Clemson, SC Road Trips

Although there are nearly 20,000 permanent residents, people who visit are typically students, family of students or college football fans. The busiest time of the year is typically on Saturdays of Clemson Tigers football home games (September–November). In 2015, the Princeton Review named Clemson as the #1 college town in the United States when it came to the relationship between college students and full-time residents. While it is a smaller town, there are numerous restaurants, shops and activities.

1 Mountain View Park at Lake Hartwell, 340 Mountain View Lane, ☏ +1 864 624-1120. Park along man-made lake created by Hartwell Dam, which supplies hydroelectric power to the area. The lake and nearby forests are maintained by the US Army Corps of Engineers, and there are many places for swimming, sunbathing, camping, fishing, and hiking. 2 Old Stone Church, 101 Stone Circle, ☏ +1 864 654-2061. Built by Revolutionary War hero Andrew Pickens, this Presbyterian church is one of the most interesting historical attractions in the Upstate and was the second structure built by the religious community. Although the church is no longer in service, there is a cemetery on site that contains numerous old tombstones including those of Pickens and his family. 3 Class of 1944 Visitors Center, Alumni Circle, ☏ +1 864 656-4789, [email protected]. M-F 8AM-4:30PM, Sa 9AM-4:30PM, Su 1PM-4:30PM. Closed on all University holidays, and Sundays in May, June and July. For thousands of prospective students, special guests and Upstate tourists each year, the Clemson experience begins at the University's Visitors Center. Made possible by gifts from the Class of 1944, the Visitors Center is a comfortable and educational starting point for exploring the Clemson campus and surrounding areas. The Class of 1944 Visitors Center, located on Alumni Circle, is the front door to Clemson -- a friendly place to get information, assistance and an introduction to this beautiful and historic university and community.

Spend a Friday night bar-hopping at Downtown Clemson. (See the Drink section for more) Go Boating on Lake Hartwell, the water temperature is usually perfect in the summer for any kind of on-the-water activity. 1 Robert Howell Brooks Center for the Performing Arts, ☏ +1 864 656-3043. Brings an exciting array of concert, theater, dance, comedy and other live performances to the Clemson community. 2 T. Ed Garrison Livestock Arena, off U.S. 76 near Tri-County Tech, ☏ +1 864 646-2717. A 100-acre complex, it is the showplace for livestock activities as well as industrial and agricultural exhibitions in South Carolina. 3 Walker Golf Course, 236 Madren Center, ☏ +1 864 656-0236, [email protected]. open year round. Clemson's 250-acre, 18-hole championship golf course is gaining a reputation as the country's most accessible course for individuals with disabilities. 4 Clemson Tiger Athletics, ticket office is at the southwest corner of Memorial Stadium, ☏ +1 864 656-2118, fax: +1 864 656-0415, [email protected]. Office Hours: M-F 8:30AM-4:30PM. Clemson competes at the Division I level in the following sports: Men's: Baseball, Basketball, Football, Golf, Soccer, Swimming & Diving Tennis Track & Field, Women's: Basketball, Rowing, Soccer, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball. ($-$).

Clemson is home to an unusual number of sandwich shops, this is due to a rumor that the Clemson Subway Sandwich Shop was at one point in time the highest grossing Subways in the world. Clemson also has numerous fast food restaurants on Tiger Blvd as well as many casual and formal restaurants in Downtown Clemson. '55 Exchange, Hendrix Student Center. M-F 11:30AM-6PM, Sa 1-6PM, Su 1-6PM. Made possible by a generous gift from Clemson's Class of 1955, the ’55 Exchange is a student run retail operation that sells and serves Clemson’s world famous ice cream and other Clemson produced items, including meat, organic produce, and blue cheese. All revenues generated through the retail center go to support Clemson students and academic programs. Columbo's Pizza, 203 Pendleton Rd Ste 1, ☏ +1 864 654-1103. Chicago style. Mac's Drive-In, 404 Pendleton Rd, ☏ +1 864 654-2845. A Clemson tradition; great cheeseburger steaks. Pot Belly Deli, 109 Wall St, ☏ +1 864 653-3663. Todaro Pizza, 105 Sloan St, ☏ +1 864 654-3001. New York style. Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers, 189 Old Greenville Hwy, ☏ +1 864 624-1226. Sardi's Den Restaurant & Lounge, 520 Old Greenville Hwy # 2, ☏ +1 864 654-7427. Blue Heron Restaurant & Sushi, 134 Exchange St, Pendleton, ☏ +1 864 653-3354. Calhoun Corners Restaurant, 103 Clemson St, ☏ +1 864 654-7490. M-Sa 5-9:30PM. Pixie & Bill's, 1058 Tiger Blvd, ☏ +1 864 654-1210. Lunch M-F 11:30AM-1:30PM, Dinner M-Sa 5:30-9:30PM.

1 356 Sushi and Cocktail Bar, 366 College Ave. Upscale bar with live music most nights. 2 Backstreets Pub & Grill, 102 Earle St, ☏ +1 864 653-7581. Cheap liquor pitchers and pizza on Tuesdays. 3 The Esso Club, Old Greenville Hwy, ☏ +1 864 654-5120. Live music on football weekends. 4 Loose Change, 349 College Ave, ☏ +1 864 654-1090. Live acoustic most nights. 5 Nick's Tavern, 107-2 Sloan St, ☏ +1 864 654-4890. Wide selection of obscure beers; one of the few bars in town rarely patronized by the fraternity crowd (see also Sloan Street). 6 Sloan Street Tap Room, 109 Sloan St, ☏ +1 864 654-7210. 7 TD's Food & Drinks, 339 College Ave, ☏ +1 864 654-3656. Karaoke Tuesday nights, live music on the weekends. 8 Tiger Town Tavern, 368 College Ave, ☏ +1 864 654-5901. Pool tables, HDTVs, outdoor seating, Wednesday night trivia. 9 Top of the Tavern, 366 College Ave # A, ☏ +1 864 654-6600. Private club. Cheap cover, year membership available, open Sundays.

Comfort Inn, 1305 Tiger Blvd, ☏ +1 864 653-3600, fax: +1 864 654-3123, [email protected]. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: noon. Nearby restaurants; 122 rooms, 56 NS, handicap-accessible, 18 suites with whirlpool, tv/vcr, Microwave, wet bar; pool, hot tub, health facilities; meeting room for 130, laundry; coffee shop open 6AM-10AM with complimentary continental breakfast. All major credit cards with special rates for government/corporations, AAA, AARP. ($~$$). Days Inn, 1387 Tiger Blvd, ☏ +1 864 653-4411, fax: +1 864 653-4411, [email protected]. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. All double, king and queen size rooms, Wi-Fi Internet access, free HBO, copy and fax access, some handicap and NS rooms, free continental breakfast. Major credit cards accepted. Hampton Inn, 851 Tiger Boulevard, ☏ +1 864 653-7744, fax: +1 864 653-8437. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: 11AM. Remote TV, some NS rooms, pool, free continental breakfast. Restaurants nearby. Major credit cards. Best Western Plus Clemson Hotel & Conference Center, 1310 Tiger Blvd, ☏ +1 864-986-6200. Inn @ Clemson, 1303 Tiger Blvd, ☏ +1 864 653-6000. James F. Martin Inn, 230 Madren Center Dr, ☏ +1 864-502-8962, [email protected]. Surrounded by the Walker Golf Course at Clemson University. 89 rooms, interior-corridor hotel features 27 luxurious suites and 62 guest rooms, hospitality suite and health club including pool and tennis, restaurant, complimentary continental breakfast. Owned and Operated by Clemson University. Clemson University Outdoor Lab Suites & Cabins, Off of US Hwy.

Clemson Area Transit provides free bus transportation connecting to the surrounding cities of Anderson, Central, Pendleton and Seneca. US Highway 76 (Clemson Blvd) enters Clemson from the east at Exit 19B on I-85 in South Carolina. US Highway 123 (Tiger Blvd) bisects the city running north to south allowing for travel from Greenville 30 miles (48 km) to the north and Seneca 10 miles (16 km) to the south. Amtrak's Crescent connects Clemson with the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Charlotte, Atlanta, Birmingham and New Orleans The Amtrak station is situated at the intersection of Tiger Blvd and College Avenue. 1 Clemson railway station, 1105 Tiger Blvd. (updated Aug 2020)

Clemson Area Transit, sponsored by the City of Clemson and Clemson University, this bus line is not only fare-free, it also does not generally suffer from many of the problems that plague larger city bus systems (schedule delays, sketchy clientele, dirty buses, etc.) For this reason, the CAT bus system is one of the best public transit systems in the entire nation. Several larger cities have come to Clemson to observe the system, which even carries many university students and well-to-do professors to class. Clemson Area Transit covers many major destinations, including most of the area's hotels, motels, and most major eateries. For the traveler on a budget, or even those not on a tight budget, the CAT bus system may be the way to go. It covers the campus and surrounding cities, including Anderson, Central, Pendleton and Seneca. Travelers on the CAT bus going to Anderson can, upon transfer, obtain a fare-free day pass to the Electric City Transit system which serves the city of Anderson. SC State Highway 93 (Old Greenville Hwy) is the de facto boundary between Clemson University and City of Clemson. The road is 4 lanes without a middle turn lane and provides no public parking. SC State Highway 133 (College Ave) begins at the intersection with Old Greenville Hwy at the border of Clemson University and intersects with Tiger Blvd less than a mile to the north. College Ave is home to many of the Clemson Bars, Sandwich Shops, and Clemson Fan Apparel. Public street parking exists on both sides of the street for the length of the downtown area.