Double Stamp Brewery in Holland Park in Greenville, SC is a fun place to relax and have fun together while enjoying local craft beer and soda and playing Nintendo.
While I enjoy a good craft beer, I enjoy playing Nintendo even more, so when we got an invitation to check out the old-school Nintendo games at Double Stamp Brewery, it was an easy “yes!”. But to my surprise, not only was the Nintendo playing a ton of fun but the beer, which is made on-site with local ingredients, was top-notch.
Double Stamp is 90s-themed, which makes my heart happy. There are Vanilla Ice cards under the glass at the bar and posters of VHS tapes, which my kids were totally confused about.
The brewery doesn’t sell any food but you can take your beer and walk over to Greektown or Home Team BBQ and eat there, or bring food from either place into the brewery.
Are you looking for fun day trips for couples? In this busy world, it is important for couples to spend quality time together, without the kids. And when a date night just won’t cut it, a day trip may be exactly what the doctor ordered.
Local mom Anna put together this list of places perfect for any couple to escape to when they need to reconnect. Whether you want to head north to the mountains or south to the water this list has something for you!
Now that school’s in session, how about some parent time for Mom and Dad? In this list, we attempted to put together some destinations outside of Greenville but only about a 2 hour drive or so. Consider this the start of a new tradition in your household and a chance to spend some quality time with your significant other.
Want to venture a little further from home? Visit our travel page – it is loaded with inspiration!
Although this requires some advanced planning such as booking a babysitter ahead or coordinating afterschool pick-ups, once you have it all lined up, it will truly be worth it. We believe parents deserve some kind of pampering and fun on their own. We’re pretty sure once you get started, you can come up with your own. Do share with us, if you find some good ones!
Romantic Asheville
A mountain city, Asheville is teeming with activities for day-trippers filled with glorious views of the Blue Ridge Mountain. Our favorite of course is the Biltmore Estate which has restaurants and cafes on site as you take a break from viewing the vast property. We recommend dining at the stables, moderately priced, and everything they serve is sourced from the farms within the property. Try to arrive by 10 am so you have enough time for lunch and start heading back by 4 pm in time for dinner with the kiddies.
Our second choice for Asheville is the The Omni Grove Park Inn. A historic resort built in 1913, the hotel was designed in the Arts and Crafts tradition by Edwin Wiley Grove, a pharmaceutical manufacturer and his son-in-law Fred Seely. The hotel was resold in 1955, but most of the original design has been retained. It boasts one of the grandest lobbies we’ve seen next to the Biltmore mansion flanked by the biggest 12-foot fireplaces. Scattered all around the lobby is a sampling of authentic and inspired mission furniture.
Stunning views can be soaked in at the in the beautiful views without having to pay the steep room prices. For a fancy lunch, book a date at the Sunset Terrace or admire the same views from the more casual, dine at the Great Hall Bar. For something to do, in addition to exploring the resort property, we highly recommend either an afternoon at their luxurious top-rated spa or visiting the Grovewood Village. Here you will find probably the one of the best Antique Car Museums in our part of the country, see the Biltmore Homespun Museum, walk thru the sculpture garden and shop for special souvenirs at the Gallery of the Mountains.
If you love being close to the water but can’t do the long drive to the coast, Lake Murray, a water reservoir with about 500 miles of shoreline, is a great easy escape. Walk across Lake Murray Dam, rent a motorboat to explore the waterways, go fishing or hit the beach on the Lexington side. Feeling romantic, visit the Love Lock Bridge, clip a padlock to the fence and proclaim your undying love by throwing away the key. Paris may have lost their love lock bridge in Pont des Arts due to tough love by local police, but for now, Lake Murray remains a haven for romantics.
Suggested places for lakeside dining: Rusty Anchor Restaurant for some great seafood and surf and turf combinations, Frayed Knot Bar & Grill for more dining options and finally Liberty Tap Room on the lake for some pizzas and light brews. Before you go, or for more information on Lake Murray Public Park, please call 888.383.5032.
