Home Care In Travelers Rest, SC

In recent years, there has been a growing trend toward multimodal communities – areas in which residents prioritize walkability, bikeability, and access to public transportation. Specifically, these communities are rapidly gaining attention in urban areas, where individuals gravitate toward spaces that promote healthy living and community connectivity.

In order for these new areas to seamlessly integrate into existing communities, development planning requires innovation, expertise, and local insight, all of which Caroline Donaldson possesses. A land planner at leading site design firm, SeamonWhiteside, Donaldson put her six years of multimodal expertise into practice most recently with the Pinestone community in Travelers Rest, South Carolina. Donaldson has found key takeaways from the challenges and creativity it took to design Pinestone.

Travelers Rest is rapidly gaining attention as one of the region’s most desirable areas to live, work, and play. The town’s infamous Swamp Rabbit Trail is a destination for locals and visitors alike, providing walking and biking trails through the beautiful South Carolina landscape. As lead planner for SeamonWhiteside on the Pinestone community project, Donaldson knew that the area needed to be designed for connectivity and rooted in collaboration.

Designed for Connectivity

Donaldson brought connectivity to a whole new level with this project, connecting the new greenway seamlessly with Travelers Rest’s Main Street, and the existing Swamp Rabbit Trail that winds its way to downtown Greenville, S.C. Thoughtfully planned to be walkable and bikeable for people of all ages, the community includes wide sidewalks and many shared greenspaces. A small outdoor amphitheater, several parks, a dog park, and multiple greenway connections to the surrounding area, bring connectivity and accessibility to the development.

As a large infill project in the heart of Travelers Rest, a very unique development approach was required for a community of this size. While many multimodal communities are built as stand-alone projects, Pinestone was built to integrate into the existing fabric of Travelers Rest and expand the pedestrian and bike-friendly network the town is known for. This required local insight, innovation, and drawing on area expertise for seamless integration.

Rooted In Collaboration

Born out of a desire to create a community that prioritized the needs of pedestrians and cyclists and de-emphasized the need for cars, it quickly became apparent that the existing development code of The City of Travelers Rest did not allow for the diverse, multimodal road typologies necessary to support such a vision. Through close collaboration with the City of Travelers Rest, the land planners, including Donaldson, at SeamonWhiteside, were able to create a series of road typologies that included dedicated bike lanes and wider sidewalks to support the larger vision for this pedestrian-friendly community.

One particularly important addition was the alley typology, which allowed for rear-facing garages and enabled houses to face directly onto a park instead of a busy road. While these road sections had been used in other municipalities, they were a first for Travelers Rest and required significant creativity and commitment to bring them to fruition, allowing for a more traditional neighborhood feel.

Through this collaborative effort, Pinestone became a prime example of what a community built with multimodal transportation in mind can look like. Moreover, it helped facilitate a broader shift in Travelers Rest, updating the municipal code to include a more diverse selection of road options that encourage active transportation.

Ultimately, the success in building integrated multimodal communities stems from collaboration and connectivity. SeamonWhiteside worked alongside the owner, PineStone Capital LLC., and the developer, The Randolph Group, to help turn this local development into a reality. As SW+’s lead Land Planner for Pinestone, Caroline Donaldson worked continuously with the project team from initial planning, through rezoning and permitting, and ultimately through construction. The extensive partnership throughout the entire project allowed SeamonWhiteside to keep the goals of the development in focus throughout the process.

The Pinestone community consists of residential spaces such as single-family homes, townhomes, apartments, and live/work units as well as commercial uses still under construction. Proposed commercial spaces include a food hall and various neighborhood-scale retail, restaurant, and office spaces that make it easy for residents to frequent. Throughout this process, SeamonWhiteside has provided Land Planning, Civil Engineering, and Landscape Architecture services for this project.

Hey, Furman family!

One advantage to being a Furman student is living in one of the fastest growing cities in the United States: Greenville, SC. Greenville is situated in the heart of the southeast being only 2.5 hours away from Atlanta, GA, 5.5 hours from Nashville, TN, 1 hour from Asheville, NC, 3.5 hours from Charleston, SC, and 2 hours from Charlotte, NC. Being close to many major cities, the professional opportunities provided to students are limitless. In fact, I will be attending and presenting a research paper at an academic honors conference at the Hyatt Regency, a hotel in downtown Greenville, in a few weeks. I feel lucky that I live nearby and have the opportunity to attend this conference without having to travel far. Other than the academic opportunities, both downtown Greenville (about 20 minutes south of Furman’s campus) and Travelers Rest (about 5 minutes north of Furman’s campus) are super fun areas to explore. The cities are also connected by the Swamp Rabbit Trail.

