If you haven’t visited Hampton Station in Greenville, SC yet, go ahead and put it on your bucket list. Located just minutes from Main Street and directly on the Swamp Rabbit Trail, it’s in a great location. Before you head there, we’ve got you covered on things to do, places to eat, and things you should do with your kids.
This article includes:
Things to Do at Hampton Station
Where to Eat in Hampton Station
Great Things Especially for the Kids at Hampton Station
Hotel Hartness, a four-star boutique hotel that prides itself on providing true hospitality service, opened its doors March 15, 2023 in Greenville, SC.
Located off Highway 14 between Pelham Road and Roper Mountain Road, the hotel will offer 73 luxurious guest rooms and suites, an event center and ballroom, a waterside restaurant, a luxury spa, and more.
We had the opportunity to tour the property near the end of its construction, and we’re excited to share more about our visit with you. When you’re on the property, you feel like you’ve stepped away for a beautiful, quiet retreat.
So whether you’re looking for a weekend getaway, a day at the spa, a dinner date, or somewhere nice for out-of-town guests to stay, you’ll definitely want to consider Hotel Hartness.
Tom Hartness purchased the Pepsi-Cola Bottling rights in Greenville, SC in 1940, and over the next 70 years, the Hartness company evolved as a total packaging solutions provider with over 100 patents. Tom’s son, Pat, grew up in the business and eventually took over, while his son, Sean, became a senior executive. After a decades-long run of successful business ventures, the family sold Hartness International in 2009.
Pat acquired the land where the Hartness community and Hotel Hartness are located. It’s a total of 449 acres and has rolling pastures, lakes, creeks, and lush forests.
Not only did the family business once take place on the land, but Pat and his wife, Mary Lou, lived on an estate on it as well. Their beloved homestead welcomed friends and family through weddings, holiday celebrations, charitable events, and family gatherings. The former Hartness home has been reimagined into Hotel Hartness, and as you walk through the hotel, you’re sure to get a sense of family history and pride.
The Hartness family wants to ensure the hotel evokes their dedication to Southern hospitality. Upon checking in, hotel guests will be greeted with a cocktail (Bellini, anyone?) and can expect an array of intentional services, including an evening turn-down service with fresh macarons made by the Pastry Chef.
The Great Room is the former living room of the Hartness family, where they celebrated many family events, and guests may lounge and mingle here now.
The Captain is the hotel’s indoor bar, aptly nicknamed after Tom, the family’s patriarch. This area was formerly the Manor’s kitchen, and the original 200-year-old reclaimed wooden beams are still in place.
Hotel guests receive a complimentary breakfast that they may enjoy in a beautiful, modern breakfast area.
All artwork throughout the hotel has been carefully curated by the Hartness family and Art Houzze, a Greenville-based business dedicated to connecting artists and art enthusiasts. The art collection features pieces from artists who are from or work in the Upstate. A plaque accompanies each piece of art where you can scan the QR code to read more information.
The hotel also boasts of over 16,000 square feet of meeting and event space. There are indoor venue options and outdoor options, all of which can be customized for weddings, social gatherings, and corporate events. The White Oak Ballroom can host up to 300 guests.
While we could not tour Spa H (they were putting final touches on the flooring), we can at least tell you that there will be a comprehensive menu of unique and creative treatments. The spa will be open to both hotel guests and the public. There are even 4 guests suites located in the spa. It sounds perfect for a couple’s getaway! The opening date for Spa H is TBD.
The Patterson Kitchen + Bar rests beside a beautiful, tree-lined pond. The window walls can be opened for an indoor-outdoor dining experience.
The restaurant will serve contemporary American cuisine and continue the Hartness dedication to hospitality and service. Chef Tanner Marino will source as many ingredients from the on-site farm and local suppliers as possible, so you can rest assured that your food will be fresh.
The Patterson Kitchen + Bar is open to the public and officially opens on March 22, 2023. Reservations are encouraged.
Hotel Hartness is conveniently located in Greenville, just 10 minutes from Greenville-Spartanburg Airport and 15 minutes from downtown Greenville. And it’s a very short drive from Woodruff Road.
Hotel Hartness
120 Halston Avenue, Greenville
864.686.8900
Discover more places to stay near Greenville, SC.