Lake Murray, Lexington side 1797 North Lake Drive Lexington Monday – Friday, 11 am – 8 pm Saturday, Sunday & Holidays, 10 am – 8 pm $5 per vehicle Season pass can be purchased for $50 Lake Murray Website
Vineyards Tour in Yadkin Valley
A trip to Raffaldini Vineyards will transport you to the Italian countryside and a great early foray into the Yadkin Valley wine trail. One could easily design a weekend escape around this destination with the numerous vineyards around the valley. Tour their estate grounds and learn about how they use Appasimento, an Italian method for incorporating dehydrated grapes into wine. As for dining, we highly recommend packing a lunch that pairs well with wine or grab some light sandwiches and nibbles from their commissary. They offer a full calendar of events you can attend on their website here.
The perfect day trip for more adventure driven couples, Congaree National Forest, is a perfect Fall hike since it will be less buggy and the weather will be cooler. South Carolina’s very own National Park, the Congaree National Park is filled with such unique natural wonders that we are so glad it received its official designation in 2003. The park preserves the largest tract of old growth bottomland hardwood forest left in the United States! Allot a half-day or full day to explore the forest
. Make sure to bring your camera, lots of water, bug spray and wander through dramatic marshland with a self-guided boardwalk tour. Be on the lookout for the unique Bald Cypress trees and their knobby “knees” scattered throughout the forest. If you are an avid kayaker, this would be the place, just make sure call ahead to check water conditions and mosquito meter! Bring your own or rent canoes and kayaks in the Columbia area. Picnics are the order of the day for this trip, but there are also lots of local BBQ places around the park if you get hungry.
Congaree National Park 100 National Park Road, Hopkins Congaree National Park is open 24 hours a day year round. The Harry Hampton Visitor Center is open 7 days a week, 9 am – 5 pm. 803.776.4396 Congaree National Park Website
For Foodie and History Buffs: Athens, Georgia
Athens is a college town steeped in history with a vibrant contemporary music and restaurant scene. Our favorite restaurants to try are the high-end National, hearty brunch at Mama’s Boy or a eat by the tracks and have some good ol’ BBQ at Pulaski Heights BBQ. Athens has a great vegetarian restaurant called The Grit. For things to do, Athens is the gateway to Georgia’s Antebellum Trail and you will have lots of options to view house museums, heritage sites and historical districts.
Your first stop should be to get a map at the Athens Georgia Welcome Center located in the Church-Waddel-Brumby House Museum. If you can get away for a weekend, enjoy some live music at Georgia Theater, 40 Watt or at the Furnace. Athens is also known as the place that launched the careers of R.E.M. and the B-52’s, but we’re pretty sure you already knew that!
With a delicious restaurant featuring American cuisine and a beautiful farm setting, you can spend the whole day here. Feed the animals, play some farm games, and don’t forget the Mint Julep cocktail.
Are you looking for a place to get away for a weekend as a couple? Life is busy! And you both need a little time to reconnect, no distractions. We totally get it and you are in luck because we have found the most idyllic and romantic treehouse for your escape! The Old Soul Treehouse on Lake Greenwood is nothing short of completely stunning in every way. It’s one of a kind, nothing like it, completely magnificent and we’re going to tell you all about the magic we found in our stay!
Thank you to Old Soul Treehouse owner, Kristen, for providing us with a two-night stay so we could bring this review to our readers.
Watch the Video Tour
About the Treehouse
A true work of art, this treehouse is stunning and very special. Built with beautiful, unique, reclaimed, and restored pieces that are flawlessly incorporated into animaginative design, we’ve never seen anything like this treehouse. And we have stayed in a lot of vacation rentals.
The home’s guest book of information shares the history of these reclaimed components, including the gorgeous French doors in the tree house that opens to the deck and the view of Lake Greenwood. They are restored, fully functional, and came all the way from Turkey. I loved these doors. I think I probably took nearly a thousand pictures of them. Which, I realize sounds so silly. “What did you do on vacation?” “I took pictures of doors!” But they are that pretty. And, they work beautifully. The craftsmanship in this home does not disappoint.
Is a treehouse complete without a bridge and spiral stairs? Probably not. The property’s cast iron spiral staircase came from Bob Jones University, according to the home’s guest book. They date to the early 1900s and were located in the study of Bob Jones himself.
If you take the spiral staircase down to the ground, you’ll arrive at a beautiful deck under the treehouse. Lit with a strand of lights and a pretty chandelier, there’s a swinging bed to relax with a view of the lake plus two cozy wicker chairs. My husband and I enjoyed snacks, wine, and quite a few rounds of our favorite board games here.
