Nick and I took little Milo for a quick and easy weekend trip/getaway to Clemson, SC a couple weeks ago and it was the perfect relaxing weekend just two hours from Atlanta! We stayed at The Inn at Patrick Square and LOVED our stay. See what we did and where we ate below!
Weekend Trip from Atlanta
Nick and I recently took Milo on a little weekend getaway from Atlanta. We spent two nights at The Inn at Patrick Square and it was perfect. The Inn at Patrick Square is a new boutique hotel in Clemson, SC. The inn was expertly designed and decorated. It has (beautiful) modern furnishings + traditional southern architecture. I was so impressed with every little detail at the inn – from the locally sources coffee and pastries at the Stumphouse Café to the thoughtful integration of local Clemson University history and colors in all of the decor.
The Inn at Patrick Square is located within the new Patrick Square housing development. There are restaurants and shops in the development for convenient dining and shopping within walking distance. It is also just minutes from the square at Pendleton, where you’ll find some of the most surprisingly delicious food.
The Itinerary
Nick, Milo, and I left Atlanta (we live northeast of the city) after work on a Thursday afternoon and it took us about 90 to 120 minutes (under two hours) to get to the hotel. Once we arrived, we checked in, took a couple things to the room, then walked across the street to dinner at Joe’s NY Pizza. Joe’s is a low-key pizza joint. It’s decked out in Tigers gear and they have giant screens to watch sports. It was full of families and college students alike and we enjoyed the laid back vibes. Milo loved it, too, even though he slept through most of dinner.
On Friday we spent a full day running around Clemson.
Breakfast at Stumphouse Café
The Stumphouse Café lives inside of The Inn at Patrick square. It’s the perfect stop for breakfast and a coffee before you head out for the day or to hangout and work a while or chat with some friends. It’s expertly decorated and serves local coffee and pastries. N and I both ordered The Natty for breakfast and it was DELISH! I got my usual latte and it was also delicious.
South Carolina Botanical Gardens
After breakfast, we went out to the botanical gardens. The gardens are a part of Clemson University university and are open to the public and free (you can just make a donation as you see fit). We spent a good 2 or 3 hours walking around. It was lovely and relaxing and I would certainly recommend stopping by if you are in the area. We visited in late March and the weather was PERFECT.
Late lunch at The Village Baker and Café
When we left the gardens, we headed over to Pendleton for a late lunch at The Village Baker and Café. I’m just going to come out and say it – this little place surprised me. I didn’t expect anything bad or anything, but our food was nothing short of amazing. We went splitzkies on a couple of sandwiches and OMG I crave them on the daily now. We ordered the Monte Cristo (essentially ham and cheese on french toast – aka heaven on a plate) and another sandwich on rosemary ciabatta (absolutely delicious, but the name escapes me). We got potato salad and pasta salad and left happy campers. We grabbed a pastry from the bakery side before we left to enjoy later. They also have Sunday brunch which is apparently amazing, but we left on Saturday or we would have returned.
Relaxing afternoon in the room
After lunch, we went back to the Inn and settled in for a while and watched TV while we enjoyed our pastry in bed. I have no shame and thought this was an EXCELLENT way to spend an afternoon with my husband and a 9-10 week old!
Dinner at Rick Erwin’s Clemson
We didn’t make any dinner plans and the hotel staff suggested we try Rick Erwin’s. It’s literally next door so we couldn’t NOT try it. We sat in the bar area and were definitely not disappointed. The food was absolutely delicious and the service was amazing as well. Definitely tops our recommendations.
The Next day, we woke and enjoyed pastries and coffee at Stumphouse Café before we headed home.
Highlights
One of the biggest highlights of our stay at Inn at Patrick square was the incredible staff. Everyone was so friendly and helpful and gave the best recommendations – from things to do in the area to what to eat at each restaurant we tried.The hotel is decorated beautifully and felt very relaxing. It was also very quiet, despite there being many guests in town.
Nick and I have no ties to Clemson or Clemson University, but I loved the little college town and would definitely return. I’d even recreate our exact little stay because it was just so peaceful. We had just taken Milo on a road trip to Arkansas to meet family and this was a nice way to decompress and spend time away with just our little family.
Have you ever been to Clemson, SC? What did you do?
Whether you are in town for college preview days or want to make a special trip to relax for a couple days, I would HIGHLY recommend staying at The Inn at Patrick Square.
xo,
Mae