On reading, hiking and bread-baking my way through the new year

We’ve always been an ‘outdoors’ family, but in the past year – new schools, new responsibilities – I noticed the car was racking up increased mileage, while I was becoming more sedentary. Carlines to get kids picked up, shopping trips to feed three hungry boys, time at the computer to manage the mundane chores of a mother’s life.

Blogging has long been a release for me, but in recent years has taken on a life of its own: a tribute to the outdoor spaces in the Upstate and a diary of one family’s travels in the Southeast, but also a huge commitment of time and energy. Upon our return from France I felt I had reached a crossroads – what would become of Femme au Foyer? While the transition from expat abroad to Yankee hiker in SC happened without much thought, with the recent arrival at what feels like another fork in the road, I feel that I have to be a bit more deliberate with my time – there is just less of it. While writing about these natural places gives me great pleasure, I enjoy the exploration of them even more, and while I will not be abandoning the blog entirely, I will be shifting focus, and blogging less often.

With the New Year, I set about with new priorities for personal growth: hiking, reading and baking. My goal is to hike 365 miles this year, read 10 books a month, and bake bread once a month. Inspiration was drawn from cookbook club, my cousin Kaiva's Instagram feed, a 'daughters who like to read' message thread, and the dozens of trails within an hour's drive still unexplored, even after some 15 years in the Upstate. Instead of writing about places I will be out in them, all that time spent in the carline will be put to good use, and the taste/smell of home-baked bread will hopefully be more common in our hectic kitchen. With March drawing to an end, I can announce that it has so far been a successful endeavor; I’ve logged 97 miles of trail, baked four different breads (baguettes, rupjmaize, cornbread and scones), and read 32 books – and there are a few days left in the month!

While I’m proud of each mile that I’ve charted, I’m feeling especially accomplished looking at my reading list. While my usual fare tends towards mysteries (extra points if it’s a game warden solving a murder!), I’ve ventured outside the boundaries of suspense into everything from social commentary and poetry to short stories and nonfiction – here they are, in the order that I read them (and I've added amazon links that have reviews and more complete descriptions for those interested): 

1. Where the River Ends – Charles Martin
2. A Delicate Touch – Stuart Woods

3. Squirm – Carl Hiaasen

          Hiaasen’s book for young readers are just as lively and entertaining as his adult fiction!

4. The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century – Kirk Wallace Johnson

          Exotic bird trafficking, fly fishing, and the 2009 heist of 299 rare bird skins from a British natural history museum… a surprisingly fascinating read…

5. The New Iberia Blues – James Lee Burke

          James Lee Burke is one of my all-time faves, and although maybe not the most striking, the newest Dave Robicheaux novel was no different from his usual.

6. The Witch Elm – Tana French

7. Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century – Jessica Bruder

          Longing to pack it all up and go… Completely not my usual read, however intriguing look at the growing community of nomads traversing the U.S. between seasonal jobs.

8. The Story of Land and Sea: A Novel – Katy Simpson Smith

9. Birds of America – Lorrie Moore

          A book of short stories that has it all: the funny, the sad, the banal and the grace.

10. Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger – Rebecca Traister

          Struck so many chords with me that I went and bought it after returning the library’s copy. This book vocalizes so many thoughts, feelings and emotions that I’ve heard from friends, family and my own heart over the last 5 years.

11. Bearskin: A Novel – James A. McLaughlin

          “James McLaughlin expertly brings the beauty and danger of Appalachia to life. The result is an elemental, slow burn of a novel—one that will haunt you long after you turn the final page.”

12. Deep Creek: Finding Hope in the High Country – Pam Houston

13. The River of Kings: A Novel – Taylor Brown

          I’ve been fascinated with the The Altamaha River (Georgia’s “Little Amazon”) since I read Janisse Ray’s “Drifting into Darien: A Personal and Natural History of the Altamaha River” while living in the middle of nowhere, Georgia. This novel has a good balance of the natural world to mystery to the human heart.

14. The Girl Who Was Taken – Charlie Donlea

15. Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love – Dani Shapiro

16. The Mountain Between Us – Charles Martin

17. Fates and Furies: A Novel – Lauren Groff

18. Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of the Unruly Woman – Anne Petersen

19. Crimson Lake – Candice Fox

20. The Library Book – Susan Orlean

          A story of a fire – a big one, mind you – woven into the larger tapestry of the role of libraries in the modern world.