Back up the spiral stairs, you can return to the house or turn and cross the bridge to the other deck which is round with little trees growing right through it, in true treehouse fashion. There’s a table for dining and a hot tub that lights up at night.
Heading back across the bridge is my other favorite part of this home. There’s a vintage window that opens out from the interior kitchen to an outdoor breakfast bar with two stools. We enjoyed lunch and breakfast at this little cozy outdoor nook.
Inside the treehouse
The interior of the treehouse is small but so airy and beautiful. We loved the kitchen with the vintage farmhouse feel, especially the soapstone sink! The smaller appliances are so cute, new but made to look vintage. We didn’t cook here and opted for a charcuterie one night and Doordash the next, but the home is fully equipped to cook a meal. You’ll find all the cooking things including pots and pans, cookie sheets, cutting boards, dishes, silverware, and the like. Everything you need!
There’s a pretty king-size bed that looks like it might have come from a Disney princess movie, and a full bathroom with a clawfoot tub. Don’t miss the totally gorgeous stained glass window above the tub, another beautifully incorporated treasure. The details in this treehouse are tremendous.
The treehouse book on the table has restaurant recommendations, information on where to get groceries, things to do, and everything you could possibly think of is there. You really don’t have to plan much at all before you arrive!
Spending Time at the Treehouse
You won’t find a television at the treehouse and that is intentional. Kristen, the treehouse owner, wants this place to be where couples come to connect. You’ll find board games and a record player with a wide selection of records. My husband and I loved having the record player. Listening to records is actually one of our favorite things to do at home and it was so neat to discover in a vacation rental. Very rare!
The home also has a cute lantern Bluetooth speaker so you can play any music you like from your device and even bring the speaker outside. There is wifi available. We brought it out to the hot tub on both nights of our stay and were so happy to have it.
The treehouse also has a private dock in Lake Greenwood that you can access with just a short path through the woods from the treehouse. There you’ll find two comfortable Adirondack chairs to enjoy the view. This is a good place to enjoy a beverage or a snack and good conversation.
You may notice a small building beside the dock in our photos and video. That is an old fishing cottage on the property. The owners hope to someday restore it but it is not currently in use by anyone. The dock is private just for you!
You can swim from the dock, fish with poles provided at the house (fishing license is required according to SCDNR and the owner warns that they do cruise around on a boat and check from time to time), or even rent a boat.
My husband and I brought our own inflatable paddle boards and we enjoyed several paddles on the lake. We went out to a railroad trestle crossing the lake and saw hawks nesting on the trestle top, several Herons, ducks, and other birds. Usually, when we head out to paddle we are keeping tabs on kids, so this was such a lovely change!
Speaking of kids, no one under 18 is allowed on the property. This is a kid-free space designed for adults to spend quality time with each other. After 4 kids and 18 years of marriage, we’ve learned that time for each other is a rare and precious thing, and we so appreciate it.
I love my kids, I really do, don’t get me wrong. But, to have a conversation without the possibility of being interrupted by our kids was so nice. It really took pounds off our mental load so we could just relax and communicate. And the kids were spending some quality time with their aunt, so it was really a win for us all.
Is this door not completely gorgeous?
Want to go?
We really can’t say enough wonderful things about this special property. We know you’ll want to visit for yourself.
If you are hoping for a date night while on vacation, check out The Art Cafe! Hilton Head Island’s art studio is just upstairs from Rockfish, so you can have an awesome night while your kids are also enjoying themselves. Kidding Around’s Kristina reviewed both the Kids Night Out event at The Art Cafe and the Rockfish restaurant, and she was pleasantly surprised!
Date nights are hard to come by for many couples who have kids. I think a date night on vacation would be pretty awesome because you’re already in relaxation mode, away from your daily life at home and work, and have that time to focus on each other. But finding a reliable sitter while away from home? I haven’t mastered that yet – which was why I was thrilled to find The Art Cafe on Hilton Head Island because they offer the perfect solution for couples wanting to get in a date night while on vacation.
