Are you wondering how to find free or cheap prom dresses in Greenville, SC? Do you know someone planning to attend prom this spring in need of a dress? Prom season is coming up but for some girls, while the prospect of going to the prom would be great, affording a dress is a challenge. The good news is that there is a fairy godmother-like organization in our area that is willing and ready to help out these would-be princesses for their big night.
Maybe you’ve seen stunning photos of this mountaintop chapel and wondered exactly where it was. Maybe you’ve heard of Pretty Place, South Carolina but have never been. Well, we know exactly where it is and have experienced the utter amazement of this beautiful spot and are here to tell you all about it.
The actual name of this chapel is called the Fred W. Symmes Chapel but it goes by the more common name of Pretty Place, which I think everyone can agree is quite fitting. It is on the private property off Camp Greenville, which is owned and operated by the YMCA of Greenville. If you send your child to their summer camp, they’ll get to go here often.
Pretty Place is an open-air chapel that overlooks the Carolina Piedmont at 3,200 feet. It’s just one of those places that is difficult to put into words because of the incredible beauty that emits from the mountaintop there.
Camp Greenville has existed since 1912 but Pretty Place was built much later, in 1941, thanks to Mr. Fred Symmes. It was renovated in 2012 and 2018.
The inscription on the large beam overlooking the mountains in front of the giant cross is from Psalm 121. This is the full verse with the inscription italicized: “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.”
Camp Greenville graciously lets the light of Pretty Place shine and is open to the public when not otherwise in use, which is most Saturdays and Sundays, especially during warmer weather when it’s wedding season. Go Google “pretty place” and “wedding” and you’ll want to get married there, or go find someone to marry solely to get married at Pretty Place.
Pretty Place is open daylight to dusk, schedule permitting, and is the perfect place to capture a beautiful sunrise. The roads are typical windy mountain roads to get up there so during the wintertime, it’s important to check the weather before you head out. It’s about an hour from Greenville.
Need to Know Before You Go
It is imperative that you check the public schedule online before you go. Check it the night before. Check it the morning of. You won’t be able to get it if it is closed for a private event. Find the Pretty Place schedule online here.
Bathrooms: There are no restrooms on site between December 1 and March 15 so plan accordingly. There are port-a-potties other times of the year.
Pretty Place is crazy popular for sunrises. I got there on a Good Friday morning about 15 minutes before sunrise and had to park down the street a half mile and walk to the chapel. Normally, there is no hike as there’s a parking lot next to the chapel. There were probably about 500 people there so be sure to allow plenty of time before sunrise if you need to walk a bit.
Visiting Pretty Place is free of charge but of course, they do accept donations.
No alcohol, pets, or smoking are allowed.
Visitors are asked to be respectful. For me, the mountains always bring a sense of peace and solitude. It’s no different at Pretty Place. The vast mountains, the breathtaking scenery, the reminder of the chapel as a place of prayer – it’s all peaceful.
Don’t litter. Pick up after yourself. Be a decent human.
Have you been to Pretty Place?
100 YMCA Camp Road, Cleveland, SC
Pretty Place Website
Pretty Place Facebook
Looking for more outdoor fun? Here’s your ultimate guide to things to do outside near Greenville, SC.
Love alpacas and mini-animals? Take a trip to Winchester Creek Farm in Waynesville, NC for a fun day trip with your family!
Media tickets were provided for this review, which was updated in January 2024.
The drive up to Winchester Creek Farm in Waynesville, NC is probably worth the trip alone. The beautiful scenery of mountain peaks and valleys, eventually wind their way to the feet of the Smoky Mountains, where the farm is situated. Winchester Creek Farm, about a 90-minute trip from the South Carolina Upstate, has alpacas and many miniature animals like cows, horses, and donkeys, as well as super fluffy sheep and an adorable little Juliana pig.
And if you’re making a trip to Asheville, NC, be sure to check our guide of everything to do, eat, and see while you’re there!
Looking for things to do for a romantic date night in Greenville, SC? Here’s our list of the 14 most romantic dates in Greenville! We’ve included date ideas that all couples will love. We also asked our readers for their thoughts and included reader-recommended ideas for great dates in Greenville.
Are you looking for hotels in Greenville, SC with indoor pools? Whether you’re visiting Greenville, SC or want to do a staycation, having an indoor pool can be a lifesaver for families because it’s instant entertainment any time of year. We did the legwork and have the list right here for you on where to stay in Greenville with an indoor pool.
As a kid, I always thought there was something magical about an indoor pool and would never want to leave at hotels that had one. It’s a pool, indoors, and warm! As an adult, I can still appreciate a good indoor pool, especially as a parent who sometimes just wants to rest while their kids swim.
In Greenville, there are several hotels with indoor pools where you can live out your childhood dreams and let your kids create new ones. These are fantastic options for families visiting or those who want to do a staycation in the greatest little town in the country. We’re not biased, of course.
This article contains affiliate links through STAY22. Kidding Around earns when you book through these links.
