Frolic and Play the Falls Park Way!

" ...Walking in a,  er,  spring-ish?, Wonderland! "

Take my coat, please!  I spent all of November cultivating this thick, glorious tweed and now I wish it had buttons!  It's much too heavy for 70+ degrees.  But, boy what a nice weekend we had!

We all know by now that the weather went wacky all across America this past week and  made for a surreal holiday that no one will soon forget.  So I gathered some sights of the ways we handled the phenomenon here in Greenville.

While alarming reports of tornados and floods swirled around us, we worried for our neighbors, but the rains fell warm and soft upon the Upstate. 

On Christmas eve, while the West Coast was snuggled in and freezing, we strolled the West End enjoying balmy breezes! 

Christmas day was blustery but mild as midmorning streets filled with the sound of children happily playing in shorts and Ts. 

Boxing Day was for bronzing!  Acres of exposed flesh came out to soak up the sun.  Traffic on the Swamp Rabbit Trail started early as cyclists fanned out across the county to get in the sunshiny miles.

Hearts were light and smiles plentiful as Greenvillians frolicked in Falls Park.

Air conditioners were blasting in the shops and the Inn was no exception.  Our guests had a bit of confusion for a moment getting the control panel to switch the mode to “cool”, but the staff soon got it sorted.  I watched as the young family set off from the driveway with stroller and sandals to explore our Downtown on foot on a blissfully perfect day.

The attendants squeegeeing the ice at the outdoor rink, Ice on Main, were doing their level best to keep things smooth, but frankly, it was getting a little slushy.

The beginners class was toughing it out, but as you can see by the boy in the background hanging from the railing, there was a lot of slippin' and slidin'!

Rainbows, unicorns and a high of 75º in #yeahTHATgreenville!  We've got it all!

A glance at the forecast shows that Twenty Sixteen promises to debut with a return to our regular winter programming.  But wow!  What a great respite to find under the tree!

--Percy

Oh My Fur and Whiskers!

Well, hello there!  It seems like a fine time to introduce myself.  My name is Persimmon and I am a Swamp Rabbit!  You can call me “Percy” for short.  Perhaps you’ve heard about my cousin’s boy, “Blue”. There’s a whole book about Blue and his bicycle.  The Latin term for my family is Sylvilagus Aquaticus.  The first word means we are cottontails and the second word means we can swim!  Me and mine have been watching you and yours come and go in Greenville for generations.

I was born in a soft, warm burrow on the banks of the Reedy River back in 19…, well, sometime ago.  I’ve watched Greenville go through enormous changes over these many years.  There was a time, when I was a tiny kit, when lots of your folk were going away from Greenville.  That all seemed to turn around right about the time a new art museum and library opened up north aways from the river.  More hustle and bustle came along when y’all started pulling up the railroad tracks near my home.  Then a brand new commotion started.  They were calling it the "Swamp Rabbit Trail"!  A trail just for my family!?  Not quite.

I was getting a little grey in the whiskers by then and didn’t care much for the noise.  I packed my things and went exploring to put a bit of distance between me and all those wheels and sneakers!  I found a nice spot on Logan Street under a shady tree in front of an old, sleepy two story house that had been turned into an office building.  Then that place started to get sleepier and quieter.  Perfect!  But not for long.  Yet another commotion began.  Construction! Drills and saws and delivery trucks.  Then a new building started going up behind that!  I thought I had made a huge mistake.  Slowly things began to calm down again.  The construction sounds subsided and I began to hear pleasant sounds, happier sounds.  There was laughter and music, and the smell of good food.

The sign read: “Swamp Rabbit Inn”.  Hmmm!  My folks seemed to be awfully popular with your folks!  I took it as a sign that I should stick around.  Since then there have been great parties and wonderful people, birthdays, bachelorettes, bike rides, even dancing around the bonfire on the Fourth of July.  Everyone that comes to the Inn really seems to enjoy life a little more while they are here.  The place is always warm and bright.  In the last year the bike shed went up, and a hay bale garden was planted (thank y’all, ever so kindly, Mmm mmm!), not to mention the tower garden on the deck (again, thank you).  They had that problem with General Pickens, the rooster… but that’s another story,  and now some chickens have moved in!  I hear those fresh eggs are something indeed!