21. The Winter of the Witch – Katherine Arden

          The third book in the Winternight Trilogy, a Russian fairytale that was spellbinding – possibly my favorite of the year so far!

22. The Gilded Wolves – Roshani Chokshi

23. The Animal Dialogues: Uncommon Encounters in the Wild – Craig Childs

24. Bad Optics: A Woods Cop Mystery – Joseph Heywood

25. The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt & the Fire That Saved America – Timothy Egan

          The wildland firefighter in me could smell the smoke in this novel, but was also astonished that I hadn’t read it until now.

26. Upstream: Selected Essays – Mary Oliver

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Sad to say I only discovered Mary Oliver after her passing this January, however am making up for lost time by working through her books, one by one, morsel by morsel. Yesterday I stuck 'Upstream' in my pack, and it came in handy when the boys found a spot in the creek they wanted to explore - usually I'm too impatient for an hour spent perched on a rock when the trail awaits. • • • • "For me the door to the woods is the door to the temple." - Mary Oliver, from 'Upstream' #maryoliver #upstatesc #leefalls

A post shared by Liene | Femme au Foyer (@femmefoyer) on Mar 3, 2019 at 9:28am PST

27. Alternate Side: A Novel – Anna Quindlen

28. The Victory Garden: A Novel – Rhys Bowen
29. Becoming – Michelle Obama

          Chicago was my home for a quarter of a century, and I enjoyed seeing it from the author’s perspective. DC is about as far from home as it gets, and I enjoyed seeing it from a woman’s perspective. And with today’s political climate, there was insight into the racial divide as well…

30. Bridge of Clay – Markus Zusak

31. Where the Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens

          “Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.”

32. Only Killers and Thieves: A Novel – Paul Howarth

          An epic tale set in the 1880s ‘Wild West’ Australian frontier: brutal, cruel and tragic. Despite the harsh imagery, no regrets – a raw, no-holds-barred, coming-of-age story that I couldn’t put down.

What’s next? Returning to a few mystery series that I’ve not yet finished, new books by favorite authors coming out in the next months, and a half-dozen books on hold from rabbit-hole wanderings on social media. Tell me – have you read any of the titles on this list? If you’ve got suggestions for me of novels in the same vein as these, I’m all ears – I’ve got 88 books to read this year!

Musings on Hurricane Florence

How is everyone doing out there? Hopefully everyone is dry and the power’s on…

Just a little update from our corner of the Upstate… A little bit of wind (gusts up to 30mph), a little bit of rain (less than 2 inches). Power went out twice – once Friday, once Sunday – but Florence’s route directly over Greenville meant we were never in her northeast quadrant, and were spared the heavy rains the NE corner of the state received. You can see who got what here.

Blue skies and hot temps Friday at Chau Ram County Park

The most interesting weather actually came through on Friday, which we spent up in Oconee county in some soupy summer weather. As you can see in this video from our local Stone Academy weatherSTEM station, sunrise and sunset were crazy colorful. Add to that clouds moving in two different directions at once all day, and you have some prime sky-watching material.

The rainy weather meant curling up with a good book, and I’ve got two that merit mention here. The first, Karl, Get Out of the Garden!: Carolus Linnaeus and the Naming of Everything by Anita Sanchez is actually a children’s book, but it was read and enjoyed by 3 out of 5 household members. The beautifully-illustrated book is about scientific names and the Linnaean system (the basis for the classification system used by biologists around the world today), but backyard science is brought to life for the budding naturalist, scientist and botanist.

