Archive for the ‘Things to Do Outside’ Category

How Much Do You Know About Pelham Mill Park?

Local mom Liene reviews Pelham Mill Park in Greer, SC. For more park reviews, see our Parks in Greenville page.

This historic site in Greenville has somehow flown under the radar of the majority of locals, even those living and working nearby. However, with its old mill ruins, river shoals and couple of acres of bottomland forest, Pelham Mill Park could be considered one of the more interesting parks in Greenville County.

About Pelham Mill Park

Home to the one of the first textile mills in Greenville County, there are scenic and historic elements that liken it to Falls Park downtown. The Upstate was largely shaped by the textile industry, and just as Falls Park contains the ruins of a grist mill, Pelham Mill Park contains the remnants of a cotton mill. Evidence of a complex series of stone and brick foundations span the floodplain, shoals and terrace that overlook the Enoree River. These ruins are accessible to visitors, though be warned – with steep, muddy footpaths, tall grass and an unfortunate abundance of trash & poison ivy, extreme caution should be exercised when exploring the site.

The Greenville County Historic Preservation Commission donated the thirteen acres to Greenville County in 1988. Seven acres have been added through a partnership with Western Carolina Regional Sewer Authority, and the master plan for the park includes interpretive signage, picnic sites and a walking bridge spanning the river that would provide access to trails along the Enoree River. One aspect of the plan which has been completed is the dog park, and a second that is currently in the works is restoration of the former Pelham Mill Post Office.

The building was built in 1870 as Pelham Mill’s office until the textile plant closed in 1930. It became a post office until it was closed in 1996, and when Highway 14 was widened in 2002 it was moved to its present location. Greenville Rec is restoring the historic structure for use as a community building with help from Western Carolina Regional Sewer Authority and Greenville County.

Other features of the park include a paved path leading to the historical 19th century stonework dam. An overlook provides a view of the dam, architectural remains of the mill and shoals on the Enoree River. Crumbling walls, foundations and depressions give evidence to what used to stand on the site: two steam smokestacks, underground pipes, drains, turbines, nine brick pilings, the mill’s main powerhouse and steam generator, and finally the large mortared stone dam with six sluice gates spanning the Enoree River. The Mill burned down in 1943 (except for the mill office), as the only fire trucks available had to come all the way from Greenville and Greer.

Pelham Mill is recognized by the Greenville County Historic Preservation Commission as one of 11 historic sites in the County.

On a related note, the Enoree river served another important purpose a few hundred years earlier. In 1766 NC/SC negotiated a boundary with the Cherokee between ‘Indian land’ and their new settlement. This line extended from Honea Path across the Reedy River all the way to Virginia, but today there is nothing to remind us of this aspect of southern history except a few historic markers like the one nearby on Highway 14. If you do make a stop at the marker, make sure to also find the nearby geocache…

Plan a visit to Pelham Mill Park

2770 E Phillips Road
Greer, SC 29650
Visit the website here.

This article was originally published on Femme au foyer.

Have you explored Pelham Mill Park?

Meet Liene

Mother of three young boys, Liene is constantly on the move since returning to Greenville in 2012. Whether she’s exploring the state parks and natural areas of the Carolinas or teaming up with other moms to organize activities for the kids, she’s always searching for the next adventure in the Upstate. For everything from hiking, travel, cooking and crafts to multicultural & global education posts, visit her blog, Femme au Foyer.

GSP Airport’s Not So Secret Garden

Local mom Anna Artz reviews the newly redesigned garden at Greenville-Spartanburg Airport. This beautiful space is a fun place to wait with children and watch the aircraft before flights.

“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.”
― Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden

We have come to enjoy flying in and out of Greenville Spartanburg Airport’s newly renovated terminals which are brightly lit and spacious. But what took us by surprise is the redesigned Airside Garden which opened up to a beautiful water and sculpture garden with benches and cafe tables artfully surrounded by a grove of trees and hedges. Both kids and adults chuckled with glee as we were greeted by a joyful sculpture of a boy and a girl, holding hands, caught in the middle of a game. A wonderful invitation to come and sit, walk and amble along before one’s flight.

