#YeahThatGreenville
 

A couple of weeks prior DS had messaged me: “Hey. Want to spend a weekend in Greenville?”

Both of our children inherited our wanderlust, good for them. But, Greenville?

DS continued. Amtrak had a great overnight fare from DC (where he lives and works) to Greenville, and that he's always wanted to take an overnight train (I learned something brand new about our 20-something!) and that Greenville sounded cool. I responded that I would make a decision closer to the date once I had checked the weather and confirmed the start date of the contractors (the 1989 interior of the gorgeous brick home we just purchased (carpeting in the bathroom! and floor-to-ceiling wallpaper in the half-bath—it looked like Laura Ashley had vomited all over the space.) was crying out desperately to be bought into the 21st century).

On the Monday leading up to the weekend I skimmed my Fodors “The Carolinas & Georgia” guidebook sent to us by friends who live in SC as a, “Welcome Back to the U.S./Come Visit Us!” gift along with the Greenville tourism site and found plenty of things to do on a long weekend. And perhaps more importantly, plenty of things to eat on a long weekend.

I checked the weather: 40-60% chance of showers for Saturday, the full day we would have. Meh. Pack an umbrella and duck into a brewery or café if necessary. How often are forecasts like this accurate, right? Then I scouted around for lodging, finding little that we consider true “dog-friendly;” that is, does not charge more for the pet fee than the room itself. Not really wanting a hotel for its lack of sitting area (DS would obvs bunk with us); and with no airbnb available, either I put the project away for the day.

Tuesday morning a place called, “Kasa Apartments” popped up on Expedia. “Pet-friendly” with a mere $15 pet fee per night. Having long since learned to read the fine print on pet-friendly lodging I scrolled their website and noted that they have “Breed Restrictions.” Doubting that the American Foxhound is a restricted breed, I called them nevertheless. The usual suspects (Bull Terriers, etc.) were restricted, but The Father of Our Country’s breed, from which DDog is descended, was not. I also asked about “Weight Restrictions” as that once reared its ugly head at check-in, too. Nope, no weight restrictions. Thinking I’d cleared that “Pet-friendly” hurdle I checked the forecast one last time before making our non-refundable reservation: 50-60% chance of showers for Saturday. So be it. I pushed the “Reserve” button and messaged DS that we would meet him in Greenville.

Late Tuesday an email with the virtual check-in requirements from Kasa arrived. Mostly standard stuff: upload a selfie and an official ID and indicate an approximate time for check-in; and declare you won’t smoke or hold an event/party.

And then came the MICROFINE print: DECLARE THAT YOUR PET WILL NOT BE LEFT UNATTENDED.

What the living…? Who travels with their dog and at some point doesn’t leave them in the lodging?

Fearing I had missed something, I went back to both the Expedia site and to the Kasa site and searched every single page. NOT ONE WORD about leaving pets unattended anywhere on either site. I screen-captioned each page, just in case.

Now what to do? The newly identified dog-sitter was not available, so that option was out. Should we scrap the weekend? We couldn’t take DDog everywhere with us, like the Greenville County Museum of Art (on my list); and dining out meant dining outside, not a pleasant prospect if the forecast rain actually happened. But the contractors were whirling about the house and I had to turn my attention to paint colors and tile squares and the day just slipped away.

Give yourself 10 points if you suspected the forecast would change for the worse. On Wednesday morning I checked again to read: “90% chance of rain. Rainfall of up to a half inch.” But the real problem of the day was that the color I had selected for the great room was entirely wrong. Way wrong. Even the design consultant I had (necessarily) splurged on agreed that the color had failed us. Back to the drawing board for a new color, putting out little design fires around the house and otherwise accomplishing nothing of substance. The clock was ticking closer to departure and I still had no solution for the not-so-pet-friendly issue.

On Thursday morning the forecast was downgraded to the pre ark-building stage. “100% chance of rain. Rainfall of possibly over an inch. Locally heavy rain at times.” The forecast for Knoxville (home) was the same. Now there were two choices: stay at home with the rain (and the contractors) and leave the Greenville apartment to DS; or drive 3+ hours across the mountains to do…what, exactly?

Finally the light bulb turned on: why not call Kasa and find out what they really mean with this restriction. I blame this processing delay on the paint and primer fumes affecting my ability to multi-task.