Do you think you can beat the clock at Escape Artist Greenville SC? Several years ago, some friends were visiting from out of town and wanted to meet up. When we asked them what they would like to do, they suggested that we meet up at one of Greenville’s top escape rooms, Escape Artist Greenville. We are very glad that we said yes. In fact, we had such a great time we can’t stop recommending Escape Artist to all of our friends in Greenville. Escape Artist Greenville was even voted one of the Best Escape Rooms in 2025 by Newsweek, how cool!
Upon arriving, we were energized immediately by owners Will and Kim Rutherford’s enthusiasm. It was impossible to not catch the excitement about trying to test our group’s wits against one of their escape rooms.
After a short explanation of rules such as “don’t tear apart the ceiling” followed by a creepy story intro we handed over our iPhones and headed into “Dr. Fratelli’s cabin”. Inside the mad scientist’s cabin, we quickly got to work looking inside and under the many objects in order to start finding clues. These clues then led to puzzles that had to be solved in order to find the special locked exit and escape the room where Dr. Fratelli had trapped us. Of course, the primary entrance remained unlocked so we weren’t actually physically locked in. It is just a game!
We were given just one hour to escape the room, but we had the ability to ask for three clues during our hour. Will was watching us through his surveillance cameras and was quick to offer the exact help needed for each clue. The puzzles were challenging but still simple enough for a group to solve.
Did We Escape?
Of course, the first question everyone asks is “Did you escape?” Actually, Will told us that only 20-25% of the groups that try the room “get out”. We made it though with only a couple of minutes left to spare and we used all 3 hints.
Will greeted us after we finished and shared his own observations of how we solved the puzzle. We then were allowed to grab our phones again so that Kim could take a victory photo for us showcasing our time.
Photo Credit: Eli Warren, used by permission from Escape Artist Greenville
Is Escape Artist Greenville Worth the Money?
Escape Artist is a little bit more expensive than most of the attractions my husband and I visit, starting at around $30/person. It was worth every penny we spent. We had so much fun working together, laughing at our mistakes, and bragging about what we solved. The room was very well designed, all of the clues were clear and worked correctly, and Will & Kim executed everything wonderfully. It’s no wonder that they have received so many 5 star reviews.
Any hints?
Well, of course, I can’t give any hints on how to solve the puzzle because that would ruin the fun, but here are a couple tips to help you have the best chances of victory:
Don’t be afraid to ask for a clue when you are stuck. It’s better to use them up than not get out!
Get started quickly. Don’t be shy about looking around the room when you enter it. The sooner you find your first clues the better.
Don’t overthink your clues. None of the clues will require knowing weird facts and you won’t mess up your clues by touching or moving objects in the room.
Playing an escape room game on your tablet or phone ahead of time will help give you an idea of the types of puzzles you might encounter.
Have fun! Don’t get too stressed out. This activity is all about having a good time.
What About Kids?
I visited Escape Artist Greenville with 3 other adults and I thought that it was a great adult activity but older children and teens would definitely enjoy it as well. Children under 16 are allowed to attend with an adult, and Will told us that he had even recently hosted a party of 11-year-olds. Will did tell us that he adapts the clues as necessary for children and that the children who have come through really have enjoyed the puzzle. All of the content in the story and inside the room was appropriate for any age audience and there weren’t any thematic elements that would scare a child.
About Escape Artist: Greenville SC
Be sure to book your time ahead of time online. Due to the nature of the event, space is limited and 2 hours advanced reservation is required.
This attraction is completely unique to Greenville. While there are other “escape rooms” in Greenville and in other cities, Will & Kim specifically designed this room and story making it a one-of-a-kind adventure.
The attraction can fit 2-8 people at a time. Your group may get placed with another group if you don’t purchase the entire 8 tickets.
In addition to Dr. Fratelli’s Cabin, there are four other escape rooms including our current favorite Starlight Motel (a spooky, interactive room for adults). You can read about Starlight Motel in our review.
There is a second location of Escape Artist Greenville, located at Hampton Station. The Hampton Station location has fewer rooms (Help Wanted and Dark Lullaby), but the proximity to dining, breweries, and shopping makes it a great activity.
The Escape Artist Greenville: SC Has Two Locations!
Trying to plan a date night that will allow you to bring the baby along without any fuss? Date nights might seem like a thing of the past once you have a baby, so we are coming to the rescue with this list by Lindy Wilson. We have some great date ideas with a baby for parents in Greenville, SC that are perfect for when you need your tiny human to tag along.