128 E Broad Street, Greenville
864.720.2700
851 Congaree Road, Greenville
864.297.6300
Bonus: The heated, indoor pool is a saltwater pool.
10 Carolina Point Highway, Greenville
864.288.4401
Bonus: They offer a free hot breakfast and free 5:30pm kickback, which includes hot food and drinks.
250 Riverplace, Greenville
864.263.4800
Bonus: Free made-to-order breakfast and complimentary evening reception.
670 Verdae Boulevard, Greenville
864.676.9090
Bonus: Free made-to-order breakfast and complimentary evening reception. This location also has an outdoor, seasonal pool.
128 The Parkway, Greenville
864.263.5555
Bonus: Enjoy a daily hot breakfast at the Hampton Inn & Suites.
2681 Dry Pocket Road, Greer
864.213.9331
Bonus: Enjoy a daily hot breakfast and free coffee at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites.
122 Carolina Point Pkwy, Greenville
864.203.3600
Visiting Greenville? Start here for all the best things to do!
If you’re looking for vacation rentals with indoor pools, we have a big list of cabins and vacation rentals with indoor pools as well.
Want to sleep in a covered wagon or authentic tipi at a brand-new resort near Gatlinburg, TN? Smoky Hollow Outdoor Resort is not even a three-hour drive from Greenville, SC. Your family won’t stop talking about what a cool place this is once you’ve visited! If you are looking for cozy camping in Sevierville, this is the place!
Media accommodations were provided for this review.
My kids, ages 10 and 7, are obsessed with Laura Ingalls Wilder and we have listened to every book in the series. They have asked to learn how to sew, to see where she lived, and what in the world her covered wagon looked like. So imagine their surprise when they got to sleep in an authentic Conestoga wagon, which was used in the late eighteenth century. It was a lot of fun to witness their enthusiasm. But really, I was just as excited because it is genuinely cool to sleep in such unique accommodations at the new Smoky Hollow Outdoor Resort.
(more…)Looking for a special Valentine’s Day meal in Greenville, SC? If you just love celebrating love and that stuff with your significant other, we’ve got a list of Valentine’s Day restaurants in the Greenville, SC area that are offering special love-day menus. Plus, we’ve included a few other events that you may like to try with your partner, best friend, or family to celebrate the holiday.
Poppington’s Gourmet Popcorn, a staple on Main Street in Greenville, SC for more than a decade, is under new ownership and we’ve got the story on this Willy Wonka-ish amazing small business.
If you’ve walked on Main Street in downtown Greenville, you’ve probably stopped into Poppington’s Gourmet Popcorn, even if just to window shop. It’s been there since 2012 and only recently came under new ownership. Boy did they hit the ground running.
We stopped by to get the story and try the popcorn and really, didn’t want to leave. It was that good. And read to the bottom for a little gift for Kidding Around readers!
Skyler Burkett and his wife, Brittanie, were visiting Greenville with some friends a few years ago. They were looking to move from a tiny town in Illinois and stopped into Poppington’s on Main Street. They asked the owners if they were looking to sell at all. Turns out, the owners were open to it.
It took a couple of years to actually make the move to buy Poppington’s and get to Greenville but it all fell into place in April 2023 and Skyler was now a modern-day Willy Wonka, creating all kinds of wonderful and creative flavors that make you second guess exactly what you’re eating.
Fun fact: Skyler grew up on a farm in Illinois that was basically all corn fields. And now he’s a popcorn shop owner. Full circle!
Sweet or savory, you name it, they have it. And it’s going to be good.
I personally love pickles so I jumped at the chance to try the Dill Pickle flavor of popcorn at Poppington’s (don’t judge). I was 99% sure I was eating an actual pickle and not popcorn, that’s how close the flavor was. Literally the only thing different was the texture. The Bacon Cheddar popcorn was also a favorite. It tastes like you are eating a piece of bacon along with the best piece of cheddar cheese you’ve ever had in your life. I just kept wondering how in the world they pack that much flavor into a kernel of popped corn.
Oh, and the Havarti Dill flavor was amazing with lots of bold cheese and dill pickle flavors.
Don’t worry, if pickles aren’t your thing, there are plenty of other flavors I promise you’ll love like Cotton Candy, Birthday Cake, Salted Caramel, and Toffee. Every single flavor we tried was just so good.
All the flavor combinations and ingredients at Poppington’s are real foods. No powders or fake foods. And they even have a chef who comes up with ideas and makes them happen. He is one of the business partners and went to culinary school. He hadn’t really found his spot in the culinary community until he became a Popcorn Chef. It’s a thing and now you have new goals in life if you love popcorn and cooking.
So the Popcorn Chef uses all real food to make the 50 flavors available at Poppington’s and this is why they taste so good. This is why the cotton candy flavor tastes like cotton candy – because it is cotton candy – and why the dill pickle flavor tastes like dill pickles, because they are.
What’s the future look like for Poppington’s? Skyler tells me they are expanding fast and are always trying new flavors and taking the suggestions of their customers. I gave him a few ideas but am keeping them secret so you’ll have to just wait.
