Swamp Rabbit Inn Weekly Video - Marie Kernell 10X's State Champion Cross Country Coach and My BFF

This week on our weekly Facebook Live Video Inn Keeper, Wendy Lynam, chats with her Bestie, Marie Kernell.  We ran a contest (free SRI coffee mug) during the live broadcast to see who could come up with the correct answer to this question:  What title has Marie won 10 years in a row?? Yes, my BFF is a pretty amazing team builder and successful girl's cross country coach at St. Joseph's Catholic School in Greenville, SC.  She coached my oldest daughter, Katie, starting in 2006 ... back in the day.  That first year the girls came in second but every year after they have claimed the State Championship.  That's some great coaching and training and hard work!

Marie and her husband Joe have been by my side from the beginning when I started setting up the inns.  They have helped me put together all the IKEA furniture, paint the inns, and anything else I have needed.  I can not thank them enough and would not have been able to pull this off with out them.

[Tweet "Tune in Wednesdays at noon for Swamp Rabbit Inn's Facebook Live Video with Inn Keeper @Wendy_Lynam #bikeinnbikeout"]

This week Marie and I chat from the big, comfy couch at the Swamp Rabbit Inn TR in Travelers Rest, SC.  We talk about some of our favorite spots in TR and the fun trips we have taken together.  Scroll down for links to some of the places we mention in the video.  Thanks for watching and tune in every Wednesday at noon as I visit with new guests each week and follow us on Instagram and Facebook for some great contests and giveaways!!  #bikeinnbikeout

Next week tune in at noon on Wednesday on Facebook Live as we chat with, Ryan Heafy, creator of GVL Today, that super viral 6am email we can't live without to know exactly what is going on in and around Greenville and now Columbia, Charleston and Asheville.  Sure to be a good chat!!  See you next week and thanks for watching!  #bikeinnbikeout

Swamp Rabbit Inn's IKEA Story As We Learn Founder of IKEA, Ingvar Kamprad, Dies at Age 91

Here is the Swamp Rabbit Inn's IKEA story ...  Before I moved to Greenville, SC, I had lived three miles from IKEA in Oak Brook, IL but had never stepped foot in an IKEA.  That changed when I decided to open a bike friendly inn in downtown Greenville, SC in 2014.  I had just purchased a six bedroom house in the West End of Greenville that had been used as commercial office space.  I liked the location two blocks off Main Street and knew the area had potential, but it was still a bit dodgy.  

I stood on the front porch after I had the property under contract and looked across the street and saw people riding bikes on the Swamp Rabbit Trail, a 20+ mile paved bike trail connecting Greenville and Travelers Rest, SC.  The idea came to me at that moment to open a bike friendly inn and call it the Swamp Rabbit Inn.  That is how the story began and now here is how my obsession with IKEA design began...

It was a snowy Sunday, rare for Greenville, and I was sitting at my kitchen island in my jammies sipping coffee, paging through the IKEA catalogs I had brought back from my initial, tire kicking visit to IKEA in Charlotte, NC.  I was looking for a low cost, high impact, durable solution to furnishing and entire  six room inn so I decided to drive to the IKEA in Charlotte, NC the week before to see if the quality of the furniture would work for my new project.  I was overwhelmed on my first visit but also sold on the design and quality.   As I was paging through the catalogs, snowed in, I decided to start cutting out my favorite things and began putting the cuttings together to form vision boards for the guest rooms.

A theme was emerging from the patterns of the linens, rugs and pillows I chose - an animal theme.  I decide to name the six rooms at the Swamp Rabbit Inn the Moose, Owl, Double Owl, Chicken, Goat and Sheep Rooms based on the IKEA furnishings I chose.

By the time I was finished with my guest room vision boards, lost in the flow, I looked up and it was 3:00. The snow had melted and I had just enough time to drive to IKEA Charlotte and put in my order. I had all the item numbers, quantities and colors written down. I found the business section of IKEA and handed them my list of items and they started entering my order and I left the store two hours later with a delivery date.

(👀 at the gallery below to see how the finished rooms turned out!)

I loved the look so much I decided to furnish all the common areas and the kitchen in IKEA as well.  As you may or may not know, IKEA mostly ships unassembled, flat in boxes.  At one point I had floor to ceiling boxes in the living room and dining room of the inn.  Just a little overwhelming!!

