello, SC
Hours and Pricing for U-pick Sunflowers
Thompson Family Farms will open for u-pick sunflowers in Fall 2024. For updates, including weather changes and sell-out date, check out the Thompson Family Farms Facebook page.
Hours: Monday – Saturday from 9 am to 2 pm. They will have sunset hours on Fridays and Saturdays from 5 pm – 9 pm. The farm will be open on July 4th for their regular day hours.
Prices: Admission is $6 per person, but ages 12 and younger are free. U-pick sunflowers are $1 per stem.
Looking for Greenville, SC consignment sales? There is just no better bang for your buck on kid’s clothing and gear than local consignment sales. We have all the local consignment sale details for sales in Greenville, Spartanburg, and Anderson, SC so you won’t miss a thing!
Looking for a great coffee shop in Greenville, SC? If you’re craving the perfect cup of coffee, espresso, or your favorite coffee-based beverage, this list of local coffee shops near Greenville, SC should have just what you need. Most places on this list offer drip or pour-over coffee, unique specialty lattes, or a fabulous view and relaxing atmosphere to hang out. Each of these Greenville coffee shops is locally owned and unique. No chains here!
We’re pretty sure the best coffee in Greenville, SC is on this list.
On the search for “candy buyback near me”? Did your kids bring home too much Halloween candy? On the search for “candy buyback near me”? Don’t worry! We have a couple of dental offices in Greenville to take that candy and exchange it for something that won’t result in a sugar overload or rot on their teeth. And we have a few more creative ideas for using or giving away that candy.
What to Do With All That Candy!
Trade It for Money “Candy Buyback Near Me” at Greenville, SC Dentists
This is a good way to teach kids about ways that money works. There are a few local dentists where kids can bring in their candy by the pound and get a few dollars. This can work at home also where kids exchange their candy for money.
Palmetto Family Orthodontics will buy leftover candy for $1 a pound and then donate it to local charities and to help by supporting our troops overseas. Times: Verdae Office: November 6, 8 & 9, 2023 during business hours East Faris Office location: November 7th, 2023 Location: 501 Verdae Boulevard, Greenville
Bring in your wrapped Halloween candy to be shipped to troops overseas through the Operation Gratitude program! In previous years, the practice has exchanged candy for cash or prizes. Times: Candy can be dropped off in early November 2023, but contact the dentistry directly for exact dates and times. Location: 1141 East Butler Road Greenville | 864.676.0046
They will buy your Halloween candy for $1 per pound, up to five pounds. Times: Thursday, November 2nd until noon, Monday – Tuesday, November 6th and 7th, 2023 during business hours (closed for lunch from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm). Location: 3115 Brushy Creek Road, Greer
Feed the Switch Witch
I had zero idea what this was until several readers suggested it. The Switch Witch is basically giving your kid(s) a small gift in exchange for the majority of the candy they get. This can be especially helpful if your child has an allergy – they can still collect candy but get a cool gift instead of a boatload of stuff that makes them sick (side note: look for homes with teal pumpkins when trick or treating with a child who has allergies – these homes will have non-candy items. This is what my family does and it’s always a hit)
These are a few ideas of how to make the Switch Witch work for your family:
“I tell my kiddo that the switch a witch eats up the candy and in exchange will use her magic to make him a gift. In our house, he gets to pick five pieces of candy and the rest he can give to the switch a witch with the idea that the more candy she gets the bigger gifts she can make him. I typically do a costume, art supplies, or legos. About the same size or a bit smaller than a birthday present you buy for a kid’s birthday.”
Let Them Eat It
This is an option I know a lot of parents do which I had never even considered: let the kids eat as much candy as they want. Just go ahead and jump in the deep end. Our readers say this option essentially gives kids too much of a good thing and they are so sick of candy after Halloween.
These are a few suggestions from our readers on how to handle this option:
“I let my daughter eat whatever she wants. It’s her candy and she won’t eat to the point of making herself sick, so I let her learn what her body wants and stop when she’s done (which is usually pretty quickly because she’s really good about that).”
“My son eats what he wants, but the novelty wears off within a day. Then we have old candy come Valentine’s Day.”
“If you’re not letting your kids go into a diabetic coma just one night of the year, are you really letting them enjoy childhood? Lol!! Mine usually get sick of it before long and I hide it in a bag and pass some out here and there and take a bunch myself lol.”
Halloween Candy Donations
Some families will let their kids choose a handful of their favorite candy and then donate the rest to send overseas to the military or use it in care packages. Candy donations can be easily shipped, and your kids can help decorate the box. You can contact your local Ronald McDonald House to see if they are taking Halloween candy donations for the families who are staying there. Or, try donating through Treats for Troops.