Swamp Rabbit Trail

The Swamp Rabbit Trail is a 22-mile multi-use walking, running, and biking trail that runs along the Reedy River from downtown and connects to Travelers Rest. The Swamp Rabbit Trail also has an entrance point on Furman’s campus. I frequently enjoy walking on the Swamp Rabbit Trail on the weekends or during the afternoons when I have a break from classes. One Saturday morning I walked with a group of friends to get breakfast in Travelers Rest on the Swamp Rabbit Trail. It is a little over 3 miles to and from Travelers Rest. The Swamp Rabbit Trail is a great avenue to get in some exercise if you want to enjoy the outdoors or aren’t in the mood to visit the Physical Activities Center (our on-campus gym, also known as the PAC).

Greenville (GVL)

Downtown Greenville is a beautiful area to explore. It’s a destination for shopping, dining, and entertainment. My favorite restaurants I have eaten at downtown are Passerelle Bistro, The Lazy Goat (the Ravioli do Pepe Piquillo is divine!), Trio Brick Oven Cafe, Gather GVL, UP On the Roof, Limoncello, Sully’s Steamers, Tupelo Honey, and Biscuit Head. I have many other restaurants on my bucket list I have yet to eat at! If you are craving a sweet treat or a caffeine boost, Spill the Beans is a cozy coffee and ice cream shop near Liberty Bridge. Grab a cup of coffee or an ice cream cone, and take a stroll with a friend in Falls Park! GVL is also home to the Bon Secours Wellness Area. The Furman men’s and women’s basketball teams play a few home games each season in this venue. Recently, Furman also had the privilege to host the first round of the NCAA March Madness Tournament at Bon Secours.

Travelers Rest (TR)

I frequent TR more than I do GVL because it is ridiculously close to campus. It is very convenient to visit, and there are many cute shops and amazing restaurants in the area. If you know me well, you know that my favorite place to visit in TR is a restaurant called Tandem Creperie and Coffeehouse. Tandem sells very yummy lattes, crepes, and waffles! Other than Tandem, some Furman favorites are Sidewall Pizza, Farmhouse Tacos (try the Hawaiian Shrimp Quesadilla), and Upcountry Provisions (they make the most delicious avocado toast)!

Thanks for reading about the two cities that Furman students call home. Greenville and Travelers Rest are two special places in the hearts and lives of the Furman community. Exploring GVL and TR has been a great joy and I cannot believe I still have another two years to live here. I am blessed to live in such a vibrant and and expanding city!

Cheers,

Ashlynne Culpepper

Four new spacious covered wagons await your next adventure at the Travelers Rest KOA in Greenville County, SC. The campground is beautiful and in an ideal location for that little family getaway you’ve been dreaming about.

Thank you to the Travelers Rest KOA for hosting us so we could do this review!

Always on the hunt for cool places to stay with my kids, when I saw the Travelers Rest KOA – not ten minutes from Main Street in Travelers Rest, SC – post about their brand new covered wagons at the campground, I knew that had to be my next stop. And the fact that it was 30 minutes from where I live in Greenville County was an incredible bonus! If you’re looking for an awesome little getaway that isn’t far, this is it.

This was my first KOA experience and thanks to the pretty awesome managers, Terri & Bill, I learned a lot about the company and this particular site in Northern Greenville County.

I’ll tell you all about the campground, the amenities they offer, the new covered wagons, and nearby activities.

About the KOA in Travelers Rest

Started in 1962 as a campground for travelers, KOA has expanded to over 500 locations in North America. The trademark yellow sign means a place for families to relax and have fun together.

KOA is mostly a franchise operation so many of the individual campgrounds are run and operated by local individuals, which I think really makes each spot unique. Terri and Bill have worked for KOA for many years and have extensive management experience of campgrounds. If they ever decide to write a book, let me tell you that I’d be the first to read it.

The couple moved out here to the Travelers Rest KOA only about a year and a half ago from Wyoming, where they had been managing another KOA campground. They immediately fell in love with Travelers Rest and Terri tells me the people here really make it feel like home. She just loves the community.

