From Vacancy to Vibrancy: Let’s Keep Travelers Rest Beautiful works to beautify TR

By Josephine McMullen:

The aptly named city of Travelers Rest started out as a stopover for travelers who were either preparing for or recovering from the arduous journey over the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains. And that’s how most people thought of Travelers Rest for a long time: as nothing more than a way station situated near the nexus of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Piedmont Plateau.

But that all changed in 2010 with the completion of the Swamp Rabbit Trail, which winds its way northward from Greenville Tech, passes through downtown Greenville, and then ends in Travelers Rest. No longer was Travelers Rest just a brief stop in the course of a journey. For the first time in its history, it became a place people were traveling to, which was a real game changer for this sleepy little city of 5,000.

Bess McCall, who grew up in Travelers Rest, reflected on how different Travelers Rest is now compared to five years ago.  “The other day I was downtown and there were so many people walking around and it was exciting. For so long we had nothing here. It was just a dead little place,” said McCall.

But just as important to the success story of downtown Travelers Rest’s revitalization is the concerted effort of business leaders, city officials, and private citizens who have worked diligently to beautify Traveler Rest’s central business district...

Read the complete story about Let's Keep Travelers Rest Beautiful on OurUpstate.com here.