Same Route, Different Scenery

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I have traveled a couple of routes that include lots of sweeping curves.  One of them was described in an earlier posting entitled "Sweepers, Galore."

Two Saturdays ago, I traveled one of the routes again, but with some new scenery thrown into the mix.  Read on.

Here is where I went:

View Larger Map

The first little bit is on easy roads, from Easley, through Pickens, and on to Walhalla.  I pass the Oconee Nuclear Station, halfway between Pickens and Walhalla, but don't stop today.  They usually have interesting exhibits, some permanent, about power generation and use, others temporary, usually some kind of artwork. The last time I stopped in, there was a large display of orchids grown by fanciers of that flower.  Doesn't sound like a he-man hobby, but what do I know?  Other times there have been photos (some by local photographer Patrick Welch), paintings, and crafts. By the way, this plant has generated more nuclear power than any other plant in the U.S. 

Beyond Walhalla, I start toward the northwest on SC-28, also known as Moonshiner 28.  This is the road that goes all the way to Tail of the Dragon if you want to go there.  I have not ridden there as yet, but maybe someday...  The number of interesting roads near home makes the fabled Tail less attractive to me.  It tends to be overrun with traffic, both bikes and cars. 

This little section of 28 is curvy, with mostly sweepers, but some pretty tight curves too.  I angle off to the right on SC-107.  This road, too, is mostly sweepers, but gets a little tight in places.  The road surface also has been repaired in many places with half-lane replacements that leave an edge trap in the center of the lane.  This is unnerving at times, especially in the turns.  The motley light and dark color of the pavement -- almost like a tar and chip job with some of the tar showing through -- makes it difficult to pick out any gravel on the surface. 

I am not a speed demon, so I don't run into any problems, though a few curves are taken near my comfort level.  Fortunately, there is nothing on the road to limit traction, so I come out OK.  I have tires with good grip -- Michelin Pilot Road 3 -- so I am sure the bike and its tires can handle almost anything I am likely to call upon it to do in the corners.  

As I tool along, I spot something glossy and black about twenty feet above me on the embankment on my right.  What could that be?

It is a bear!  I have never seen a bear in the wild, so this is a first.  I say, out loud to myself inside my helmet, "WOW!  Look at that!  That was a bear."  Brilliant observation, that, but it is out of the ordinary for a city boy to see an animal larger than a dog out loose.  By the way, I have not been talking to myself as much when riding lately, so this must be a real occasion! 

The bear is a sizable specimen, I'd say.  He is just standing there, looking down at the road.  Maybe waiting for a tasty morsel to come by.  As possible headlines in the local papers flash through my head, I look for a place to pull off the road and take his picture: 

"Motorcyclist Snapping Pictures Snapped Up by Black Bear,"
          or
"Curious Biker Disappears During Day Trip, Chewed Up Leather Suit Found in Bear Den,"
           or, maybe
"Cowardly Rider Passes Right by Black Bear Peacefully Observing Mountain Highway." 

The last is closest to what I did.  Apparently black bears are quite afraid of humans, and will retreat if you stand your ground, but I wasn't going to find out.  There was no good place to stop anyway, [excuses, excuses, Bucky] so this picture from the 'net will have to do.

I recover from my fauna observing experience, and travel further, just beyond the Wigington Byway turnoff.  On the left at Pushpin "D" is the Sloan Bridge picnic area.  One feature of this place is the restroom, my immediate goal.

After that, I explore a little and find that the two picnic tables visible from the road are backed up by several more down toward a stream, the East Fork of the Chattooga River.   I venture down some steps into a glade surrounded by azaleas, I think they are.  I'll bet this is a pretty place when they are in bloom during spring. 

Looking up the steps. 

I walk as close to the water as I can, but it is quite overgrown.  The gurgling of the water makes for a restful sound while I am munching on some energy bars and swilling down my Gatorade. 

 

The sign at the parking area shows several trails for the hiker.  I meet a man and his son there who are going to camp overnight after a six-mile hike.  I hope Mr. Bear doesn't go that way. 

Interestingly, there are three waterfalls within a mile or so of this place.  You can read about them on the SCwaterfalls website.  I didn't walk to them since my riding boots are not very comfortable for that mode of travel, but the falls would make for a good part-day outing some time. 