It turned out that this particular restriction is in place to avoid the “hyper puppy” who will tear up the place if left unattended. DDog is 12-ish; while he loves to travel with us, he seeks out his bed and konks out until it’s time to do something interesting. His tearing-the-place-up days are long over. Problem solved.

That evening, DH and I clinked our wine glasses to, “Why did we buy a big house again?” and a, “Let’s get out of here for the weekend.”

I've missed your trip reports fourfortravel, so signing on. Never mind that I've never heard of Greenville:).

Will be interested to hear about Greenville.

Yep. My house, not that far from you, was also built in 1989. Finally got rid of the carpet in 2013. But I thought I heard that wallpaper is coming back.

Greenville is a neat old mill town in western (called "Upstate") South Carolina that has undergone a tremendous transformation in the past 10-15 years. Downtown is vibrant with a fairly new performing arts center, and the city's old downtown hotel, The Poinsett, has been refurbished and is very nice. Lots of food choices there and plenty in comfortable walking distance downtown. They've also done a lot with the river that runs through one end of downtown. The place fills up for Clemson football weekends but otherwise is a perfect weekend visit.

The Greenville downtown is wonderful. They used to have a fabulous dog treat bakery there but it moved further out, I think. It's fun to look for the Mice on Main -
Mice On Main

The title might indicate that we don't know yet if it's the SC Greenville we seem to assume, or have I missed a "SC" from fourfortravel? If not, waiting for the punchline.

We love to take a quick trip over to Greenville, SC! What a great job they have done with the downtown area. There are great restaurants, shopping and shows. A great little weekend getaway!

Friday. No change in the weather, sigh. The painters arrived about 15 minutes before we were to depart and painted a large swath of the new color on the wall. I approved the color, not at all dried; handed the house key to the lead person and asked that they message when they left the house so that I could activate the security system.

On the road. The scenery along I-40 East is marginally interesting from Knoxville to the Smoky Mountains. The drive through the Cherokee and Pisgah National Forests, though, was prettier than expected even on a cloudy and late November afternoon. Traffic was light and everyone seemed to be more or less driving at tempo, rather important along this winding stretch through the gorge.


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...76a5ca2f3.jpeg

The drive once leaving the forests and into Greenville was b.o.r.i.n.g., much like the westbound stretch of Autobahn from the end of the Wachau until the first peaks of the Salzburg Alps. In fact, we almost missed the nondescript sign informing us that we had crossed the Eastern Continental Divide.
We motored along past a roadside store selling “Wedding Sparklers.” Is it a Southern thing to douse the happy couple with fiery metal shards, we wondered?

Our flat was lovingly designed by that Swedish furniture goddess and her slightly more upscale cousin and had a balcony on which to enjoy our morning coffee. The flat was located in the up-and-coming West End section of Greenville in a new construction building surrounded by lots of beautifully restored 20’s and 30’s Craftmans and bunglaows, all swoon-worthy for those with an architectural interest. Plenty of neighborhood vibe, too. A block or so away was Fluor Field, home to the single-A affiliate of the Red Sox and a full complement of hipster millennial restaurants, cafes, and organic shops. Thus far our brief glimpse of Greenville was all positive.

The week having caught up with us, rather than apply some lip color and go out to dine I suggested I walk with DDog for carryout from the nearby tap room while DH procured a bottle of wine and breakfast provisions from the grocery for the morning. (DS’s Amtrak was due in at 0549; we advised him to Uber to our flat where breakfast would be waiting.) Dinner was not at all southern cuisine (a Reuben for me and the “Certified Angus Beef Meatloaf “for DH), just a delicious supper on the balcony of our flat on a mild late autumn evening, the scent of rain edging closer and closer.

Saturday Morning. DS would naturally message when he arrived, but I still set the iPhone alarm for 0545. On a Saturday. ‘Tis a good thing we love our children. The alarm sounded and I messaged, “Where be you?” and DS replied, “An hour out. We sat in Charlotte for some reason.” Aaahhh, back to snooze we both went. I noted that the rain had not begun to fall, and crossed my fingers that this was a good sign that the meteorologists had been wrong.

