Whether you are part of a group of friends looking for some different scenery for the weekend or your significant other has been bugging you for weeks for a romantic, fun getaway excursion, there are plenty of options for Upstate residents. The only thing is, many of those options are two, three and four hours of driving away and can cost an arm and part of your leg.

So, that’s why this travel feature has been put together. The idea is to give you a few highlights of a particular region and show how you can keep in a budget, still get a nice weekend away and have a great time in your own backyard.

It starts simple this week by showcasing a place we’ve all been a million times, but probably haven’t really explored all that much: Greenville.

Just a 30-minute drive from Anderson, Greenville is an easy getaway with more than you might think in downtown alone.

STAYING POWER

Where you stay is about as important as where you are going to eat and where you are going to party. There are plenty of great hotels surrounding downtown, but if it’s just for a weekend, head to the historic Westin Poinsett in the heart of downtown.

The Westin offers a historic backdrop with some of the more luxurious rooms available in the Upstate. Among their amenities are full suites, room service available until very late, a full bar and restaurant in the building, a fitness room and access to the trolley or a reasonable shuttle service all over downtown.

Price is reasonable and very affordable for a two-night, weekend stay in the heart of a bustling downtown. And if you are feeling romantic, order up a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries to commemorate one of the evenings.

Westin Poinsett, 120 S. Main St.; 864.421.9700

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

No matter the event, going out to eat is the main activity of a weekend getaway. It’s the chance to eat somewhere you’ve never tried before or get back to a restaurant you have missed for a long, long time.

Greenville’s downtown is peppered with delicious cuisine of every ethnicity and genre. Sushi, American, Italian, Thai, Chinese, Mexican, vegetarian and elegant fare await at just about every turn of the corner on and just off Main Street.

Though no one could hit them all, some highlights include Tsunami, a Japanese and sushi joint; Pomegranete on Main, a Persian restaurant with some of the best kabobs you will eat; Barley’s, classic American fare featuring specialty pizza and bison burgers; and Two-Twenty One North, a nightclub that also has one of the best Sunday brunches in town.

Most are better for dinner, but when Sunday rolls around, get to a downtown brunch for some of the best food that never makes it to a menu.

Tsunami, 106 E. North St.; 864.467.1055

Pomegranate on Main, 618 S. Main St.; 864.241.3012

Barley’s Taproom, 25 W. Washington St.; 864.232.3706

Two-Twenty One North, 221 N. Main St.; 864.233.9202

BEFORE THE BARS

Fun and frivolity are the names of the games when putting together a weekend getaway. You can only eat out and go to bars so much before it starts to wear on the psyche. That’s why something else needs to be planned in order to break the monotony of the everyday.

Over the summer, the Greenville Drive have become the “it” ticket in Greenville. This Single A baseball team is part of the Boston Red Sox farm system and plays a ton of home games over the course of the summer. And with tickets ranging from $5 to $8 per game, the price is right. Word to the wise, however: get your tickets early. The best ones go quick. But there aren’t really any bad seats in Fluor Field on the West End.

There’s also a new attraction that will take up a couple hours of your day and is more fun than a barrel of monkeys (which they happen to have in the lobby). Just three months old, an indoor miniature golf course has opened near Falls Park. Falls Park Golf and Games is an 18-hole, indoor mini golf course for just $5 per person. They feature snacks, an arcade and more located downtown on Camperdown Way. It’s family fun on the cheap.

Other spots include a stroll through Falls Park or a trip to the Greenville Zoo.

Greenville Drive, 945 S. Main St.; 864.240.4528

Falls Park Golf and Games, 7 W. Camperdown Way; 864.232.5015

TAKING TO THE BARS

Honestly, there is no end to the different bars and nightlife available in downtown Greenville. Irish pubs, dance spots, nightclubs, beer joints, pizza shops and mellow hangouts litter the streets of Greenville and provide any taste the chance to find their clique on Main Street. The best way to find out more about those bars is to ask your hotel front desk or talk to friends before you head out for your weekend.

Three days and two nights of fun and entertainment can be yours a lot closer to home than you might have thought. And the nice thing is, the price can be right no matter what you decide to do when you get there.