I put on my helmet and gloves again and go the short distance back to the Wigington Byway.  This short road has the overlook onto Lake Jocassee that I have written about before, and it is just as scenic today as it has always been. I stop for a few minutes to take in the view.  Some elderly people eye me as if I am an alien.  I guess I have that effect on people.

Here is that picture of the alien -- er, of Bucky -- gazing off into the distant view of the lake, taken in July of 2009.

Once I hit SC-130, I turn left and, after a mile or so, enter the Whitewater Falls parking area.  I have been here many times since the first, back in February of 2008.  That was just five months after I started riding. I remember the excitement of having negotiated a somewhat curvy road to see a pretty sight. 

I hike up the paved path to the falls overlook.  It has been rainy lately, so the falls are full today, and there are quite a few people here today, enjoying the beauty of creation. 

I don't take the 154 steps down to the lower viewing platform, since there is the same number of steps to come back up, and I am a bit lazy today as far as exercise is concerned! 

I meet two Harley riders, each a long way from home.  One is from Pennsylvania, the other from Florida.  They bring their bikes to this area to enjoy the roads, sometimes for weeks at a stretch.  They are both retired, but are my age or younger.  I likely turn a shade of green as they speak, my envy showing.  One of them observes that I must be retired, too.  I am not sure whether that is a reflection of my ancient-looking countenance or what.  Anyway, I tell him that I am not retired, and may not be able to do so for a long time if our politicians keep on destroying our economy.  They agree that is the case. 

I mount up, and ride to the south on 130.  The sweeping curves are mostly clean and smooth, but a few have broken-up patches that throw the bike sideways a bit. I use SC-11 to get to SC-133 just after Keowee Toxaway State Park, which is another good place to stop for a rest break, which I do. 

Outside Pickens, I turn into the DMV and do some low speed tight turns for practice, then continue on home.

I have traveled 120 miles and I can't wait to tell my wife about the bear.

When I tell her, she is skeptical of my sighting.  I guess I'll have to go back and find that bear again so I can ask him to pose for my camera.


I really did see one....   Honest.  
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Sound Familiar?

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Does that strike a familiar chord with anybody?

Maybe describing this guy?  

It is, in fact, from a much earlier time.  

See who wrote it, and when?  

  

 Cicero was a wise man.  

His observations fit today perfectly.


Vote in November to stop the destruction he is wreaking on our country and our freedom.  

Drawings by:

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Straight as a String -- Almost

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Back on December 31 of last year, I wrote of a route over to the west of home with lots of sweeping curves.  It made for an interesting few hours out -- not too easy and not too difficult: a good winter route. 

A couple of Saturdays ago, I picked out a route further to the west, in Georgia, my aim being to see Tallulah Gorge State Park.  Well, I mapped out a route that looked to get me there and back over some roads I have not ridden before.

Follow along on the map:

View Larger Map

I start out in temperatures of sixty-seven degrees, and dress lightly, but safely, as it is supposed to get much hotter today. The route to the west is on US-123, a get-there-quickly road with little of scenic interest and not much challenge except for the traffic in the towns along the way.  At Westminster South Carolina I cut off to the northwest on US-76.
 
Just a few miles outside of town, I run across Chau Ram County Park, at Pushpin "B" on the map.  I turn in to see what is here. Right off the parking lot is a forty-foot waterfall on Ramsey Creek.

This creek runs into the Chauga River, a favorite for rafters and kayakers. 

There are hiking trails, camping, the aforementioned water activities, swimming, picnicking, and other things to do here.  In case you are wondering, the name is a contraction of the Chauga and Ramsey river and creek here.  I walk around a little, but my riding boots are not made for walking very much.

I saddle up and get on my way toward Clayton Georgia. 

At the Georgia state line. I cross the Chattooga River, another place rafters and kayakers are addicted to, Pushpin "C."  A nice safe [NOT!] place on the river just downstream from here is Bull Sluice Rapids, class IV, I believe. 

There are a few sweeping curves along this stretch of highway, but so far, not many.  In Clayton, I turn south on US-441/US-23.  (Also here is Warwoman Road with a few miles of twisties that runs back east to GA-28 (a continuation of SC-28).   The twisty parts are nearest 28.) 

The ride south is also without much interest, but I finally get to Jane Hurt Yarn Road, named after a woman who fought to preserve this area.  There is a visitor center for the park, so I get oriented and start out on a short walk.  I am already melting in the high-eighty-degree heat, but I want to see what is here.

