Greenville, SC

After Three Days of Rain

We knew we were going to settle in for a month to sit out the "crazy" and needed a place that we could hike and bike ride to keep our sanity and stay healthy. We also wanted to be close to grocery stores and a good climate. Greenville fit the bill. 

The owner of the campground is keeping our site open for us in case we want to stay more than a month.

Most RV Parks seem to have train tracks nearby. This time the tracks run through the campground dividing it into two sections. We thought that we could deal with after spending three months in Oceanside, California next to the Coaster train tracks in the past. The first night I was surprised to hear a short distant whistle and then the train creeping quietly by. If I hadn't been awake, I wouldn't have heard it.

 Greenville has such a cool downtown with the falls as the center. There is a stage for concerts when distancing isn't required.

Local businesses are adapting to the new "normal" of distancing. Discount Tires has a routine to protect their employees. Mike made his appointment and paid for his tires online, pulled up to the check in sign, texted that he was there, drove into the bay, got out of the truck

until they were done. They waved him over when they were done and off he went.

 All of this rain and warm weather has flowers popping up everywhere. I wakeup every morning wondering if "it" has gotten me until I take a Benadryl and takes care of the sneezing and itchy eyes.

The Swamp Rabbit Trail, a rails to trail that runs 22 miles through Greenville along the Reedy River to Travelers Rest.

We got a late start on our bike ride since it was still cloudy after the rain and the roads were still wet. This had us at mile 16 at 1pm on the Swamp Rabbit Trail when I started getting hungry. A Cliff Bar wasn't going to make it any better. We had ridden by the Swamp Rabbit Cafe. Carryout

is still allowed in South Carolina. We sat under a tree and figured out how to order online and paid for our sandwich. We had rode the 4 miles back and our turkey pesto sandwich was ready for a picnic by the river. That was such a great sandwich with crunchy bread that you could

taste the salt and olive oil crust.

 The falls after the rain.

We were scheduled to camp host at Paris Mountain State Park this summer for a month but canceled. Our first hike in Paris Mountain was on the Sulfur Springs Trail with a nice gradual 3 miles uphill and a steep 1 mile down.  The trail meanders alongside a mountain stream with the gurgling sounds of the water washing over the rocky bottom and an occasional footbridge.

The park itself was built in 1936 by the CCC, a public work relief program initiated after the Great Depression that put Americans back to work. The land where the park sits is filled with folklore carried forward from the days when the Cherokee Indians lived here.

 Many state and federal parks are closing because people weren't social distancing which is unfortunate. People need to be able to get outside for their mental and physical health but also need to use their heads.

Between hiking and cycling, we have been making plenty of good food. This morning, Mike is making orange ricotta pancakes and freezes half of them for another day. Better take another walk after that or a little Yoga with Adrienne online.

There are times when I get anxious over everything going on. I try to step back and appreciate the day we have together. We are fortunate. Stay well both physically and mentally and turn off the TV news. It can make us crazy. Let us know what you are doing to shake off the "crazy".