Thank God for good friends and co workers who helped me assemble everything piece by piece and transform an a dull, commercial office building into a fresh, funky, modern, bike friendly inn two blocks from Main Street and two blocks from the Swamp Rabbit Trail.

Since that first order I have been back several times always armed with my list, doing the prep work ahead of time. I have furnished two inns and six vacation rentals entirely in IKEA. I would describe the results as funky and functional!

I still smile when I walk into the original Swamp Rabbit Inn and I am amazed at how it all came together and wonder how the ideas came to me. It really just flowed. IKEA has been an important part of our brand, helping us carve out our niche as a hotel alternative, DIYBNB, home away from home for our guests.

[Tweet "A bike friendly inn furnished entirely in IKEA in Greenville, SC "]

Thank you, Ingvar Kamprad, for your vision and great design.  You have made great design affordable and helped this small business delight it's guests with a fun and funky vibe!  Your legacy lives and continues to be enjoyed at the Swamp Rabbit Inn & Properties! #bikeinnbikeout #BIKEA

Ingvar Kamprad, Founder of Ikea and Creator of a Global Empire, Dies at 91

It was not exactly so, as reporters found. His home was a villa overlooking Lake Geneva, and he had an estate in Sweden and vineyards in Provence. He drove a Porsche as well as the Volvo.

January 30th is National Plan For Vacation Day - That's Right!!

­  

National Plan For Vacation Day - The Secret to Maximizing Your Vacation Time This Year 

By Wendy Lynam, Inn Keeper, Swamp Rabbit Inn and Properties, Inc.

January 30, 2018

“So much to do, so little time.” While the phrase may sound like it perfectly describes our lives, research shows there actually is time.

Americans universally say that vacation days are important to them, yet 54 percent of workers aren’t using their hard-earned vacation time. Project: Time Off research found that workers are taking nearly a full week less of vacation than we did in 2000, resulting in a stockpile of 600 million unused vacation days.

The secret to achieving your travel goals this year, while maintaining your excellent employee status, is planning. Planning is the most important step in making vacation possible and, according to Project: Time Off, a majority (52%) of workers who set aside time each year to plan for travel take all their time off, compared to just 40 percent of non-planners. Planners also tend to take longer vacations: While three-in-four (75%) planners take a week or more at a time, non-planners take significantly fewer days—zero to three—than planners at once (42% to 18%).

The benefits of planning extend beyond days spent away from the office for rest and rejuvenation. Planners report greater happiness than non-planners with their relationships, health and well-being, company, and job. Their bosses are probably happier, too, since they’re in the loop on when you’re going to be out and can prepare accordingly.

What are you waiting for? It’s time to take back your calendar and put vacation at the top of your list of priorities. Planning for vacation can be achieved in three simple steps:

1. Determine how much time off you earn and identify the vacation policies at your workplace.
2. Get to dreaming! How do you want to spend your time off this year?
3. Plan out your days with Project: Time Off’s vacation planning tool and share with your manager, your colleagues, spouse—everyone!

This year, don’t let your vacation days be part of a statistic. Put the fear of missing out behind you and turn your bucket list into a to-do list by starting to plan now.

Need some ideas?

Stay at the Swamp Rabbit Inn in downtown Greenville, SC or downtown Travelers Rest, SC and ride the Swamp Rabbit Trail, a 22 mile paved bike trail.  We rent bikes on site and even made a video to show you our favorite stops along the trail.  Watch below: After you are done with your bike ride stroll on down the lively Main Streets in both Travelers Rest or Greenville.  Take in a Greenville Drive baseball game, hike the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains or indulge your palette at the MANY great restaurants in both towns connected by bike trail.  Book your stay now!  #bikeinnbikeout

Read more about the importance of planning at ProjectTimeOff.com/Plan.

New Swamp Rabbit Trail Map and Video to Help Plan Your Stay at our Bike Friendly Inns in Downtown Greenville, SC or Travelers Rest, SC

Today we released our Swamp Rabbit Trail map and video highlighting our favorite stops along the trail which stretches from Greenville, SC to Travelers Rest, SC. Greenville, SC named one of the best places to visit and one of the best cycling cities in America. Come ride the Swamp Rabbit Trail and stop at the many restaurants, breweries, shops along the way and stay in our bike friendly inns along the trail.  We have an 8 room inn in downtown Travelers Rest, SC and a 6 room inn in downtown Greenville, SC right on the Swamp Rabbit Trail.