Use the Candy for Christmas or Gingerbread Houses
Other parents will sneakily steal some of the candy and reuse it for Christmas stockings. And not-so-sneaky parents will use leftover candy for candy houses or for use when they construct Gingerbread houses during Christmastime.
“Let them have a little the night of and maybe the next day, and save the rest to divvy up into the Christmas stockings.”
“Let them eat it and then whatever is left in December is used on our gingerbread houses.”
What do you do with the tons of Halloween candy your kids bring home?
If you hear of any more candy buy-back programs in the Greenville area, please let us know in the comments!
Looking for a Thanksgiving restaurant in Spartanburg, SC? Or are you looking to dine out for Thanksgiving? Or maybe grab some carry-out or pick up a few prepared sides?We’ve checked with local restaurants to see which ones you can count on for that holiday meal. Our list includes restaurants in Spartanburg with dine-in options as well as full meals and sides available for take-out.
Looking for more fun things to do in Greenville & Spartanburg for Thanksgiving? Here’s your Thanksgiving Celebration Guide!
Celebrate Thanksgiving in Spartanburg! Find things to do, restaurants, pies, and more in our Spartanburg Thanksgiving Guide.
We hope you and your family will join Let There Be Mom for their upcoming Dine Out For Mom Day on October 26, 2023. With over 145 restaurants donating 20% of their profits to the organization that day, you have so many options! And, fair warning, grab a tissue before you read this.
One Greenville mom got to thinking one day not the most pleasant of thoughts – what would her children remember her by if she was diagnosed with a terminal illness and wasn’t able to be there any longer for her kids? It’s not a happy thought but it is one that spurred her to start an incredible non-profit called Let There Be Mom that helps parents diagnosed with terminal illnesses to create memories for their children.
Giving Peace to Families
Kipra Anderson wanted to give peace to families going through the harrowing diagnosis and treatment of a terminal illness of a parent. It is a nightmare scenario for any family but Kipra felt called to work on making tangible memories for the young children of parents facing their last days.
So in January 2007, the idea became a reality, and Let There Be Mom was born. To date, the charity has helped hundreds of families and children. The charity works to create memories through scrapbooking or helping to compile letters or cookbooks of family recipes or special photos.
As the daughter of a mother who passed away due to terminal illness, I wish I had an organization like Let There Be Mom to contact to help create these beautiful memories of my mother so I could pass them on to my own children since they have never met her. This ministry is a unique – and needed – opportunity to preserve the legacies of parents for their children as they grow up and feel the absence of mom or dad.
Who Does Let There Be Mom Help?
Families interested in creating legacies to leave their children have to submit an application and then will be contacted if they meet the criteria. Let There Be Mom serves families that have at least one dependent child (18 years old or younger), where the doctor has agreed that the parent is facing a life-threatening illness and attests to the fact that the life expectancy of the parent is two years or less. The ailing parent must be able to communicate with the non-profit.
Families in need must apply themselves due to the sensitive nature of the ministry. However, if you know of a family in need, Let There Be Mom can send them a brochure with a note that says they may benefit from the organization’s mission.
Getting Through the Emotional Pain
Wouldn’t this kind of work weigh heavily on the emotions of those involved? What about Kipra and the volunteers who are going through this journey with multiple families?
“I have become very close to some of the families that we serve and it is extremely difficult to watch them go through this journey,” explained Kipra. “For the most part, they are preparing to leave their children and there is nothing easy about that. The majority of the families we are privileged to serve are Christians, so they do have a tremendous peace in knowing that whenever their time may come, they will be with their Savior; that does not, however, take away the pain they feel regarding potentially leaving their loved ones.”
Kipra’s faith is her rock, which she has relied heavily upon since starting the ministry.
“The most difficult time I’ve experienced was at the funeral of the first dad that we served. The mom and two children displayed very honest, raw emotion and while it was not the first funeral for a Let There Be Mom family I had been to, it was the one that brought the weight of the situation to light.”
But the rewards are great for these families that Let There Be Mom has helped. Kipra spoke to the student council at Eastside High School at the request of one of their members, Maggie.
“Maggie was just 10 years old when we began serving her mom Lisa in 2007″ explained Kipra. “When I finished my portion of the presentation, Maggie began hers. She spoke about how much the keepsakes that her mom had prepared for her and her siblings meant to them, and how since her current friends never had the chance to meet her mom, she uses her scrapbooks to introduce her mom to them brought to full light the importance of what we do.”
Dine Out For Mom 2023
One of the many ways to help Let There Be Mom is through volunteer work. They post on their Facebook page when they are in need of volunteers.
However, if you want to help the group now, they are holding their annual fundraiser, Dine Out For Mom, on Thursday, October 26th, 2023 – it’s a tasty one. Diners choose from over 145 restaurants to eat out at that day. Each establishment will donate 20% of the profits for the day to Let There Be Mom. Dine-in, carry-out, and even gift card purchases all count toward restaurant profits, which means more for the organization! May be a great day to purchase those holiday gift cards.