The Vision behind Airside Garden

The Airside Garden is not new to GSP, it’s been around thanks to the late textile magnate Roger Milliken of Spartanburg founder and long-time GSP chairman. Having visited an outdoor garden in Germany, Milliken decided that it would be a great addition to the airport beautification efforts. Since then, the Airside Garden has been through a couple of redesigns, changing with the times and now, most recently, is one of the fantastic results of the ongoing terminal improvement program project called WINGPSAN.

Children at Play

Ticketed passengers now have the wonderful option of waiting in this lovely oasis designed for ambling around paths surrounded by fountains and dotted with bronze sculptures of children playing. The sculptures were commissioned by Milliken and helps highlight the garden’s water features. Created by Colorado-based artist, Dennis Smith, each sculpture is of a child in play, positioned as if leaping, dancing and skipping around the fountains. My daughter insisted copying each pose, visibly enjoying the gifts of this place. Smith’s Boy Aviator, is one of the seven art installations all around the new terminals.

GSP, A Family Friendly Place

The GSP’s Airside Garden is certainly unique. It also marks how GSP is forever transforming itself to a welcoming space for family travelers. The new concessions including Chick-fil-A and array of soon to open sit-down restaurants, offer a nice range of places to eat. A nice local touch is the King-of-Pops vending machine. With nothing to do but wait for our flight, we bought our sandwiches and sat at the cafe tables at the garden. We watched the airplanes land and take off on the runway, and simply enjoyed the view.

Have you ever visited GSP’s Airside Garden?

Meet Anna Artz

A Greenville transplant, Anna, is a former fundraiser for art museums and charities in NY and NJ. Before heading south, her husband’s job brought them to Pune, Shanghai and her hometown, Manila. She and her family are happy to settle in Greenville and enjoy hiking the beautiful parks of the Upstate, visiting museums and historic places, and last but not least, hunting for the best BBQ in town.

Shoeless Joe Jackson Memorial Park

Liene reviews Shoeless Joe Jackson Memorial Park in Greenville, SC. For more reviews of local parks see our Park Guide to Greenville, SC.

When he was 13 years old, Joe Jackson earned a position on the Brandon Mill Baseball team. Historically, the mills played a large role in the evolution of baseball at the time; on Saturday afternoons when the whistles blew, the mill workers would swarm from the workplace to the local baseball fields, where they would practice for their games against mill leagues across Greenville County. Many communities such as Brandon Mill were brought together through their love of the sport, and more than one legendary player emerged from these mill teams, including Joe Jackson, Champ Osteen and Red Barbary.

Photo credit to Charles M. Conlon

Shoeless Joe

Joseph Jefferson Jackson earned the nickname “Shoeless Joe” during a mill game when the blisters from a new pair of cleats resulted in the player taking off his shoes off before his turn at bat. Legend goes that as he was rounding third base in his socks a fan yelled out “You shoeless son of a gun, you!” and the resulting nickname stuck through the rest of his career. In 1919 he was indicted in the Black Sox Scandal in which members of the 1919 Chicago White Sox participated in a conspiracy to fix the World Series. Although he was acquitted in 1921, he was still banned from playing baseball for the remainder of his career. Nevertheless, Shoeless Joe has one of the highest career batting averages in major league history (he hit .408 in 1911), and Babe Ruth is said to have modeled his batting technique after Jackson’s square stance.

The park

The historic Brandon Mill Community on Greenville’s Westside is now home to the 8-acre Shoeless Joe Jackson Memorial Park, the baseball field where Jackson first played baseball. The park is split in two by Brushy Creek, which continues on through Greenville until it empties into the Reedy River in Lake Conestee Nature Park; due to the historic pollution caused by the mills and ongoing hazards from urban runoff, it is not advised to play in the water.

On one side of the creek is the lighted baseball field with a small parking lot that is open when a game is on. On the other side of the creek are the playground, picnic shelter and parking. The two sides are connected by a small bridge on the very backside of the park, and informational placards on the park and Shoeless Joe can be found next to the concessions building on the backside of the baseball diamond – this is where you’ll find the answer to the 2017 Park Hop clues!

