This is an amazing and exemplary park. It is named after the prominent Barnet family. This is the…read morepremier outdoor gathering place for all outside cultural events in the Spartanburg, S.C. area. Today they were having an event showcasing the Ukraine. Not all events that occur here are no admission charges. There's a ticket booth if that were to become necessary. There's no doubt that without the financial support of the Barnet family; this facility would not exist.- absolutely beautiful park!

I guess it's obvious that this tiny park is a tribute to someone dear to the city and not for…read morerecreational use. Its address is listed as College Drive. it's actually located at the juncture of E. Rutledge and College Drive. Aesthetically, this is a beautifully maintained park. When I visited today I noticed that parking is allowed on E. Rutledge Street. Because of the very limited amenities one could consider this to be more of a public tribute to a former mayor than a public park. Nevertheless, it's beautifully designed and maintained. Aesthetically, this is a wonderful addition to the local area.

This where some serious fishermen ( my two oldest grandsons and I ) will attempt to catch a bunch…read moreof catfish in the morning. Of course at nine and six years old respectively, they are 100% looking forward to this little trip. This facility is located on beautiful Lake Whelchel in Gaffney, S.C. This complex is named after a beloved commissioner of our Local Board of Public Works, Mr. Roger D. Harris an avid fisherman himself. Even if the fish aren't biting, this should still be fun!

When we moved to South Carolina my granddaughter set out to find a show barn that she could…read morecontinue growing in her equestrian endeavors. She told me "well I have found the barn and want to join their IEA team". We did this and she was welcomed with open arms. Top Call is wonderful! Leslie Huffman Maddox and Linda Snipes Forrester we can't thank you enough for your talent, patience and dedication to the sport and your riders. Top Call is truly Top Notch from lessons, IEA program and show program. They also offer boarding and offer an indoor arena, and outdoor arena!!

Fabulous riding lessons for all ages! I have been riding for many years and recently relocated to…read moreSouth Carolina. I chose Top Call Farm for their affordable lesson rates, and was very impressed with the level of instruction I received. The location was not the most convenient for me, but to get high quality instruction at an affordable price, it was definitely worth it! Leslie and Muffin are both friendly and have a variety of lesson horses available. They gave me a great workout while making me feel safe and supported!

Shame on me for not knowing that Spartanburg has a nature preserve! Similar, yet different from…read moreConestee Nature Preserve in Greenville. I used to live in Spartanburg County back from 2009 - 2011 and never knew this place existed. Edwin M. Griffin NP has a couple of entry points from Snydor Rd./Beechwood Dr. As per Google: [It is a] 115-acre urban preserve featuring over 5 mi[les] of wooded trails, wetlands & a variety of wildlife. We chose it as our 5th family hike. There is no significant elevation change, just some ups and downs; my parents handled the 4.2 mile walk (minus the boardwalk part) fine. Google will also state that the hours are from 7 am - 9 pm, however, it is more accurately from sunrise-sunset or according to the website from dawn to dusk. There is wheelchair accessibility on some parts of the trail, but there are no restroom facilities, so make sure you go before you visit (at least not from our entry point). We mainly traversed the Cottonwood trail. On the western part of the trail you pass underneath the bridge where Fernwood Drive passes overhead and there's evidence from graffiti artists left behind; at one picnic area we saw that someone had somehow managed to draw an owl into a dead tree that has fallen over; that was pretty cool. Cottonwood Trail does loop back to the east via the Loblolly Trail where there is another entry and parking area from what I read for water access (kayaks, etc.). I'm not sure how navigable Lawson's Fork Creek is though, because we saw a lot of tree debris in the creek, which I think would make it difficult to go the water route. My favorite part was definitely having the creek to one side where birds were flitting to and fro; we even saw a crane or heron type bird, which reminded me of birds in Florida. That was neat! My parents decided to take a break on a bench as we checked out the boardwalk, which I read was renovated and looks very nice. It leads to Highlands Trail, which is definitely the more elevated part of the preserve and is NOT stroller-friendly (the rest of the trails weren't so bad). Other highlights from the "hike" were that we ate mulberries straight from the trees and saw elderberry bushes growing (they were not fruiting yet, but their flowers are so pretty). We did not check out the Powerline Trail (yes, there are powerlines), which leads to another entry point with parking on Woodburn Rd. - have to save something for another time, right. There are a few other, shorter trails as well. We definitely enjoyed this hike even though it was longer than the other ones we have done before. The boys did really well and our toddler had it easiest being chauffeured in a stroller (can I be young again, please?). Be aware that the parking area leading to the middle of Cottonwood Trail is not an actual parking lot, but just a gravely few spots where cars park across from residential homes. We saw a lawn care company taking advantage of a spot as they serviced one of those homes. We did take pictures at the butterfly/flower sculpture to memorialize our newest adventure (it could do with some retouches of bright and vibrant paint). I'm really glad to have checked it out and would like to return in the foreseeable future. I'm sure the scenery changes based on the seasons and brings something different every 3 - 4 months. By the way, dogs are allowed to join humans, but must be leashed; we also saw a couple of cyclists (not quite mountain biking, but a good intro for it). Again, love these types of nature preserves in urban cities and wish there were more of them. Happy yelping!

Considering the small size of this baseball complex; this is a decent concession stand. It has a…read morereasonably decent selection of foods and snacks. Hotdogs are four dollars each and are a dollar more than other area ballparks. Despite the pretty large crowd here, I've only seen one customer.

Park Place is another place for families to enjoy a great day. This park is located directly across…read morethe street from Thompson Park ! This is a smaller outdoor facility but it offers more playground equipment than its larger neighbor.Children can literally play here until closing time and burn off all that pent up energy that they have. Very large play area for older children! A really nice play area for younger kids! There are age appropriate swings here. I most definitely recommend this well maintained playground to the public.

Three stars for the Lake Thickety Fishing Rodeo. I hope you take time to see my video of this…read moreevent. As I predicted; there were more people fishing than the public access area could handle. There were several game wardens onsite and a couple of deputies. What I was surprised about most was the cordiality between of the grownups . Strangers helping each other untangling crossed fishing lines. Grownups weren't allowed to fish but they could help their youngsters do so. I saw a lot of catfish being caught. No shocker there as the lake had been the day before stocked. To their credit the officials in charge were very helpful and mingled with the people fishing. Also to their credit the first 100 participants got a nice rod and reel combo I estimate to be a fifty dollar value each. Not begrudging any but that's where a lot of hard earned tax dollars got spent.