Episode Thirteen—Destination: North Carolina

First stop in our action-packed day: Campbell’s Covered Bridge.

This is the last remaining covered bridge in South Carolina. Really beautiful spot. Look at all that granite.

The bridge has been closed for maintenance and painting. It looks like new.

But not underneath.

There’s water and green everywhere you look! Here’s a shot of Beaverdam Creek as it approaches the bridge. Looks like a dark and forbidding forest up that way.

The creek flowing away from the bridge.

In the distance, Kudzu vine is tragically invading the forest as it is in much of the south.

Wendy knew of a good restaurant in Landrum, another tiny town. It’s located on a main route between North and South Carolina so more traffic and more business. The Hare and Hound was a delight, right on the main drag.

Our lunch bunch from left to right: old friend, Sharon, Carol, Wendy, Ken, Carl and me. We sat outside enjoying clam chowder and shared bread pudding for dessert.

The food was great, again.

There were lots of Amish stores in Landrum with beautiful goods. We strolled down the street where I finally got inside some antique stores.

For some reason, I thought antique stores in the South would be unique. Not so much. Just about identical wares I’d find in Southern California. Purchases were modest (and small)—a doily and salt and pepper shakers shaped like watering cans.

Shopping continued as we crossed the border into North Carolina. Our group browsed at a nice nursery. We spent a long time at the most immense antique mall I’ve ever been to—The Tryon Antique Mall. I could spend days there and not see the whole thing.

My quick perusal turned up a small creamer that isn’t Shenango but looks like it and a pink, white and turquoise pitcher that could be Weller, but was only marked U.S.A.

I had no idea how beautifully the pitcher matched the table quilt I finished right before our vacation. Perhaps I was unusually clairvoyant that day!

Everyone bought something. Wendy wished for a small patriotic rooster when we were perusing the stores in Landrum and she found exactly what she imagined here. Wishes do come true.

Were our adventures over? Not with Wendy in charge. We were near another waterfall, and there we went. It’s Wendy’s favorite and the trail was only half a mile, very doable.

The hike to Pearsons Falls was magnificent, in a glen along a babbling stream.

I’m not making this up. This is my actual picture.

We sat and enjoyed the falls for a while.

Here’s the front of Carl for a change.

The Falls and Glen are designated as a Blue Ridge National Heritage Area and included in the Smithsonian Institution’s Archives of American Gardens.

Unfortunately, the pizza place Wendy remembered from previous trips wasn’t open on Mondays. We ended up eating dinner at Cracker Barrel. Every day in South Carolina seemed to be more action-packed than the last.

The “farewell to South Carolina” firefly display was the best yet.