Nearby attractions

When you’re park hopping through the Greenville County Parks this summer, make sure to stop by nearby Freetown Community Center for more Park Hop fun. The Community Center and playground is just 5 blocks away, making it an easy two-base hit!

Greenville is also home to the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum and Library, Shoeless Joe Jackson Plaza at the gates of Fluor Field (where a life-size bronze statue of Joe stands on a base made of bricks from the old Comiskey Ball Park in Chicago), and the site of Joe Jackson’s grave where visitors leave baseballs, photos, notes and other mementos.

Have you explored the Shoeless Joe Jackson Memorial Park?

Shoeless Joe Jackson Memorial Park is one of the parks in the 2017 Park Hop passport. To learn more about how you can earn prizes this summer by visiting local parks read our Ultimate Guide to Park Hop.

Meet Liene

Enjoy the Peace of Lake Robinson in Greer

Contributor Maria Bassett reviews local Lake Robinson. For more ideas of places to enjoy the outdoors in and near Greenville, see our page Things to Do Outside in Greenville.

Spring is here bringing forth all its outdoor adventures. Playgrounds, games, and trips to the splash pads abound. But if you’re looking for something a little quieter, a bit more nature and little less crowded, consider a visit to J. Verne Smith Park at the tip of Lake Robinson.

Lake Robinson is owned by Greer CPW and serves as an impoundment for drinking water. It’s a popular lake for small boats and fishing, but the park area itself seems to be rarely populated with more than a handful of people. It does not have playground facilities, yet with plenty of picnic sites, beautiful views and several small docks and a fishing pier to explore, this park should not be an overlooked outdoor destination.

Things to Do

Lake Robinson is, in fact, one of my family’s favorite locations for a quiet picnic. The park’s location has a million dollar view, and is just steps from the parking lot. This makes J. Verne Smith Park a uniquely easy destination for those with young children or mobility impaired individuals to enjoy the beautiful views this foothill area can provide. The park has many picnic tables and ample large shade trees where guests can spread picnic blankets facing the water.

Consider bringing some sidewalk chalk for after your picnic, as there are many paved walking areas to roam. My children enjoy bringing sketching materials and watercolor pencils to try and draw bits of the view they are enjoying. We like to bring books to read quietly or out loud together (this is a great place for us to do a bit of homeschool work outside the house). And sometimes we bring Frisbees, balls, jacks and other outside toys. Tip: The park is on a hill, sloped towards the water. It definitely won’t work as a soccer field, but is fine for young children tossing a ball back and forth.

The lake edge of the park is rimmed with large rocks (perfect for keeping a runaway ball from rolling into the water). You cannot wade or swim here. But you can walk the paved pathways, sit out on the small docks and watch the boats, or stroll out along the fishing pier and see what creatures you can spot in the water. If you plan to fish, you’ll need to make sure you obtain the proper permit. You can obtain permits at Greer CPW Warden’s Office on site.

You can even grab a cup of coffee at nearby Scandi Tiny!

Things to Know

Verne Smith has a large raised picnic shelter with a fantastic view, which can be rented from Greer CPW for $150 per day, and a smaller shelter area also with a nice view, that can be rented for $75 a day.

Restroom facilities are located at the larger shelter.

The park is open sunrise to sunset. No skateboards, roller blades, or bikes are allowed on the walking paths, so it is best to leave those at home.

Park address: 2544 Mays Bridge Rd, Greer, SC 29651

Phone: (864) 895-3645

Have you ever visited Lake Robinson?

Meet Maria Bassett

Park Hop: PD Terry City Park in Fountain Inn

It is worth taking a trip down to Fountain Inn to visit PD Terry City Park. While it is not a large park, it is a lot of fun exploring.

To learn more about how you can earn prizes this summer by visiting local parks read our Ultimate Guide to Park Hop.

What you’ll find at PD Terry City Park

Let’s start with the playground. It has equipment well spread out. While the playground isn’t large, kids can swing, climb and slide without running into each other. Most of the play equipment seems to be geared toward preschool to early elementary-aged children. There is a large blue climbing area that my third-grader enjoyed climbing on. It will probably remind you of equipment you played on when you were little.

Right next to the playground is a small covered eating pavilion. It has a couple of picnic tables and loads of shade. It would be a great place to have lunch or enjoy a snack.