The second book was a completely unexpected. Despite (or maybe I should write in spite of) Florence, cookbook club persevered, and Sunday evening we gathered for a feast of hurricane proportions. This month’s book was The Cottage Kitchen: Cozy Cooking in the English Countryside by Marte Marie Forsberg. I’m not sure if it is because of the heavy Scandinavian undertones, the accessible ingredients, or the gourmet dishes requiring (surprisingly) little effort, I made a record number of recipes from this cookbook in the weeks preceding our Sunday dinner and loved every single one of them. I enjoy a cookbook divided by season, and with the high temperature/humidity days it’s no surprise I was cooking out of the ‘summer’ chapter… Tomato tarte tatin with burrata, Tomato, olive, and mozzarella baked peppers, Spinach and goat cheese frittata… Thank goodness fall is around the corner as I’ll be able to try the Potato soup with smoked salmon, then come winter I’ll repeat the Warm salmon, mint and potato salad, and Creamy fish soup with clams. However, don’t discount the ‘afternoon tea’ section – Lise’s carrot cake and Tante Marie’s coffee and fig bread among others – which is absolutely delicious. If I could suggest a Femme au Foyer cookbook of the year, this would be it. (Disclaimer, the first edition was actually published in 2017, but let’s not bandy words…)

The Cottage Kitchen's tomato tarte tatin with burrata

But back to Florence, what I find interesting is that despite the massive rainfall received in portions of the state, South Carolina is barely out of drought status. According to the National Integrated Drought Information System, the portion of the state that received the most rainfall in the past week was actually suffering from abnormally dry conditions just last week. Greenville County had been in a moderate drought up until June 2017, and although we’re now at ‘normal’ levels, it’s clear from the lake levels that it will take a little more to bring us back up to speed. Remember, some of the worst flooding in SC has been from rivers cresting – the same rivers that receive all the runoff water from the impervious surfaces and channeled rivers & creeks here in the Upstate.

On the 1.5 mile trail around Lake Furman - the lake level is LOW

Thinking of all those who had more than their share of this massive storm, and keeping a careful eye on the Atlantic during the next two months of hurricane season,

x your Femme au foyer

Once Upon a Time: Exploring the World of Fairy Tales at UHM

With a few weeks left of summer vacation (but plenty more rain in the forecast!), now is the time to head to the Upcountry History Museum for Once Upon A Time: Exploring the World of Fairy Tales!

“Long before books were made, people told stories. They told them to one another and to the children as they sat before the fire. Many of these stories were about interesting people, but most of them were about the ways of fairies and giants. Children and adults will step inside beloved stories from around the world when the Upcountry History Museum presents Once Upon A Time…Exploring the World of Fairy Tales.” (UHM website)

Emphasizing the historical significance of oral tradition and reading, the exhibit features seven of the world’s most famous fairy tales: Anansi and the Talking Melon (Ghana), Beauty and the Beast (France), Jack and the Beanstalk (England), Cinderella (France, China), Thumbelina(Denmark), The Elves and the Shoemaker (Germany), and Lon Po Po (Little Red Riding Hood in China).

The interactive storybook sets are designed for children ages 3-10, and the appealing stations live up to the high standards of Upcountry History Museum changing exhibits. Whether sliding down the Jack and the Beanstalk slide, playing the piano in Beauty and the Beast, or writing their own fairy tale at the “Once Upon a Time” computer station, kids will have fun exploring this enchanting kingdom of magical creatures that brings the imagination to life!

The bilingual exhibit runs through September 9^th, with Family Fun Day coming up on Sunday, August 5^th from 1 to 4pm, and the UHM Kid’s Book Club next Tuesday, August 7 from 3:30 to 5pm; these events are free with membership or regular admission. However, on September 6^th the Upcountry History Museum is open to the public for Neighborhood Night from 5:30-8:30pm, during which time admission to the museum and all museum exhibitions is free.

Washington DC on foot, part 2

It had been a long day of walking on Day 1: The National Mall from the Capitol to the Potomac River, however the boys were still excited about our second day in Washington DC, which would feature a little less walking and a little more exploring...

Day 2: Ford's Theater, the Old Post Office Tower and the International Spy Museum

With the Washington Monument closed until 2019, there are few options to get a bird’s-eye view of the National Mall, so a visit to the Old Post Office Clock Tower was an easy decision. While the Old Post Office is currently used as the Trump International Hotel, the tower is still operated by National Park Service. However, to enter visitors must circle around to the back and enter through the doors next to the Starbucks. 