No. Roughly an hour later we awoke to the pitter-patter of rain, its sweet smell wafting in through the open bedroom window. DS soon messaged that he was in an Uber, so it was time to rise. Within moments DS tapped on the door, and after the hugs and greetings we set about preparing breakfast only to be thwarted by the “Mixpresso,” some knock-off version of the Keurig that not only brewed nothing but brown water but also spewed out messy grounds all over the counter. Thankfully by the time the mess was cleared up the hipster café across the street had opened. Real hot coffee to the morning rescue.

Breakfast accomplished and the rain now pouring down, we headed first to the Greenville State Farmer’s Market where I had a conversation about turnip greens with “Joe” so lively that I bought a bag to bring home and prepare with ham bones. So many interesting products tempted us, too, though we did resist the temptation to play in the beans or break the ginormous collard green stems.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...82b0a16be.jpeg

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4b113bf352.jpg

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5e31b0379.jpeg

From the market we turned to history. The Upcountry History Museum taught us much about this part of America, its textile past and its forward-looking future (the introductory film was excellent); and the Greenville County Art Museum that exposed us to the stunning basswood creations of South Carolinian artist Grainger McKoy and the dreamy watercolors of Andrew Wyeth. Hard to believe the art museum was free, and that the docents thanked us for visiting!


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0ed9352cc.jpeg

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...055e3f371.jpeg
In the charming Greenville downtown there is a whimsical hunt for the 9 brass "Mice on Main." We only found two because, well, the rain was falling as fast as our spirits. Good thing there were three spaces at the Dark Corner Distillery tasting bar. A flight of whiskeys, rums, and vodkas and once again we were all in good spirits. Pun fully intended.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...438024c7d.jpeg

Some light shopping here and there and then just as the rain began to fall even harder we ducked into Nose Dive for lunch, where I had made a reservation. That turned out to be a wise decision for the restaurant was packed. Craving a burger (I know, not very Southern. But remember, I have been deprived of a real American burger for the seven years we lived overseas, so please cut me some slack.) I nom-nomed that perfectly medium rare patty topped with sautéed onions slipping out of the bun while DH went Southern, with Mac and Cheese topped with Pulled Pork as did DS with his Fried Chicken and Waffle. Happiness enveloped our table.

On the way back to the car we walked past a nod to Joseph Poinsett, an SC native and the first ambassador to Mexico. He brought back to America with him a red, pointed-leaf plant that we have all come to know and love: the Poinsettia!


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b164a3d61.jpeg

Just a little bit water-logged, we called it a day in the late afternoon and retreated to the apartment to watch our alma mater whoop their opponent in college football while noshing on barbeque with a capital B. This evening’s feast was courtesy of Henry’s Smokehouse, a local favorite from a little roadhouse just a short drive from our apartment. I am a fan of vinegar-based barbeque sauces and Henry’s did not disappoint. Needless to write there was nary a leftover morsel on this evening.

Thanks for following along! I had not heard of Greenville, either until DS mentioned it. :)

"But I thought I heard that wallpaper is coming back."

Not the wallpaper in this house. :lol:

It was fun! I wish it hadn't been raining so hard; I wanted to find all of them...

No punchline, the #YeahThatGreenville is the city's tourism slogan. I thought it made a clever TR title.

Not being familiar with your (now I know wonderful) trip reports, I am SO relieved you found the Wyeth collection.
Greenville is really a happening town these days. Seemingly a well kept secret.

I go to Greenville regularly to visit family. Unfortunately, I don't get to downtown anymore but I did a few years ago when my mom was alive and my dad was in better health. I love the downtown area. So vibrant and pretty.

Fourfortravel, welcome back to the U.S.! I've read your trip reports and posts on the Europe forum, and you gave me some helpful advice one summer about Brewster on Cape Cod.

I enjoyed your trip report about Greenville. Some day we want to spend several weeks or more traveling in the south, and Greenville sounds like a nice place to visit, off the beaten track.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

If you want a recipe to make pulled pork when you get back home, I can supply. And in a "face off" on BBQ sauces, my homemade western NC sauce won vs. the one from a Smithfield BBQ joint!! Plenty of vinegar and pepper but even more.

It's a wedding thing.
Not a southern thing.
Don't know if Pinterest or wedding blogs get the blame / credit .

Good report.

Our final day dawned bright, sunny, and a little cool. Just perfect. Also perfect was our breakfast.

