Whitewater of Greenville: A River Runs Through It.

While a creature of the SC Low Country, Windveil has blazed some happy trails in the north western part of our state. It took the majesty of the Blue Ridge Parkway's mountain views and challenging roadways (40 gear changes per mile) for Windveil to escape the gravity of Charleston County to see the world beyond.

Greenville, SC, was a glaring lapse in our road diary, but that overdue entry was made in early February. Greenville had always been gone through rather than visited so this was a very new adventure.

Driving down it's Main Street the renovation of commercial buildings and the restoration of confidence by energetic local businesses embraces the visitor. It is the presence of the local merchants which is encouraging as opposed to the faceless chain stores which are infecting so many other commercial districts. There is a decided sense of energy and purpose in this business community.

We were, therefore, taken by surprise when we got to the Reedy River which runs right through the middle of the commercial hub. Below you can see Windveil parked on Falls Street blocking the stairway to keep people from wandering into and thereby spoiling this picture. We thought it would be a better shot without those two trees in the way, but the citizens of Greenville would grind us into funky mulch if we as much as moved a pebble in the rushing Reedy's path. This part of the river was ignored for many years until the City built the Liberty ( foot ) Bridge ( barely visible at the very top of the picture ) over this very spot. They opened up the lower terraces to the river bank below and created a little paradise for citizens and visitors alike. There is so much staggered open space that people need not bunch up or crowd one another to enjoy these natural amenities.

Rather than construct some gimmick or create a Disneyland device, Greenville worked with what nature had given them for free. They opened up this delightful space visually and physically which set into motion a perpetual cycle of joy. A river runs through it and so did we.