FlorenceMom.com Blogs

All of the hotels below offer free car parking! Book them quick before they sell out as they get closer to the Southern 500 event in Darlington, South Carolina! The upcoming Southern 500 happens during Labor Day weekend from Sept 4 - 6, 2021.

Southern 500 is in Darlington, South Carolina takes place every year on Labor Day weekend and is very close to Florence! Here's the list of hotels located closest to Darlington Raceway:

Raceway Inn (1.5 miles from Darlington Raceway) - Average rate $130 

Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham (7.1 miles from Darlington Raceway) - Average rate $180 See more pictures and details of Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham in Florence

Super 8 by Wyndham (7.8 miles from Darlington Raceway) - Average rate $175 See more pictures and details of Super 8 by Wyndham in Florence

Comfort Suites Florence (6.74 miles from Darlington Raceway) - Average rate $259 See more pictures and details of Comfort Suites Florence

Sleep Inn Florence (7.02 miles from Darlington) - Average rate $200 See more pictures and details of Sleep Inn Florence

Days Inn by Wyndham Florence I-95 North (7.1 miles from Darlington Raceway) - Average rate $210 See more pictures and details of Days Inn by Wyndham Florence I-95 North

Howard Johnson Inn Florence (7.5 miles from Darlington Raceway) - Average rate $257 See more pictures and details of Howard Johnson Inn Florence

Ramada by Wyndham Florence Center(7.6 miles from Darlington Raceway) - Average rate $100 See more pictures and details of Ramada by Wyndham Florence Center in Florence

Ramada by Wyndham Florence Center(7.8 miles from Darlington Raceway) - Average rate less than $100 See more pictures and details of Ramada by Wyndham Florence Center in Florence

Econo Lodge Florence (8.1 miles from Darlington Raceway) - Average rate $170 See more pictures and details of Econo Lodge Florence

There are several coffee places in Florence, SC that you can check out and I've personally visited them all!

Starbucks at Florence Mall shopping center (1933 W. Palmetto St., Florence, SC 29501)
Centrally located at the 5 points intersection and with a drive thru, this place is the most convenient location to get a Starbucks crafted drink. It has the standard of a typical Starbucks that anyone from a major city would expect. The drive thru can get congested so I suggest using their mobile ordering system 10 minutes before you arrive and run in the store to pick it up. If you're from a big city like me, then this place will make you feel a little more like home in Florence. 

Lula's Coffee Co. (600 Pamplico Highway, Florence, SC 29505)
They know how to craft their drinks the correct way! There are no shortcuts here! They respect the craft! If you want a coffee or tea drink done right, go here! They are located in the south side of Florence and always closed on Sundays. They also opened up a second location in downtown Florence. 

Lula's Coffee -- Downtown Location (160 S Dargan St. Florence, SC 29501) (Formerly Dolce Vita)
What started out as just an evening wine place, expanded into a coffee shop with lunch items as well! This place ranks high in our book because of its location. It's located in downtown and right across from the free Florence County Museum and in the middle of all the block party action whenever the City of Florence hosts an outdoor community event.

Soule' Cafe (<<< NOW CLOSED)
UPDATE: The coffee shop is closed but it is working on being mobile with a lunch truck!
Also located in the downtown area of Florence, this place has a very urban and sleek feel. They also have regular open mic nights, live performances and other special events. Although it does not have a large selection of pastries to pick from, it's the perfect place to catch up with a friend and still be within walking distance to a lot of restaurants nearby.


Starbucks Cafe inside of Barnes & Noble at Magnolia Mall (2701 David H McLeod #1200, Florence, SC 29501)
This is my go to Starbucks when I have my kids with me because we can stop in and order a cup of joe and then head straight to the Children's area with my cup in my hand while they have a little fun. I've also met other moms here too with my kids. It's one of the few ways I can catch up with another friend without feeling like I have to chase down my kids constantly.

Starbucks Cafe inside of Target (2791 David H McLeod Blvd., Florence, SC 29501)
The best thing about going to the Starbucks location inside of this Target is they accept both Starbucks gift cards and Target gift cards! So if you have either one, this makes it really nice! Sometimes there's no line here at all so it can be the quickest way to get your favorite Starbucks beverage. They tend to run out of seasonal drinks though but they usually have all the staples. I do feel like they can be a bit heavy-handed with their caramel and other syrups so if you like ultra sweet, then maybe this is your kind of place. 

Bean Bar (2511 W Palmetto St, Florence, SC 29501)
This coffee shop was a pop-up for several years and grand-opened their coffee shop in July 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Their coffee is on point and their business support local artists. 

Dunkin Donuts (2 locations: 2123 W Evans St., Florence, SC 29501 & 2210 W Lucas St., Florence, SC 29501)
Besides for a regular black coffee, I don't like to order any of their craft coffee drinks. They are very sugary but I know a lot of people like them so they're listed here. They always have donuts so you'll never run out of sweet options coming to Dunkin Donuts!

Other Coffee Shops in Florence that Closed Down:
Clay Pot (Closed in 2017)
Cast Iron Waffles (Closed in 2016)
Dolce Vita (Closed in 2020)

To see all top restaurants in Florence, SC, go to: http://www.florencemom.com/restaurants.php

This Florence mom took a break from a regular night and joined another friend at a Paint Nite event at Mellow Mushroom! They had it in a private closed room so you really feel like you are in a party with 18 other painters in the room. 