While prowling the parking lot for a shady place, I spot another bike.  It is a Honda Hawk, NT650, a naked sportbike sold in the U.S. between 1988 and 1991.  It is not in bad shape, but shows some road rash here and there. I left one of my cards on his seat.  There were several Harleys in the lot too, but they wouldn't pose for the camera. 

At the gorge, there are a few overlooks that are easy to get to.  The gorge is magnificently deep -- about 750 feet -- and long -- five waterfalls long, in fact. 

This view is of L'Eau d'Or Falls.  [For we unsophisticates, that is French for "water of gold."] 

Oceana Falls is way down there.

Do you notice the people playing in the water?  I didn't either until a toddler pointed them out to a group of us unobservant adults gawking over the fence. 

Now do you see them?  Just to the right of center.  If you are adventurous enough to want to get down there, you have to get one of only one hundred passes handed out free daily, and descend the 1099 steps to get there.  I could have gotten down, but I am afraid a helicopter rescue would have been necessary to hoist me out again on this hot day. 

There is a walkway on the other side of the gorge, accessible near the bridge that crosses at Tallulah Falls Dam, a quarter mile south of Jane Hurt Yarn Road.  

The town of Tallulah Falls still exists over there, but is only a remnant of its once thriving tourist days.  The first hotel here was not much more than a cabin, but opened in 1840.  There was a railroad that ran between Cornelia, Georgia and Franklin, North Carolina that stopped here, beginning in 1882.  (I rode through Cornelia back in March of 2010.)  At its peak, at least seventeen hotels and boarding houses invited guests to stay a spell here at the gorge.  

On July 24, 1886, a Professor Leon crossed the gorge on a high wire, a feat that was repeated by Karl Wallenda on July 18, 1970.   The towers used to support the latter feat are still there.  Mr. Wallenda crossed the 1000 foot long wire, doing two head stands on the way.  Braver than most, I'd say. 

In December 1921, a fire started in the town and burned for several days, destroying stores, hotels, and many homes. Most were not rebuilt. 

I am sweating heavily after my walk to the overlooks, so I make my way back to the visitor center and get a cold slurp of water.  Further down US-441, I cross the dam, and turn off on the Tallulah Gorge Scenic Loop.  This is a tourist trap area, at Pushpin "E," but at least a couple of other bikers are here today.  

I peek over the edge for a few minutes, and travel on to the power plant served by the dam, near Pushpin "F."  (Enlarge the map and move it around to see these pushpins better.)  The dam was constructed between 1911and 1914, providing power to Atlanta, at a cost of half what it was previously.  That caused a boom in the city that lasted for many years.  Our modern-day politicians ought to take a lesson from that, by clearing away unnecessary regulations!

The dam is at Pushpin "A" on this map.  The power plant is just northeast of Pushpin "B." 

View Larger Map

You can't get to the power plant, but there is an overlook and picnic area above it.  An incline railway passenger car is on display here. 

This 36 to 90% grade railway shuttled workers and supplies down 609 vertical feet to the power plant during its construction.  It remains in use today, though not from the location shown here.

Water flows through an underground passage from above the dam to near Pushpin "B" on the map above.  The power plant is at the bottom of the pipes leading down into the gorge near there. 

A garden railroad builder (who apparently rides a red scooter, judging by some of his photographs), has modeled the Tallulah Railroad.  His blog shows the incline railway in operation, and numerous photos of the prototype. 

After the power plant, I go back a little ways to the Gilbert Gate entrance to a school, the Tallulah Falls School, of all names, at Pushpin "E" on the first map  I follow the road across US-441, where a new entrance exits.  The school was founded in 1909 by the Georgia Federation of Women's Clubs.  Today, the school provides a college prepartory education to 300 students in grades 6 through 12.  The campus, at Pushpin "G," is quite nice, and large.  I'll bet the tuition is high.  Yep, the total cost per student is $44,000/year because there are so few students in the school.  The tuition for day students is $8,750/year, the remainder provided by private donations. 

After a look at the school campus, I get back on US-441 and head south to GA-17A.  This road, built of concrete, starts my bike bucking like a rocking horse, but smooths out soon enough.  I follow it to Toccoa, stop at the old railroad depot to cool off, then head east on US-123 again.

