South Carolina (Northwest Upcountry) Third Week

Monday of our third week was a bright, cold, but sunny day, so off to the waterfalls....
10) Brasstown Falls on Brasstown Creek included three falls 20-40 feet in height for a total of about 100 feet. Brasstown Cascades, Veil,

and Sluice.

This was a short walk, but to see the top falls, you needed to cross the creek. There was a log that Paul tried walking across, but got about half way and realized it had ice and was getting slippery. He then tried to come back and.... you guessed it.... he fell in! It was icy and cold! I was so shocked and worried, I did not even think about taking a picture. Since he was on the other side, he went ahead up to the top falls. But I had the camera, so no picture of the top "cascade"! However, when he came back, he realized he had to cross again! So he just walked in and crossed!! So we got a blanket wrapped around him and put his pants and socks by the jeep heater to get dry, or at least warm!!!
11) Bull Sluice Falls on the Chattooga River, was more of a view of whitewater rather than an actual waterfall. We headed on a trail on the wrong side of the river first, so the 1/4 mile hike really turned out to be closer to a mile by the time we back tracked and found the right trail!!

It was still early enough to visit Foxfire, since we were in the northern part of the county, so we crossed over to Georgia. Foxfire Magazine was started in 1966 as an attempt to increase student interest in learning and English. Students interviewed "old timer" about the basic culture of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. In 1972 an anthology of the student written articles was gathered and published. Over 30 years, 11 more Foxfire Books have been published. The royalties from this series led to the purchase of land and funded the acquisition and construction of the 20+ log structures of the center.
The Savannah House is a 21X21 ft. 1820s house is the oldest authentic structure at the museum. It was relocated to Foxfire in 1975. Noteworthy were Wooden pegs and dovetailed poplar logs and locust sills. It was inhabited by four generations, three of which each had 10 children!

The church was the social center of the community.

The Moore House, a "dog-trot" house for the open passageway between the two rooms, keeping it cool in the summer.

Many artifacts displayed were given to the students as they interviewed and interacted with these community members. This is a Hog scalder.
The grist mill.

Housed in one of the buildings is the only documented wagon remaining known to have traveled to Oklahoma in the Trail of Tears.

Another wagon was commissioned from Judd Nelson, one of the last blacksmiths who really knew how to build wagons from beginning to end. It took three months to complete as students documented the entire process. The article remains the longest single article ever published by Foxfire! It was the last on Mr. Nelson ever built.
In addition to the buildings, split rail fencing, root cellar, and smokehouse were on display.

On Tuesday we headed north again to get another waterfall in.
12) Whitewater Falls on the Whitewater River begins in North Carolina and ending in South Carolina. These are the highest in eastern America.
A sign by the falls warned about not climbing on the slippery rocks, and indicated 95 people had died at the falls.

We had been listening to a radio station from the Highlands in North Carolina, so we decided to visit. Along the way, we were treated to a drive through a beautiful forest. The rhododendruns were again, breathtaking, along with the icicles.

A lot of the stores were closed for the winter, but a few that were open were high end and expensive. Colonel Mustard's was a unigue food store, where they had hundreds of samples of salsas, jams, jellies and crackers. Above the town, Sunset Rock provided a fabulous view over the whole area.


Along the roadway, icicles were hanging along the rocks. It was beautiful!!


Wednesday, I had to get in two more falls!!
13) King Creek Falls... we ran out of time to hike this one when we took the Spoonauger Falls, which is close to this one. So we needed to go back to this 70 foot cascade. It was worth returning for.





14) Pigpen Falls. This was a short, easy, flat walk. We had lunch, but headed back really fast since we were freezing!!


On the way home we came across this little church....check out the outhouse in the back!:) It struck me that this is the social center of this community, with the covered picnic tables!