Plenty of meetings happen here.  I guess the breezy layout lends itself to straight talk and making progress. There has been quite a bit of romance going on around the Inn, too.  I’ve seen a fair bit of cuddling on the front porch, kissing in the porch swing, snuggling on the upper deck and slow dancing on the back deck. Just when you thought no bunny was looking! Kind of lends a sweet glow to the place.  Blame the shenanigans on all that great music, singing, beer and fancy food.  The colorful atmosphere of the Inn seems to Inn-spire you two-legged types to kick up your heels and let your hare down.  From the looks of it, it would require great effort to avoid enjoyment at this humble establishment.

I have greatly enjoyed witnessing the comings and goings while I hop about my business.  The group of gals who run the place are all so kind and gracious to those who visit.  I love how they always leave the garden trimmings within easy reach.  The spot under the front steps is nice and cool in the summer and the laundry vents are great for taking the chill off in the winter.

As the earth tumbles into a new year I will be here, keen to cast an eye and bend an ear to report on the all hoppenings.  In warmer months I tend to blend and keep my profile low, but if you see my paw prints in the snow be sure and shout hello!  I’m enjoying taking notes and watching Greenville grow.

                                                                                                                                                                         --Percy

We Love Hotel Alternatives and Adore Asheville Glamping !

The Swamp Rabbit Inn and Properties offer unique hotel alternatives in Greenville SC and we are always thrilled to find other cool lodging alternatives in other parts of the world.  Our latest find is Asheville Glamping just over an hour up the road from us in Asheville, NC.  Check out their vintage campers, Airstream, yurt and tent options. We can't wait to stay and experience it first hand.  What a great way to explore the Carolinas - a stay at Asheville Glamping and then head south to Greenville, SC and stay at the Swamp Rabbit Inn or Swamp Rabbit Lodge or one of our vacation rentals.  Don't forget to pack your bikes!

Hotel rooms | Asheville North Carolina Glamping, Glamping in Asheville NC

What are some of your favorite hotel alternatives?  Please share yours in the comments below.  If you enjoyed this post please share it and subscribe to our blog!

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Greenville Craft Beer Festival Accommodations- Stay at the Swamp Rabbit Inn

We'll be the first to admit it- we LOVE craft beer. We love to drink it, serve it, talk about it, support it, and promote Greenville as a place to do all things craft beer. What goes better with the Swamp Rabbit Inn than Swamp Rabbit Brewery? Uh, nothing.

The 2015 Greenville Craft Beer Festival makes it's home for the 3rd straight year at the West End's Fluor Baseball Field. Located just 3 blocks from the field, Swamp Rabbit Inn has all 6 rooms available for the November 14th event. There may literally be nothing better than WALKING to a CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL from your accommodations. And we're the closest and best place to do that from.

A few of the breweries to look out for include Founders Brewing, Oskar Blues Brewery, RJ Rockers Brewery, and Terrapin Beer Company. Tickets are still available and can be purchase online through Greenville Craft Beer Website. Stay with us: Book Here Today!

Fall Festival in Greenville SC: Hoptoberfest at the Swamp Rabbit Inn

We had such a great time with Truck INN Tuesdays this summer that we're at it again. We're hosting THE BEST fall festival in Greenville, SC. Join us October 25th from 4-7 for our first annual Hoptoberfest!

We're thrilled to have Charlotte bluegrass and Americana musicians My Girl My Whiskey and Me (and their sweet pup Homegirl), Automatic Taco food truck, and all our local Makers like Modern Forestry Soy Candles, Reedy River Farms, Greenville Goods, Jocie Pots, Bone and Ink, and many more.

