Monday, April 28, 2008

BFF time

Lib and I took our long-awaited trip to Greenville, S.C., last Thursday through Saturday. We spent a wonderful relaxing/lazy few days filled with shopping, wandering through the coolest downtown ever, watching "The Hills," starting with the first episode (she was determined to plant the seeds of addiction, and she did), driving around her old neighborhood/school/church, getting pedicures, eating delicious food, and just catching up. I LOVED IT.

One reason we are compatible travel partners is that we are both committed to thrift. We split an entree for most of our meals, stayed in a no-frills motel an exit or two from downtown, and shopped mostly at thrift stores.

We thought we'd died and gone to heaven when we stumbled upon a Goodwill clearance store. Who even knew such things existed? It was a warehouse filled with bins and bins of stuff to sort through -- mostly clothes, but also other random things. Everything was the same price -- $1 per pound -- except for the books, which were 10 cents per pound. We racked up for a total of $2, seriously.



Did I mention that Greenville has the coolest downtown ever? It is everything I think a downtown should be. Grass and leafy trees are everywhere you look. The streets are lined with cool restaurants with outdoor seating. The city caters to walkers -- they block off some of the streets every weekend just to be more pedestrian-friendly. There was always something going on, often involving music. There are good quotes engraved in the sidewalk around one of the plazas. There is an amazing bridge crossing a large, beautiful creek. It is perfectly clean and feels extremely safe. Cute kids are everywhere you turn. There is even free parking. I was in awe.



All of these pictures are from the first night we were there. After that I kind of forgot about the camera.

Lib, thanks for a fantastic time!

4 comments:

Amanda said...

Oh my gosh. I am hyperventilating. I want to go to that clearance store, PRONTO!!!

Ally said...

I have been wanting to visit Greenville for a while, and now your post really makes me want to check it out. Fortunately some good friends are moving there, so that will make it even more fun. Thanks for sharing about your trip.

Jennifer Kirby said...

Amanda -- it really was great. The only problem was NOTHING was sorted, so even though I like searching for the treasure in the trash, it got old pretty quickly. That's why we focused on books.

Ally -- I really think you (and anyone) would love it. I wish I had some friends living there, lucky you!

Jodi Ohl said...

Your trip sounds like lots of fun!! I've never heard of a Goodwill clearance center before. I didn't realize Greenville had so much to offer, I'll have plan a trip there soon and check it out!