Admission is free, and the tower observation deck is open Thursday to Sunday from 9am to 5pm (closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas). Dating back to 1899, it was used as the city’s main post office until 1914. Nearly torn down once in the 1920s and a second time in the 1970s, Trump redeveloped the property into a luxury hotel in 2016. The Old Post Office Clock Tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places in April 1973.

In September of 1941 President Franklin Delano Roosevelt told (his friend) Supreme Court Justice Frankfurter "If any memorial is erected to me, I know exactly what I should like it to be. I would like it to consist of a block about the size of this (referring to his desk) and placed in the center of that green plot in front of the Archives Building. I don't care what it is made of... but I want it plain without any ornamentation, with the simple carving, 'In Memory of _____.'" I would say they fulfilled his wishes exactly, if not for the enormous Memorial on the Tidal Basin... 

We admired the simple stone and the facade of the National Archives, and then crossed Pennsylvania Avenue. A main artery of DC, Pennsylvania Avenue is a National Historic Site and a unit of National Mall & Memorial Parks. This unique site preserves locations related to the creation of the Federal City, Presidential Inaugurations and other historically significant events.

Across the street from the FDR Stone and the National Archives is the US Navy Memorial and Plaza. Daily interpretive programs at 10am and 2pm meet at the Navy Memorial, an opportunity to learn more about Pennsylvania Avenue and its many impressive memorials. If you can't catch a program, explore on your own. Stanly Bleifield's famous statue, The Lone Sailor overlooks the Granite Sea, a map depicting the world's oceans, using an azimuthal projection centered on Washington, DC. Surrounding the Granite Sea are two fountain pools honoring the personnel of the American Navy and the other navies of the world, and 26 bronze high reliefs commemorating events, personnel, and communities of the various sea services.

Continuing north. On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln at the box seat at Ford’s Theater. Timed-entry tickets let you see the site, although the theater still holds performances so call ahead/arrive early to guarantee you can get in. The basement museum has Booth’s pistol on display, but we crossed the street to the visitor center that also has displays and interactive exhibits. Adjacent is the Peterson House, where President Lincoln spent his final hours before passing away at 7:22am the following morning; the house was closed to tours on our visit, but the visitor center provided insight into the timeline of events, the aftermath, and the fateful event itself.

Ford’s Theater was the second opportunity for the boys to complete a Jr. Ranger booklet in DC, and I recommend a stop even if not able to secure tickets for the theater tour. After the previous day's mileage the boys were happy to find that our next destination was just around the corner... 

All books about President Lincoln!

If you are a James Bond movie fan you’ll be interested in visiting the International Spy Museum. All sorts of undercover tools of the trade are on display. Although advertised as being a ‘kid favorite,’ my sources suggested it might be a bit heavy on signs with dense text and lighter on the fun displays my kids were looking for. As a happy middle ground we skipped the $23/adult entrance fee and hit the gift shop instead, allowing the boys to browse all the coolest gear and gadgets without the lengthy reading required in the museum. Whether our visit inspired Lauris to choose a spy theme for his eight birthday is a mystery, but I know that reverse-mirrored glasses and secret codes have been the norm around our house since.

On our way east we stopped in at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. That morning we had heard a portion of a ceremony in passing, as fallen LE officers from the previous year were being honored - we didn't want to intrude and watched from a distance. This time in passing we had the Memorial to ourselves, and after a reflective stroll through the shaded walks we turned once more towards our hotel.

One final memorial I would like to mention is the Victims of Communism Memorial. The Memorial is in honor of the more than 100 million men, women and children that were struck down by 20th century totalitarian regimes, and features a 10ft bronze replica of the Goddess of Democracy erected by students during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.The design and statue are the work of sculptor Thomas Marsh, and the inscription reads "To the more than 100 million victims of communism and to those who love liberty" and "To the freedom and independence of all captive nations and peoples." Located at the intersection of Massachusetts and New Jersey Avenues and G St. NW within view of the US Capitol, the memorial was dedicated by President George W. Bush on the 20th anniversary of President Reagan's "tear down this wall" speech in front of the Berlin Wall with these words:

     ...(Victims) include innocent Ukrainians starved to death in Stalin's Great Famine; or Russians killed in Stalin's purges; Lithuanians and Latvians and Estonians loaded onto cattle cars and deported to Arctic death camps of Soviet Communism. They include Chinese killed in the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution; Cambodians slain in Pol Pot's Killing Fields; East Germans shot attempting to scale the Berlin Wall in order to make it to freedom; Poles massacred in the Katyn Forest; and Ethiopians slaughtered in the "Red Terror"; Miskito Indians murdered by Nicaragua's Sandinista dictatorship; and Cuban balseros who drowned escaping tyranny... We'll never know the names of all who perished, but at this sacred place, communism's unknown victims will be consecrated to history and remembered forever. We dedicate this memorial because we have an obligation to those who died, to acknowledge their lives and honor their memory."

