Travelers Rest

[RestedTraveler]

I decided to get out on foot in my adopted home town of Travelers Rest today and take some photos for a small photo tour.

These photos are mostly taken from along the beaten path, so anybody can find most of these places. I'll trod off of the beaten path before long, too.

Travelers Rest City Hall and Police Station:

Travelers Rest Fire Department:

Bates Summary Court: Greenville Magistrate Court System:

Sargent Branch of the Greenville County Library System:

Gateway Park:

The George I. Theisen North Greenville Family YMCA:

The Swamp Rabbit Railroad Tram-Trail:

Eckerd's that was aborted before it opened (due to corporate mergers). It'd make a fine City Hall or Police Station:

Main Street Guitar & Drums:

McLesky-Todd:

Leopard Forest Coffee Company:

Sunrift Adventures:

Travelers Rest Feed & Seed:

The New Travelers Rest High School (Blue Ridge Escarpment in the Background):

Gateway Elementary (Paris Mountain in the Background):

SunTrust:

Cleveland Park Animal Hospital:

The Howze Mortuary:

Carolina First:

Old Ingles & Eckerd (Soon to be Razed and redeveloped as part of Travelers Rest Crossing:

Hampton Inn:

The Palmetto Bank:

Former Winn Dixie Marketplace (and great potential site for a Fresh Market, Bloom, Piggly Wiggly, Newton's, or Publix):

Bank of Travelers Rest (Small Branch):

United States Post Office:

George Coleman Ford:

Bank of Travelers Rest (Main Branch):

The Old W.E. Willis Used Car Lot:

Bi-Lo:

Sleep Inn:

Wachovia:

[breed]

Cleveland Park Animal Hospital:

They did a nice job of renovating the old post office.

[RestedTraveler]

I had no idea that was the old post office. They did an excellent job, in that case.

[gs3]

Sunrift Adventures:

Love Sunrift! They should open a second store somewhere in Greenville and make it a mega-store.....our own little REI!

[goodbye]

I decided to get out on foot in my adopted home town of Travelers Rest today and take some photos for a small photo tour.

These photos are mostly taken from along the beaten path, so anybody can find most of these places. I'll trod off of the beaten path before long, too.

Eckerd's that was aborted before it opened (due to corporate mergers). It'd make a fine City Hall or Police Station:

This one makes me cry every time I see it. There once was a beautiful old home located on the corner which perfectly represented the name of the town; Travelers Rest. I used to think how inviting and refreshing it was and how it must have been there before most of the Upstate had developed. Now it is only a fond memory.

[GSP Tiger]

That was supposedly a Rite Aid in the making. When JCPenney bought both Rite Aid and Eckerd, they regionalized the chains. Most Rite Aids in South Carolina became Eckerd. Someone in Eckerd thought moving into town would hurt the store not being visible from US-25. They remained in their State Park Road location until relocating into their existing store about three years ago.

Travelers Rest Crossing is another exciting retail complex to come. With the old Ingle's being demolished, I wonder if they still lease it. That location was often busy during its operation. I would not be surprised to see them open a new store in its place.

[Greenville]

The Carolina First building is attractive. The trees have a pleasing effect.

Thanks for sharing these, RT! You were obviously quite busy!

[RestedTraveler]

Thanks for the additional info on the Eckerd/Rite Aid, BoDragon.

It's been there empty ever since I've lived here and I know Skyliner had clued me in about the old home that once stood on that corner, which explains the wall and the steps up from the sidewalk. It sure would honor the property better if it were actually being used for something. I've been asking myself for a while why the City of Travelers Rest doesn't just move the Police Station to there from City Hall. It seems an ideal location for it.

I saw a clip on WYFF-4 this morning where Travelers Rest is going to be doing exactly what Skyliner had wished for. The city is going to take steps to turn itself into a destination, including reducing US-276 (Main Street) through downtown to two lanes from five and providing landscaped medians, turn lanes, directional signage, and bump-out parking. Not mentioned in this clip, T.R. will also be installing old fashioned street lighting and a clock tower along Main Street, too. These ideas are geared toward encouraging visitors to stop off and visit some of the antuique shops and other botiques that line Main Street and also to encourage more of the same to open in Travelers Rest.

I left a couple of rather important photos out of the Photo Tour:

Love Sunrift! They should open a second store somewhere in Greenville and make it a mega-store.....our own little REI!

Don't hold your breath on that one. Sunrift is one of those "Destination" stores that Travelers Rest has and will continue to foster.

[GSP Tiger]

Thanks for the additional info on the Eckerd/Rite Aid, BoDragon.

It's been there empty ever since I've lived here and I know Skyliner had clued me in about the old home that once stood on that corner, which explains the wall and the steps up from the sidewalk. It sure would honor the property better if it were actually being used for something. I've been asking myself for a while why the City of Travelers Rest doesn't just move the Police Station to there from City Hall. It seems an ideal location for it.

With buzz that Walgreen's is looking around for a location, that building would suits its intended purpose and the needs of a tenant.

The city is going to take steps to turn itself into a destination, including reducing US-276 (Main Street) through downtown to two lanes from five and providing landscaped medians, turn lanes, directional signage, and bump-out parking.