The Swamp Rabbit Inn and Properties has two inns, one in downtown Greenville, SC and one in downtown Travelers Rest, SC, close to Furman University and at the base of some of the best road cycling and mountain biking in the Upstate of South Carolina.

The Swamp Rabbit Trail is a 20+ mile paved greenway trail connecting Greenville, SC to Travelers Rest, SC. It is mostly flat and perfect for all levels of cyclists. Bring your bike or rent a bike from the Bike Shed at the Swamp Rabbit Inn in downtown Greenville, SC.  Watch our tour of the trail below as we take you into some of our favorite stops along the way!

We welcome you and your bike into our IKEA adorned European style inns walking distance to downtown Greenville, SC and downtown Travelers Rest, SC.  After a great day of cycling grab a delicious dinner, craft beer, glass of wine or cocktail just out the front door of either Swamp Rabbit Inn.

We cater to cyclists with bike storage in the rooms and a trail map in each room.  Grab a copy of "Cycling Greenville" written by inn keeper, Wendy Lynam, before your visit to plan your rides.

You can cycle year round in the Upstate of South Carolina.  Whether you like riding on the trail, climbing mountains and rolling down country roads or shredding mountain bike trails, this area has it all right out our front door.  Book your bike getaway at http://www.swamprabbitinn.com and have a "Perfect Day in Greenville" on the Swamp Rabbit Trail!

#bikeinnbikeout

[Tweet "Who wants to bike the Swamp Rabbit Trail in Greenville, SC with me?"]

Love the map?  Get a printed copy of our Swamp Rabbit Trail map here- frame worthy!

Map by @thescribblestudio

Video by @amcprophoto

"Travels With Darley" Visits South Carolina Shares Travel Itinerary For Upcoming Episode On PBS

"Travels With Darley" visited South Carolina this fall and stayed at the Swamp Rabbit Inn and biked the Swamp Rabbit Trail.  Check out this whirlwind tour of some great local spots in South Carolina with "Travels With Darley" The “Southern States Road Trip” episode, which features Greenville, Travelers Rest, Anderson, and Belton, broadcasts on SCC on Saturday, January 30th at 5pm and on ETV on Friday, February 12^th at 7pm.South Carolina Travel Itinerary: Columbia, Greenville & The Upstate - Travels with Darley Watch episode preview here!

Southern States Road Trip from Chip Ward on Vimeo.

Hopping into the New Year! Greenville Bed and Breakfast Looks Ahead to 2016

Who doesn’t love a fresh start?  By all accounts, Greenville had a smashingly successful and eventful 2015, but we’re only beginning to pick up steam!  Greenvillians are full of big plans and big dreams for 2016.  As we look toward the horizon we see the cityscape growing, changing and glittering.  More corner cafés are opening, stylish apartments are being built and more services for urban dwellers are filling in to make our metro hum.  Downtown Greenville’s continued attention to arts and culture is adding layers of intrigue and vibrance.

The Swamp Rabbit Trail will expand in several directions in the new year and the features that support it will develop along with it.  A new park just to the west of downtown is in the design phase and will center on the Trail and the Reedy River.

Here at the Inn all of the bunnies are reflecting on the past year and Inn-visioning for the future as well.

Innkeeper, Wendy Lynam’s favorite memory of 2015 was the grand finale of Truck Inn Tuesday.  Greenville was showing the love with the biggest turnout of the summer that included a spontaneous petition by attendees to keep it going through fall.  Community spirit was high and a good time was had by all.  Patience! Summer will come again! 

Wendy’s favorite Greenville happening was watching the Farmer’s Market grow and combine with other features like outdoor yoga in the parks for an all-around sublime Saturday out and about.  Another highlight of 2015 was the Greenville Chamber's Inter Community Leadership visit to Austin TX.  

For 2016 our Innkeeper looks forward most to meeting all the cool people that stay at the inn and properties, quality time with her girls, taking her yoga practice to new levels, unveiling the new organic farm at the Swamp Rabbit Lodge, riding her bike in Greenville's glorious countryside, turning her "Cycling Greenville SC" guidebook into an app, revealing our cool new designer kits and our amazing new event on April 3rd (stay tuned) and watching the West End grow and swirl around the Inn.  Whew!!

