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CAROLINAH
REGIONAL GATHERING
Frequently Asked Questions
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This page last updated
August 08, 2021 03:03 PM
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Reedy River Falls, Downtown Greenville, South Carolina. Photo
courtesy of Pixabay.com.
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Q. What will be the schedule for the weekend? |
| A. Our
preliminary schedule (subject to change) may be posted on this page
when it becomes available. Also watch for the traditional "Mommy Letter,"
which will be distributed to registered attendees shortly before the
RG. |
Q. Will I need a costume? |
| A. Uh,
sure ... maybe. While
not a requirement, a costume almost certainly might make your RG experience more fun.
Our festivities could be much more fun if you get in touch with our
theme, which this year is an homage to the Batman comic, film and TV
franchise that generations have enjoyed over the last 100 years. |
Q. Will there be dancing? |
A. Yes,
of course! We
could not imagine an RG without dancing. But don't worry: we won't
make you do the Batfloss dance.
(We aren't into that, and we hope you aren't either.) |
Q. Are you planning to provide Mensa testing? |
| A. The
availability of testing is undecided at this point. If any of our
non-Mensan guests would like to become official members, please contact our Registrar, Mary Ann Cox, for
further information. |
Q. Do you have a cancelation/refund policy? |
|
A. Registration refund
requests will be honored, less a 5% handling charge, through
February 22, 2019. Due to costs incurred relating to each registration, we cannot
refund registration fees after that date. Exceptions may be made for
serious illness, injury, or death in the family; such requests will be evaluated
on a case-by-case basis. |
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Q. Where will the 2019 Carolinah RG be held?
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A.
Once again
we will relax and
play in the
Drury Inn & Suites Greenville,
10 Carolina Point Parkway, Greenville, 1-888-760-6170 or (864)
288-4401. For many years J.D. Power
and Associates has recognized Drury Hotels Co., LLC, with the
award for "Highest in Guest Satisfaction among Mid-Scale Hotel
Chains with Limited Service." More than 45,000 guests are
surveyed each year for the J.D. Power study.
Opened in
2007 and renovated in 2017, the Drury Inn & Suites Greenville is conveniently located
just off Interstate 85, Exit 51A, opposite
Shops
at Greenridge, one of Greenville's premier shopping and
dining destinations, and adjacent to Shops at the Point. And it
is just minutes from downtown Greenville, with all the
attractions this award-winning city has to offer.
By the
Numbers
180 Rooms
Check-in Time: 3:00 p.m.
Check-out Time: 11:00 a.m.
Special Features
The staff of the Drury Inn & Suites Greenville want you to enjoy
Greenville without being bewildered by a hefty hotel bill, and
they achieve this goal by making just about everything free.
Equipped with
Drury's free wireless Internet access throughout the hotel,
you'll be able to check your e-mail as often as you like - though
you probably will be too busy enjoying the RG to spend much time
on line. When you need time to relax, enjoy Drury's free
indoor-outdoor swimming pool, or burn off a few calories in the
exercise room. You can even take some free popcorn and soda up
to your room and catch a film on a flat-screen TV. You also get
60 minutes of free long-distance telephone per day.
Special Features
Hotel registration includes a full
breakfast buffet. Take your pick from a selection of great
breakfast items including scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy,
sausage and make-your-own Belgian waffles. Also include in your
hotel registration is Drury's 5:30 Kickback®,
including free food and cold beverages. Chicken strips, egg
rolls, charbroiled meatballs, beer, wine and mixed drinks
(limited to three drinks per person person) are just the
beginning - there's something for everyone at Drury’s 5:30
Kickback. Its a snack for some, a meal for others! (Persons
who are not registered at the hotel may purchase the hot
breakfast or evening Kickback® by visiting the front desk. See
below.)
Driving Directions
CONSTRUCTION NOTICE: Watch for
ongoing
construction on Interstate Highways I-85 and I-385 at the
"Greenville Gateway" interchange. Construction of a
new, multilevel interchange complex at the confluence of
I-85, I-385 and Woodruff Road (SC Hwy. 146), including new
bridges, ramps and roadways, will continue
through late 2019 or early 2020. Be especially watchful for new
and changing traffic patterns as well as possible temporary road closures and detours, especially during overnight
and weekend hours. Please take note of the following revised travel
directions, and check back here for further traffic updates. If
possible, also monitor the projects Twitter feed at
http://twitter.com/85385Gateway?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw for
announcements of detours and road closures.
From
Asheville, North Carolina, and points north: Take Interstate
Hwy. 26 east to exit for U.S. Hwy. 25 south. Continue south on
U.S. Hwy. 25. At Travelers Rest, merge left onto U.S. Hwy. 276
(Poinsett Hwy.) southbound, following signs for Greenville.