Spending some time in Taylors, SC, and looking for things to do or places to eat? Taylors, SC has plenty to offer for your day trip. Before you head out to Taylors, check out our list below of things you should do, where you should eat, and parks you should visit.
This article includes:
Things to Do in Taylors, SC
The Mill
Places to Eat in Taylors, SC
Outdoors in Taylors, SC
Greenville, South Carolina is a great place to go rock climbing! With its close proximity to the Blue Ridge Mountains, you can find plenty of challenging and exciting rock climbing spots near the city. From experienced climbers to beginners, there are plenty of options for everyone in and around Greenville.
Our list includes indoor and outdoor climbing options. That means we have all the local climbing gyms, outdoor crags, and everything in between. There is something for everyone in the Greenville area. Read on to find out more about the best places to rock climb near Greenville.
[email protected] Ridge, located in Taylors, has climbing spaces for bouldering, top roping, and lead climbing. There’s something for all climbing skill levels. And no fear on boredom for return visits—the climbing routes are changed regularly to keep you on your toes. They also have several events throughout the week and year (Homeschool Program, Ladies’ Nights, Yoga, Tai Chi, and more).
[email protected] Ridge
301 Bulls Road, Taylors
864.895.1416
Blochaven is another great local rock climbing gym in Greenville, SC. Located in Judson Mill, Blochaven is a family-run business with the goal to make Greenville a bouldering community. You can purchase a day pass, or for the more committed climbers, you can purchase a membership.
Blochaven
701 Easley Bridge Road – Suite 6020, Greenville
864.405.3003
Looking for a rock climbing gym in Easley? projectROCK is your answer. The gym and climbing routes are all inspired by places the owners have traveled. Fun Fact: projectROCK Easley is home to the highest climbing wall in the country… at 84 feet tall. They offer classes for beginners, and also have competitive league and a recreation league. And like other climbing gyms, you can purchase a day pass or a membership.
projectROCK
2121 Farrs Bridge Road, Easley
864.307.9152
Trailhead Climbing & Outdoor Center in Anderson, SC has 50’ rock climbing walls. Climbers of all skill levels are welcome, and they offer classes for beginners. You can purchase a day pass or a membership. They also have party packages for your rock climbing loving kids (or big kids!).
Trailhead Climbing & Outdoor Center
505 Camson Road, Anderson
864.940.5600
Looking for an outdoor rock-climbing adventure near Greenville? Pisgah Climbing School has several locations in Western North Carolina that aren’t too far away. The School wants to give climbing opportunities for both beginners and advanced climbers. Their beginner climbing consists of top roping, fundamental knots, and belaying instruction. Sometimes with the right weather, you can even participate in ice climbing…just be sure to call ahead to see if weather conditions are allowing for it.
Pisgah Climbing School
Multiple locations
828.222.ROPE
Located in Mills River, NC, Riveter has an indoor rock climbing gym that boasts of over 16,000 square feet of climbing terrain. The bouldering area has 60 routes, and there’s even a kid’s area for your youngest climber. Day passes and memberships are both available for purchase.
Riveter
701 Old Fanning Bridge Road, Mills River
828.676.2566
Brevard Rock Gym is just over an hour away from the Upstate in Brevard, NC. They have an indoor rock climbing gym and bouldering. They also offer several classes for all skill levels and ages. They even have youth climbing programs. You can purchase a day pass or a punch pass.
Brevard Rock Gym
240-B South Broad Street, Brevard
828.884.7625
Cultivate Climbing has two locations in Asheville, NC. Both locations offer top roping, bouldering, gear rental and instruction. Both locations offer indoor climbing, as well as an outdoor climbing wall.
The Downtown location is curently only open for youth climbing teams, private events, and youth programs.
43 Wall Street, Asheville NC 28801
The River location is open to members and the public.
173 Amboy Road, Asheville NC 28806
You’ll find an extensive list of outdoor climbing spaces, routes and details about what to expect at each spot at Carolina Climbers. Routes are listed for North and South Carolina, as well as Tennessee and Georgia.
Having the right climbing gear is critical to rock climbing. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned rock climbing veteran, there are a few great stores near Greenville, SC to choose from. Whether you’re looking for climbing shoes, ropes, harnesses, or other accessories, here are a few places to buy climbing gear near Greenville.