We had a gravy flight! From a biscuit place whose byline is, “Put Some South in Your Mouth.” Five fluffy (and rather large) biscuits ringed with Fried Chicken; Red Eye; Chorizo; Pork; and Venison Gravies, and the Gravy of the Day, a Maple Bacon variety. Plus a side of Pimento Cheese (because I love pimento cheese; to me it is like America’s version of Liptauer, which I also love(d).)

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d273e5ca0.jpeg

This was my first ever “Biscuits and Gravy.” More love. Full stop.

Most thankfully we followed this feast with a wander through the beautiful Falls Park in the center of Greenville. So pretty! And to my delight at one end of the park, a Chihuly sculpture! We had learned at the Upcountry History Museum that back in the 70’s the Reedy River, which put Greenville on the map was known by its pejorative, the “Rainbow Reedy” owing to the abundance of textile dyes that were being disposed of by the very textile manufacturers that brought economic strength to the area. It wasn’t until the early 1990’s that plans to restore the river and revitalize downtown Greenville gained traction, and not until the early 2000’s before the river and falls were once again the gem of downtown Greenville.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...db4e9d960.jpeg

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fb602ec95.jpeg
Blue Laws seemed to be in effect in Greenville; we had to occupy ourselves for a couple of hours before dropping DS at GSP for his return flight to D.C. so why not drop in on nearby Spartanburg? We had just enough time to walkabout the tiny downtown, most of its stores and restaurants shuttered as in Greenville. At one end of the downtown a 1990 beige monolith rose 18 stories into the sky…the Denny’s Corporate Headquarters. On the old Woolworth site was a marker describing the Woolworth Sit-In of 1960. In the park, a small plaque noted that the Marshall Tucker Band formed in the city in 1972. And that was pretty much Spartanburg.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...009222c93.jpeg

The day was sunny and the air not so cool that we could not enjoy lunch on the terrace of Cribb’s Kitchenette, of the two open restaurants (recall that DDog was with us). Salads and the local brew for the boys; and a personal-size cast iron skillet of roasted Brussels Sprouts topped with crumbled bacon and blue cheese for me, plus a lovely Oregon white. Everyone was happy.

We left DS at GSP and routed home. Literally five minutes into our drive he messaged that he had cleared security and was at his gate. In good order we were home, too.

Did we genuinely enjoy the weekend? Weather aside, yes. We came, we saw, we learned, and boy, did we eat! Would we visit Greenville again? Absent a specific occasion, likely not. It isn’t that we didn’t enjoy a lovely weekend, it is that Knoxville has everything Greenville has. We suspect that Asheville will prove similar, but in the name of all things barbeque we will most definitely collect another data point.

Thank you for reading.

Gretchen, I loved the Wyeth collection. Greenville has a lot going for it, agreed. I shall PM you for that barbeque recipe. We'll have a crowd at the house for the New Year's Day bowl games that I'll need to feed. :)

Thank you, Karen! We found Greenville to be nicely running below the radar but with more than enough for a weekend. Hopefully you'll get there soon!

I went down the Pinterest wormhole. Wow. Wedding Sparklers and "Reveal Parties" are two activities I thankfully don't need to be considering. :lol:

That Denny's monolith sure looks out of place.

Maybe no one will care if I post it.



1 pork shoulder or butt, bone in or out--any size--the cooking time is the same for a 3#or 8# piece.
BBQ rub of your choice (I will post mine if you want) or just rub the meat with a mixture of kosher salt,coarse ground black pepper, brown sugar. You can add smoked paprika, and about anything else you want!! Put in a plastic bag to marinate for a few hours or overnight.

Method 1--IF you have a smoker that can control the temp (I have a sidebox smoker and can keep the temp at 200*-250*) smoke the meat for 4 hours, keeping the temp low. Then place the meat in a 250* oven for 4-6 hours to finish. It will be meltingly tender and have a wonderful smoky flavor.
Method 2 (and this is the one I have really used for 50 years). Place the meat in a 225* oven for 8-10 hours uncovered . I have often done them overnight. It will still have the melting tenderness. You will have to slap your hands to have any left over as you take it out of the oven. If you want to do it by temperature, a thermometer should read 190-200^
When ready to serve pull chunks of meat off and then "pull" the meat into shreds by pulling between 2 forks. Do not discard the fat--mix it in. This is not a low fat dish and to really enjoy, use it!!!
To warm before serving put themeat in a pan (black iron frying pan or Le Creuset is good) and cover tightly. Heat at 250* until heated.
To serve, offer bbq sauces, cole slaw (in the Carolinas, it goes ON the sandwich), baked beans, rolls, and banana pudding. For fall bbq's Brunswick Stew is also offered.