What few sweeping curves there are cannot be enjoyed fully due to traffic.  It is almost as though today's ride has been totally on roads straight as a string.  Well, almost that straight, anyway.  This has been disappointing, though some of the places I visited were certainly interesting and scenic. Maybe it is a good cruiser route.  What do you think? 

The temperature has climbed to ninety-three degrees today after 170 miles.



Read more about the Tallulah Gorge waterfalls at the SCwaterfalls website.  

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Memorial Day -- Remember

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This Memorial Day, remember that only two forces were willing to die for us; Jesus who died for our souls,...

Mama's and Papaw's Place blog

...and the American soldier, who is willing to die for our freedom

My Father's Voice

Give thanks to both today.
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Sights South of Spartanburg

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On Saturday, May 12, I set out in a new direction.  I had looked at the map and found Croft State Park, one I had not visited.  It is located southeast of Spartanburg, a fairly large town east of where I live.  I used Google Maps to find a non-superslab route to get there, then transferred the route to my GPS. 


I start out from the house in sixty-degree, overcast weather.  In fact, it sprinkles a little bit, but I go anyway, since I have not been out to ride for a couple of weeks.  I, generally speaking, won't melt if I get wet anyway. 

The first major metropolis I enter is the town of Fountain Inn.  A quick foray down the main street reveals a restaurant with the name Bucky's Barbecue.  Must be a good place, I conclude, with name like that!

It was started a dozen years ago by Wayne Preston and now has four locations.  I don't have time today to eat here, but I'll put it on the list of places to visit again.

After I leave Fountain Inn, and as I am cruising along on SC-418, I cross a concrete bridge over the Enoree River, entering Laurens County (at Pushpin "B" on this map.)   I spot a rocky area beneath the bridge and on either side, and stop for a better look.

It turns out that this place is called Van Patton Shoals, and it varies in appearance depending on the river flow.  It has been dry lately, so there is a lot of visible rock and not much water.  What there is, creates several little waterfalls.  bearden82 has a nice sequence of photos here on Panoramio.

In the distance, stands one remaining span of a Pratt through-truss bridge.  It provides a picturesque part of the view from here.  It isn't much more than that, since there is no deck left on it, and the other span is long gone. 

The bridge is on private land owned by the Wilburns.  It was once owned by Duke Power and there was a dam here as well.  Here is another picture of the far side of the old bridge:

by bearden82

The highway bridge is in the background.

The Google Satellite image of the shoals looks like this:

View Larger Map

The highway bridge is to the southwest of the uppermost 418 marker on the map.  The shoals are directly beneath the bridge.  The old bridge is to the northwest of that highway marker. 

Once I have drunk in the views from here, and a few miles further along, I spot a church with some activity going on.  This is Emmanuel Baptist Church of Roebuck, SC.  They have recently constructed a prayer garden here, with various displays of Biblical history and an element of patriotism as well.  The fence is draped with bunting, there are military vehicles parked nearby, and folding chairs galore set up in front of a stage.  It is the day of dedication for the garden, and later they will have speakers and music for the occasion.

We need more respect for God and country these days, certainly.  

I saddle up and leave Roebuck, to find more roads like those I have already ridden -- mostly straight -- with hardly any curves that might qualify even as sweepers.  The route thus far has certainly not been challenging. 

I come upon Glenn Springs, little more than a crossroads, but with some interesting history.  Here you see the circa 1900 post office on the left, and Calvary Episcopal Church across the road on the right.  The latter building was erected in 1897. 

The church entrance. 

Granite fence posts that will last just about forever. 

Cates' Store, circa 1885, is across Boys Home Road from the post office.

In 1825, John B. Glenn bought the land here and opened an inn.  A mineral spring took its name from Mr. Glenn.  His inn was so popular that in 1835, stock was sold to help build a large hotel on the land.  The hotel was known for its elegance and comforts as well as its healing water.

Picture postcard

A colorful history of Glenn Springs can be found here.  : 

Small cabins and a bottling facility were also built around the inn.  In 1941, the hotel burned, and was not rebuilt. At one point near the turn of the century, there was a railroad that took patrons from Roebuck, then called Becka, to the inn.

A pavilion near the mineral springs is located on the property of the Spartanburg Boys Home, now known as the Glenn Springs Academy, just down Boys Home Road from the post office. 

You can take a hike, or ride your bicycle (but NOT your motorcycle!) through the nearby woods on the newly developed, seven-mile Glenn Springs Passage of the Palmetto Trail, and see some of the ruins of this once "queen of the southern summer resorts."

