Sunday, March 26, 2017

Beauty and Adventure In The Great Wide Somewhere

It's a lazy gray Sunday afternoon so I thought I'd spend my time wisely and blog. I've already had a nap and watching the Florida-SC game was making me tense so here I am.

Hubs and I have been in the new house for about four months now, but we really haven't gotten to explore too much in the nearby area. Weekends have been filled with other 'stuff'...unpacking-travel-houseguests-holidays-illness...you get the idea. Also I've blabbed about it at least twenty times, maybe more.


There's an abundance of waterfalls in our little corner of the world, and I'm determined to see them all. A few are better enjoyed by boat, but we can get to those later. We chose something nearby on Saturday and off we went.



Issaqueena Falls.


There's a legend behind the name and it goes something like this-Issaqueena was a Creek Indian maiden, and way back when the Cherokee made an attempt to kidnap her. The Cherokee believed evil spirits lived in waterfalls, so she supposedly saved herself by hiding on the ledge just behind these falls.


Naturally hubs needed to venture across the slippery rock to stand behind the falls while I did my usual helpful thing and shouted, 'Don't fall!' He didn't.


It's a steep rocky scramble down to the bottom of the falls, and why do I always get behind a dad toting a baby on his back? Makes me sweat worse than the hike down.


We knew there was an old tunnel nearby that was worth checking out so we asked a couple of people if we could walk from the falls and they looked at us like we were crazy. We drove, but turns out it was less than half a mile and we could have easily walked. Maybe they noticed I was already sweating (that baby in the backpack y'all!) so they suggested we drive?


Stumphouse Tunnel is cool! It's not often you get to walk inside a mountain, and I was glad I had my jacket with me. The temperature drops quite a bit as you go further in.


It's  DARK!, which makes it just a little bit spooky. Also I was silently freaking out thinking bats might call this place home,  so I stuck close to hubs.


Stumphouse is an unfinished railroad tunnel started before the Civil War and intended to create a train line running from Anderson SC to Knoxville TN. They quit working on the tunnel in 1859 when the legislature refused to fund more construction.

Hmmm...everything old is new again-ha!

Fun fact-Clemson University acquired the tunnel in the early 1950's and cured blue cheese there. They still make blue cheese, but have recreated the tunnel environment in an on campus setting.

You know, if you don't hike you miss a lot of local history and natural beauty.

And if you don't pop back here tomorrow you'll miss my thoughts on another kind of beauty.
The kind named Belle. See you here!

10 comments:

  1. Waterfalls are always amazing! Thanks for sharing the photos! The basketball games today were indeed crazy good.

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  2. Y'all are so cute and look to be certainly enjoying your new area. Lovely pics!

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  3. Wow, what beautiful waterfalls! You are blessed to have such nice trails to explore. Love the selfie in the tunnel. LOL

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  4. Pretty water fall. Looking forward to reading your thoughts on Beauty and the Beast.

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  5. Oh wow...I just love exploring places such a this. Beautiful waterfalls and that tunnel is pretty amazing!

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  6. I love waterfalls. Unfortunately it is a very long drive to reach the falls in upper Michigan.

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  7. Ahhhhh! Waterfalls! We don't have a single one in Louisiana that I know of, but aren't they beautiful things. So glad you and Hubs are having time to explore your gorgeous neighborhood.

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  8. Wow, I'm impressed, it looks beautiful and that tunnel is something else.

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  9. The waterfalls certainly look worth a visit but I'm not sure about that tunnel lol

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