If you love Poppington’s so much and want to send all the popcorn goodness to your friends around the country, Poppington’s ships their popcorn. Also, you can order little bags of popcorn for corporate events, weddings, parties, Christmas gifts, literally anything.
Skyler is one of the nicest guys you’ll meet. If you go to the shop, be sure to ask for him and he’ll be excited to talk to you and see you. He’s one of the most peoplest people persons I’ve ever met.
And because he’s so nice, he has given our Kidding Around readers a special code to use for 15% off their orders at Poppington through January 31, 2024. Use the code KAG15 for orders online and in-store.
Poppington’s is open during these hours but call ahead during snow or big storms to double-check before heading out:
Monday – Thursday: 11 am – 7 pm
Friday and Saturday: 11 am – 8 pm
Sunday: 12 pm – 5 pm
Poppington’s Gourmet Popcorn
30 S Main Street, Greenville
Poppington’s Website | Poppington’s Facebook
A new food truck park, the first of its kind in the Upstate, is open in Simpsonville, SC. There are six food trucks and a special addition for little kids. Read on to learn all about it.
When Justin and his wife, Allie, moved to the Upstate, they couldn’t find something they had become familiar with in their home out West: a dedicated spot for food trucks where families could hang out with each other and their kids could play. So they decided to start one.
The Scuffletown Food Truck Park opened in December 2023 and has been busy ever since. We’ve got all you need know to visit and have a blast with your family.
Justin and Allie knew they wanted a place in Simpsonville with a variety of dedicated food trucks and a space to have a fun time together for families, couples, and everyone in between.
Justin is a former firefighter but now runs the food truck park full-time. It has gotten a fantastic reception in the community and after visiting, it’s easy to see why. Imagine a smaller version of the outdoor space at Swamp Rabbit Cafe but with food trucks.
They have a picnic area enclosed on three sides, a taproom where guests can pour their own beers, a platform for bands, and a fully enclosed play area with a sand pit.
The food trucks at the park are all stationary and have their spot for a year. They have all kinds of food options from sweets to ramen to BBQ to Columbian cuisine.
Here’s a list of the food trucks at the park:
Having all these options are just perfect for families because people can have what they want. We got kids dishes at One Love Fusion and Rad Dad’s BBQ and they were both delicious. The BBQ kid nachos at One Love Fusion were especially amazing and pretty big for a kid size. The fries and pork sandwich at Rad Dad’s didn’t disappoint either. They had lots of BBQ sauces to choose from, which I really enjoyed.
Most of the food trucks we checked out had at least one dish that even the pickiest eaters will love.
The Taproom at the food truck park is pretty cool. It’s an entire wall of beer that is self-serve. You control the amount of beer you have and you are charged by the ounce.
I tried the Keeping It Teal from Snafu Brewing Company in North Charleston and whoa. It’s a fruity sour with raspberries and a hint of cotton candy. I’d have that again in a heartbeat.
They have a large variety of beer and you can try as many as you like because you’re in charge of the pours. So fun.
If you need even more variety, there are canned beers available as well.
Here’s where the Scuffletown Food Truck Park really shines and where it’s incredibly obvious that Justin and Allie are parents.
The sand pit is huge and they have those small digging toys where you sit and pretend you’re a big dig operator. Please tell me I’m not the only one who does (*ahem, did*) this. There are sand toys and a small play apparatus.
And the entire area is totally fenced in. Fenced in. No kids are escaping. You can hang out with your delicious food and beer on a nearby picnic table under a heat lamp while your kids get their energy out in the playground. It’s absolutely perfect for parents and a much-needed addition to this area.
The hours are a little confusing as the taproom and food trucks all kind of operate on different schedules. Before you go, be sure to check the Scuffletown Food Truck website to make sure the truck you want or taproom is open.
Sunday and Monday: 11 am – 8 pm
Tuesday and Wednesday: Closed
Thursday: 11 am – 9 pm
Friday and Saturday: 11 am – 10 pm
Sunday: 11 am – 8 pm
For the food truck hours, follow Scuffletown Food Truck Park on social media as they regularly post the updated hours.
​Scuffletown Food Truck Park
206 Ladean Court, Simpsonville
Scuffletown Food Truck Website | Scuffletown Food Truck Facebook | Instagram
Check out our Guide to Simpsonville, SC
Don’t miss our guide to all the restaurants in Simpsonville, SC
Looking for a fun homeschool day event near Greenville, SC to attend this school year? We have a list of local and regional places that offer Homeschool Days including farms, zoos, and amusement parks.
Part of the fun of homeschooling is all the field trips my kids and I take. We try to go out as often as possible to any number of places that give a hands-on, visual, and educational experience and always have a lot of fun.
There are so many fantastic places in our area Upstate SC area that offer Homeschool Days specifically for homeschooling families. I put them together here to help all of us homeschoolers have some options for extending learning beyond the home environment.
You may also find our Homeschool Guide to Greenville, SC, Field Trip Guide, and Homeschool Discounts stories helpful as you plan out your year. Also, check out these Educational Things to Do Near Greenville, SC.
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