The idea of reducing US-276 from four to two lanes has ran into some pitfalls in recent years among some groups. With substanstial growth west of Travelers Rest and towards Marrietta in recent years, traffic volume has grown. The last thing they want is to waste money narrowing the main road and spending millions more to build or widen another road. One recent idea was building a new one way two lane road a block west of US-276 for southbound traveling traffic. Considered a compromise, this is slowly gaining interest.

Not mentioned in this clip, T.R. will also be installing old fashioned street lighting and a clock tower along Main Street, too. These ideas are geared toward encouraging visitors to stop off and visit some of the antuique shops and other botiques that line Main Street and also to encourage more of the same to open in Travelers Rest.

Should it also spur interest for developers to consider low to mid-rise residential complex with the buildings being architecturally unique?

[RestedTraveler]

I saw a clip on WYFF-4 this morning where Travelers Rest is going to be doing exactly what Skyliner had wished for. The city is going to take steps to turn itself into a destination, including reducing US-276 (Main Street) through downtown to two lanes from five and providing landscaped medians, turn lanes, directional signage, and bump-out parking. Not mentioned in this clip, T.R. will also be installing old fashioned street lighting and a clock tower along Main Street, too. These ideas are geared toward encouraging visitors to stop off and visit some of the antuique shops and other botiques that line Main Street and also to encourage more of the same to open in Travelers Rest.

Here is a link to the clip, if anyone is interested:

http://www.wyff4.com/video/9175369/index.html

[OutlawSteph]

Great photos! Beautiful town! Nice coffee shop! I'm coming up to Greenville next month, and thinking of moving permanently. I hope to see Travelers Rest.

[RestedTraveler]

Great photos! Beautiful town! Nice coffee shop! I'm coming up to Greenville next month, and thinking of moving permanently. I hope to see Travelers Rest.

Welcome to Urban Planet, OutlawSteph! Travelers Rest is but a mere small town, so be sure to check out Greenville itself, first! T.R. is a nice quiet place to live though, I have to say that. I moved here from Orlando, myself.

[GSP Tiger]

Article: TR officials see new hotel on U.S. 25 in city's future

The Greenville News (SC)

2006-6-12

Travelers Rest lacks lodging for many events at Furman and North Greenville universities and outdoor enthusiasts who prefer to bike and hike and stay at a hotel for a couple nights. Sleep Inn and Hampton Inn are the well known ones as well as some independents. Is there any chance we may see any midrise hotels in the near future?

[goodbye]

Article: TR officials see new hotel on U.S. 25 in city's future

The Greenville News (SC)

2006-6-12

Travelers Rest lacks lodging for many events at Furman and North Greenville universities and outdoor enthusiasts who prefer to bike and hike and stay at a hotel for a couple nights. Sleep Inn and Hampton Inn are the well known ones as well as some independents. Is there any chance we may see any midrise hotels in the near future?

I think it depends on how quickly the rail-to-trail program is finished, but I could easily envision such a new hotel in TR.

[gs3]

I had heard Drury was looking at additional locations, maybe this area is one of those additional locations? Shocking there aren't more hotel rooms on this side of the city. None around Cherrydale, and only these couple in TR. This side of the city is definitely overdue for more hotels.

[StrangeCock]

Of course Sunrift is a destination store..."getting there is half of the fun."

[Beowulf]

I had heard Drury was looking at additional locations, maybe this area is one of those additional locations? Shocking there aren't more hotel rooms on this side of the city. None around Cherrydale, and only these couple in TR. This side of the city is definitely overdue for more hotels.

Not just hotels - TR really needs a few more restaurants. It's encouraging to see more going in around Cherrydale, but something nice up toward Furman and TR would be good, too.

As for Sunrift, I've been shopping with them since it was nothing more than a few catalogs and some gear in Jim Kelly's living room. I'm glad to see them doing so well.

[gs3]

^ Yeah, Sunrift has a loyal cult following. I remember being told about them and checking them out my first couple of weeks after moving to Greenville. Been going there regularly since. With the look and attitude they have going on, they could "bottle it" and open additional stores. Who knows, they could be the next REI.

[RestedTraveler]

Hush yo' mouth! I like Sunrift just as Sunrift is.

[gs3]

Yeah, but think how famous that could make Travelers Rest.....people on treks to see the "mother store"!

[Beowulf]

I'm not sure we want TR to become another Freeport, ME.

LL Bean is open 24 hours. I remember being there around 11:30 PM and seeing a guy buying a canoe, and thinking, "Now who buys canoes this late at night?"

[RestedTraveler]

I know I don't want TR to become another Freeport, ME or Bentonville, AR.

[Greenville]

I'm not sure we want TR to become another Freeport, ME.

LL Bean is open 24 hours. I remember being there around 11:30 PM and seeing a guy buying a canoe, and thinking, "Now who buys canoes this late at night?"

[Fiddlestix]

I'm not sure we want TR to become another Freeport, ME.

LL Bean is open 24 hours. I remember being there around 11:30 PM and seeing a guy buying a canoe, and thinking, "Now who buys canoes this late at night?"

You're too late with that concern. Don't believe me? You should see what people are carrying out of the 24-hour Wal*Mart at all hours of the day or night.

[Beowulf]

Well, this is true. I've had the misfortune of needing something from Wallyworld in the wee hours of the night/morning.