I decided to brave the rain and take advantage of a short dry spell and explore downtown Greenville. Even with the lousy weather, lots of people filled the sidewalks, restaurants and shops. Parking was challenging but I landed a spot, grabbed my umbrella and headed to the riverwalk and over the Eugenia Duke Bridge. It is named for one of Greenville’s female entrepreneurs (Duke’s Mayonnaise). It crosses the Reedy River and pointed me perfectly to the Liberty Bridge and Reedy River Falls. This beautiful 345 foot suspension bridge gives pedestrians a perfect view of Reedy River Falls, the gardens (Falls on the Reedy Park) below and an entry point to Swamp Rabbit Trail. The park allows you to get right on the water and take pathways to swings and other seating.

I walked down South Main Street to the West End. Apparently this area was the former location of Furman University. While walking around I enjoyed beautiful public art in the form of murals, statues and glass art including a Dale Chihuly. Pedrick’s Garden was next to the Chihuly piece. This two-acre garden honors a local community leader and was in full bloom.

I visited a fabulous bookstore in the former Greenville County Courthouse. It was another great example of repurposing a historic building for a new era. This bookstore had several nooks, murals and creative displays. It hosts lots of writing classes and events, too.

Greenville feels small in size but large in personality. The downtown area was clean and very walkable and served as a great introduction for my two weeks in Greenville. I look forward to exploring more in the upcoming weeks.