RestedTraveler

Oh man...I saw that plane sitting there Saturday from the Starbucks parking lot (behind Starbucks/Kirklands) on Haywood Road. I had no idea what it was, though. I would love to have seen it up-close. Best get up to Caesar's Head/Table Rock/etc. before we're past peak... More Details HERE.

Thanks, everyone! That was a 300mm zoom on the skyline. Here's what it looked like at 10mm (you can make the skyline out just below the right-most tip of the clouds): Wanna see it LARGER? Click HERE (sorry so grainy - was shooting with ISO set at 400).

Great visibility from Caesar's Head yesterday!

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OK ... last one in the series ... For more information, click HERE.

Thanks! I took it in yesterday. Lots more stuff this year, it seems ... and even more for the kids to do. For more information, click HERE.

Pretty sunbeams seen from somewhere along Gun Club Road between the Southlands and Hampden Avenue in Aurora. For more information on this photo, CLICK HERE.

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Yea - Crosby cited mostly economic factors for Snapshot closing (cost of fuel resulting in fewer patrons and higher food costs, etc.), but I've got a good friend that has been there a few times, trying to give them the benefit of the doubt on their food and he's just not been impressed at all. I've never been there myself. I had hoped to have tried it out at least once for myself before they closed. Damn. On the up-side, it'd make a great location for another restaurant or even a coffee house (Liquid Highway, Jittery Joes, Port City Java, etc.).

I'm surprised they don't show what the Liquid Highway will look like, but I suppose it'll be one of their new prototype stores:

I'll definitely drop by and check you guys out the next time I'm back in town.

Compared to the existing building and parking lot that are sitting on that corner right now, this looks amazing. It'll fit right in there very nicely, I think, regardless of how it is oriented toward Church or even the Reedy River. A few well-placed trees would do fine.

As much as I support the idea of Joseph-Beth moving into Downtown Greenville, I still feel that it's a shame that Borders balked at the idea of going into downtown. They're going to miss out. This overall development (this is the first time I've looked at this thread in ages) looks pretty impressive. It's of a scale that I had imagined would fit quite nicely on that portion of the block, too. I am a tad bit concerned about the West elevation of the hotel...the corner where the stairs and elevator shaft are located...no windows? What's up with that? Makes an otherwise attractive building look stark.

I presume you're talking about the Interstate shields that are painted in the lanes on I-385 heading toward I-85? I dunno - I thought the significance of them was pretty obvious the first time I saw them. They're there to help ensure that drivers are in the correct lanes that they want to be in to get where they want to go. Sure - they re-state the obvious for locals, but we do get our share of people that aren't from around here that may be confused otherwise. They have the same thing up in Asheville with I-26 North toward Johnson City, TN and I'm thankful they're on the road in front of me whenever I drive through there. The only trouble I have with them is that, as linkerj stated, they're difficult to read unless you're in a vehicle that's really high off of the ground.

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GHS and GCRD had a tent set up on Main Street during the USPRO Road Race yesterday and had information about the Swamp Rabbit trail and a scavenger hunt to lead people down to Linky Stone Park, too, where children were fitted for free bike helmets and then got to take a tour/ride on the finished portion of the trail, thanks to Sunrift Adventures! It was pretty awesome for the kids and there were a lot of people on the trail yesterday. I was told that the portion of the trail between Travelers Rest and Furman will be paved before the end of the year while work is still being done on trusses between Furman and downtown Greenville. The portion between Furman and downtown Greenville should be complete by the end of 2009. They're going to use asphalt, not roadzyme, too. I asked if the rubberized jogging surface would be extended beyond it's current terminus. Unfrotunately, no - it's way too expensive.

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Highlands Ranch hare... For more information on this photo, CLICK HERE. (and nobody pointed out my "Fore more information" spelling/cut/paste error? geesh...)