Approaching downtown Greenville, merge onto Buncombe St. When
the road splits, continue on W. North St. and then E. North St.,
which will take you directly to I-385 southbound. Continue
following directions in the next paragraph. Alternatively, you
can take I-26 all the way to I-85 in the vicinity of
Spartanburg, then continue by following the instructions below
from Charlotte, Spartanburg and points northeast via I-85.
From Downtown Greenville via I-385
southbound:
Take
Exit 37 to Roper Mountain
Road,
then turn right at the
top of the ramp. Move to the left-hand lane as soon as practical. Continue to the second traffic signal, then turn left
onto Woodruff Road and continue about 1.1 miles. After crossing over I-85,
turn right at Cracker
Barrel onto
Carolina Point Parkway and proceed
to Drury Inn & Suites on the right (behind Cracker
Barrel). Note: Depending on the time of day, watch for heavy traffic and congestion on
Roper Mountain Road as well as on Woodruff Road, especially
during rush hour.
From points south, including
Columbia, via I-385:
Take
Exit 35 for
Woodruff Road (SC
Hwy. 146). Turn left at the
top of the ramp and continue on Woodruff Road for approximately
0.8 mile. After passing the main entrance to The Shops at
Greenridge, turn left at the next traffic signal (in front of Cracker
Barrel) onto
Carolina Point Parkway and proceed
to Drury Inn & Suites on the right (behind Cracker
Barrel). Note: Depending on the time of day, watch for
heavy traffic and congestion on Woodruff Road in the vicinity of
The Shops at Greenridge.
From Spartanburg, Charlotte and points northeast
via I-85: Take
Exit 51A to Woodruff
Road. Turn left at the top of the ramp. After crossing over
I-85, turn right at Cracker Barrel onto Carolina
Point Parkway and proceed to Drury
Inn & Suites on the right (behind Cracker
Barrel).
From Atlanta and points southwest via I-85: Take
Exit 51A to Woodruff
Road. Turn right at the top of the ramp, then turn right at
Cracker Barrel onto Carolina
Point Parkway and proceed to Drury
Inn & Suites on the right (behind Cracker
Barrel). Depending on the time of day, there may be congestion
on the ramp and on Woodruff Road.
ADDITIONAL CONSTRUCTION NOTE: As of
September 7, 2018, access ramps to Woodruff Road from I-385 Exit 36
southbound and
Exit 36B northbound were being removed permanently, altering
traffic patterns previously used to approach the Drury Inn. From
now on, Woodruff Road can be accessed from I-385 only at Exit 35
or via Roper Mountain Road. (Approaches to Woodruff Road from I-85 NB and I-85 SB will
not
be changed significantly.) The above
instructions reflect these new traffic patterns. |
Q. Is a special Mensa room rate
available at the RG hotel? |
|
A.
Yes.
Carolinah RG weekend room rates at the Drury
Inn & Suites Greenville, per night, are $110 for Standard
Rooms, King
or Double Queen, and $120 for Suites, King or Double Queen.
Room rates are guaranteed until March 8, 2019, or until sold
out. The Mensa rate will not be offered after that
date!
NOTE: As of mid-February, the hotel was nearly sold out for the weekend,
with only a handful of rooms left!
To reserve your room,
call Drury Hotels at 1-888-760-6170 and specify the Mensa
group number 2336709, or call the Drury Inn & Suites Greenville at
(864) 288-4401, and ask for the Mensa group room block.
Alternatively, you can book on line at
www.druryhotels.com
- and be sure to enter Group Number 2336709.
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Q. Does the RG hotel have high-speed Internet for
guest use? |
| A.
Yes. The
Greenville
Drury Inn & Suites
provides free
wireless Internet access throughout the
hotel for registered guests.
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Q. Does the RG hotel allow pets? |
| A.
Yes, the
Greenville
Drury Inn & Suites
does
accept pets. According to the latest information we have, there is
no pet fee or deposit, but you will be asked to sign a "pet policy"
at check-in stating that you will not bring your pet to the pool or
breakfast area, or leave it in the room unattended for more than 30
minutes. There are no rooms on the first floor, so your pet will
need to go down an elevator or stairs when it is time to "go out."
The surrounding area is well lighted for late-night pet walks. This
information is correct to the best of our knowledge but is not
guaranteed, so please contact the hotel for further information or
updates. Please do not bring your pet to RG Hospitality or
activities. Service animals, of course, are welcome. |
Q. Is there free parking at the RG hotel? |
| A. Yes. The
Greenville
Drury Inn & Suites
has a
lighted
outdoor parking lot, providing both free and plentiful space for
self-parking. |
Q. Does the RG hotel have a web site from which I can
obtain further information? |
|
A. Yes. Please click here:
Drury Inn & Suites - Greenville
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Q. Does the RG registration include
meals? |
| A.