The couple has done a lot to make the particular campground welcoming and enjoyable for all guests. They have a seasonal pool open usually Memorial Day through Labor Day, a playground, a nature trail, basketball hoop, an enclosed area for dogs to run around in, giant Connect 4 and Checkers, and space to ride bikes. At the covered wagon sites, there are horseshoe pits, cornhole, and roping of steers. It’s a blast!

Each site also has its own raised charcoal grill and the covered wagons all have firepits and chairs. There are RV sites, cabins, and the covered wagons at the KOA in Travelers Rest.

The Beautiful Covered Wagons

The four covered wagons are from Kansas from a company called Plains Craft. These wagons are surprisingly spacious and comfortable. I was only there with my two kids and we had plenty of space.

There are currently four wagons: two of them sleep four people (one bunk bed and one king bed), one sleeps two people in a king bed, and one sleeps six people (two bunk beds and a king bed). That last one could probably even fit a pack n play if needed – there’s that much space.

Each wagon has a mini-fridge, Keurig coffee maker, and microwave. I had precooked our dinner before we came so I just heated it up because I really didn’t prepare well. I totally slacked on bringing ingredients for s’mores or anything to grill. So don’t be like me – bring those s’mores ingredients at least. You can purchase firewood on site.

There is a big open space at the end of the covered wagons that has two horseshoe pits, two steers to practice roping on because now you’re a cowboy, and cornhole. My girls loved playing all of these games.

We also appreciated the little free library at the campsite since I failed to bring games with me. They had some in there that we were able to borrow and play. Each covered wagon also has its own deck with a table and chairs and grill. This is perfect to enjoy the nearby creek and quiet of the campground. We loved this aspect of the KOA. Granted, we went during the week so it wasn’t as busy but the property is a little slice of paradise in Northern Greenville County, tucked away for its guests to enjoy.

Everything was totally clean and inviting, from the wagons themselves to the grounds of the campground.

All the wagons have heat and air conditioning. As of this writing, the price for one night in a wagon is around $145.

The Bathhouse

The wagons are not outfitted with individual bathrooms so you will have to take a little walk to get to them, about three minutes away on the gravel road.

The bathhouse is really nice! There are three separate stalls that each have a bathroom and shower. They lock individually so you have total privacy. There’s also an outdoor sink for washing dishes or brushing your teeth.

Be sure to bring your own towels.

Things to do Nearby

The KOA in Travelers Rest is at the perfect location for dining and adventure. There are lots of great restaurants nearby plus trails upon trails upon trails.

Where to eat

About five minutes from the Travelers Rest KOA on Hwy 25 is Williams Pit Stop, where you’ll be greeted by traditional Southern charm and a very affordable menu of Mike & Jeffs BBQ and loaded hot dogs. Don’t miss this gem.

2001 Highway 25, Travelers Rest

Located in downtown Travelers Rest, Tandem is known for their incredible sweet and savory crepes. This is the perfect way to start your day.

2 S Main Street, Travelers Rest

Readers will recognize this place as it’s one of our favorites! Owner Kristen is such a gem and works so hard to make the cafe a place of welcome and creativity. You can get breakfast, lunch, and coffee here alongside a serving of art!

27 S Main Street, Travelers Rest

If your kid loves trains, this is the place to take them. You can’t miss it as they have a giant mural of a train on the side of the restaurant, which serves up typical American cuisine of burgers and sandwiches.

109 Main Street, Travelers Rest

Open seasonally, Aunt Sue’s is a good place to stop after a hike to eat some ice cream and shop at the little general store for candles and other homemade goodies. There’s also a restaurant there serving up a buffet lunch or dinner.

107 Country Creek Dr A, Pickens

Where to play

Also located in downtown Travelers Rest, TR Makers Co. is the perfect place to shop for local goods as well as try your own hand at making some art. They have an array of different classes and it’s a fun spot to visit.

2 S Main Street, Travelers Rest

Hike the two-mile, kid-friendly Carrick Creek trail for beautiful creek crossings and waterfalls or test your endurance on the strenuous 7.5 mile Table Rock Summit Trail. Or just take a walk around the lake for incredible views of Table Rock, go for a swim at the beach, or picnic by the playground. You can’t go wrong spending a day at Table Rock State Park.