Resources

There were three resources that I found invaluable for planning such a condensed trip, as well as getting the kids enthused about viewing ‘a bunch of monuments.’ The first is “Washington: The Nation’s Capital” brochure by the National park Service, featuring a large map of all the Park Service and public sites in addition to the location of information kiosks and restrooms. To get a copy contact the Park Service, or download a copy online.

Everyone knows it isn’t pleasant to carry around a heavy, cumbersome guidebook, and so I was relieved to find the Lonely Planet Make My Day: Washington, DC guidebook. A flip-and-match format allows you to get the meat of each attraction in a quick look, the fold-out map in the back is a complete city map with bikeshare & public transportation as well as street index, and a pocket in the back can store stamps, receipts or other important papers as you hike your way across the city.

Finally, the kids got into another Lonely Planet book, Washington, DC City Trails: Secrets, Stories and Other Cool Stuff. Reading about the National Mall beforehand allowed them to identify the monuments and memorials on our wanderings; did you know that the north wall of the Lincoln Memorial originally misspelled the word ‘future’ euture, and although it was fixed the mistake is still visible?

The last time we were in DC the boys were too small for much of a tour - see my previous Washington DC post here. Therefore, our goal was to pack as much as possible into our short time in the city, to get an overall perspective on DC and prepare for more in-depth exploration of museums and other sites on a future visit. A walking tour of the National Mall is an ideal way to see the city, and if you plan your route ahead you can see it all on foot, even with children; just be prepared with comfortable walking shoes, plenty of fluids, sunscreen, and patience to stop and rest as needed. We made it home from DC tired, but satisfied we had made good use of our time there, and we’ve already gotten the start of a list for our next visit: Theodore Roosevelt Island, Arlington National Cemetery, the Pentagon, the National Zoo…

Strolling Downtown Spartanburg

Spartanburg is the second-largest city in Upstate South Carolina, and is just 30 minutes from Greenville, with the two cities sharing GSP airport. Possibly best known as the home of Wofford College and the Carolina Panthers training camp, Spartanburg is also the site of headquarters for Denny's and is home to the BMW Spartanburg factory. On the other hand, the city has been around since 1753 and is packed with historic attractions, cultural sites and outdoor activities. Spartanburg became a hub city back in the late 1800s when seven train lines fanned out from the city like spokes on a wheel, and today the nickname “Hub City” is still appropriate, although it is highways that connect the city to Altanta, DC, and Charlotte just 80 miles to the east. Recently the city has been energized in a rebirth, and nowhere is this new prestige as a tourist destination more evident than on a stroll down Main Street.

A great place to start is Denny’s Plaza, the greenspace adjacent to Denny's Corporate Headquarters. Denny's main offices were located California until 1989, at which time the office was moved to Spartanburg, headquarters of the parent company Trans World Corporation that acquired Denny's in 1987. The Plaza is home to fountains and gardens, as well as seasonal attractions such as the “Dickens of a Christmas” holiday tree.

Denny's headquarters and plaza

Headed west you’ll pass multiple popular stores including the Local Hiker and Hub City Scoops. Shortly before reaching S. Church St. you’ll find Fr8yard, the one of a kind, family friendly, outdoor entertainment and restaurant complex that opened last year. The venue is a community gathering place that was bustling even on a chilly January day.

You’ll notice multiple light-bulb sculptures as you walk, a part of the large-scale public art project headed up by the Spartanburg Art Museum. The project is titled “Lighten Up Spartanburg!”and features 28 light-bulb sculptures in public spaces around Spartanburg’s Downtown Cultural District, each decorated by a local or regional artist, designer or architect who was given free rein to paint, shape and decorate the sculptures.