There is a Presbyterian Church building called the old stone church in the woods near the Boys Home that is being restored, and several other structures in various states of repair stand nearby. 

The twenty or so buildings spread over ninety acres is a South Carolina Department of Archives and History historic district.  Other info about the Glenn Springs Preservation Society, and Calvary Church / Glenn Springs historical markers can be found at these links. 

I head onward to my goal today, Croft State Park.  I follow the path that Google maps found and that I downloaded to my GPS by my earlier-documented method.  When I get closer to the park, the road loses its painted center line, and gets narrower.  Oh, oh.  I might not be headed toward the park entrance. 

Sure enough, the pavement ends, and gravel begins.  Now, I have not shied away from gravel in the past, and this is nice and smooth.  There are no washboard sections, not much loose stone, and no tight curves. 

I continue on as my GPS directs.  At one point, it says to turn left, but the road it directs me to is barely visible -- more a path than anything else.  Unfortunately, Google doesn't have a feature to avoid gravel and dirt roads, so the route transferred to my GPS doesn't know any better.  Well, maybe my GPS does: Since passing the dirt trail, the GPS voice has now begun to proclaim that I am to "navigate off-road." 

Fortunately, the gravel road looks like it continues on.  As it turns out, the gravel extends between the two Pushpins on this map.

View Larger Map
The "road" that Google wanted me to use to get to Croft State Park starts at the circle on the map above.  The dirt road probably gets there, but I am not going to risk it. 

At least the gravel doesn't get any worse, so I continue until I again reach pavement.  The park entrance is nowhere to be found, however.  I search the GPS points of interest to find it and set out.  Soon enough I do, and go in.  The park road is about three miles in to Croft Lake. There is a boat ramp and a campground, both crowded. 

I turn back toward the park entrance, and stop beneath a huge old oak tree at a picnic shelter.  It must be several hundred years old.  I take a few snapshots of this picturesque sight.  [Yes, both the tree and the bike are picturesque.]  This spot is called the Twin Oaks picnic area. 

The park has an interesting history.  It was a training facility called Camp Croft, a WWII Army Infantry Replacement Center.  There are some good descriptions and photographs of the camp at that link. 

The park covers more than seven thousand acres of rolling, wooded terrain. The park offers twelve miles of biking and hiking trails, a playground, picnicking and camping, as well as fishing and boating in one of two lakes.

Horseback riding is also popular at Croft. The park regularly hosts shows in its arena and boasts more than twenty miles of equestrian trails.  Today, the campground is filled with many horse trailers. 

The weather is starting to cloud up, so I set my GPS to start out toward home.  It directs me through Spartanburg, and on to I-85.  This route is quick, but not too enjoyable. 

Here is the route I took to get to Croft State Park today:  

View Larger Map
Don't forget about the gravel section that doesn't go to the park. 


The weather held out until after I was safely home.  In fact, I had a few minutes to practice some low speed maneuvers before I put the bike away today.  I have traveled 178 miles to some new places of interest -- south of Spartanburg. 
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Harangue -- Maybe Life and Death

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harangue: An impassioned, disputatious public speech; A tirade or rant, whether spoken or written; To give a forceful and lengthy lecture or criticism to someone.


A few weeks ago, on March 12 to be exact, at a little after 4:00 AM, a motorcycle rider was being chased by a State Highway Patrol Trooper.  The motorcycle rider was speeding and would not stop.  Rather, he ran, at high speed.  He came near my house. 

It happened that I was lying awake, tossing and turning in my bed with the windows open that morning. I heard the bike wind up tightly several times, probably on the straights. I heard the siren of the police car following him.  The trooper's car failed to make a curve, left the road into a wooded area and down an embankment, turned over, and caught fire.  The officer was pinned in the vehicle, and had suffered two broken legs.  From a police video, I saw how close the officer came to losing his life in the burning vehicle.

WYFF News photo

View Larger Map

I drove past the crash site (at Pushpin "B" on the map above), and noticed something striking.  Just south of the place where the trooper went off the road, there are these new, and brightly-reflectorized signs. They certainly let you know there is a stop sign ahead.

Notice that the signs point STRAIGHT AHEAD, warning of the stop sign.  The fact that the road turns to the right is completely obscured by a rise in the road at the same place where the signs are. There are NO curve-ahead signs whatsoever, in either direction.