Sunrift Adventures
1 Center Street, Travelers Rest
864.834.3019
Sunrift is a great local option for climbing gear, as well as lots of other outdoor sports.
REI
1140 Woodruff Rd. Ste 400
864.297.0588
Note: If you’re new to climbing, REI is a great place to get gear. With their generous return policy for members, you can be sure to get the right shoes and harness for you! They also offer lightly used items online at REI Garage. This is only for REI co-op members, but is a really great option because you’ll find equipment in good shape at a steep discount.
Dick’s Sporting Goods
1125 Woodruff Road, Greenville
864.284.6199
With so many great locations to rock climb near Greenville, you’re sure to find your gear and take your climbing adventures to new heights!
Are we missing any of your favorite climbing gyms or locations?
If you’re looking for indoor things to do, don’t miss our huge Indoor Guide to Greenville, SC. It has everything from bowling, to arcades, to trampoline parks, and so much more.
If outdoor adventure is what you crave, check out our Outdoor Guide full of things to do in Greenville, SC.
Did you know you can get free trees to plant in Greenville, SC? Is your yard lacking trees? Or is your energy bill a little higher than you’d like? Did you know that by planting trees, you can help reduce energy costs while improving air and water quality AND reducing air pollution? You can reduce energy consumption by up to 20% per year just by planting the right tree in the right place. And sometimes, purchasing trees may be a little out of your budget.
Learn how you can get your hands on a free tree for your yard!
Looking for some fun things to do when you visit Greenville, SC? There are so many opportunities for memories to be made… from visiting museums to hiking to chasing waterfalls to bike riding to letting your inner foodie enjoy bites throughout town to taking a stroll down Main Street… you are bound to find something for everyone in the family to enjoy. To make planning your trip to Greenville a little easier, we’ve rounded up a list of things for you to do while you’re here.
(more…)What do laundry, coffee, and wifi have to do with each other? You’ll find all three at Green Laundry Lounge in Greer, SC. This modern, eco-friendly laundromat is not what you imagine when you think of the typical laundromat. It’s bright, incredibly clean, modern, and comfortable. They offer a variety of services from self-service to drop-off services, all geared to take the hassle out of laundry day.
Have you ever seen a poll that says something like “Which is worse: doing laundry or cooking dinner?” I don’t know about you, but I have no hesitation in telling you that I despise doing laundry. I’d rather clean toilets than do laundry. Laundry is so time-consuming and boring. But Green Laundry Lounge may change my mind.
Green Laundry Lounge’s Founder and Part-Owner, Jay Desai, is trying to reinvent laundry and dry-cleaning services so communities and families can spend more time together. Desai, who cares deeply for the environment, built a sustainable laundromat. With energy-efficient washers, dryers, and sustainable laundry products, you’ll have peace of mind knowing your laundry is being cleaned safely.
Green Laundry Lounge has an outdoor park, patio, lounge with food and drink options, an iPad station for both kids and adults, books, and a kid’s area to encourage community and gathering together. While you can drop your laundry off, you’re also invited to stay and spend time with your family while you’re doing your laundry.
The entire facility is bright, clean, and well-maintained.
Green Laundry Lounge’s laundromat uses some of the best laundry appliances available. With washer capacities up to 80 lbs and dryers up to 83 lbs, you’ll be able to wash and dry up to 9 loads at a time (think about how much time you’ll save!). You’re able to choose as many washers and dryers as you’d like, or just utilize one. The largest capacity machines can get you in and out in under an hour.
Each machine has a delicate cycle for your most fragile fabrics. And yes, you can certainly wash and dry your large items like those down comforters and your pet’s bedding.
As for the Dry Cleaning services, Green Laundry Lounge actually uses an Organic Dry Cleaning Technology, better known as Wet-Cleaning. No harsh or harmful chemicals or solvents are used. They only use bio-degradable soap, conditioner, and water. The staff is careful in handling your delicates, and steam machines take care of your ironing and pressing needs.
Green Laundry Lounge offers same-day laundry and dry cleaning services. You can stay and wait on your laundry or drop it off to pick it up later.
They also offer a convenient rewards program that rewards you each time you come in. With every purchase, you get points that can be used for discounts or free services. It’s a great way to save money while getting your clothes clean and fresh.
