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CAROLINAH REGIONAL GATHERING
Frequently Asked Questions
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This page last updated March 12, 2023 05:28 PM EST.
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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 begins. |
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 pirates. |
Q. Will there be dancing? |
| A. Aye! We could not imagine an RG without dancing! |
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 registration cancelation/refund policy? |
A. Registration refund requests will be honored, less a 5% handling charge, through March 18, 2023. 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. Please contact the RG registrar.
For hotel cancellations, please refer to your reservation confirmation or contact the hotel directly. |
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Q. Where will the 2023 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 Woodruff Road, 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 included.
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.
NOTE: Due to the response to the coronavirus pandemic, the business center, fitness center, pool or other amenities may be temporarily restricted or unavailable. These conditions may be subject to change in the future as conditions and safety measures warrant. Please contact the hotel concerning current availability of amenities.
Special Features
Hotel registration includes a full breakfast buffet. Overnight guests can take their 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®, featuring a revolving menu of dinnertime snacks and assorted 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!
Driving Directions
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).
Alternatively, you can continue on I-385 South, past the exit for I-85, and take Exit 35 for Woodruff Road.
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 on the right and The Point on the left, 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, especially in the vicinity of The Shops at Greenridge.
From Spartanburg, Charlotte and points northeast via I-85: The former exit directly from I-85 to Woodruff Road has been eliminated. Instead, take Exit 51B for I-385/Woodruff Road. (Warning: The Exit 51B ramp comes up before the ramp for Exit 51A.) After crossing over I-85, move right to take Exit 35 for Woodruff Road. At the traffic light, turn right onto Woodruff Road and continue for approximately 0.8 mile. After passing the main entrance to The Shops at Greenridge on the right and The Point on the left, 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, especially in the vicinity of The Shops at Greenridge.
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.
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| Q. Is a special Mensa room rate available at the RG hotel? |
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A. Yes. Carolinah RG weekend room rates at the Drury Inn & Suites Greenville, per night, are $120 for Standard Rooms, King or Double Queen, and $150 for Suites, King or Double Queen. Room rates are guaranteed until February 13, 2023, or until sold out. Reservations received after the Cutoff Date will be confirmed on a space-available basis at prevailing rates.
To reserve your room, call Drury Hotels at 1-888-760-6170 and specify the Mensa group number 10037236. Alternatively, you can book on line at www.druryhotels.com - and be sure to enter Group Number 10037236 in order to obtain the negotiated Mensa rate.
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| Q. Does the Drury Hotel offer rollaway beds or cribs for registered guests? |
| A. Yes. Rollaways are available at a rate of $10 per day, but they are based on availability and cannot be reserved or guaranteed. The hotel also offers Pack 'n' Play folding "playards," designed to help keep your child comfortable and relaxed. These are available at no additional charge on a first-come-first-served basis. To guarantee availability, please request a Pack 'n' Play when making your reservation. |
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. At the Greenville Drury Inn & Suites, dogs and cats are accepted. Rooms with pets will be charged a daily fee , currently $40 per room plus tax. Service animals are free of charge. Limit of two pets per room with a combined weight of 80 pounds.. Guests 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 current and correct to the best of our knowledge but is not guaranteed. Please contact the hotel directly for further information or updates.
Please do not bring your pet to RG Hospitality or activities. Service animals, of course, are always welcome. Under federal ADA guidelines, service animals must be under the control of the handler at all times. According to the ADA, service animals must be harnessed, leashed or tethered, unless the individual's disability prevents using these devices or these devices interfere with the service animal's safe and effective performance of tasks.
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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 for guests during their stay. |
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 |
Q. Does the RG registration include meals? |
| A. Your RG registration includes light snacks and beverages in Hospitality on Friday and Saturday evenings plus a catered lunch in Hospitality on Saturday. In addition, all registered RG attendees can avail themselves of the Drury’s free hot breakfast every morning as well as their free 5:30 Kickback® with a rotating menu of dinnertime snacks and a selection of beverages from 5:30 until 7:00 p.m. (See menus at https://www.druryhotels.com/menu.) |
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Q. Are the Drury Inn's pool and spa accessible for persons with disabilities? |
| A. The pool has a lift or other accessible means of entry and exit for guests with disabilities. After reviewing options at the spa, it was determined that there was no safe and readily achievable way to install a lift or other accessible means of entry and exit. Therefore, the spa does not offer an accessible means of entry and exit. |
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.)
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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 Road 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 2023 RG page.
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These pages and all content Copyright © 2000-2023 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 maintained march 12, 2023 05:28 PM.
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