AJ Maronie, Housekeeping Queen, loved hosting the chefs that graced our halls and, ahem, ‘rehearsed’, in our kitchen throughout 2015.  Attending the Competition Dining Series and becoming friends with Chef Heidi Billotto were highlights.  AJ especially enjoyed watching the Swamp Rabbit Properties become a favorite hub for new residents relocating to Greenville.  She likes being able to give a warm welcome to folks and assist in easing the transition with long term stays in our diverse range of accommodations.  Publicly, Mrs. Maronie is excited by the rumors that a light rail system is being considered here in Greenville to make traveling in and around the urban centers efficient and stress free.  Personally, career growth, increased prosperity, a peaceful environment and a little more travel top her wish list.

Lisa Parks, Manager and Retail Wizardess, was amused, flummoxed and aggravated by turns in 2015 with the saga of capturing the wild, urban rooster, General Pickens (blog post to follow), but can now claim Rooster Whisperer status.  This city girl turned farmer tended our hay bale garden and hydroponic tower garden to yield amazing amounts of greens, squash, watermelons and tomatoes.  

Her pick for significant Inn event: the addition of the beloved Bike Shed to the Swamp Rabbit Properties, expanding retail in the West End and satisfying everyone’s need for bike rentals, Latte Rides, Bunny Rides, bike apparel and bike jewelry. 

Top of her wish list?  For all, a life less consumed by auto use, which she knows is a strange wish for a Motor City girl!

Not so surprisingly,  Artist at Large, and cycling nut, Kathleen King, echoes the desire for a friendlier future for the car-free and car-optional lifestyle.  She looks forward to seeing infrastructure blossom with bike lanes in Greenville County, making the roads safer for all.  Her favorite aspect of the Inn this past year was seeing the local community embrace it as a convenient central meeting place for monthly gatherings and special events.  Ms. King’s personal focus this year is expanding the public art landscape as she launches a non-profit to achieve that goal.  In addition, she says she’s only just begun to explore the South and looks forward to that relationship deepening.

As for me, your Bunny Blogger at Large (in my burrow under the pecan tree), Watching Greenville dominate all those national top ten lists was a fun surprise that filled all of us with pride!  Watching you bipeds in general is immensely entertaining.  I’m a romantic and the wedding parties that have sashayed through the Inn bring a joy to my heart.  Y’all are so adorable heading out all gussied up, nervous and thrilled all at once.  In my wild dreams you folks keep planting more backyard/sideyard/frontyard… gardens.  Carrots are especially hearty and easy to grow!  May Greenville continue to manicure the banks of my beloved river and my family’s namesake Swamp Rabbit Trail.  The keyword for Greenville in this new year is “Motion”!  Tallyho, 2016!

--Percy

We're Only as Cool as our Guests Who Stay At This Greenville, SC Bed and Breakfast - Which Means We're Really Cool!

What makes a house a home?  What makes a hotel memorable, unique, a home away from home?  You would probably say a lot of the same things for both.  First of all, one needs to feel at ease, comfortable, welcome.  Next on the list, for most, would include feeling appreciated and valued.  Last but not least, most of us want to be in an aesthetically pleasing setting that sets a tone of style and fun.  The Swamp Rabbit Inn accomplishes all these goals by providing an environment that is both calm and energizing, casual and bright, and squeaky clean with an air of contemporary European design.  The spaces are open, warm and full of light, just like our staff and the combination encourages guests to make themselves at home and enjoy their stay in their own way.  We love the people who choose to stay at this Greenville, SC bed and breakfast!

Which brings us to the real secret of our success:  our guests!  We simply have the coolest guests ever!  So far in our short history we have had the pleasure of  hosting an eclectic mix of fun and tremendously Inn-teresting people!  From the many local groups who use the Inn as a hub for meetings or a venue for day long events to the visitors from far and wide, around the globe who come to Greenville for business, pleasure or both, to the wedding parties, families, companies, teams and organizations who take over the whole place for a night, weekend or longer, all have added their character to the ‘house’ and contribute to its unique identity and presence as a West End urban gem.  Add to that our own events: Truck Inn Tuesdays, Hoptoberfest, Tuesday Morning Latte Rides, Holiday Hoppenings,... and the result is a hum of activity that represents the best of Greenville. 

