This is a part of our Q+A series. Know someone we should interview? Nominate them here.
Profile: Dan Neary is a Senior Park Ranger at our closest SC state park — Paris Mountain. He comes from a family of 12 kids (and is No. 10 in the line up in case you were wondering); enjoys drawing, painting, and woodworking; and grew up in the city but has always felt more at home in the woods.
In honor of National Park and Recreation Month, we’re asking Dan some questions like what other parks he loves, what he never leaves home without, and what his favorite piece of local trivia is.
Dan doing his park ranger thing | Photo provided
If you’re originally from the Upstate, why have you stayed here? If you’re not, what brought you here?
I am originally from Chicago but visited Poinsett State Park when I was in high school and fell in love with South Carolina. I was an intern with the SC State Parks in college and enjoyed not only the beautiful state parks but also the people I met within the park system. I have been in the Upstate for almost 16 years and have loved every minute of it.
Other than Paris Mountain, what's your other favorite SC State Park? What's your favorite National Park?
Table Rock State Park + Zion National Park — both parks are so beautiful in their own unique way, and we are lucky to have them.
Top 3 things you never leave the house without.
Water, pocket knife, and a cup of coffee
Hit us with your favorite piece of local trivia:
Did you know that the 4 lakes in Paris Mountain State Park once supplied the drinking water for the City of Greenville? Visit the Park Center to find out more.
Find out about what Dan and his team do as park rangers, his sunscreen + bug spray recommendations, and more below.
Use the buttons below to share this story with your outdoor-lovin', Chaco-wearin' BFFs.
WaterCooler
- Yoga in the Park | Mon., July 19 | 6:30-7:45 p.m. | Paris Mountain State Park | $8 | Enjoy a yoga class in the beautiful outdoors — park entrance not included in price + BYO mat.
- Veteran & Community Adaptive Golf Clinic | Mon., July 19 | 10-11:45 a.m. | Topgolf | Donation based | A monthly adaptive clinic designed to introduce the game of golf to both enhance rehabilitation + optimal functioning. ⛳
Arts
- Magnolia — Paint & Sip | Mon., July 19 | 6:30 p.m. | Wine & Design, 1175 Woods Crossing Rd. | $35 | BYOB to this art class and leave with an abstract painting of this famous Southern flower. 🍷
Show
ForKids
- Outdoor Story Time | Mon., July 19 | 10-10:30 a.m. | Hughes Main Library | Free | Bring a blanket for story time on the front lawn of the downtown library, weather permitting. 📚
Dish
- Monday Noodle Night | Mon., July 19 | 5-9 p.m. | The Commons | Free entry | If you’re not feeling like cooking dinner on a Monday, *noodle* over this meal from GB&D. 🍜
Drink
- Service Industry Night | Mon., July 19 | 5-9 p.m. | The Community Tap Trailside | Free entry | Service industry members will get 20% off their bar tab. 🍺
PlanAhead
- 80’s Prom | Thurs., July 29 | 7-10 p.m. | Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery | Free | It’s time to get down on the dance floor for a throwback prom night to benefit Carolina Dance Collaborative.
Weather
- 81º | Thunderstorms | 75% chance of rain
TryThis
- Ready for a taste of the South? Enter: Hog and Barrel — a 3-day bourbon, barbeque + bacon festival coming to Greenville Nov. 5-7. The festival will have everything from mixology drinks to live music to Sunday brunch. 🐖
- Carowinds has unveiled their newest attraction — the Grand Carnivale. The celebration will run through Aug. 1 and include live entertainment, games, food, parades, and more from around the globe. The festivities run from 5-9 p.m. daily. 🎢 (The State)
Legacy
- Former race car driver Gene Cromer of Anderson has passed away. Gene’s vintage dragster was known as "The Moonlighter," and during his life, he earned a spot in the East Coast Drag Racing Hall of Fame in Henderson, NC. 🏎️(Greenville News)
WaterCooler
- This past weekend, the Spartanburgers paid homage to Duncan Park’s baseball history by wearing Spartanburg Sluggers jerseys on the field. The Sluggers were the Negro League team that called Duncan Park home from 1926 until the early 1950s. ⚾(GoUpstate)
State
- The sale of Bradford pear trees, an invasive species, will be banned in SC starting Oct. 1, 2024. While this will make it illegal to sell or trade the trees, residents can still possess them on their properties. 🍐(WIS)
Arts
- Local artist Melissa Anderson has taken the history of Claussen's Bakery + created a new series — “Historical Fiction: The Faces of Claussen’s Bakery.” The paintings, on display in the Sift Gallery in the lobby of the old bakery, are meant to represent the faces of Greenville history. 🖌️(Greenville Journal)
Greenvillian
- Seldon Peden II, an 11 year-old Greenville middle-schooler, is helping young kids cope with grief through a new illustrated book, "The Good Mourning." He chose to give back and help kids like him after losing his mother when he was only 5 years old. 📖(Greenville News)
Edu
- Clemson University trustees recently approved a 1.5% bonus for full time employees. Along with that great news, Clemson also introduced its first female to lead the university's board as chair — Kim Wilkerson. 👏(Greenville News)
Biz
- As a part of Endeavor’s “Getting Down to Business” training series, entrepreneur Joe Erwin recently shared 9 things you should do to grow your business (and 5 things you shouldn’t do). Ⓟ
- United Community Bank will be merging with Reliant Bancorp out of Tennessee for a $517 million transaction. The merger is expected to be finalized in the first quarter of 2022. 🏦(Upstate Business Journal)
TheBuy
- Shopping for car insurance? #ProTip: Start your search with The Zebra, a marketplace platform that works on your terms. With 100+ major providers in their network, shoppers have one place to scan + compare the best available options — saving the average person up to $440/yr. 🚗Ⓟ
FeaturedDig
An apartment in downtown Greenville for $72.50? Sign. Us. Up.
Given our area’s crazy real estate market right now, scrolling Facebook and seeing this old ad placed in the Greenville News from 1957 for Calhoun Towers (now Towers East Apartments) made us stop in our tracks.
Optional air conditioning though...given last week’s temps and humidity — we don’t know about that.
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