158 Ellison Lane, Pickens

Did you know there’s a tea farm in the Upstate? It’s the only one and they give tours of the farm, which are incredibly fascinating – plus their tea is really good.

118 High Hills Lane, Pickens

Another SC State Park that you can’t miss. For the best views of Table Rock, go to Caesars Head. You can also see the hawks migrating there during September. There’s also beautiful hikes – Raven Cliff Falls, Frank Coggins Trail, and the aptly named Dismal Trail.

8155 Geer Highway, Cleveland

Another gem of a park in the Upstate, Jones Gap boasts stunning hiking trails, especially the most popular one to Rainbow Falls. It’s a tough four-mile trek but well worth the effort. Be sure to make reservations for parking on weekends.

303 Jones Gap Road, Marietta

Head to the Upstate’s last covered bridge at Campbell’s Covered Bridge in Landrum. It’s a pretty spot for leaf peeping and creek stomping.

171 Campbell Covered Bridge Road, Landrum

Overall Review of the KOA Travelers Rest

There are a lot of reasons why we really enjoyed our stay: the management, the cool accommodations, the peace and quiet- but I think one of the best things was the time I got to spend with my kids where we didn’t need to put a lot of miles on the car and drive far.

It was so, so easy to come to the KOA in Travelers Rest and feel a world away from our everyday lives. It’s such a great local getaway and one that really works for families who want to do something fun but who aren’t sure yet of a bigger trip or who maybe just don’t have the time to drive hours each way for a short getaway. Kids will absolutely love this place and there is plenty of space for them to run around and play and enjoy the outdoors.

And I was so impressed with Terri and Bill as managers. It was plainly obvious how much they loved their work at the campground and how much they wanted to make it a special place for families or anyone looking to get outside and enjoy nature.

To book your own covered wagon, you can call the campground at 864.834.8150 or reserve online.

Travelers Rest KOA2400 US-25, Travelers Rest, SC864.834.8150

Population: 8,486

Population in 2010: 4,576

Median income: $36,495

Mayor: Brandy Amidon

City Council:

Grant Bumgarner, At Large

Kelly Byers, At Large

Shaniece Criss, At Large

Lisa Lane, At Large

Sherry Marrah, At Large

Wayne McCall, At Large

Brantly Vest, At Large

Catherine Stanford James, At Large

Big number: Out of the 3,548 people in Travelers Rest’s working population, 64% are in the service industry.

Fast fact: The top industries in Travelers Rest are education, accommodations and food services, and retail.

Business history:

As the name suggests, the city of Travelers Rest originated as a rest area for travelers. In the late 1800s, the creation of the Carolina, Knoxville and Western railroad — later named the Greenville & Northern — brought new businesses and people to the town.

The city’s beginnings in the textile industry started in 1928 with the creation of Brandon Mills at Renfrew Bleachery. More production plants were established in Travelers Rest following World War II.

A stream of new businesses and people continued to settle in the Travelers Rest area after the introduction of two highways, U.S. 25 and U.S. 276. In the early 2000s, the Greenville & Northern Railway track was converted to the multiuse Swamp Rabbit Trail. This sparked an economic resurgence in Travelers Rest and helped to expand the city’s tourism industry.

What’s next:

Travelers Rest has steadily attracted more businesses and residents. Downtown remains a hub of retail and restaurants with new businesses including Coastal Crust setting up shop.

The Swamp Rabbit Trail continues to bring new customers to the various businesses. To continue this impact, the city adopted new building standards for the downtown area that require buildings to address the trail and have trail orientation.

The city plans to complete infrastructure and street improvements in 2024 to further expand Main Street and continue business opportunities north of Poinsett Highway.

Multiple development projects will also help to establish new commercial centers throughout Travelers Rest. For example, the Pinestone development located east of Main Street will renovate old warehouses into a commercial food hall.

Sources

There’s a really fun indoor play space in Travelers Rest that you don’t want to miss. And it includes a relaxing coffee shop for parents. Kristina checked out Palmetto Proper and here’s what to expect.

This review was originally written in 2020 and has been updated in 2023.

Looking for more fun things to do inside? We’ve got your Ultimate Guide to Indoor Fun Near Greenville, SC.

