Women's Clothing Boutique Near Me 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.

A rabbit peeking out from a flower patch, the wheels of a bike rolling up a mountain road, the hem of the rider's dress — all outlined in black paint.

Adam Schrimmer, who started work on the mural on the side of Urban Hare Boutique this week, said it's the first of three such paintings he will complete in the northern Greenville County town in the coming months. He will also be painting pieces on the side of Loftis Printing and on TR's Oriental facing the entrance to Travelers Rest coming from US 276.

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Schrimmer, a local artist and owner of Blank Canvas Mural Company, is responsible for other prominent murals in Greenville County, including vibrant displays at Poe Mill and the painting depicting prominent Greenville landmarks and figures at Haywood Mall.

The local business owners in Travelers Rest hired him using a façade improvement grant from the city that covers half of the cost. Schrimmer said the project has been an opportunity to learn more about the bustling town, knowledge he is incorporating in the public art displays.

On the Loftis Printing mural, he will depict people and places from the area's history, including Dean "Chico" Bolin, a World War II veteran and former coach of the Travelers Rest High School football team, and the Skyland Drive-In movie theater.

The TR's Oriental mural at the entrance to Main Street will be a nod to Travelers Rest's role as a gateway to the Blue Ridge Mountain foothills. The image will feature a couple with their feet propped up in the foreground, staring out over the mountainous country to the north of the town, the words "Where Travelers come to Rest" displayed overhead.

At Urban Hare, he said he's creating a "love story," inspired by the love residents and business owners have for their town. The piece, which will be painted in the style of a vintage French cycling poster, will include items from the shops connected to Urban Hare, including locally grown flowers from the Katelyn Pinner Studio and oil and vinegar from The Crescent Olive. The concept for the mural itself was inspired by the EE Cummings poem "I Carry Your Heart with Me," a copy of which Schrimmer found in Urban Hare.

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

Two Greenville County restaurants are part of the 2024 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards finalist list.

The downtown restaurant Scoundrel and Chef Tania Cienfuegos Harris of Topsoil Kitchen & Market were nominated this month.

James Beard Awards, presented by Capitol One, will announce the nominees on April 3. Winners will be honored at a ceremony on June 10 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Scoundrel, a French fine-dining restaurant located at 18 N. Main St., was nominated as a semifinalist for the Best New Restaurant category, competing against 29 other restaurants as the best in the country. In December 2023, Scoundrel was selected as one of the best new restaurants in America by Esquire Magazine.

"Getting that national nod is something special," Executive Chef Joe Cash said at the time. "The fact that my team and I work really hard every day to strive for something different and special. I think that is now being realized."

Chef Tania Cienfuegos Harris is the lone Greenville area chef nominated for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker. Cienfuegos Harris is currently the pastry chef at Topsoil Kitchen & Market, located at 13 S. Main St. in Travelers Rest, and is a 2019 South Carolina Chef Ambassador .

"This announcement was a big surprise," Cienfuegos Harris told the Greenville News. "I'm extremely honored and very proud."

She is joined by Remy Funfrock of La Pâtisserie, Charleston and nine other pastry chefs.

Additional James Beard Award Finalists from around South Carolina

Outstanding Restauranteur: Kimball Brienza and Stephen Palmer, O-Ku Sushi, Charleston.

Emerging Chef: Nikko Cagalanan, Charleston.

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program: Lula Drake Wine Parlour, Columbia.

Outstanding Bar: Edmund's Oast, Charleston.

Best Chef: Southeast: Kitwanda “Kiki” Cyrus and Tyrone Cyrus, Kiki’s Chicken and Waffles, Columbia; Jacques Larson, The Obstinate Daughter, Sullivan’s Island; James London, Chubby Fish, Charleston;Robbie Robinson, City Limits Barbeque, Cayce.

The James Beard Foundation is a nonprofit organization that celebrates food, culture and people across America with more than 30 years of community-focused initiatives, food advocacy programs and awards that highlight the culinary arts across the country.

