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WHY GO In upcountry South Carolina, it’s possible to see Vatican-worthy sacred art, maneuver around a racetrack, cuddle baby goats and watch football - all in a single day. Witness as the once-forgotten city of Greenville goes through a Southern urban revival, with your help.

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TIME

3 days

DISTANCE

131 miles

BEST TIME TO GO

Year-round

START

Greenville, SC

END

Greenville, SC

ALSO GOOD FOR

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Let’s just get this out of the way first: this entire trip is based around corn-on-the-cob lollipops. Perhaps you think there is a better reason to travel, but you haven’t tried these corn lollipops...yet.

Most of South Carolina’s tourism is confined to the coastal region, but the inland farmlands and foothills can be just as stunning, plus you’ll have the area practically to yourself. To boot, some of the state’s quirkiest visitor attractions are hidden in these hills. The region is one of the more conservative in the USA, but you’ll rarely find a friendlier set of folk.

Seeing as this is a book celebrating the American pastime of hitting the open road, start your drive with a visit to BMW Zentrum Museum. The only BMW manufacturing plant (and museum) in the USA is a must-see for anyone who has ever wanted to see a Z4 being made or check out dozens of classic Beemers, including an art car by Andy Warhol and a Bond car. For the particularly hard core, test your driving skills at the BMW Performance Driving School, where fast cars, an open track and a once-in-a-lifetime adventure meet. Burning rubber is encouraged as you slalom through the “water wall” or rev a corner.

Slow down - waaa-aaay down - in the afternoon at Bob Jones University. The conservative Fundamentalist college is perhaps best known for its dress code (including, for women, pantyhose on Sundays; for men, an expectation to remain clean-shaven) and controversies - interracial dating was forbidden until 2000 - but it is possible to visit the campus (properly attired, please) to see its Old Masters Collection. Began by Bob Jones Sr after WWII, the on-campus museum houses one of the most impressive sacred art collections in the country, including Italian baroque, 14th-century Gothic works, a Rembrandt and Russian icons. For a cheap meal, stop by the University Dining Commons, open to visitors, between noon and 1:30pm.

Head into downtown Greenville, a once down-on-its-luck Southern town. The downtown Falls Park on the Reedy River and the surrounding River Walk area are the epicenter of revitalization. The central park parallels the river with a series of waterfalls, floral gardens and a suspended pedestrian bridge. The neighboring pedestrianized River Walk is lined with mixed-use lofts, restaurants and shops, and the unmistakable bustle of a city rising from the ashes of postwar abandonment (bonus points if you locate the neon “free smells” sign). On Wednesday and Thursday summer evenings, you can check out a live concert at a stage set up next to the river. It’s as apple pie as it gets: musicians playing, children dancing, families picnicking on the grass.

And, finally, you’re here: Lazy Goat. The Mediterranean-Southern fusion restaurant opened in 2005 and, with small plates such as braised lamb (marinated for three days) with plantain chips or fried Split Creek Farm goat cheese drizzled with honey and pistachio dust, you’ll hardly have room for desserts like tiramisu poppers or churros dipped in cinnamon and pink peppercorn sugar. But it’s those corn-cob lollipops - on skewers, covered with asiago and aioli - that deserve the double order. Make sure you claim the blue chair at each table if you’re feeling particularly witty; that person is required to keep the meal’s conversation flowing. On concert evenings, book an outdoor patio table overlooking the River Walk.

It is just a few blocks down Main St to E Washington St to arrive at Pettigru Place B&B. The only historic inn in Greenville, it’s set in a charming Victorian house with individual touches in each room - Jacuzzis, claw-footed tubs, a fireplace or a private