For BBQ sauce here is my tomato based:

1 bottle ketchup (28 or 32 oz.)
1 ketchup bottle of cider vinegar
6 oz. yellow mustard
6 oz. worcestershire sauce
Hot or sweet smoked paprika
1/2C brown sugar
3 oz. liquid smoke (if you want to use it)
2-3 TBS coarse black pepper
Texas Pete or such to your taste
Simmer for 45 minutes.

If you use commercial bbq sauce I suggest diluting them 1/2 with vinegar for this use.

Eastern NC uses vinegar sauces--sweetened vinegar with 1/4C (at least!!) cayenne pepper OR black pepper. It is too hot for me!
South Carolina uses a mustard based sauce but don't know the recipe.

Oh Gretchen! I care! Thanks for sharing.

Well, Greenville really has come in along way in the past 15 years. I was there about 5 years ago and enjoyed it then. And I love Gretchen's recipe post...as a native Memphian I love BBQ!

Two women who live in my coop in Manhattan sold their summer place in
Sag Harbor and bought a house in Greenville about 6 years ago. They wanted to be in Charleston but that proved too expensive. They use it all year round; I think the flight is only an hour-plus from NYC.

Not only that, but one of our doormen bought a house there two years ago and will relocate from the Bronx when he retired next year! Some of his family have already made the move and they love it.

It's a great little city but one of the best things about it is the location. It's in the Piedmont, so although not in the mountains Asheville is only an hour away and you're above the gnat line and out of the worst of the heat and humidity. An easy drive to the beaches and if you need/ want more big city options, Charlotte and Atlanta are just a couple of hours away. Sometimes I drive over to Greenville to see their Broadway series and concerts at the Peace Center. Easier to get in and out, less traffic and they have a different Broadway tour series than Atlanta's. If you want a little bit of "city" without the negative things about living in a big metro area, it's a great choice. And the downtown is simply charming. There aren't that many places that are as strollable as the Greenville downtown. Dectaur GA is one, but taxes are very high there. Greenville is a very good choice.

Broadway series -
https://tickets.peacecenter.org/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::perma link=20-BW-Season&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::context_id =

A lot of people seem to be moving to Bluffton lately. I was in New Jersey this week and talking to a man whose family (originally from NJ) were planning to move from metro Atlanta to Bluffton but were rethinking that move. Greenville offers a lot - little city options with a great location.

And with Furman there it has a college to draw good things to do. And Furman is a well kept secret for a fine university.

Starrs:

Absolutely, your comments about people moving to Bluffton from the NE. We usually stop there going or coming from Florida. Last spriing when we were there (ate at a good restaurant called The Farm; on previous trips we always ate at the Bluffon Family Seafood House), the wait person told us that Bluffton was getting so expensive that she and many locals that she knew were having to move north to Ridgeland cause they could no longer afford to live in Bluffton. And that the city is getting spillover from northeners who cannot afford Hilton Head... I could not believe the amount of building going on along the highway leading to Hilton Head from I-95!! Totally changed in the 6 years we have beenn passing through!

One of the most pricey hotels on the east coast is in Bluffton--Palmetto Bluff. The entire property is gorgeous and the hotel rooms are so very posh, and plush. Where else can you borrow a Mercedes S-class convertible for no charge (!!!) to tootle around to the farmer's market or out to dinner??? (I took a lot of photos of THAT scene!!) We stayed there (PB) a couple of times but it just became just too expensive, and now that it has been taken over by Montage, they expanded the place and changed a lot. The good thing is that the town seems to have great Ωoning so there are no eyesore buildings in the tiny downtown area....I can only see property there going up and up and up.....

Question: What is the NEXT Bluffton, or the NEXT Greenville??

I think there is a cohort of people near retirement age that really do not want to retire to Florida and bake in the sun, never mind the heat of summer. These more active people can golf, enjoy the seasons, walk, and try new foods, in some of these towns that most never heard of before recently.