We've met chefs and playwrights, cyclists and journalists, Googlers and musicians, activists and entrepreneurs, CEOs, developers and students.  Below is a sampling of the vibrant folks who have passed through our doors since they opened less than two whirlwind years ago.

Thank you for making us part of your adventures.  We look forward to seeing y'all again!  Can't wait to see who we meet next year!

Check our availability for your visit at this Greenville, SC bed and breakfast and our other vacation rentals!

If you enjoyed this post please share it and subscribe to our blog for future events, offers an news from the Swamp Rabbit Inn.

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WYFF News Channel 4 - Greenville City Council Votes to Extend GHS Swamp Rabbit Trail to ICAR

We were honored to be asked to comment on this story of expanding the Swamp Rabbit Trail.  We are so fortunate to live in a community where our public officials truly get it and know a good thing when they see it.  Greenville County Council and Greenville City Council our hats go off to you for your support of this bike/recreation trail that has had and will continue to have a huge impact on our community and visitors to our area.  Thank you!

GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. —Greenville and Greenville County are one step closer to building some bridges.

Greenville City Council voted unanimously to help pay for the construction of the Greenlink Greenway. Not only will it make the trail longer, supporters say it will connect communities like never before.

The city will invest $2.5 million in the expansion. The project will connect Cleveland Park and Clemson University's International Center for Automotive Research, and it will run parallel to Laurens Road.

As part of the deal, Greenville County will build pedestrian bridges on Laurens Road, Haywood Road and Verdae Boulevard. The bridges would connect to the Swamp Rabbit Trail.

"We're talking about people who need this form of transportation, need this form of recreation, and to have them cross a busy five-lane road or a busy four-lane road like Haywood Road is just not safe and it's not enjoyable. It doesn't invite people to get out and be active,” said Ty Houck with Greenville County Parks and Recreation.

Wendy Lynam, owner of the Swamp Rabbit Inn on Logan Street is also excited for the project.

She said extending the trail will bring even more opportunities, not just for businesses but the community as a whole.

"It gives them a new mode of transportation and connecting with the rest of the city in a healthy way on two feet or two wheels,” said Lynam.

Houck said the numbers speak for themselves.

A Swamp Rabbit Trail impact study conducted by Furman and Clemson universities showed more than half a million people used the trail in 2013. The trail also generated $6.5 million in tourism money.

“You've seen the business investment, you've seen areas in parts of the community that until the trail was there a lot of people didn't even know that part of the community existed,” said Houck.

The county still needs to secure about $3.5 million in funding before it can break ground on the project.

FOX Carolina News - Greenville City Council Unanimously Approves Expansion of the Swamp Rabbit Trail

Thank you Fox Carolina News for stopping by the inn today and asking us to comment on the upcoming vote from Greenville City Council to extend the GHS Swamp Rabbit Trail along Laurens Road to ICAR.  Fingers crossed that they approve the funding for the expansion to include pedestrian bridges over Haywood and Verdae.  Bridges can be a great way to increase visibility of the trail branding.  We've seen it done very well on the bridges of the Silver Comet Trail in GA and the American Tobacco Trail in Durham, NC. GREENVILLE, SC (FOX Carolina) - UPDATE: Greenville City Council unanimously approved the new addition to the Swamp Rabbit Trail.

WATCH NEWS CLIP HERE

You'll find bikers, runners and walkers on the Swamp Rabbit Trail in Greenville County.

"I think it's a great way to showcase anything Greenville has to offer," Wendy Lynam, owner of the Swamp Rabbit Inn said.

She said the trail leads straight to her heart.

"I stood on the front porch, I looked out, I saw the trail- I was like 'the Swamp Rabbit Inn,'" Lynam said.

She loves it so much, she opened the Swamp Rabbit Inn, which is a bed and breakfast.

"People come here- some to bike, some come here for weddings and rent the whole house," she said.

There are bars, restaurants and stores along the trail geared toward cyclists and Lynam wrote a guide book for them entitled Cycling Greenville.

"I started putting together rides for them and one thing led to another and it turned into a book," she said.