Your RG registration includes light meals in Hospitality Friday
evening and lunch on Saturday as well as a catered meal Saturday
evening. A hot breakfast buffet is provided by the Drury to
registered hotel guests (7:00 - 10:00 a.m.), as is an evening
Kickback® reception (5:30 till 7:00 p.m.) with hot hors
d'oeuvres and cold beverages. |
|
Q. If I am not a guest at the Drury Inn, may I
still enjoy the hot breakfast buffet and evening Kickback® amenities? |
| A.
Yes, at your own expense. Persons who are not registered guests of
the Drury Inn & Suites - Greenville may purchase either the host
breakfast or the evening Kickback® reception, or both, simply by
visiting the front desk. The cost of the hot breakfast is $8.99 per
day, and the cost of the evening Kickback® reception is $10.99 per
day. (Prices as of February 2019). |
Q. How do I get to Greenville by air? |
|
A. The local airport,
Greenville-Spartanburg
International (GSP) is about 8 miles or 11 minutes away. Air service
to GSP is available via
Allegiant Air,
American Airlines,
Delta Air Lines,
Frontier Airlines,
Southwest Airlines and
United Air Lines
(carriers subject to change). Direct flights and connections can
be made to many cities and hubs, including Atlanta, Charlotte,
Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Las Vegas,
Miami, Newark, New York LaGuardia, Orlando International,
Orlando/Sanford, Philadelphia, Tampa/St. Petersburg, Tampa
International, Washington Dulles, Washington Reagan. |
Q. Is transportation available to the RG
hotel from Greenville-Spartanburg Airport? |
|
A. The
Greenville Drury Inn & Suites
does
not offer its own shuttle service, but car service is
available.
Atchison Transportation Services is the official and
exclusive ground transportation provider authorized by the
Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport. For travel
reservations, call (864) 595-1234 or 1-877-ATS-2001. Advance
reservations are recommended to ensure timely departure, but
cars are available on short notice when plans change or
emergencies arise.
Local taxi services
include Budget Cab Company, (864) 233-4200; ETS Executive
Transportation Service, (864) 282-2531; Greenville Metro Cab,
(864) 235-8807; Yellow Cab Co. of Greenville, (864) 233-6666.
Rental cars are offered by Alamo/National, Avis, Budget,
Enterprise and Hertz. (Note: Piedmont Area Mansa makes neither
recommendations nor representations concerning the availability
or quality of transportation or car rental services.) |
Q. I plan to arrive early or I plan to stay over after
the RG (or both). Will the RG hotel honor the negotiated Mensa rate before or after the RG? |
| A.
Yes, subject to availability. The
Greenville Drury
Inn & Suites
has promised to honor the RG rate up to two days before
and after the RG weekend, provided that rooms
are available. If you do plan an extended stay, however, we
strongly encourage you to make arrangements with the hotel as early
as possible. |
Q. I plan to arrive early or I plan to stay over after
the RG (or both). Are
there any good shops or restaurants in the area that I should plan to visit? |
| A. You
bet! The Shops at the Point (across from the Drury) and Shops at Greenridge
(across Woodruff Road/SC-146 from the Drury) offer a
number of dining opportunities within walking distance, while many
more shops and restaurants will be found at Magnolia Park (Magnolia
Park,
Greenville), which is just 1/2 mile down Woodruff Rd. from the
Drury. And the
downtown Greenville area is a dining Mecca, with almost every kind of cuisine
available, along with eclectic shopping. Visit the web sites listed
in the next item below. |
Q. What about area attractions? |
A. Upstate South Carolina
is both scenic and historic, and Greenville is a vibrant city. Visit the following web sites for local tourist information:
Greenville: Upcountry Culture and Style
Greenville Convention & Visitors Bureau
City of
Greenville
Best
Things to do in
Greenville SC
10Best Greenville City Guide
1,001
Things to do in the Upcountry
Things to Do in Greenville |
Q. Will there be more FAQs? |
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A. Possibly. Please check back
frequently.
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Back to 2019 RG page. |
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These pages and all
content Copyright© 2000-2019 by Piedmont Area Mensa. All rights
reserved. Mensa® and the Mensa logo
(as depicted, for example, in U.S. TM Reg. No. 1,405,381) are
registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by American
Mensa, Ltd., and are registered in other countries by Mensa
International Limited and/or affiliated national Mensa
organizations.
Mensa does not hold any
opinion, nor have or express any political or religious views. |
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This page last
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August 08, 2021 03:03 PM
EST.
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