The NEXT Greenville? Try Greenville, NC, where I went to college at East Carolina University. It's a growing area (now the ninth-largest city in NC, I believe). It is often confused with its sister city in SC, and we've even had visiting athletic teams book accommodations in the "other" Greenville before realizing their mistake.

Western NC, eastern TN and north GA is full of retirees who want those things. Mountain lakes with crystal clear water. Beautiful seasons. Restaurants including one that is among the top 100 in the country. Golf. Hiking. Waterfalls. Towns, not cities so big hospitals are about an hour away but top physicians have retired and practice part time, including former department heads at Atlanta hospitals. A few of the doctors have gone into the wine business with beautiful vineyards and award winning wines. A/C not needed, even in the summer. Mosquitos are rare. Gnats = not at all. One needs to go to the highlands to get away from the gnats, bugs and the horrible heat and humidity. Half of my neighbors are from Florida, including a couple of Fodorites. Well, one sold and moved to the mountains of Virginia. It's pretty much heaven on earth. Bluffton doesn't appeal to me. Hilton Head definitely doesn't. A niece owned a home in Charleston while going to college (and then moved to Manhattan). A friend moved from the mountains to Bluffton to take care of an elderly mother but hates the sprawl around Bluffton. My plan was to have a place in the mountains and a place near the ocean. Insurance costs are just too high along the water. Kudos to those who can make it work. I always wanted a place in the mountains and a place near the ocean and took a job about a decade ago with the plan to buy the "near the ocean" place in NC or SC. But the micro-managing boss wanted me to relocate to Charlotte or Raleigh so I left the job in less than a year. If you are looking, I'd look at something in the Piedmont or higher. But that won't work if daily walks on a beach is important.

The Triangle area (RTP) in central NC is attracting a lot of retirees, but you get heat, humidity and mosquitoes. On the other hand, three large universities and several smaller, plenty of good medical care, good food scene, beach in one direction and mountains in the other. I've lived here so long I'll probably stay put, although Asheville is attractive.

We sold our beach house on the NC coast a couple of years ago. The grandchildren coming along had a lot to do with it, but a not insignificant factor was cleaning the house, yard and boat in the oppressive summer heat every time we had to leave. I was drenched on the way home in the summer unless I showered before leaving. Fall was really the best time down there when the humidity left, the air cooled into the 70s and 80s and the water was still warm enough to swim.

Fall on the Southeast Coast is an absolutely magical time--nothing better.

Is it ok to ask where both of you--Starrs and Thursday--live?

I think I said this before: I do NOT like spending the winter in Florida. I would much rather stay put in NYC and rent a house in, for example, Sicily, or an apartment in Madrid, for a month or two in the winter. This may be too much info, but I agreed to go to Florida with the partner whose elderly sister lives in the same complex. We got a GREAt deal on a condo for the over-55 set. We are most definitely NOT in Miami or even in West Palm Beach (urban area), both of which I would like a lot better, I think. Partner loves it for the golf, the sister, and most of all, the weather. I like to swim, period, and they have a fabulous library near us. Last winter I went to Spain by myself for two weeks, from Miami, and it was great.

We have friends who work at the medical school of Winston Salem (Bowman Grey??); he will retire soon and they will spend summers in Linville, near Boone, and winters in Boca Raton. I am sure the Boone area will be great. Boca--not so much!!

Hi eks - I sent you a PM.

That's a lovely area. I think nearby Valle Crucis is one of the prettiest valleys anywhere.

If you go, perhaps stay at the Mast Farm Inn -
https://www.themastfarminn.com/

What are the "musts" on your list? Golf. Winter swimming? Let us know. I think you may enjoy the Charlottesville area and/or Asheville NC and/or several options in between. I think Asheville is pretty much perfect. I would seriously check that out. I also thought I'd eventually live there. A friend and her husband moved up from Atlanta about 10 years ago and adore it. They bought one of the original Grove Park cottages and their backyard backed up to the golf course. He put in a putting green in the back yard.

eks, I just found this and thought you may be interested in reading it -
https://www.ourstate.com/frances-mayes-hillsborough/
Thursday will be more familiar with that side of the state than I.

Hillsborough is a charming place with an historic district. The mountains around Linville are terrific. Little Switzerland off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Banner Elk

Look up High Country NC for a lot of places.