So don’t even think about cooking that day. Eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner out at any number of the participating restaurants to help this great local charity and the families they serve. They also need lots of volunteers that day.
You can also purchase raffle tickets! The grand prize winner receives a gift card to over 30 local restaurants and cafes. The second and third prizes are also pretty amazing.
To keep posted on other ways to help out, sign up for regular updates from the charity through their website at www.LetThereBeMom.org. You can also donate to Let There Be Mom. All donations are 100% tax deductible.
Let There Be Mom www.LetThereBeMom.org 1200 Woodruff Road Ste H13 Greenville, SC 29607 864.608.9819 legacy@LetThereBeMom.org
Where will you eat on October 26th, 2023 for Let There Be Mom?
If you love a good scare, then these haunted places in Greenville, SC and the Upstate will give you the heebie jeebies. Allow local parent, Chad, to tell you about some of the most popular haunted places in the Upstate and the legends behind them. Then, you can decide if you want to summon up the courage and visit these spooky places.
Curious about the teal pumpkins you see popping up around town? Read on to learn more about the Teal Pumpkin Project. We’ve got suggestions for families wanting to participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project this Halloween.
One in 13 children in the United States has some kind of food allergy so it’s likely you know a child that has one or maybe your own child is part of the food allergy community. Food allergies can be everything from minor allergic reactions to life-threatening emergencies, so parents, family, friends, and teachers are often vigilant of food labels.
It’s so sad to see the disappointment a child living with food allergies may feel when confronted with a food that irritates him and everyone else gets to enjoy it. No one wants that to happen to trick-or-treaters, but sadly allergen-safe food trinkets and treats are not common on the Halloween scene.
Halloween can be an especially challenging time for these kids and their families as schools have parties with candy that are off-limits, stores are filled with treats that are forbidden and all their friends are trick-or-treating and filling their baskets with chocolate and candies that contain threatening allergens.
But, we can help change the trick-or-treat experience for children living with food allergies by offering some safer trick-or-treat options. Include small items in addition to candy, and display a teal pumpkin letting families know that you have options for their child.
In 2014, the Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), came up with an idea to help make Halloween safer for these kids and less stressful for their parents.
They asked people across the country to swap out their candy and treats for non-food trinkets to hand out to trick-or-treaters. To tell the little pumpkins, astronauts, and goblins that their house was safe for kids with food allergies, FARE suggested painting a pumpkin teal and putting it outside for everyone to see.
First of all, this is a great idea and a wonderful way to include these children who may feel left out otherwise.
Secondly, teal is a pretty color and easily recognizable, even in the dim twilight of Halloween trick-or-treating.
Grateful Parents & Kids
Homes that choose to paint their pumpkins teal elicit a huge sigh of relief from parents who are out with their little ones who are allergic to some types of food, including nuts, seeds, or dairy, many of which are found in traditional Halloween candy.
“Trick or treating has been a difficult holiday to participate in with our son, who has several food allergies. Last year, he was able to only eat five candies out of his entire bucket,” explained Emile Dowd, a mom of two adorable boys and owner of WonderLight Photography in Greenville.
“The Teal Pumpkin Project has made it a lot easier for our little guy to enjoy and participate in trick-or-treating alongside his friends. It’s fun to see him so excited when we come to a house with a teal pumpkin and we’ve been really grateful for those that take the time to include all children! Hopefully, more and more people decide to participate each year so that kids with allergies can feel included in the festivities.”
FARE offers some ideas to get the word out in your own neighborhood about the Teal Pumpkin Project like putting up flyers (you can download premade ones at FARE’s website), making a homemade sign that sits with your teal pumpkin to help explain it, and posting about it on social media using the hashtag #tealpumpkinproject. Be sure to post about it as well in your neighborhood Facebook page or website.
Teal Pumpkin Project Ideas: Non-Food Things for Trick-or-Treaters
When food treats and candy is not an option, try this list of trick-or-treat alternatives for kids. Teal pumpkin families can give out:
The list is endless. Be creative. Put a teal pumpkin on your doorstep and provide treats for children for whom candy is not an option. Maybe next year, the teal pumpkin homes will be known for giving out the coolest things for Halloween.
Do you have a child in your family or on your block who would be excited to see teal pumpkins this Halloween?
Do you love pumpkin desserts? Greenville is lucky to have several excellent cafes and shops to indulge in yummy pumpkin treats that aren’t from a Little Debbie box! Here’s a list of some of our favorite places near Greenville to pick up pumpkin coffee, cookies, muffins, and other treats. Do you have something to add to this list? If so then please do so in the comments. After all, can there ever be enough Pumpkin goodies to enjoy?!?
