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Why do you love Upstate?


gs3

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Just curious guys. What are the five top reasons that you love Upstate?

Mine:

1. Four true seasons, cool summer evenings

2. The people (European influence, down home charm, people who live here have a deep love for the place)

3. Sophistication of Downtown GV

4. Proximity to the mountains and outdoor options

5. Overall quality of life is high compared to most Southern cities of similar size

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My #1 is definitely Greenville's downtown. :D After that I really love being able to take off to the mountains for a day or two, or even only a few hours in a day. This can't be said by folks living in the midlands and lowcountry unless they fly in. There's a charm in being situated so close to the mountains that is uncommon to a place out by itself. Another thing I love is the many quaint little towns sprinkled all over the Upstate. There are so many reasons to go on weekend excursions around the area. I just wish I had more time to do this. I've been too busy lately. :(

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Not a resident but a regular visitor - my family is from Spartanburg County, but I hope my plug is welcome too :)

* The foothills, not neccessarily the mountains (but I love those too) but I love the steep rolling hills of northwest Spartanburg County. It is beautiful country north of Inman & I love driving down the narrow country roads past all the fields & the old homes & cemetaries.

* Family - I have a few relatives still living, but in a sense I consider much of Spartanburg County to be my family. My dad's side of the family on all sides dates back to the late 1700's around towns of Pauline, Inman, & Cooley Springs (my g-grandmother was a Cooley). So what I see out of Spartanburg, I see generations of my ancestors who farmed & built the county. I suppose it gives me a sense of pride to see the county so successful. But on the other hand a bit ashamed thinking of some of my relatives selling their land for subdivisions & golf courses.

* The Beacon - I agree with Spartan. Even though every region of the country & every city has their own local institution, including Macon GA's wonderful Nu-Way Hot Dogs - NOTHING beats the Beacon. Certainly not those greasy onion rings at the Varsity.

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I'm not exactly sure what's so special about the Beacon restaurant. I've heard about it many times and been there once, but personally wasn't very impressed. Needless to say, I haven't been back since. However, if you love greasy food this is definitely the "king of all restaurants." To each his/her own. :lol:

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Exactly. If you want a good greasy burger, then the Beacon is for you. If you want even a remotely healthy meal then don't even walk in there. You probably gain 100 calories just breathing the air. The Beacon is wonderful :)

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Not to mention they also have the best sweet tea & great BBQ. My friend who left Columbia to go to a culinary school in NY also would agree - the Beacon is a magnificent eating experience ;)

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Just curious guys.  What are the five top reasons that you love Upstate?

Mine:

1. Four true seasons, cool summer evenings

2. The people (European influence, down home charm, people who live here have a deep love for the place)

3. Sophistication of Downtown GV

4. Proximity to the mountains and outdoor options

5. Overall quality of life is high compared to most Southern cities of similar size

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Regarding the Beacon, I agree that it is unique and has become something of an institution around here. For those of who dislike the food there, I must say, however, that it is much better than Atlanta's Varsity "Drive-In". The Varsity's food is, well, ordinary. Perhaps the Beacon is a bit overhyped sometimes but the Varsity's reputation is overhyped all the time. Why anyone would jump off the expressway in Atlanta for one of those hot dogs amazes me!

I personally wish the Beacon's owners would modernize the place a bit. Nevertheless, the quality and the quantity of the product still doesn't disappoint.

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Regarding the Beacon, I agree that it is unique and has become something of an institution around here.  For those of who dislike the food there, I must say, however, that it is much better than Atlanta's Varsity "Drive-In".  The Varsity's food is, well, ordinary.  Perhaps the Beacon is a bit overhyped sometimes but the Varsity's reputation is overhyped all the time.  Why anyone would jump off the expressway in Atlanta for one of those hot dogs amazes me!