Since we wanted to relax on Friday before leaving on Saturday, Thursday was the last day for rubbernecking. We headed for Bob Jones University to see the Gallery and Museum http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifthat would be open. The artwork had to be priceless. Included were works from Italian, French, Spanish, Dutch, English, German and Flemish from Gothic to Renaisance to Baroque, from 1400-19th century. One of the eye openers for us, was simply a manger from Bethlehem......not what we expected....it was a carved out rock!! Not the wooden one that is always portrayed!!

On the way we detoured to the MOST UNUSUAL MUSEUM OF THE TRIP!! This one wins! We took the two hour tour and went back in time. I am sorry to say, I have no pictures. Maybe it really was not real? I had read about an "Antiquers Haven Museum and
Shop" in one of the visitor guides: "The facility features the largest varied antique collection in the Southeast. A seven room house is furnished with 1690 to 1890 period pieces, clothing, toys, guns and fine china. In the Emporium, read an 1863 newspaper account of the attack on Ft. Sumter. Check out the medicines, fashionable jewelry and salesman samples. There is an 1887 barber shop with its bleeding bowl, a tavern with an 1800 bar and 1860 pool table and a dentist office with a foot-powered drill and folding chair for traveling. Twenty vintage automobiles date from 1904-1934." Wow! This sounded like a very big place....we had to stop. GPS took us to a residential area. Thinking we had passed it, we turned around and we saw a home that almost looked abandoned with a long building on the side. a really faded sign said open, so we went through the gates. When I got out and started toward the door, a big signed warned me about the dog..... and then I heard 3 or 4!! An old gentleman came to the door, and of course all 4 big dogs come bounding out! All so friendly :) Anyway, he got the dogs under control and into the house and I confirmed we were where we thought we wanted to be. He had us sit down in the patio area and lets talk a minute he says... He explained that he did not let just anyone into his museum. He sold the antiques in the store part last fall and if we were really interested in seeing what he had he would show us, otherwise we could leave. We could have him as a guide and he would tell us about things we were seeing, or we could go and look, he would be quiet, but he would follow us. We chose the former, and were delighted with the two hours we spent there. It was all of the above and more. The property was originally a schoolhouse. The house itself, he said, was just like the one he went to in upstate New York. The long building was a school with about six rooms, three on each side of a hall. It replaced a smaller schoolhouse when it burned. About a 100 foot section had been added the length of the building. The tour started with the automobiles: A 1904 Watson electric car that could go 35 mph;3 Nash; Ford model A; Ford Model T based customized pie wagon with an organ in it; one of three Cadillac limo model made; a Woodie that spent all but the last 20 years in Australia; three 3-wheelers; a Chevy touring car; a 2-wheeler (first motorcycle?); two Overland Willys (grandfather to the Jeep); and three Modelettes (I could handle one of them! 2-seater with driver behind passenger); and two Rolls Royces, one of which is his favorite. He drove it from New Jersey to Alaska and plans to be cremated and the box put under the seat. Both are rare models. I cannot remember all of the details of these vehicles, but it seemed to be an unusual collection in that all seemed to be almost a one of a kind or very rare. And if you gave him about a week, he would have all of them running! You could tell he was very attached and proud of each and every one. And each and every one had a story. Did you know the standard black color came in 1928 when Ford started mass producing? Prior to that, many colors were available, but took longer to dry. And these vehicles were all different colors! After the tour of the long building was complete, he took us into the house....it felt like walking into a museum then. It was amazing, the items they had: Ever hear of a Ukelin? cross between a ukele and a violin....literally; a framed "hair flower arrangement", the largest of its kind, with a picture of a small child, whose hair it was from infancy to old lady; a pintype picture that is 5x7 where normally they are only about 1 or 2 inches square; rope bed; and a piano player. No, not a player piano. This attaches to any piano, but has the same concept of a roll. It was the same size as a piano, so it must have been bulky- looking when attached. We had the feeling he did not let every one into the house, either!

So now we have to absorb all we learned on this trip....a trip back through time!