And now there are talks to expand the trail near Laurens Road to Cleveland Park and to Clemson University's International Center for Automotive Research, also known as ICAR.

"This potential extension is within city limits, but it is on property that the county owns," Lynam said.

Bob Mihalic is the Governmental Affairs Coordinator with Greenville County.

"Since the day it was built in 2009, it has grown three times since then," Mihalic said.

Greenville City Council members will vote on a resolution Monday to potentially provide more than $2 million for the extension.

"Where Greenville County owns the rail lines- we're always looking for ways to turn those rails into something productive for the community," he said.

The resolution asks for pedestrian bridges over Laurens and Haywood Roads as well as Verdae Boulevard. It also asks to use existing bridge on Woodruff Road for the trail.

A study shows more than half a million people used the trail last year and tourists brought more than $6 million to the Greenville County community.

Copyright 2015 FOX Carolina (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.

Read more: http://www.foxcarolina.com/story/27831280/greenville-city-council-to-vote-on-funding-for-swamp-rabbit-trail-extension#ixzz3OfcuVrnz

Economic Benefits of Rails to Trails Projects Featuring the Swamp Rabbit Trail in Greenville and Travelers Rest SC

Economic Benefits of Rails To Trails Projects - Swamp Rabbit Trail Featured Great video here by the Friends of the Ecusta Trail in Brevard and Hendersonville NC.  We hope this trail becomes a reality for these communities! Come visit Greenville SC, stay with us and experience the Swamp Rabbit Trail right out our front door … #BikeInnBikeOut

#SRTartparty at the Inn to Support the Swamp Rabbit Trail Public Art Collection

Last night we had a great turnout for the #SRTartparty at the inn hosted by Kathleen King.  "The Runner" was revealed and is the second installment of art along the Swamp Rabbit Trail.  The gathering was to build awareness and support for more public art along the trail that connects downtown Greenville SC to Furman University and Travelers Rest SC.

Learn more about the public art movement along the trail here and check out the limited edition cycling jerseys "Tortoise Has a Spare" on sale now while supplies last!  Proceeds from the sale of the jerseys will go to more art on the trail.  Stay tuned for more events and we invite everyone to get involved with this art movement on the trail!

Get on the invite list for more #SRTartparty events and learn more about the movement here.

[contact-form to='anotherbikechik@gmail.com' subject='Add me to the #SRTartparty list and email updates about the public art collection'][contact-field label='Name' type='name' required='1'/][contact-field label='Email' type='email' required='1'/][contact-field label='Phone' type='text'/][contact-field label='Comment' type='textarea' required='1'/][/contact-form] [Tweet ""The Runner" revealed at the #SRTartparty! Learn more about public art on the Swamp Rabbit Trail."]

Bike Trail in Greenville Encourages New Business Formation - NPR

 Bike Trail in Greenville Encourages New Business Formation.  

“The Tortoise has a Spare” Bike Scribble #Cycling Jersey

Support public art on the Swamp Rabbit Trail and turn heads too!  We have a major crush on this jersey featuring original art by Kathleen King and her mural on the trail.  Want to see more public art on greenways?  Click here to learn more.

“The Tortoise has a Spare” Bike Scribble Jersey.

New Sponsor on the Swamp Rabbit Trail

Proud to be a new sponsor of the awesome GHS Swamp Rabbit Trail in Greenville, SC!

New trail sponsor. Thanks @swamprabbitinn pic.twitter.com/xxtPcIeHUB

— Rusty (@rusty_rides) June 13, 2014

Book your rental bike with us here: [bookingselect label='Please select your rental bike:' nummonths=1 type='']

Public Art Along The Swamp Rabbit Trail by Kathleen King

Why art?  Kathleen King speaks about the first mural and piece of public art along the Swamp Rabbit Trail and future plans for more art.  Please visit http://www.bikechik.com to learn more about the artist.  @bikechik

To contact the artist, please fill out the form below:

[contact-form to='anotherbikechik@gmail.com' subject='Public Art Along Swamp Rabbit Trail'][contact-field label='Name' type='name' required='1'/][contact-field label='Email' type='email' required='1'/][contact-field label='Phone' type='text'/][contact-field label='Website' type='url'/][contact-field label='Comment' type='textarea' required='1'/][/contact-form]