“Mom, can we go back tomorrow?” both my kids asked in unison seconds after we left Palmetto Proper, the café/kids play area/retail space in Travelers Rest. My kids are 9 and 6 and I had to drag them out of there!

Palmetto Proper was designed for parents to have a place where they can maybe get a couple things done on their laptop while their kids play safely or catch up with a friend over a cup of delicious coffee and tempting snacks.

Palmetto Proper in downtown Travelers Rest checks all those boxes and more.

Huge Open Space + Cozy Cafe

Travelers Rest has a lot going for it and if I’m ever anywhere near there, I always visit. I just love Sidewall Pizza, TRee House Cafe & Art Studio, and TR Makers.

Yet there has been this gap of an indoor place for kids to get out their energy – but not anymore.

Palmetto Play offers year round, indoor play and a combination of a place where kids can get their energy out plus rest and relaxation for parents.

Palmetto Proper used to have a small retail location in Cherrydale but ended up expanding to the large space in Travelers Rest when it became available since the original owner had a vision of a place where kids could enjoy time to explore and play while parents had a chance to catch their breath, meet for coffee, or just chill out for a bit while their kids got out energy.

Imagination Reigns Supreme

The space is huge with tall ceilings, colorful paint, and a big, padded floor where kids can run around. There is a large play structure with a climbing apparatus and seesaw-like contraption in the middle of the space. There’s a small ball pit, an imitation garden, and farm market.

There is a big loft that will be used for birthday parties or private events that overlooks the play area. Under that are little rooms that are totally geared towards letting kids use their imaginations.

There’s a movie theater room with dress up outfits, little chairs with popcorn holders, and a curtain. This was my kids’ favorite room.

Next to the theater is an adorable grocery market with pasta boxes, plastic produce, and little shopping carts. And next to that room is an animal vet hospital, which has lots of cute medical toys and x-rays.

In the corner by the bathrooms is a construction zone, perfect for kids to build whatever they desire.

Enclosed Little Kids Area

When my kids were a bit smaller, I was always anxious about taking them to indoor places where bigger kids ruled the play structures. Palmetto Proper has a small space that is perfect for kids in that crawling and just-walking stage that is totally enclosed and right next to tables where their parents can easily keep an eye on them.

This is certainly a thoughtful touch.

Actually, the entire kids area is enclosed, which makes it a lot easier to really enjoy that cup of coffee or send those pressing emails and not worry about your kids escaping.

Retail + Coffee

The first thing I noticed when I walked in the door to Palmetto Proper was actually some really fluffy pullovers. I love fluffy pullovers. But there’s more: candles that smell so heavily of vanilla that it makes you want to buy every single one and light them all around your house, tons of Melissa & Doug toys for your kids, super cute dresses and t-shirts, and jewelry and hand towels.

The owners have done a nice job sourcing a good variety of products that will appeal to a wide audience. You could probably get all of your Christmas shopping done.

And the coffee menu also caught my eye with delicious-sounding frappes and spiced chai lattes. They even have juice boxes for kids and lots of snacks because, really, kids essentially run on snacks.

Play Passes + Age Restrictions

As of April 2023, only kids ages 0-6 will be able to use the play space during open play. Palmetto Proper will have board games that older kids can freely use.

Daily admission gets kids access to Palmetto Proper for the whole day. You can go in and out and play when you like. Daily admission is $10 per child.

Monthly, quarterly, and yearly memberships are also available.

Be sure you and your kids wear socks as they are needed to enjoy all the play structures.

Make it a Day Trip

If you don’t live in Travelers Rest and want to explore for the day, hanging out at Palmetto Proper is the ideal way to spend time there. It’s right across the street from the Swamp Rabbit Trail and within walking distance to tons of fabulous places in town like the Whistle Stop Cafe, Sidewall Pizza, TRee House Cafe & Art Studio, TR Makers, Tandem Creperie, and Sunrift Adventures.

There are also lots of cute shops to check out and Trailblazer Park isn’t far away. OH – and Sidewall Pastry and Farmhouse Tacos are literally right next door to Palmetto Proper. We love Travelers Rest so much we wrote a whole guide to it.

Will you check out Palmetto Proper?

Hours:Monday – Saturday – 10 am – 4 pmSunday – 1 pm – 5 pm*There are occasional modified hours. Check Palmetto Proper for updates.

Palmetto Proper164 S Main Street, Suite B, Travelers Rest864.631.6769Website