EXPLORING THE CAROLINAS

The sun was shining, the temperatures are improving....so it was time to get out and explore the Carolinas.

 Our first stop was a tour of the BMW factory in Greenville, SC.  Truth be told, I wasn't actually looking forward to it.  However, it was fascinating!!  No photos were allowed so this one was grabbed from their website.  Our prearranged tour took about 45 mins. via a super comfortable tram....outfitted with the center console and seats of a BMW X5.  It also had a large video screen to show more details about the specific tasks the employees were undertaking. Our guide was very informative.

The 5 million square-foot campus generates its own power, has an on-site family health center and you could eat off the floors!!  They produce over 1,000 vehicles a day....each built along the assembly line in order of when they were purchased.  Just imagine the organization involved in that task considering all the combination of options for each.  I believe it takes about 30 hours to build a car from start to finish.  They make 4 different models in this facility and surprisingly, a great majority are sent overseas.  They do not build cars on spec.....rather each car has already been bought and paid for. 

Another reason for a trip to this area; lunch at Culver's.  Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows my passion for Culver's Chocolate Malt Concrete Mixer. It has an astonishing number of calories but it's ooooohhhhh soooo good.   Culver's ("Perfected in Sauk City, Wisconsin...enjoyed World Wide") will be opening in Asheville this spring. I'm relieved that it will be 50 mins. away, if it was any closer, I'd have to do a 'forced march' twice a day!

We detoured on the way home to see the oldest surviving stone bridge in South Carolina, built in 1820!  It was part of a state road that ran from Charleston through Columbia, SC to North Carolina.  

There were walking trails adjacent to the bridge.....but unfortunately, time didn't permit us to explore them too much.  

This historic site is located near Travelers Rest, SC.  Click here to learn more about the Poinsett Bridge and view some beautiful photos.