Things To Do
Biltmore Estate- Hit by hurricane Helene 9/27/24 but open now
Visit their website---This is a really awesome full day--not inexpensive by any means, starting at $90, but really noteworthy and memorable. The recent Hurricane Helene devestated the area and the 100yr old Biltmore village was flooded horribly (the river water rose 26ft)....Biltmore Village is a charming, leafy enclave created to house employees of George Vanderbilt’s sprawling Biltmore Estate, which includes an art-filled 1895 mansion, gardens and greenhouses, and a winery offering tastings and tours. In the village, the Cathedral of All Souls is a Romanesque Revival landmark, while stuccoed cottages contain jewelry stores, galleries, and upscale boutiques. Farm-to-table restaurants, cafes, and craft breweries dot the area. The mansion is jaw dropping and incredible, and strolling the village is lots of fun. www.biltmore.com ... recommended to reserve tickets in advance
Downtown Landrum
The main street is Rutherford St(AKA Highwway 14) is part of the charming, walkable historic district, which is a major destination for antique enthusiasts in the Upstate South Carolina area. Think of it as "Small town USA." Since Hurricane Helene hit 9/2024 the famous " Caro Mi " restaurant ( opened in 1945) has relocated here.(open wed-sat only) Family style dinners ( approx $20pp) are served including the best fried chicken in the world. A British style pub, Hare and the Hound (right at the main street at the railroad tracks) has reliably great food with an outdoor patio.
Morgan Square , Downtown Spartanburg
shops and restaurants on a smaller scale than Greenville
Saluda, NC/ Tryon NC
Small towns , eating and shopping-award winning BBQ restaurants Green River BBQ in Saluda and Mountainview BBQ in Tryon-shopping for gifts with heavy emphasis on the arts. The Tryon and Saluda areas are a haven for retirees and artists of all kinds. Art Deco Tryon Theatre, an independent privately owned movie house is a historic theatre built in 1938 with upgrades done to seating, sound and projection in 2018. It has a balcony that serves alcohol. The balcony entrance is from the exterior as it was once used during segregation. The best pizza in the world is across the other side of I-26 in the small town of Columbus at "The Brick Pizzeria" . Tryon has an incredible antique mall on hwy 176/Asheville Hwy at the south end of town with great prices--an also Architectural Warehouse is really interesting with antique architectural elements.
Greenville downtown
Greenville downtown area has the most extensive shopping and dining district. The Reedy river flows through downtown and is very picturesque. many great restaurants and a real variety of shops.
The Gorge Zipline
The Gorge Zipline in Saluda, NC, is a premier, high-speed canopy tour located near the Green River Gorge. It features 11 zip lines, a sky-bridge, and 3 rappels, descending 1,100 vertical feet through old-growth forest. Renowned as one of the steepest/fastest in the U.S., it is open year-round for 3.5-hour tours- RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED--PHONE 828-749-2800 -- https://greenriveradventures.com/adventure/zipline-canopy-tour/
Lake Lure NC--filming location of the movie Dirty Dancing- beach with swimming
Historically this has been a beautiful well hidden scenic spot with a great beach on the lake. Hurricane Helene on 9/27/2024 hit this area devestatingly hard, washing out roads and bridges- power,water, and sewer services were lost-The lake was filled with debris ie houses, boats, trees,trash and all which lead to a major dredging and clean up operations--summer 2025 Lake Lure was closed.You can call Town Hall at 828-625-9983. Lake Lure's Town Hall is open M- F- from 8:00 AM- 5:00 PM, excluding holidays....The lake began refilling on 2/6/26...They are coming back strong and are overcoming the devastation of Hurricane Helen! A new cell tower was installed 12/5/25--AT&T installed new equipment 2/17/26 and TMobile installed their generator... ( as of 3/5/26) it is hoped the lake may be able to reopen for public use by Memorial Weekend 2026, depending on conditions. ...watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzRm9FtSJhc ... Coming back more beautiful than before in Summer 2026!
Chimney Rock park-hiking and views
https://www.chimneyrockpark.com/ .. or call 828-625-9611...This area was hit hard by Hurricane Helene 9/27/24 but the park is now open Thursday thru Mondays ...reservations are a MUST via the website...( as of 3/5/26) What are the new directions and detours? The Park’s new temporary address is 174 Chimney Rock Park Rd. Chimney Rock, NC 28710. The only route open to Chimney Rock is NC 9 through Lake Lure, accessed via Columbus/Mill Spring. All other routes remain closed to non-local traffic, including US 74A from Asheville, US 64 from Hendersonville, and NC 9 from Black Mountain. Chimney rock villiage is newly reopened late 2025....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xfet6TdF8qs
River rafting on French Broad River near Asheville
This I havent done myself but if you google river rafting in Asheville NC -there are lots of options. The French Broad river flows through Asheville and the Nantahala River is also in the area. Another resource is www.smokymountains.com
Gatlinburg, TN / Sevierville TN / Pigeon Forge TN ( Dollywood)
These areas are a little farther away(3hrs from Greenville and 2.5 hrs from Tryon.) but if you plan to stay a bit and vacation, these can be a lot of fun. See... www.smokymountains.com There are cabin rentals throughout the area , a Ripleys museum in Gatlinburg, Dollywood park and waterpark in Pigeon Forge, The Dolly Parton Stampede dinner show, Pirates Dinner show, Titanic Museum, Paula Deens Lumberjack Feud dinner show, tons of mini golf, Hollywood wax museum, outlet mall stores, wineries, helicopter tours, escape rooms, go carts, jeep tours, lazer tag.... see www.mypigeonforge.com ...www.gatlinburg.com ... www.smokeymountains.com
Extend the stay in a cabin on the river https://www.ashevillerivercabins.com/
Set along the French Broad River near Asheville, this retreat features newly renovated cabins surrounded by waterfront and mountain views, providing a convenient base for tubing, hiking and mountain biking in the Blue Ridge Mountains.