When I went to a ballgame the other day, I exited on that side of the park and noticed the utility work as well. From the make-shift arms that have been temporarily nailed to the utility poles, it looks like it's turning the corner from Markley onto Main at the spot in the photo and continuing on up Main toward Pendleton.

OK - here are my 2 cents. Q1. What areas besides downtown would you suggest that we see? A1. You may want to be aware that the U.S. Professional Cycling Championships are Labor Day Weekend in Greenville. Travelers Rest is a very quaint little town and it's convenient to get into DT Greenville from there. If you're interested in TR, just send me a PM and I can discuss my experiences more at length with you. Q2. What is a Greenville fixture that we should visit for lunch? I.e if you were making a day trip where would you want to eat? A2. I would recommend Coffee Underground for BRUNCH on a Saturday Morning, myself. If it be BBQ that you want, then I'd put in another vote for Henry's. Unfortunately, Greenville doesn't have a Leonardo's Pizza or a Burrito Bros.. Q3. Where is most of the growth in Greenville? I was in the NorthEast section ( Rutherford rd? ) and it looked like it was missing out on re-vitalization.Also, I did notice there were some abandoned Ingles buildings coming into town on the Poinsett Highway. I believe I have read some complaints in this forum concerning those. A3. As others have likely pointed out, the growth is on the east side near Woodruff/Pelham/I-85. That's where it's at. "Growth" has been slow to come to the northern end of the county, and I rather liked that...but at the same time, it was frustrating being so far from the shopping, dining, etc. on the other side of town. Q4. Greenville seems to be in a boom right now. When reading this forum I see stories posted all over about companies moving to the area. My question for the locals is this...How do you guys view Greenville's economy? Do you guys feel like it is becoming the future of S.C. ( so to speak )? I know this can sometimes be a negative for natives, but do you feel things are going in the right direction? A4. My view is somewhat skewed. I, like you, am in the IT field (Oracle DBA - RAC/HA) and I found it difficult to find work in Greenville (never really needed to, fortunately, but I always kept my eyes open for opportunities - few ever presented themselves). My wife, whom is extremely intelligent and well-spoken and has a strong education to back it up, found it difficult to get her foot even in the door for an interview because she had dedicated 8 years of her life to raising our daughter and son at home. Q5. How is the comute from some of the surrounding towns into the city? Which surrounding towns do you guys think we should see? In Gainesville we lived in the country and in Lexington we live in the city. If we decided to move to more a rural area what areas do you guys like most? A5. I personally feel the commute from Travelers Rest into Downtown Greenville is by far the easiest. That's one of the reasons we settled on Travelers Rest. Q6. How green is Greenville? The color...not green as in energy and stuff. I realize you guys have been in a serious drought and driving through town things looked brown and red ( stains from the clay ). When you guys get normal rain, what does your landscape look like? This may sound like a weird question, but it was a real shock coming from the blue grass. We are real dry here right now, but things still look pretty. Although, we have not had as bad of a drought as the Upstate and NC is having.. A6. Even in the face of a drought, Greenville has remained pretty green. I was surprised to see the leaves on my Poplar tree already turning yellow and dropping when I returend from Colorado, though - due to the drought, of course. Extreme weather conditions (too much rain, too little, etc.) can lead to inconsistent fall colors. Q7. What section of town ( and they all have them ) is chain restaraunt and mall row? This is not real crucial for us, but we are curious as to where this area is. A7. Woodruff Road between Laurens and Highway 14, Haywood Road - the East Side where the boom is going on. Q8. Also, how are taxes and such there? I pay a city/county occupational tax here and we pay property taxes on our cars. What sort of things tick you all off there? A8. Property taxes are very low in Greenville (and the roads and schools are testament to it). Personal Property Taxes on vehicles exist here, too - but they're not too bad. I'd honestly rather pay higher taxes and have better roads and schools...but that's just me.

Nice to see y'all finally getting some rain. They were bone dry when I was there last week.