A large part of PD Terry City Park is made up of ball fields. There is a large baseball field just behind the playground. It would be a fun place to play baseball or kickball with your kids. I bet kids would love to run around the bases then sliding into home plate. Plus, that would be a great way for them to burn off energy.

There is also a group of tennis courts right next to the parking lot. If your children (or you!) enjoy playing tennis, you will want to bring some rackets and a few tennis balls with you. If they just like tossing tennis balls over nets and chasing them, you will just need to bring a few tennis balls.

There are few more things I love about this park. The first is that is it really clean and well kept! The second is that it is a few blocks from downtown Fountain Inn. It is so easy to explore the park and then walk down towards the main street to get an ice cream cone or visit the used book store.

See our Spending a Day in Fountain Inn Itinerary for more ideas.

PD Terry City Park
116 Cannon Avenue, Fountain Inn, SC | 864.862.4421

For more reviews of local parks see our Park Guide to Greenville, SC.

Have you ever visited PD Terry City Park in Fountain Inn?

Meet Deirdre

JDaniel4’s Mom is a former teacher who loves to explore Greenville with her preschool son J. Daniel, IV by learning, laughing, listening, and living. She writes about parenting, educational activities, and children’s books on her blog JDaniel4’s Mom. You can connect with her on Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, and Twitter.

Story Time Is the Perfect Downtown Saturday Activity!

Downtown Greenville is the perfect place to hang out on Saturdays especially once the Farmer’s Market kicks off in May, but there is a weekly event that you might not know about already–storytime at M. Judson bookstore. This fun event takes place in the children’s nook inside M. Judson bookstore, and it’s the perfect way to kick off your weekend downtown.

My first visit to story time at M. Judson

My mom and I took Preston to M. Judson’s Story Time. Believe it or not, I had not been. I’ve been to the bookstore many times. In fact, it’s one of our favorite places to relax. The atmosphere is appealing with its high ceilings and homey décor. Free Wifi accompanied by coffee and a small snack from the quaint café, The Chocolate Moose, is also a plus. You’ll want to check out the children’s nook in the back of the store. Our kids love to chill by themselves while we stroll through the adult titles.

Although the event does not begin until 10:30 am, we arrived downtown around 9:30 am. The Farmer’s Market is on Main Street every Saturday morning starting in May, so parking can be tricky. Personally, I am partial to the garages. There are several located within close proximity to the bookstore, although walking is part of the charm of a cool morning on Main.

There is a garage directly behind the Poinsett Hotel (beside M. Judson). Most of the parking garages have free weekend parking but (even though the cost is minimal) this is not one of them. The garages that offer free parking have a sign at the entrance – if there is no sign, only the first hour is free.

Okay, on to story time

As the group made their way inside the first thing I noticed was the age range of the children. This is one thing you want to keep in mind when planning your visit to Storytime. It is definitely geared to a preschool audience. Thankfully, I didn’t make JP (who is 10) come with us. The majority, and by majority I mean all, of the crowd was 3 years and under.

I encourage you to check the M. Judson Booksellers & Storytellers website for a list of really cool activities for older children. They have plenty!

An employee of the store set up in the children’s nook to read. She began reading promptly at 10:30 am and wrapped things up at 11:00 am on the nose. I imagine I’m not the only parent who appreciated their respect of time. The storyteller was sensitive to the attention span of all the little wiggle worms.

Story time was a nice addition to our Saturday morning in town. The best part is, it’s thirty minutes that someone else is reading to your child!

After story time a small cupcake treat is often provided for all the little ones, thanks to The Chocolate Moose!

Have you taken your kids to story time on the steps at M. Judson yet?

Enjoy the Perfect Park Day at Cleveland Park in Spartanburg, SC

Have you visited Cleveland Park near downtown Spartanburg, SC? This gorgeous, heavily shaded park is located just off Asheville Highway and is the perfect place to spend the day with your family. This park has everything, from a large duck pond spotted with several species of bird, to an expansive playground. There is something new to experience with each visit. The park is handicap accessible, so everyone can enjoy the park without feeling restricted. So, grab your picnic basket and head to Spartanburg for a lovely day at Cleveland Park!

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