Wall Street is the pedestrian thoroughfare that features multiple restaurants and stores. The ‘festival street’ is a good example of how the city has recently invested in Spartanburg to make it more bikable and walkable, and is part of a larger trails plan that will eventually connect 200 miles of countywide bike lanes and trails.

There is a different type of trail that runs through downtown as well - the Spartanburg Music Trail. A 30-minute walking tour of the city’s music history guides you from Daniel Morgan Avenue up Main Street to Liberty Street, colorful markers describing various artists at each point and appropriate music audible through your smartphone. It was Southern Rock superstars the Marshall Tucker Band who put Spartanburg on the musical map, but you’ll also learn which Spartanburg bluesman lent his first name to British rock group Pink Floyd, who played electric guitar for Elvis Presley, who wrote “Duelin’ Banjos,” and who put the words and music together to create the hymn “Amazing Grace.”

Along with the light bulbs you might also notice metal cycling statues scattered around, part of a ArtCycle scavenger hunt that has participants searching for the 11 pieces created by local artist Hoondirt. The art is in honor of Spartanburg’s bicycle-friendly designation from the League of American Bicyclists (SC’s first), as well as being the first city in the Southeast with a bike sharing program.

You’ll want to plan to spend some time in the Masonic Temple, today home to Hub City Writers Project and Cakehead Bakeshop. The award-winning bakery (in 2012 their cajun tater biscuit was judged the world’s best biscuit at the International Biscuit Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee) shares the ground floor with the Spartanburg publisher and bookseller. The Opera House was at this location from 1880 until demolished in 1907, and while several smaller buildings occupied the site in the interim, several Masonic lodges pooled resources to build the current space in 1927, designed by Spartanburg architect Frank Collins.

The Masons still meet at the location regularly, the upper floors housing an elegant auditorium. We picked up coffee roasted by local Little River Roasting Co. at the coffee bar, and after browsing for almost an hour at the bookstore, selected the second edition of “The Underground Guide to Spartanburg.” Printed by Hub City Press, this volume is the perfect guide to finding great stuff to do in the city.

Hub City Press publications

Back outside and continuing east, you’ll notice that for a brief period the opposing lanes of traffic on Main Street are split by a small pocket park. In the center is the clock tower; originally a feature of the Opera House, then a fixture of the Magnolia Street courthouse, the bell and clock were moved to the present location in 1986.

The north block Between Magnolia Street and Church Street is devoted to Morgan Square. At the west end is the Daniel Morgan Monument, the 1881 memorial a tribute to General Morgan’s victory at Cowpens. In the center is a fountain, and during the winter months you’ll find the skating rink to be a fun stop.

Just across the street on N Church St. is the Growler Haus, the Upstate chain that offers multiple seasonal and tasteful craft/micro beers and other libations. Comfy couches, local craft beer (and cider & komboucha) and knowledgeable bartenders will convince you to stay awhile.

On the next block over, 127 Dunbar Street (it has frontage on both Main and Dunbar) is the former location of the chain department store Woolworth’s. On July 26, 1960 the lunch counter was the site of a sit-in to protest the store’s all-white lunch counter service policy, part of the momentous national movement. You’ll find a plaque to commemorate this historic event.

Just a bit further and you’ll find yourself back in front of the Denny’s Plaza, however this should not be the end of your Spartanburg tour as there is much more to do in Hub City… Car enthusiasts should not miss touring BMW Zentrum, the German car maker’s only museum and manufacturing plant in America. Hiking often brings us out to Milliken Arboretum or Hatcher Garden & Woodland Preserve, while Croft State Park is a mere 15 minutes south. The Spartanburg International Festival draws more than 12,000 people to Barnet Park every October, while every summer the Carolina Panthers practice can be easily combined with a day in downtown by utilizing the free shuttle to Wofford. However you choose to spend your time in Hub City, you’ll find that it’s a dynamic city, full of history and culture – that will only pique your interest in coming back.

For a historic tour of Spartanburg, check out this guide by Hub City Tour. It features a few of the sites on Main Street in addition to a wide range of attractions throughout the city.