Absolutely - I have been in so many fights regarding Varsity vs. Beacon & you wouldn't believe how many people insist that the Varsity is better, yet have never been to the Beacon. A year ago as a bit of a joke I ran a poll between the two at another forum board, and the only people who voted for the Beacon were those that had been to both, otherwise it were people that just assumed the Varsity was better, even more unfortunate some of them were Charlotteans which you would think should know better.

But the Varsity's hot dogs aren't bad (not remotely close to Nu-Ways though), & the iced orange drinks are good. Everything else is mediocre to simply crummy - I am puzzled by why people like their burnt onion rings.

Suffice to say - the Beacon is important to me, one of my earliest & best memories of my life has taken place on one of the cafeteria style tables (I miss those). As for modernizing though - the late 80's modernization was enough in my opinion...

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Absolutely - I have been in so many fights regarding Varsity vs. Beacon & you wouldn't believe how many people insist that the Varsity is better, yet have never been to the Beacon.  A year ago as a bit of a joke I ran a poll between the two at another forum board, and the only people who voted for the Beacon were those that had been to both, otherwise it were people that just assumed the Varsity was better, even more unfortunate some of them were Charlotteans which you would think should know better.

But the Varsity's hot dogs aren't bad (not remotely close to Nu-Ways though), & the iced orange drinks are good.  Everything else is mediocre to simply crummy - I am puzzled by why people like their burnt onion rings.

Suffice to say - the Beacon is important to me, one of my earliest & best memories of my life has taken place on one of the cafeteria style tables (I miss those).  As for modernizing though - the late 80's modernization was enough in my opinion...

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Okay, I suppose the Varsity's hot dogs aren't so bad but the onion rings...yuck...you buy those things in the grocery store!

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The Beacon for me is more about the experience than the food. On the weekends you can always count on a couple of tour buses that have left I-85 to stop for lunch. It's fun to people watch at the Beacon....lots of tourist and locals combined. Always a few "twig" girls who are there with their families and scared of the greasy food. :)

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You know, that is an interesting comment. I haven't ever thought about Fish Camps outside of the Upstate area. Is it just an Upstate phenomenon? I know they have them in Chester and Fairfield and probably Lancaster too.

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They had them around Rock Hill & Gastonia - they were at least reffered to as 'fish camps' & not seafood restaraunts. The closest one in Georgia that I can think of that was advertised as a 'fish camp' was on the Savannah River - so again another SC influence. But because the concept isn't that unique - essentially an extension of the early days when fishermen sold & fried fresh fish on the side of the road, I wouldn't think they would be only found in upstate SC. Maybe it is a nomenclature issue.

Did a little research - not neccessarily 'just' a Piedmont cultural trait, but certainly a trait of the Piedmont. But based on the article, sad to see that Lineberger's in Gastonia isn't around anymore. http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/new...ts/11235190.htm

Fish camps: Piedmont flavor with a big helping of history

Please do not post entire articles.

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That was an interesting article. I had to take it out of your post because of our article posting policy. Feel free to put some of the facts from it back into your post.

If enyone else is interested in reading it, you will have to use BugMeNot to access the article. I hope you will because it is informative.

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I did not learn about Fish Camps until I moved to Charlotte and the locals took me to Fish Camp Mecca in Gaston county. In the middle of no where in the woods you all of a sudden come across 6 fish camps. LOL. They used to have the Fish Camp Jam there in the fall, but I'm not sure if they still have the event.

Charlotte is just too upscale for anything like a fish camp, but they also exist N. Meckleburg, S. Iredell, and Lincoln county. Maybe they follow the locales on the Catawba river chain.

Ironically on the coast of SC they refer to this style of cooking as Calabash style seafood in honor of the NC town of the same name.

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Would you consider the fish camp to be similar to the fish fry up north? I know in Syracuse, great place, Dougs fish fry. The northern deal is with all us good catholics, we don't eat meat on Friday. Luckily, I'm not a catholic anymore, bring on the BBQ.

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