The full list of 2024 James Beard Award semifinalists can be found here.

– A.J. Jackson covers the food & dining scene, along with arts, entertainment and downtown culture for The Greenville News. Contact him by email at ajackson@gannett.com, and follow him on X (formally Twitter) @ajhappened.

Have you visited Gateway Park in Travelers, SC? This park along the Swamp Rabbit Trail is full of outdoor things to do, including an impressive bike park where you can practice jumps, ride the pump track, and older bikers can conquer the skills down two different jump lines. Here’s all the information you need to take advantage of Gateway Park on your next visit to TR.

About Gateway Park in Travelers Rest

Gateway Park is located along the Swamp Rabbit Trail in Downtown Travelers Rest, right behind Sunrift Adventures.

Biking is a bike draw to Gateway Park, but there are also other things to do. There is a small playground in the shade, plus tennis courts, a football field, and a basketball court. Restrooms are centrally located in the middle of the park. And, there are a number of picnic tables and even charcoal grills located throughout the park.

There are two entrances to Gateway Park, but if you’re not looking for them, you might miss them. The first entrance, and the one that GPS will probably take you to, is right behind Sunrift Adventures. You will actually turn into the Sunrift parking lot and then veer to the right into the Gateway Park parking lot. At this end of the park you’ll find the basketball court and field.

If you continue driving through the park, you’ll pass the restrooms on the left, the playground on the right, and then you’ll arrive at the bike skills park.

There is another entrance/exit here at the bike park onto Henderson Drive. Turning left here will bring you back up towards Main Street, Travelers Rest.

Biking at Gateway Park

There’s something for every level of biker at Gateway Park. While my older kids and husband spend most of their time at the park on the skills in the jump lines, the park also offers a pump track, several platforms at varying heights for drop jumps, and 2 1/2 miles of mountain biking trails through the woods and around the park.

There’s also a small figure 8 track for kids beside the playground.

Bikers using the jump lines start at the platform in the corner of the bike park. Skills in the jump lines include gap jumps, steep table tops, and a variety of berms. Here you’ll find a helpful map of the trails and maybe a friendly biker or two to give you some pointers. If you’ve never tried these types of jumps, a good way to start is by rolling over the jumps on the trail slowly, rather than jumping. It’s always a good idea to take new trails slowly, anyway.

Across the road from the jump lines, you’ll see the small pump track and the drop jumps. The pump track would be a could place for younger riders to try some skills. There are no jumps on this track only bumps and turns.

Beside the pump track is an area for bikers to practice drop jumps off of platforms. There is a variety of heights to choose from, entry and exit of these jumps is a grassy field- no trails. When bikers are present you’ll want to keep an eye on the kiddos here.

In addition to the skills portion of the bike park, there is also a trail through the woods and around the park. There are about 2 1/2 miles of mountain bike trail.

When we arrived at the park most recently, my husband pulled his bike out of the van, only to realize the tire was flat and he didn’t have the adaptor he needed to pump it up. He brought the bike over to Sunrift Adventures, located right beside the park, and they pumped it up for free. He was also able to buy the missing adaptor so he’d have it for next time for just $1. Sunrift is a great resource in the area for biking and all kinds of outdoor adventures.

More to Love at Gateway Park

This park used to be the site of Travelers Rest High School. So, if you are not in the mood for biking, grab a football and play on the football field that has been used to train athletes for decades. You can also enjoy the basketball court or baseball diamond.

If you are 5 or 95, you will find something at this park to get your heart pumping while soaking in some vitamin D. Bring some friends, and get out to Gateway Park.

Visit Gateway Park in TR

115 Henderson Drive, Travelers RestVisit the Gateway Park website for more information.

Would your family enjoy a day visiting Gateway Park in Travelers Rest?

Where else can you ride? Check out the Kidding Around Guide to Mountain Biking in the Upstate.