Archive for the ‘Things to Do Outside’ Category

Piney Mountain Bike Lounge Has a Pump Track Out Back

Posted on by Liene | 1 Comment

Local mom Liene reviews Piney Mountain Bike Lounge in Greenville, SC. This unique bicycle shop and taproom should be on your summer bucket list!

There is one spot that definitely needs to be on your bucket list this summer if you live in Greenville and have kids who enjoy riding bikes – Piney Mountain Bike Lounge!

Piney Mountain Bike Lounge is a cross between a bicycle shop and a taproom, complete with a pump track out back! Located between downtown and Paris Mountain, the Lounge caters to mountain bikers on their way to and from the mountains. It has also become a gathering spot for the local community to come together and share their love for riding – or share their love for craft beer while their kids are busy wearing themselves out on the dirt bike course!

Why we love Piney Mountain Bike Lounge

Our most recent visit was a weekday. The boys were all still running full steam, wearing on my last nerve. We still had several hours of daylight, and so we loaded up three kids, three bikes and three helmets and headed to Piney Mountain Road.

Although the exterior looks much like it did when it was the Landscapers Supply, the interior has been completely revamped. On one side is the bar, serving up craft beer alongside what is the bicycle repair space. On the other side is a lounge, complete with couches, a foosball table and handlebars in the place of mounted trophies. The center is filled with all the latest cycling gear and bicycles, trail maps on the walls of favorite dirt biking destinations in the area. Finally, in the back you’ll find the former loading dock, converted to outdoor patio. Full of picnic tables, the space overlooks the pump track, a small, looping trail system that you can ideally ride continuously without pedaling.

Since their grand opening in March, Piney Mountain has settled in with a rotation of food trucks to make the Lounge truly a one-stop evening hot-spot. Including Upstate favorites such as Automatic Taco, Ellada Kouzina and Chuck Truck, for the current schedule check the website or follow Piney Mountain Bike Lounge on Facebook.  For the beer enthusiasts, a list of the 14 regional and local craft beers on tap can be found here.  The pump track is closed when it’s wet for safety reasons as well as to protect the track, and a waiver must be signed before use. Usually one of us will take the boys & bikes around to the track and get them set up, while the other orders food and beer and gets settled in at one of the tables by the track – then it’s just a matter of shouting out a few encouraging words to keep them circling the track while we enjoy our meal.

Piney Mountain offers a variety of tune-up and service options as well as a demo option if you’re looking to buy a bicycle but not quite ready to commit. For those with kids in middle or high school that might be interested in a mountain biking team, NICA (the National Interscholastic Cycling association) is coming to Greenville and often meets with Piney Mountain – check out Upstate Composite on Facebook for more info.

When it comes down to it, I’m really more of a Swamp Rabbit Trail gal than a Paris Mountain cyclist, but Piney Mountain is a great addition to the cycling scene in the Upstate. Whether you’re looking to get your bike ready for the season, catch up with friends after a day at Paris Mountain, or just ‘cycle’ through some of that energy in the kids on these long days, make sure to swing by the Lounge this summer!

Plan your own trip to Piney Mountain Bike Lounge

20 Piney Mountain Road, Greenville
864.603.2453

For more information about Piney Mountain Bike Lounge visit their website. They can also be found on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook

See Liene’s original post on her blog, Femme au Foyer, here.

Does your family love to bike together? Don’t miss our list of places to ride your bike in Greenville.

Would your family love Piney Mountain Bike Lounge as much as mine does?

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.

Storytime on the Steps at M. Judson Booksellers is the Perfect Family Activity!

Posted on by Andrea Beam |

Have you been to a Storytime on the Steps at M. Judson Booksellers in Downtown Greenville? This fun event takes on front steps M. Judson Booksellers, and you can catch it each Wednesday and Saturday. Your toddlers and preschoolers will LOVE it!

M. Judson Storytime on the Steps in Downtown Greenville.

M. Judson Storytime on the Steps

My mom and I took our preschooler 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, Camilla Kitchen, 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 TD Saturday Market 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.

M. Judson Booksellers & Storytellers downtown Greenville

Okay, on to the Storytime

As the group gathered for Storytime, 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. It is definitely geared to a preschool audience. The majority, and by majority I mean all, of the crowd was under 5 years old.

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

A employee of the store set up on the front steps to begin reading promptly at 10:30 am and wrapped up after three books. 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.

Storytime on the Steps was a nice addition to our Wednesday or Saturday morning in town. The best part is, it’s thirty minutes that someone else is reading to your child!

After story time a sweet treat is often provided for all the little ones, the perfect end to our visit!

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

Storytime for Kids in Greenville SC

Find more storytimes for kids all around Greenville.

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PD Terry City Park in Fountain Inn, SC

Posted on by Kidding Around Team |

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.

Quick Guide to Terry City Park in Fountain Inn

  • Small but fun playground
  • Solid Surface ground cover
  • Picnic shelter
  • Ball fields
  • Parking on site
  • Restrooms on site
  • Close to downtown Fountain Inn (and the splash pad is a 2 minute drive or 10-minute walk).

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.

Don’t forget, Fountain Inn’s splash pad is open on Main Street!

Fountain Inn, SC

See our Guide to Fountain Inn, SC 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?

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