Green Laundry Lounge has a Cafe & Lounge with both indoor and outdoor seating. You can have a hand-crafted specialty coffee, traditional chai, Beer & Wine, and a snack while waiting on your laundry. There’s even wifi if you want to get some work done while you’re there.
Most ingredients are sourced locally. Desai believes that if you can find something in Greer or localy, why would you go somewhere else to source it?
While some of the items on the menu are standard year-round, there are also seasonal options. During my visit, I tried the Caramel Crunch Latte, and it did not disappoint.
Here are some of the amenities to enjoy at Green Laundry Lounge in Greer:
You’ll find Green Laundry Lounge located in the Palms off Brushy Creek Road.
10 Moorlyn Lane Suite G, Greer
864.479.0173
Have you visited Green Laundry Lounge yet? What’d you think?
Are you wondering “what are the outdoor things to do near me”? We get it. It’s good to get outside and get some Vitamin D and fresh air. Being outside makes everyone happier. So we’ve compiled a giant list, organized seasonally, of all the things you can do outside in the Greenville and Spartanburg areas. Make some memories with your family and spend some time outside together—no matter the season.
Are you looking for an animal shelter in Greenville, SC? Maybe you’re looking for dog adoption information. Or maybe you need care for your own pet or rescue for a stray animal that keeps coming to your house. One of the beautiful things about our area is that there are several different animal care facilities, animal shelters, and animal rescue organizations in Greenville and Spartanburg.
Each organization and facility operate a little differently. Some have brick-and-mortar facilities, while some operate only as foster homes. We’ve compiled a list of the animal shelters in Greenville, SC as well as the animal care facilities and rescue organizations throughout Spartanburg.
(more…)Have you been to Herdklotz Park in Greenville? It’s such a beautiful park, is close to Paris Mountain, and gives you an unexpected view of the downtown Greenville skyline. With two large playgrounds, unique climbing structures, and two multi-purpose athletic fields, this park has it all.
If there’s one thing my child loves, it’s heading to the park and playing on the playground. And to be honest—I love the opportunity for her to be outside and get some energy out. Herdklotz Park is a perfect place for her to play and run around.
To read more park reviews see our Kidding Around Greenville Parks page.
First, a little history. Herdklotz Park is named for former county councilman, Dick Herdklotz, because of his desire to advance outdoor recreation in the Greenville area. So, even if the name is hard to remember, the sentiment behind it is very much appreciated. The location of this beautiful park is that of the former Hopewell Hospital, built in 1930 to treat patients with tuberculosis. The original building burned down one morning in 2002, but you can still walk by one remaining building and read about its history.
This spacious county park sits on 17 acres at the base of Paris Mountain. You will find very large athletic fields on both sides of the playground. Games and team practice are often going on, but if you’re lucky enough to find the fields open, they’re perfect for running and playing.
Herdklotz boasts one of the few county parks that has a sand volleyball court and horseshoe pits (you furnish the horseshoes). The pavilion shelter is up on the hill overlooking the park and is a lovely spot for a gathering (be sure to reserve your time in advance!). Bathrooms are just on the other side of the pavilion. And the panoramic view of downtown Greenville can be seen from the top of the hill.
The Herdklotz Park playgrounds are some of the best playgrounds in Greenville (see our list of the 5 best playgrounds in Greenville for even more choices). The larger playground has a three-story tower for climbing. There are 6 slides, a climbing wall, a large swing set and a kid favorite—the sliding handle. Because it’s so large and challenging, this is definitely the place for older children or younger ones who are good at climbing.
The smaller playground is fenced in and has its own covered pavilion with a few picnic tables (perfect for a mid-visit snack!). This smaller playground is where you’ll find the swings for toddlers and the much smaller playset geared toward the little ones.
Between the two playgrounds is a .545 walking trail, perfect for exercising while the children play. You can see the larger playground no matter where you are on the path. If you want to take the children on a walk with you, there is a learning path with signs and many teaching opportunities.
Favorites:
Drawbacks:
Herdklotz Park is tucked away off Rutherford Road, right behind Half Mile Lake subdivision at 126 Beverly Road in Greenville. The parking lot is vast, with spots close to the playgrounds. And if you’re lucky, you’ll watch a train go by on your drive to or from the park.
126 Beverly Road, Greenville
What is your kid’s favorite thing about Herdklotz Park?
