Upstate South Carolina - A Hidden Gem
My wife and I began visiting the upstate area of South Carolina in 2017 after my brother and sister in-law bought a home in the Cliffs on Lake Keowee. We immediately fell in love with everything the area had to offer. Over the next 6 years we would make return trips throughout the different seasons and found each season offered something different for us to explore and enjoy. Last June, we finally became empty nesters and decided to sell our Franklin, TN home and move to Upstate South Carolina. Why - we loved Franklin - a place routinely rated as one of the best places to live in the U.S.? The reason is we found someplace even better!
Upstate South Carolina has a great mid-size city that is exploding in Greenville. It has beautiful rolling hills that turn into the Blue Ridge Mountains as you go north and west towards North Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia. Oconee Country where we settled has over 300 recorded waterfalls. There are well maintained hiking trails that take you to the falls or to beautiful vistas that look over the valleys below. The lake region has three beautiful lakes stretching from Lake Jocassee to the north that flows to Lake Keowee that flows to Lake Hartwell to the south. Clemson University is near the center of the upstate area. It provides great academic, arts and sports.
If you like lifestyle communities they are scattered throughout the region. We chose the Cliffs Falls on Lake Keowee. We liked the Cliffs because they offer 7 different communities with 3 on Lake Keowee, 3 in the mountains between Asheville, NC and Greenville, and 1 just outside of Asheville. Each community has a championship golf course, racquet sports, wellness center and beautiful clubhouse. There are continuous activities like hiking clubs, bike clubs, bourbon clubs, etc. We liked the idea of living in one club but belonging to 7 clubs. There are many other options in the area and I guarantee you will find the one that fits your lifestyle and price point.
The area is also centrally located and convenient to larger metropolitan cities. The upstate is about two hours from Atlanta and just over two hours from Charlotte. You are also a day’s drive to the wonderful beaches on the South Carolina Atlantic coast.
If you like four seasons and are tired of the crazy world we live in today then consider visiting Upstate South Carolina and giving it a look. You won’t be disappointed.