Spring is officially here, which means warmer weather and finally being able to enjoy the outdoors again. Cities throughout the southern United States are the first to make the most of the sunny weather, and the cities of Greenville, South Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia have no shortage of festivals, cultural events and outdoor activities for visitors to enjoy as the weather keeps getting warmer. Whether you’re looking to learn about some of the country’s early history, want to immerse yourself in some outdoor fun or simply want to enjoy some of the nation’s best food, both cities have plenty to offer for adults and children alike.
Traveling Between Greenville, SC and Atlanta, GA
Located about three hours from one another, traveling between Greenville and Atlanta is easy, with plenty of bus operators, such as Greyhound, PandaNYBus, and Southeastern Stages offering regular connections between the two cities.
How to get there: Greenville, SC – Atlanta, GA with PandaNYBus, starting from $25.00
Outdoor Adventure in Greenville, South Carolina
Located in the northern part of South Carolina, Greenville is surrounded by amazing natural scenery, with expansive gorges, cascading waterfalls and hiking trails galore. The Gorge Zipline Canopy Tour is a highlight, giving you exciting views of the 10,000 acres of protected forest and nearby Green River. The park features 11 zip lines and a sky bridge made from tree-based platforms. Chimney Rock State Park is the perfect place to experience the best of the great outdoors with a trail to Chimney Rock, amazing views of Lake Lure and the Carolina Piedmont as well as the reopened Grotto, Subway and Pulpit Rock, have even more magnificent views. The Hickory Nut Falls trail is also well worth a visit to see one of the largest waterfalls on the east coast. Children can enjoy the Great Woodland Adventure Trail as well and hardened adventurers can explore the Four-Season Trail, which climbs to heights as tall as 400 feet! Within the city of Greenville itself, the 90-acre Cedar Falls Park is centered around a 200-foot-wide waterfall and plenty of green space.
Tourists looking for a taste of history and culture will have their choice of museums and tours to take advantage of. The Children’s Museum of the Upstate is the 7th largest children’s museum in the country with interactive exhibit galleries and over 100 hands-on activities that the whole family can enjoy, including designing Formula 1 race cars and making TV Broadcasts. Another great option for kids is the Roper Mountain Science Center which is home to a planetarium, arboretum, living history farm, an observatory and a butterfly world, as well as several educational events throughout the year. The Peace Center is an amazing venue for live performances, concerts and conferences and the Greenville Country Museum of Art hosts a nationally acclaimed collection of American art, including work from Andrew Wyeth and Jasper Johns. For a better picture of the city’s history, the Greenville Interactive Tours provides a unique blend of history and innovative technology to enhance the tour, and are available on Fridays and Saturdays.
Festivals, History and Culture in Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia’s capital and largest city is an exciting place to be year-round, but during the spring, Atlanta is made even livelier by its abundance of seasonal outdoor activities. The Georgia Renaissance Festival, starting halfway through the month, brings some medieval history to the city with nearly 1,000 costumed characters, exciting jousting tournaments, acrobats, jugglers, magicians and whimsical minstrels. The city’s annual Atlanta Film Festival is one of America’s longest-running film festivals and is a fantastic way to join other movie fans and filmmakers from around the country to view over 150 films over its seven-day run, with a spectrum of genres to choose from. Media fans might also appreciate the Walking Dead Tour to see some of the sets and filming locations used for the famous show, including the hospital where the story began. The tour is even led by one of the show’s extra who has inside knowledge of being on the set of the Walking Dead. Of course, a trip to Atlanta wouldn’t be complete without enjoying the region’s famous cuisine, and Atlanta’s Southern Food Tour is the perfect way to sample some of the city’s best dishes to know just which restaurants you want to go back to for more.
Are you a fan of Coca-Cola? The World of Coca-Cola offers fans of the beverage a unique tour to see the vaults where the drink’s secret formula is held, and features art and memorabilia related to the company, an opportunity to sample from over 100 beverages from around the world and a chance to meet the iconic Coca-Cola Polar Bear as well as the option to take the VIP Guided Tour of the facilities. The Georgia Aquarium is one of the finest in the country and boasts six separate galleries, over 70 unique habitats and thousands of species of diverse marine animals, including white sharks, manta rays, sea otters, African penguins and exotic fish from around the world. The Atlanta History Center is spread over 33 acres with historic houses, magnificent gardens and plenty of interactive activities that bring the region’s history to life. History buffs must also check out the Center for Civil and Human Rights, which houses a gallery of artifacts from The Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. Collection, and allows visitors to get a deeper look at Dr. King’s life while also gaining a though-provoking look at the city’s history of civil rights.
Share this post: