Barton College (North Carolina)

City: Wilson, NC

🌳 Lake Wilson Park — Wilson, NC (trails, disc golf & playground)

🎨 Imagination Station Science & History Museum — Wilson, NC

🦋 Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park — Wilson, NC (giant colorful kinetic sculptures!)

🛝 Putt-Putt Fun Center — Wilson, NC

🎢 The Wilson Botanical Gardens — Wilson, NC (kids’ garden & butterfly house)

🎳 AMF Westview Lanes — Wilson, NC

☀️ Downtown Wilson — murals, shops & farmer’s market — Wilson, NC

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Parker’s Barbecue — Wilson, NC

🍕 Casita Brewing Company — Wilson, NC (family patio & wood-fired pizza)

🥞 Something Different Café — Wilson, NC

🌮 La Rancherita Grill & Tequila Bar — Wilson, NC

🍗 Marty’s BBQ — Wilson, NC

🍦 Treat Yo’ Self Ice Cream — Wilson, NC

☕️ Larema Coffee House — Wilson, NC

🥗 The Creamery Family Restaurant — Wilson, NC

Belmont Abbey College (North Carolina)

City: Belmont, NC

🌳 Stowe Park — Belmont, NC (playground, walking paths & splash pad)

🎨 Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden — Belmont, NC

🦋 Schiele Museum of Natural History — Gastonia, NC

🎢 Carowinds Amusement Park — Charlotte, NC (25 min)

🛝 Altitude Trampoline Park — Gastonia, NC

🎭 Belmont Drive-In Theatre — Belmont, NC (classic outdoor family night!)

🎳 George Pappas Liberty Lanes — Gastonia, NC

☀️ Belmont Historic District — shops & family dining — Belmont, NC

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Nellie’s Southern Kitchen — Belmont, NC (Jonas Brothers’ family-owned!)

🍕 Simonetti’s Pizza — Belmont, NC

🥞 The String Bean — Belmont, NC

🌮 Viva Tequis — Gastonia, NC

🍗 RayNathan’s BBQ — Gastonia, NC

🍦 Tony’s Ice Cream — Gastonia, NC (local legend!)

☕️ Caravan Coffee & Dessert Bar — Belmont, NC

🥗 Peace n’ Hominy Q Shack — Belmont, NC

Chowan University (North Carolina)

City: Murfreesboro, NC

🌳 Murfree’s Landing Park — Murfreesboro, NC

🎨 Brady C. Jefcoat Museum — Murfreesboro, NC

🦋 Meherrin River Park — Murfreesboro, NC

🎢 FunZone 2 — Ahoskie, NC (indoor kids’ fun & arcade)

🛝 Ahoskie Creek Amphitheater Park — Ahoskie, NC

🌿 Merchants Millpond State Park — Gatesville, NC (30 min — hiking, canoeing & nature trails)

🎳 Albemarle Lanes — Ahoskie, NC

☀️ Main Street Murfreesboro — shops, ice cream & local history

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Nottoway Restaurant — Murfreesboro, NC

🍕 Napoli’s Italian Restaurant — Ahoskie, NC

🥞 Whitley’s BBQ — Murfreesboro, NC

🌮 El Ranchero Mexican — Ahoskie, NC

🍗 88 Restaurant & Lounge — Murfreesboro, NC

🍦 Carolina Girl Sweet Treats — Murfreesboro, NC

☕️ The Daily Grind Coffeehouse — Ahoskie, NC

🥗 Village Café — Ahoskie, NC

Converse University (South Carolina)

City: Spartanburg, SC

🎨 Spartanburg Science Center — Spartanburg, SC

🌳 Hatcher Garden & Woodland Preserve — Spartanburg, SC

🎢 Big Air Trampoline Park — Spartanburg, SC

🧠 Hub City Railroad Museum — Spartanburg, SC

 🛍️ Imagination Station – Spartanburg, SC

🚂 The Children’s Museum of the Upstate – Spartanburg, SC

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Cribbs Kitchen — Spartanburg, SC

🍕 Venus Pie Pizzeria — Spartanburg, SC

☕ Spill the Beans - Spartanburg, SC

🍦 Hub City Scoops — Spartanburg, SC

🍗Wade’s Restaurant – Spartanburg, SC

🍺 Fr8yard – Spartanburg, SC

Emmanuel University (Georgia)

City: Franklin Springs, GA

🌳 Victoria Bryant State Park — Royston, GA (camping, hiking, & playground)

🎨 Ty Cobb Museum — Royston, GA (local baseball legend!)

🦋 Franklin Springs City Park — Franklin Springs, GA

🎢 Tugaloo State Park — Lavonia, GA (25 min — beach area & water play)

🛝 Royston Wellness & Community Park — Royston, GA

🎭 Historic Lavonia Depot — Lavonia, GA

🎳 Lake Hartwell Lanes — Hartwell, GA (30 min)

☀️ Downtown Royston — boutiques & ice cream — Royston, GA

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Royston Grill — Royston, GA

🍕 Puerto Nuevo Pizza — Lavonia, GA

🥞 Centerfield Coffee Shop — Royston, GA

🌮 El Parian Mexican Restaurant — Royston, GA

🍗 Gumlog Bar-B-Que — Lavonia, GA

🍦 Java City Café — Royston, GA

☕️ Sweet City Coffee — Royston, GA

🥗 The Table — Royston, GA

Erskine College (South Carolina)

City: Due West, SC

🌳 Due West Park — Due West, SC (playground, splash pad & picnic area)

🎨 Abbeville Opera House — Abbeville, SC (15 min — family theatre)

🦋 Lander University Planetarium — Greenwood, SC (25 min)

🎢 Bounce 2 Gamez — Greenwood, SC

🛝 Lake Russell Recreation Area — Calhoun Falls, SC (30 min)

🎭 Historic Abbeville Square — Abbeville, SC

🎳 Showtime Bowl — Greenwood, SC

☀️ Main Street Abbeville — antique shops & local diners — Abbeville, SC

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Theo’s Deli — Abbeville, SC

🍕 Maria’s Mexican Restaurant — Abbeville, SC

🥞 Main Street Coffee Co. — Abbeville, SC

🌮 Los Amigos — Greenwood, SC

🍗 Fat Daddy’s BBQ — Greenwood, SC

🍦 Rough House Hot Dogs & Ice Cream — Abbeville, SC

☕️ Brew Ninety-Three — Greenwood, SC

🥗 Break on the Lake — Greenwood, SC

Francis Marion University (South Carolina)

City: Florence, SC

🌳 Timrod Park — Florence, SC (playground, splash pad & tennis)

🎨 Florence County Museum — Florence, SC

🦋 Lynches River County Park — Coward, SC (25 min — nature trails & tree-top canopy walk)

🎢 DEFY Florence — Florence, SC

🛝 Florence Rail Trail — Florence, SC

🎭 Florence Little Theatre — Florence, SC

🎳 Southgate Bowling Center — Florence, SC

☀️ Downtown Florence — shops, murals & dining

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Red Bone Alley — Florence, SC

🍕 Town Hall Restaurant — Florence, SC

🥞 Julia Belle’s Restaurant — Florence, SC

🌮 Mi Tierra San Jose — Florence, SC

🍗 Wholly Smokin’ BBQ — Florence, SC

🍦 Top Hat Special-Teas Ice Cream — Florence, SC

☕️ Lula’s Coffee Co. — Florence, SC

🥗 Percy & Willie’s — Florence, SC

King University (Tennessee)

City: Bristol, TN

🌳 Steele Creek Park — Bristol, TN (lake, nature center & train rides)

🎨 Birthplace of Country Music Museum — Bristol, VA

🦋 Paramount Center for the Arts — Bristol, TN

🎢 Just Jump Trampoline Park — Bristol, TN

🛝 Bristol Caverns — Bristol, TN

🎭 Downtown Bristol — live music, murals & antique shops

🎳 Belmont Lanes — Bristol, TN

☀️ Bristol Motor Speedway — Bristol, TN (25 min — iconic family event spot!)

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Burger Bar — Bristol, VA

🍕 Mellow Mushroom — Bristol, TN

🥞 The Angry Italian — Bristol, TN

🌮 620 State — Bristol, TN

🍗 Quaker Steak & Lube — Bristol, TN

🍦 Blackbird Bakery — Bristol, VA 🍩

☕️ Bloom Café & Listening Room — Bristol, TN

🥗 J Frank — Bristol, TN

Lees-McRae College (North Carolina)

City: Banner Elk, NC

🌳 Tate-Evans Park — Banner Elk, NC (playground & splash pad)

🎨 Banner Elk Heritage Museum — Banner Elk, NC

🦋 Grandfather Mountain State Park — Linville, NC (25 min)

🎢 Tweetsie Railroad Amusement Park — Blowing Rock, NC (30 min)

🛝 Sugar Creek Gem Mining — Banner Elk, NC

🌿 Wilderness Run Alpine Coaster — Banner Elk, NC

🎭 Ensemble Stage Theatre — Banner Elk, NC

☀️ Downtown Banner Elk — family restaurants & gift shops

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Banner Elk Café — Banner Elk, NC

🍕 Sorrento’s Italian Bistro — Banner Elk, NC

🥞 Dunn’s Deli — Banner Elk, NC

🌮 Puerto Nuevo — Banner Elk, NC

🍗 The Pedalin’ Pig BBQ — Banner Elk, NC

🍦 BE Scooped Ice Cream — Banner Elk, NC

☕️ Higher Grounds Coffee Shop — Banner Elk, NC

🥗 LP on Main — Banner Elk, NC

University of Mount Olive (North Carolina)

City: Mount Olive, NC

🌳 Westbrook Park — Mount Olive, NC (walking trail & playground)

🎨 Wayne County Museum — Goldsboro, NC (20 min)

🦋 Cliffs of the Neuse State Park — Seven Springs, NC (15 min)

🎢 Play Date Family Fun Center — Goldsboro, NC

🛝 Busco Beach ATV Park — Goldsboro, NC (30 min adventure spot)

🎳 AMF Boulevard Lanes — Goldsboro, NC

☀️ Downtown Mount Olive — home of Mt. Olive Pickle Company (family tours!)

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Ribeyes Steakhouse — Mount Olive, NC

🍕 Hwy 55 Burgers Shakes & Fries — Mount Olive, NC

🥞 Southern Ground Café — Mount Olive, NC

🌮 Torero’s Mexican Restaurant — Goldsboro, NC

🍗 Wilber’s BBQ — Goldsboro, NC

🍦 Cold Rock Ice Cream — Goldsboro, NC

☕️ Java Hut — Mount Olive, NC

🥗 Village Steakhouse & Pub — Goldsboro, NC

North Greenville University (South Carolina)

City: Tigerville, SC

🌳 Paris Mountain State Park — Greenville, SC (30 min — hiking & paddle boating)

🎨 Upcountry History Museum — Greenville, SC

🦋 Children’s Museum of the Upstate — Greenville, SC

🎢 Big Air Trampoline Park — Greenville, SC

🛝 Northside Park — Greer, SC

🎭 Peace Center — Greenville, SC

🎳 Wade Hampton Lanes — Taylors, SC

☀️ Falls Park on the Reedy — Greenville, SC (iconic downtown waterfall park)

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Grill Marks — Greenville, SC

🍕 Sidewall Pizza Co. — Travelers Rest, SC

🥞 Tandem Crêperie — Travelers Rest, SC

🌮 Farmhouse Tacos — Travelers Rest, SC

🍗 Smoke on the Water — Greenville, SC

🍦 Spill the Beans Ice Cream — Greenville, SC

☕️ Bridge City Coffee — Greenville, SC

🥗 Gather GVL — Greenville, SC (family-friendly food hall)

Southern Wesleyan University (South Carolina)

City: Central, SC

🌳 Nettles Park — Clemson, SC (playground, splash pad, & sports fields)

🎨 South Carolina Botanical Gardens — Clemson, SC

🦋 Clemson Experimental Forest — Clemson, SC (nature trails & creek play)

🎢 DEFY Greenville — Greenville, SC (30 min)

🛝 Kid Venture Playground — Seneca, SC

🎭 Brooks Center for the Performing Arts — Clemson, SC

🎳 Oconee Lanes — Seneca, SC

☀️ Downtown Clemson — shopping, cafés, & family events

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Loose Change — Clemson, SC

🍕 Your Pie Pizza — Clemson, SC

🥞 SunnySide Café — Clemson, SC

🌮 El Jimador Mexican Restaurant — Central, SC

🍗 Blue Heron Restaurant — Clemson, SC

🍦 Spill the Beans — Clemson, SC

☕️ All In Coffee Shop — Clemson, SC

🥗 Calhoun Corners Restaurant — Clemson, SC