We came 15 minutes early to check in and ordered a drink. I ordered the Sunset in Paradise and my courteous server delivered me this beautiful drink. 


As we were about to begin, our friendly art instructor Sara (pictured below) had us all do a painter's oath with a set of rules, like not say 'my painting sucks' or you get a mustache painted on your face! She immediately made us feel comfortable and with step-by-step instructions, any inexperienced painter can make his/her own masterpiece. 

(Meet Sara, our professional Paint Nite artist/instructor)

With all supplies provided, including their recognizable green Paint Nite aprons, all you really bring is yourself. You buy your tickets ahead of time online. Check out all of their upcoming Paint Nite events in Florence, SC. One drink in, here was my painting progress, below. 

 (Did I come here to paint an eyeball? No, I didn't but if I wanted to I could stop here!)

About midway through the session, we took a little break. At this time, some painters ordered some food or maybe another drink? I used this time to spy on my neighbors' paintings. We may be painting the same things but they don't look exactly the same. Just like the way you write your words is different, the way you stroke a paintbrush is also different than the person next to you, because it is still very personal. 

Here's the close-to-final finish below. 


And just like that, within a couple of hours, I got to bring home an artwork I created and memories with a friend over a drink. I really love doing this. This is not my first time and it'll not be my last time. See what a night of creation and libation at a Paint Nite can do to your soul. It'll be worth a try.

Suggested Supplies for Painting at Home:

• Acrylic Paint Set
• Paint Brush Set
• An old oversized button up shirt to wear over your clothes in case of accidents.

I'm always looking for new resources on places for mommies and babies. Here are some current resources for new mommies and babies in Florence, SC. 

MOPS in Florence, SC: There used to be a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group in Florence that met twice a month from September to May. This is a group of mothers who have kids from 0 - 5 years old. They have now canceled this group. You can find an online Florence, South Carolina Facebook Mom Group with thousands of members. 

Florence Moms and Tots (Florence, SC) from Meetup: There was a new moms group in Florence that I found on Meetup.com but they had cancelled this group. Maybe in the future, a new leader will come on there and create a new group so make sure you check on there once in awhile!

Junior League of Florence: If you're into volunteering and helping non-profit organizations, Junior League of Florence is a great organization for any woman. Although you'll probably need to leave your child with your partner or babysitter when you attend meetings and volunteer, but you'll most likely meet other moms here. They require a minimum amount of commitment but they throw great annual events like Merry Marketplace, Shamrock and Touch-A-Truck. You can go to the Junior League of Florence Facebook page.

Go the our Event page to see the upcoming events year round.

2024 Update: Google reports that The Little Gym in Florence is now closed.

Try your first trial class for your baby (4 months and up), toddler or preschooler for FREE at The Little Gym! 
As mothers, we often worry about teaching our babies and toddlers their ABC's, shapes, and numbers and hope that they don't fall behind in academics from their peers. What's also important and as we check off each milestone from our list, is that they also grow physically strong and not fall behind in sitting, crawling or walking.


And as they grow into preschoolers and become more daring, we want them as much as for ourselves, to have the confidence that they have the ability and strength to climb those bars at the playground at the park. Because after all, behind all the smarts, being a healthy, strong and confident human being as well, is pretty darn awesome. 

The Little Gym in Florence fosters early physical development for babies and their classes help kids reach developmental milestones in a fun, non-competitive atmosphere.  They are much more than a gym for little kids, they provide the kids the means to play but also thrive. With age-appropriate exercises led by trained instructors, children from ages 4 months through 12 years old learn skills that help build confidence and a strong foundation. And just from learning more about The Little Gym, I believe these kids will carry these fond memories of discovery with them as they grow older.  Read about my very first trial visit to Little Gym and how it affected my baby with just one class. 

After giving birth, I know that the very last thing you want to think about is enrolling your future 4 month old into a class of any sort. You're kind of still recuperating from childbirth and getting use to a new mom and baby routine. However, this town is full of transplants. And if you've just moved here, it can get really, really lonely and it's much healthier for your state of mind as a mother, to find other moms with children of the same age group. The Little Gym provides that. Their 'Bugs' Class is for babies from 4 months to 10 months old. You are there with your child along with a group of other moms with their babies, helping them with their exercise. It's only 45 minutes long and you only have to bring them once a week. As an added bonus as a member (which they don't heavily promote on social media) is that you get to come to their Coffee & Mom Friends Social that happens once a month! This is a huge bonus and I think it's a pretty awesome way for new moms to be able to hang out with other moms. 




The Little Gym's 'Birds' Classes are for babies ages 10 months - 19 months and offers three different days for moms to choose from. See their schedule here: https://www.thelittlegym.com/florenceSC/classes/parent-child. Usually within this age group, the babies are crawling or walking! With padded play equipment, your baby can enjoy instructor-led exercises gear towards this age group and some free play in a safe environment. 




A great program that The Little Gym in Florence has for 3 & 4 years olds is the WonderKids Club! It is a 3 hour session that includes a gymnastics class with active learning (instructor - led), immersive play, arts and crafts, story time and creative play with LEGO DUPLO! To me, it is like a preschool type class but reinforcing the physically development for these kids. The really awesome part about it is there is no monthly or weekly commitment.

On top of Coffee & Muffins with Mom Friends social events hosted for members once a month,  The Little Gym of Florence also hosts amazing special seasonal events (not posted on social media for privacy) that is also complimentary with your membership. These added bonuses are so great for both moms and kids!