Super excited to have our  special guests from Tennessee @brewbracelets and @thebeertrale. Give a listen to an episode of The Beer Trale, an entertaining look at the world of Craft Beer.  They will be coming here to do an episode Greenville's craft brewing community so please connect with before or at Hoptoberfest!

Of course, The Bike Shed at Swamp Rabbit Inn will be open as well. And no proper fall festival would be without a kids and pets costume parade!

If you're a local looking to partake in a family and pet friendly Sunday event, we're the fall festival for you. In town for the Hincapie Gran Fondo or other local event?  Join us for a fun, relaxing time! We look forward to seeing all our friends, fans, guests, and neighbors in a few short weeks.

P.S. Mark your calendars for our holiday event in the inn, Holiday Hoppinings, December 10th.

Swamp Rabbit Inn Partners With Furman University As A Hotel Alternative

Looking for a hotel near Furman University?  The Swamp Rabbit Inn & Properties has partnered with Furman University and the Furman Paladins as some of the closet accommodations available to Furman Alumni, teams, and visitors alike. Check it out! Swamp Rabbit Commercial- Furman Paladins

Morning Group Rides in Greenville, SC

This weather we're having in Greenville could not be any more perfect for a bike ride. So we've decided to gather our friends and fans of Swamp Rabbit Inn and enjoy the Swamp Rabbit Trail together. This event will run through the fall and we call it Tuesday Latte Rides. This is a casual, no-drop group ride averaging 10-12 miles an hour on the Swamp Rabbit Trail.

So far we've ventured down to Swamp Rabbit Cafe and are planning on sauntering to Furman University soon to check out the newest location of Southern Pressed Juicery. We have plans to visit other coffee shops too, like Methodical, Village Grind, and Teahola.

The Swamp Rabbit Trail has given so much life and vibrancy to our outdoor-focused town that we fully expect to see even more integration between fun businesses, retail, breweries, shopping, cafes, and more as we look to the future. So feel free to join us on our next Latte Ride. All bicycle styles are welcome; it's a no-drop, conversation paced ride. If you have a bike, please remember your helmet. Don't have 2 wheels? We have $10 rentals available. Shop The Bike Shed at Swamp Rabbit Inn before or after the ride- we have jerseys, tees, trinkets, and tasty goods available for purchase. See you on the Trail soon!

Swamp Rabbit Inn Mentioned in Blue Ridge Country Magazine

Swamp Rabbit Inn was mentioned as a great place to stay when looking for great beer and fantastic fall leaf color in the Upstate. Check out the article here.

Swamp Rabbit Inn- the Perfect Place for Alternative Business Accommodations

Greenville, SC played the newest host to the popular chef-battle showdown Competition Dining Series. Based out of North Carolina, Competition Dining took their show on the road and ventured to Greenville from August 3rd to the Grand Finale which was held September 7th. The Swamp Rabbit Inn housed the staff and a rotating mix of chefs over the 6 week series. It was a great example as to why the Swamp Rabbit Inn is the perfect place for alternative business accommodations.

Each person had their own private room, 2 got their own baths, and the rest shared the full hall baths. Everyone could bring their own breakfast and lunch and were able to make themselves at home till showtime the evening of the competition. We could find our fabulous guests milling about the decks on the phone or writing emails, perfect content as if they were in their own houses. Culinary Expert Heidi Billotto who works for Competition Dining had this to say about us: "The entire Competition Dining Series core team considered Swamp Rabbit Inn to be our home-away-from-home for the 6 weeks we were in Greenville. We loved getting to know the entire Swamp Rabbit Inn family and felt so comfortable there. We even hosted all of our regional champions when they came into town for the Grand Finales. WE loved the close proximity to the river for early morning walks before our busy day started each morning. Can't think of anywhere else we'd rather stay when we visit Greenville, SC".

We've hosted Google groups for the Synnex Convention (and have rooms available for this year's convention coming up at the end of September!), Lonely Planet folks, and many other business groups, government groups, and convention attendees. We make it easy for you to stay with us and want to come back over and over again when work brings you to the Upstate.