A closer view.

What would any motorist think?  That the road continues straight, of course! 

Here is what lurks just beyond the signs, however:

Note that the left side of the road is pitch black.  A gully is there about 20 feet deep, and many trees.

There are no curve warning signs here either.  Like this one:

from Safetysign.com

At high speed, this curve could be a killer.  I believe the lack of proper signage contributed to the accident. The LEO probably was not familiar with the road. I'll bet the biker was, and knew to turn even before the rise.

Here are some views in the daylight:

No sign of a curve.

This shot is taken even with the stop warning signs.

Now you can see the curve in the road, but the stop signs are not yet visible.

Here is where the patrol car went off the road.  That largest tree, just right of center has a large scar on its near side.  It and the trees further down in the gully are charred from the fire. 

 I don't know how the car got through the trees to its resting place beyond the big tree.  It is a wonder the officer wasn't killed on impact. 


Now, before we get into the debate about whether the officer should have been chasing the biker, consider the following:

• LEOs cannot and should not make it a policy not to chase bikes. If that were the case, others who currently have respect for the laws of the road would begin to have less respect -- they would take more chances, and be more likely to break the laws.
• Many who ride find that the motorcycle is easy to ride faster than the speed limit. Doing so, especially at 100 miles per hour, does not make it right.  The biker should have stopped.
• We do not know whether there was some infraction besides speeding that morning that caused the patrolman to take chase. 
• The officer made a decision to continue the chase. We do not know why.  I expect, however, that he must make such decisions -- and even more weighty ones -- many times during a week of duty.  I wonder how many of us can consistently make the best -- some will, after the fact, say CORRECT -- decisions under pressure.

This is just one more example, where our government spends piles of our money, but where the practical results are lacking. 

Makes me mad as I can be. You too, I hope. 


The motorcyclist is still at large.  If you have information, contact Crime Stoppers of Pickens County at 898-KOPS (898-5677).  There is a reward for information.


Previous Harangues:

• Cost of Government Day
• More Wasted Tax Dollars
• Georgia Department of Driver Services
• Pavement Surfaces and Other Things to Watch Out For
• Unintended Consequences at a State park
• South Carolina DOT Waste

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Quick Trip to a Familiar Place

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The weather and my schedule have conspired to keep me off the bike for a couple of weeks.  I ventured out on a rainy Saturday morning this weekend, however, taking a chance that the weather would be at least tolerable.

It was!  I didn't have a lot of time to spend, so around sixty miles was all I rode, but it was certainly worthwhile. 

From Easley, I go over to Pickens and up US-178, which is moderately curvy, to SC-11, the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway, where the Holly Springs Country Store is that bikers gather at.  No others are there, so I turn right on 11, and ride to Table Rock State Park.  There is a visitor center there. 

I take this photo of Pinnacle Mountain from the parking lot of the visitor center.  It is the highest point entirely within South Carolina.  You can hike up there if you have a strong heart and leather lungs.  It is a strenuous climb of four hours, six miles round trip, with an elevation gain of 2673 feet.

Your head might be in the clouds if you do that today, but didn't it turn out to be beautiful?

From the visitor center, I cross SC-11 and go up the road into the park.  There is a pull-off with this view of Table Rock.

 Here is a better view:

Pretty, yes?  You can also hike to the top of Table Rock mountain, a moderate four-hour, 6-1/2 mile round trip with an elevation gain of 2433 feet.   

How did it get its name, you ask?  Well, according to a sign at the pull-off:

To a giant, Table Rock could be exactly what its name suggests -- a 3124 foot [above sea level] high table made of granite.  To eat at this table, the giant would need a seat -- Stool Mountain at 2600 feet served this purpose. 

That's how the Cherokee saw the memorable landscape before you.  Their beliefs, shaped by their environment, featured an enormous spirit who loomed over this mountain range, his shadow forming the bluish haze.  Sah-ka-na-ga, meaning "Great Blue Hills of God," was the name given this place. 

Settlers, influenced by the story of the gigantic chieftain dining here, preserved the legend when naming the landmarks. 

 The blue arrow is the stool.  The red arrow is the table.  

After I leave the park, I continue on SC-11 to SC-8.  The road runs to Pumpkintown, then SC-135 runs back to Easley.

I'm glad I got a chance to get out today.  I would have missed this great scenery.  Come over some time and ride.  You won't be disappointed. 
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